[ 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 |
|---|---|
| Arachnarok Spider | Blend of Ancient Greek ἀράχνη ("spider") and Ragnarök (an apocalyptic event in Norse mythology) + spider. [AoS Destruction SpiderfangGrots] |
| Behemat | Blend of Behemoth (a monster from the Book of Job in the Bible) and Tiamat (a goddess of the sea in Mesopotamian mythology). [AoS Destruction Gargant] |
| Corpse-Rippa Vulcha | "Corpse", dead body + "ripper", one who tears + vulture. [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Fimir | Fomorians, a supernatural race in Irish mythology. [WHFB AoS Destruction] |
| Gargant | Gargantua, a character from Gargantua and Pantagruel (first published 1532), a series of novels by François Rabelais. [AoS Destruction Gargant] |
| Git | "Git", British slang for an annoying person. [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Gobbapalooza | Blend of Goblin and "lollapalooza" (an outstanding example). [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Gobsprakk | "Gob", British slang for a mouth + German sprach, "I spoke". [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Gorger | "Gorger", one who eats greedily. [WHFB Ogre AoS Destruction Ogor] |
| Gorkamorka | See: Gork and Mork. [AoS Destruction Orruk God WH40k SegmentumUltima Ork] |
| Hrothgorn | Hrothgar (6th century), a semi-legendary king of Denmark. [AoS Destruction Ogor] |
| Huskard | Old Norse húskarl, "housecarl", a royal household soldier. [AoS Destruction Ogor] |
| Kruleboy | "Cruel", heartless + "boy", young man. [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Loon | "Loon", madman, but also referencing Latin luna, "moon". [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Ogor | Trademarkable variation of Ogre. [AoS Destruction Ogor] |
| Orruk | Trademarkable variation of Orc. Styled on "uruk", a Black Speech term (meaning "orc") in the Middle-earth setting created by J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973). [AoS Destruction Orruk] |
| Skragrott | "Scraggy", scrawny + "grotty", dirty. [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Skumdrekk | "Scum", floating impurities + "dreck", trash. [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Sloggoth | Blend of Troggoth and "slog" (tedious walk). [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Snazzgar Stinkmullett | "Snazzy", flashily dressed or ingenious + "stink", bad smell + "mullet", a hairstyle (short at the front and long at the back). [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Stinkmullett | See: Snazzgar Stinkmullett. [AoS Destruction GloomspiteGitz] |
| Troggoth | Trademarkable variation of Troll. [AoS Destruction] |
| Vulcha | See: Corpse-Rippa Vulcha. [AoS Destruction Kruleboyz] |
| Wardokk | "War", armed conflict + "doc", clipping of doctor. [AoS Destruction Orruk] |
| Yhetee | Yeti, a legendary creature in Himalayan mythology. [WHFB Ogre BloodBowl AoS Destruction Ogor] |
| 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 Old Father