[ Models | Lore | Sources | Inspiration ]
With a rich background stretching back decades in time, the various Warhammer games contain a vast array of names (of people, places, items, and so on). Many of these names are original, but some happen to have a meaning in the real world, as obscure terms, foreign words, or cultural references. This page lists some of these underlying etymologies for your edification. Note that some of these are best guesses (speculative fan theory) rather than confirmed derivations.
Where a name is followed by the symbol ¹, if you hover over or click on that symbol you will see when that name was first mentioned in a publication.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cataphractii | Latin cataphractus, "wearing armour". See also: Terminator. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Centurion | Centurion, a position in the Roman army. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Gravis Armour | Latin gravis, "heavy". [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Paragon | "Paragon", the highest example. [WH40k Imperial SistersofBattle Armour] |
| Phobos Armour | Ancient Greek φόβος, "fear". [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Reiver Armour | Border reivers, raiders operating along the English-Scottish border from the 13th to 17th centuries. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Saturnine | "Saturnine", grim. See also: Terminator. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Sempiternal Weave ¹ | Blend of Latin semper ("always") and "eternal" (unending). [WH40k Necron Armour] |
| Tartaros | Tartarus, the afterlife of the cursed in Greek mythology. See also: Terminator. [WH40k Imperial SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Terminator | "Terminator", one who ends something. See also: Cataphractii, Saturnine, Tartaros. [WH40k Imperial Chaos SpaceMarine Armour] |
| Inspiration | |
| Warhammer Setting | The Dark Tongue; Daemonic Names; Lexicon; Short Stories; Cut-ups; Cool Stuff |
| Art | Golden Demon; Nurglesque Music |
| Speculation | Chaos God Correspondence; Dark Heresy Backgrounds; Sevenfold Path; Sevenrot; Seven Deadly Sins |
| Real World References | Nergal in Mesopotamian History; Symbolism of Three Circles; Symbolism of Seven |
dedicated to the Lord of Decay