# little wanderer



## PoisonedQuill

Hi. In the chapter I'm currently writing of my... erm... whatever (pseudo-novel, if you want) a little vagabond of unknown name (for the time being) makes his appearance... and I need a nickname for him. I was thinking of "little wanderer" or something like that, but I know better than just searching for the translation of "little" and "wanderer" and putting them together (as far as I know (ok, I know nothing, but still) Japanese doesn't work like that). How would you say it?

The kid is about 7 and male, orphan and homeless (it's a very happy story  ). The village he lives in is a reaaaally small and isolated village of Hokkaido, and the story is set in the early 19th century. The nickname is the one the villagers give to him. Please keep in mind that they're not cultured and most probably they're all illiterate.

I accept suggestions, too, but tell me about the meaning, please. Thanks so so much!

P.S. I don't know why I bother: I'm not showing anyone this story... Ah, I guess I'm just that picky.


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## cheshire

小さなさすらい人(chisana sasurai bito) Literally "a little wanderer"
小さな旅人（chisana tabibito) "a little traveller"


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## PoisonedQuill

Thanks so much, cheshire. Although... do you think people would actually use such a long name to address him? Is that usual in Japanese? In case it's not I would appreciate shortenings or alternative names altogether. I would also like it to be just one word... maybe "wanderer" or "vagabond" with an affix working as diminutive? And this raises another question: which affix can I use? Are "-chan", "-tan" or "-kun" appropriate? Any other suggestion?

Thanks so much.


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## cheshire

How about these, then?

冒険っ子　（ぼうけんっこ）　a little adventurer [っ子　meaning "-sita" in Spanish] (boukenkko)
冒険家　（ぼうけんか）　adventurer (boukenka)
小冒険家　（しょうぼうけんか） a little adventurer (shou boukenka)
旅芸人　（たびげいにん） itinerant entertainer (tabigeinin)
旅がらす（旅烏[からす]） travelling crow (tabigarasu)
放浪者　（ほうろうしゃ） vagabond (hourousha)

Note: "-chan" "-tan" and "-kun" can only come after proper nouns.

例：あやちゃん、ひろし君、メアリーたん
例外：猫ちゃん、わんちゃん（犬の愛称）

diminuitive: っ子、小、子、ミニ、など。


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## PoisonedQuill

Oh, thanks, I didn't know that (I have absolutely no idea of Japanese). Can you give me again these names in romanji, please? And what do the first and third options your giving me mean? Aaand... is there any way of using another kind of suffix as a diminutive with those? Thank, so, so much.


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## Flaminius

Somehow cheshire has given some inspiration to me.  Hope the                          ballot box is still open.

さすらいっ子 (sasuraikko) or little wanderer.
From さすらい or wandering + ikko.

correction after [post]1844523[/post]


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## PoisonedQuill

That's perfect, Flaminius! Thanks so so much!

P.S. I'm always open to new suggestions (nothing is written in stone, so I can go back and change it if I find something even better), so keep 'em coming!


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## PoisonedQuill

Oops, chesire, I hadn't realized you had edited your last post... thank you! Can I use -ikko with any of them to add the meaning of "little"? Thanks!


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## cheshire

No, you can't...in fact っ子　can be added as suffix to only a limited number of nouns.


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## jp_fr_linguaphile

PoisonedQuill said:


> Oops, chesire, I hadn't realized you had edited your last post... thank you! Can I use -ikko with any of them to add the meaning of "little"? Thanks!


 
By the way, っ子 would be just "-kko" in romaji.


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## PoisonedQuill

Oh, ok, thank you guys!

jp_fr_linguaphile: I thought it was -ikko because of this:



> さすらいっ子 (sasuraikko) or little wanderer.
> From さすらい or wandering + ikko.


but I wasn't sure. Thanks for telling me!


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## Flaminius

Sorry, PoisonedQuill.


> さすらいっ子 (sasuraikko) or little wanderer.
> From さすらい or wandering + kko.


My previous remark was a pure typo.


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## PoisonedQuill

Oh, alright, thanks for clearing it up!


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