In my story, I've found that I need a name for a race. The race is a half human half skeleton thing that can't be killed. (And no, they are not undead.) Thanks for any suggestions!
LocationGraz, Austria (but from Cornwall, United Kingdom)
JoinedOctober 23, 2011
Posts287
OK, joke comment first: the average adult human is 15% bone, so if they're 50% then skinnyuns, or magnaossians come to mind.
Serious bits now. What sort of theme does your book have, gothic fantasy would lead to one type of name, comedic fantasy another. Is the race as diverse as ordinary humans, or have you built them as monsters? or as guardians? etc. etc. Are they a naturally occurring race of your world or are they the bi-product of magical/alchemical tampering?
Who named them? Do you need their own name for themselves, or what other people call them?
Is the bone as an exoskeleton? are there gaps in the flesh? or is it some bits ordinary human some bits skeleton?
I think playing with those kind of questions coupled with words that a) mean bone in various languages and b) relate to the underlying themes of their role in your world.
Some general ideas that occur to me might me: Ossamen, Ossafolk, Knochenmen, Knochenfiends, Knochenfolk, Hezurlings, Knoglewights,
?? Hope these help and that others or you come up with better names! (there are reasons I'm not normally allowed to name things...)
Heh heh. I'm liking Knochenfiends. (Does that mean anything?) Anyway, the setting for my story is that those guys are the main baddies that my good guy must fight. Eh, maybe they'll be guardians later on in the story. @ Dennis's comment, maybe Bonehead will be what others call them and Knochenfiends what they call themselves. Or, maybe not... Still, thank you both.
LocationGraz, Austria (but from Cornwall, United Kingdom)
JoinedOctober 23, 2011
Posts287
Not a problem!
'Knochen' is German for bone, so I took that and stuck 'fiend' on the end on the off-chance they were monsters, Knochenvolk probably is German already, or at least a meaningful construct, with Volk being folk or people.
All of the ones I suggested were bone in different languages (I just used google translate and took words that had a good ring), and stuck an ending on that felt right. for example Hezur was Basque for bone with the classic ~ling ending (so common in fantasy) to make the Hezurlings. I think my favourite was the Ossamens, or Ostamen (with the Greek) because of the sound parallel to the Ottamens, if you want to give them an empire???
Bonehead made me laugh - I agree about it being a nickname given by outsiders. Or perhaps just one characters angry shout: "get off my lawn, you boneheads!!"
Heh, heh. Perhaps I could use both Knochenfiends and Ossamen. One for the name of the baddies, (Knochenfiends) and the other for the empire, (Ossamen) if you don't mind me using your idea. Both, of course, are used by the Knochenfiends themselves. Outsiders call them Boneheads and the empire they call BoneheadVille. *Shrugs shoulders.* And maybe I will have someone shout "Get off of my lawn, you Boneheads! (Maybe even among the Boneheads themselves? Like there's a young one playing on an older one's lawn? Heh heh.) I also liked Knoglewights. I think those names are so clever!
I need a name for a race
In my story, I've found that I need a name for a race. The race is a half human half skeleton thing that can't be killed. (And no, they are not undead.)
Thanks for any suggestions!
Re: I need a name for a race
how about "Kinrays"?
Re: I need a name for a race
I'd call 'em Boneheads. Except that sounds like goop... I mean, slurry.
Re: I need a name for a race
Boneheads...... sounds like a silly yet good name....
If you understand that....
Thanks, I just might use that!
Re: I need a name for a race
OK, joke comment first: the average adult human is 15% bone, so if they're 50% then skinnyuns, or magnaossians come to mind.
Serious bits now. What sort of theme does your book have, gothic fantasy would lead to one type of name, comedic fantasy another. Is the race as diverse as ordinary humans, or have you built them as monsters? or as guardians? etc. etc. Are they a naturally occurring race of your world or are they the bi-product of magical/alchemical tampering?
Who named them? Do you need their own name for themselves, or what other people call them?
Is the bone as an exoskeleton? are there gaps in the flesh? or is it some bits ordinary human some bits skeleton?
I think playing with those kind of questions coupled with words that a) mean bone in various languages and b) relate to the underlying themes of their role in your world.
Some general ideas that occur to me might me: Ossamen, Ossafolk, Knochenmen, Knochenfiends, Knochenfolk, Hezurlings, Knoglewights,
?? Hope these help and that others or you come up with better names! (there are reasons I'm not normally allowed to name things...)
Re: I need a name for a race
Heh heh. I'm liking Knochenfiends. (Does that mean anything?)
Anyway, the setting for my story is that those guys are the main baddies that my good guy must fight. Eh, maybe they'll be guardians later on in the story. @ Dennis's comment, maybe Bonehead will be what others call them and Knochenfiends what they call themselves. Or, maybe not...
Still, thank you both.
Re: I need a name for a race
Not a problem!
'Knochen' is German for bone, so I took that and stuck 'fiend' on the end on the off-chance they were monsters, Knochenvolk probably is German already, or at least a meaningful construct, with Volk being folk or people.
All of the ones I suggested were bone in different languages (I just used google translate and took words that had a good ring), and stuck an ending on that felt right. for example Hezur was Basque for bone with the classic ~ling ending (so common in fantasy) to make the Hezurlings. I think my favourite was the Ossamens, or Ostamen (with the Greek) because of the sound parallel to the Ottamens, if you want to give them an empire???
Bonehead made me laugh - I agree about it being a nickname given by outsiders. Or perhaps just one characters angry shout: "get off my lawn, you boneheads!!"
:D
Re: I need a name for a race
Ooh! I've just found out, via Google translate, that Bone in Portuguese is "osso"
Hmm....
Ossofiends
I like GErman better.
Re: I need a name for a race
Heh, heh. Perhaps I could use both Knochenfiends and Ossamen. One for the name of the baddies, (Knochenfiends) and the other for the empire, (Ossamen) if you don't mind me using your idea. Both, of course, are used by the Knochenfiends themselves. Outsiders call them Boneheads and the empire they call BoneheadVille. *Shrugs shoulders.*
And maybe I will have someone shout "Get off of my lawn, you Boneheads!
(Maybe even among the Boneheads themselves? Like there's a young one playing on an older one's lawn? Heh heh.)
I also liked Knoglewights. I think those names are so clever!
Re: I need a name for a race
Just guessing Boners is over the top.
Re: I need a name for a race
Thank:)
Re: I need a name for a race
Er, I meant Thank You :)
Re: I need a name for a race
Skelom, short for skeleton golem, since that is kind of what it sounds like.
Re: I need a name for a race
That works too.
It's great to have a bunch of people more creative than me help!
Thanks, guys.
:)