[ 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 |
|---|---|
| Arkhan the Black | Blend of Arkham (a fictional city created by H. P. Lovecraft) and "arcane" (mysterious). [WHFB AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers Mortarch] |
| Katakros | See: Orpheon Katakros. [AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers] |
| Kavalos | "Cavalier", horseman. [AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers] |
| Mortisan | Blend of Latin mortis, "of death", and "artisan" (craftsman). [AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers] |
| Orpheon Katakros | Orpheus, a bard that travelled into the underworld in Greek mythology + Ancient Greek κατακρίνω, "I condemn". [AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers] |
| Ossifector | Latin ossis factor, "maker of bone". [AoS Death OssiarchBonereapers] |
| 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 Plague Wind