Origin of the word "Lyoko"?

[Taelia offline]

Where did they get the name "Lyoko" from anyway?

[xxJeanGreyxx offline]

Where did they get the name "Lyoko" from anyway?

That's what I've been wondering... O_O

[YDV offline]

I think they made it up.

Although, in my Grand Collective Theory and many a fanfic, the possibility was brought up that it was somebody on the Carthage Project's last name.

[Mewberries151]

I heard it was Japanese...and translates into "Time" or something close to that.

It is a Japanese name though, I believe. If you search for "Lyoko" on IMDB you get a Japanese actress who's first name (I think) is "Lyoko".

[Jazzy Josh offline]

You can also get a phrase that I can't say here if you say the whole last word

[Taelia offline]

That's very interesting.

[xxJeanGreyxx offline]

I came up with a complex theory that the name was a tribute to Hopper's wife, who I imagined to be of Russian/Franco stock (thus the name Aelita for their daughter).

So, if you have a name like Amilee Okolovitch Hopper, you combine the 'Lee' from Amilee (which could have been a nick-name), with 'Oko' from Okolovitch (this is an actual Eastern European surname) and you get 'Lee-Oko.'

Respell it to get a better roll off the tounge and you get 'Lyoko.'

Wow, good theory. Very good. That would make alot of sense.

[Taelia offline]

I agree!

[Gem offline]

Hmm, that is an interesting theory. Lyoko could also quite possibly be from the Japanese word "ryoko". If you watch Inuyasha, you may have noticed that Kirara's name is pronounced "Kilala". This is because in Japanese, people often pronounce "r"'s the way we pronounce "l"'s, as there is no L in Japanese. The word "ryoko" means "journey; trip; travels"

[Darkborn offline]

Gem, that's a good point.

I thought Lyoko had to do something with Carthage lol.

[Taelia offline]

Maybe CL should be dubbed into Japanese then.

[YDV offline]

Hmm, that is an interesting theory. Lyoko could also quite possibly be from the Japanese word "ryoko". If you watch Inuyasha, you may have noticed that Kirara's name is pronounced "Kilala". This is because in Japanese, people often pronounce "r"'s the way we pronounce "l"'s, as there is no L in Japanese. The word "ryoko" means "journey; trip; travels"

I think that quite possibly could be correct. But... why is Ryoko pronounced "Ryoko" in the Tenchi series..es...?

[2 the infirmary! offline]

I don't think that would be it.

Judging by the caliber of genius at Moonscoop/Antefilms, i don't think they would take a Japaneese word. It is French Anime, and it doesn't matter about Japaneese influence. You know they would be more original than that...

[MY85 offline]

Maybe each letter from the word Lyoko means a word.

Living Your Ordinary Khaotic Orbe.

Lol, I can't come up with something good...

[Mewberries151]

Well, whatever way you look at it, Lyoko has to be originally connected to the Japanese language in some way. IMDB has an actress listed named Lyoko Mayama, who appeared in a Japanese TV show.

So the name, "Lyoko" is Japanese in origin. I've been trying to find a translator that could possibly figure out what it might mean in English (since all Japanese names have their own meaning), but BabelFish and most translators can only translate the Kanji symbols into English.

[YDV offline]

I know! I've been dying for someone to invent a Romaji translator.. but all I get is dictionaries that never have what I'm looking for...

[bduddy offline]

A lot of Japanese words, written out, have multiple meanings... that's why you'll only see kanji translators.

[Gem offline]

I think that quite possibly could be correct. But... why is Ryoko pronounced "Ryoko" in the Tenchi series..es...?

Well, many dubs disregard rules like the l/r rule in anime so that American viewers aren't confused. I don't know why, considering it's usually not hard to understand, plus I've never watched any Tenchi series, so I wouldn't specifically know what you're talking about. I could very well be wrong about this theory, it's just a guess after all.

[TB3]

Right - my fellow univeristy student and anime-fan David is learning Japanese, and he showed me his romanji translator today.

Lyoko - no match
Ryoko - travelogue, trip, tour

Given the whole L/R Japanese thing though I think we can safely ignore this one-letter difference, and I will never look at Ryoko from Tenchi the same way again.

[Taelia offline]

Sorry to ressurect thi topic, but this topic seems interesting. I still am confused as to the origin of "Lyoko". Maybe it's another one of the references to the Japanese culture in the series?

[Darkborn offline]

Yea...you where the one that created it.

[Pyro-Lord offline]

You know, one time I was going to find Lyoko on google, and accidently typed in "Loyko", and the name of a band came up! I don't know if it was French or not, but they could have got the name from that by switching the letters around. You never know.

[YDV offline]

Right - my fellow univeristy student and anime-fan David is learning Japanese, and he showed me his romanji translator today.

Lyoko - no match
Ryoko - travelogue, trip, tour

Given the whole L/R Japanese thing though I think we can safely ignore this one-letter difference, and I will never look at Ryoko from Tenchi the same way again.

You know what, I think I recall hearing her name meant "Spirit Caller" or something to that effect, since that was something she could do (in the OVA series anyway)

...Crap! I'm contributing to a Back From The Dead Thread! ..Don't kill me. ^^;