The word "Lycan"
- Thread starter Kyriakos
- Start date
Well, the thought process here obviously is not what's the etymologically correct root, but what is the most memorable word. Memorable words, especially for things that are essential to your setting, are very important, as a writer I'm sure you recognize this. "Lycan" is short and sounds kind of cool, "Lycanthrope" is unwieldy and sounds like a sickness. Who would play the sick faction?
That it's still kind of based on the original root is because fantasy world builders are cheap and fish for roots from other languages wherever they can. Maybe they even like to rely on the subconscious knowledge of the word "lycanthrope" a little. But in the end that's really a secondary concern.
That it's still kind of based on the original root is because fantasy world builders are cheap and fish for roots from other languages wherever they can. Maybe they even like to rely on the subconscious knowledge of the word "lycanthrope" a little. But in the end that's really a secondary concern.
holy king
Deity
that's how language changes. all the freaking time. "lycos" once was a corruption of something as well. i'm not sure what's disheartening about this to you.
Next you will be telling me a Hippopotamus isn`t a horse that lives in a river.
Etymolgy =/= Definitiion
"Lycan" is exactly the same as "Hippo" They are both shorter and simpler than the full Greek derived terms, and "Lycan" is catchier and works much better in an action movie.
Etymolgy =/= Definitiion
"Lycan" is exactly the same as "Hippo" They are both shorter and simpler than the full Greek derived terms, and "Lycan" is catchier and works much better in an action movie.
BvBPL
Pour Decision Maker
I'm fairly sure the term "lycan" first showed up in the movie Underworld as a name for werewolves, and that other items, like the game cited above, picked up on it. I'm not sure, however, why "werewolf" is insufficiently cool to just be used.
Lord Gay
Emperor
Nitpick away. I was simply explaining how the term is used in certain circles, for those who might not know.
If we're going to lament word shifts, then I'll lament the much greater problem of "gay" coming to mean something that's bad or lame. I don't imagine that the contraction of "lycanthrope" to "lycan" has any effect whatsoever on the daily life of the OP, whereas having to hear 'gay = lame' all the time has a significant effect whenever I try to search for gay things online.
I might be excited to come across a "gay" video, only to find out it's a crappy video. I constantly click on links leading to something "gay" thinking it's homosexual in nature, only to discover it's something lame or puerile. It's certainly nice to be constantly reminded what society thinks of me.
RobAnybody
Emperor
- Joined
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Imagine how the lame people must feel.
Using "lycans" as shorthand for "lycanthropes" is just like using "vamps" as shorthand for "vampires".
I don't recall ever seeing the word lycan before the movie Underworld came out. And I had been reading fantasy and seeing fantasy movies for a couple decades at that point. Maybe it was used in some out of the way places. But I don't see how it could have been very common before Underworld.
Seems to be the case. And Underworld looks like crap, in my view...
I think (although i cannot be sure, due to not being a native english speaker) that indeed as has been noted, lycan for lycanthrope is a bit like using vamp for vampire; sounds lame.
albie_123
Modding In Secret
And someone who was crippled and was looking for posts in this forum for other lame individuals might be equally hurt by your own post.
Language is language!
Now, if we could just get you Yanks to stop forgetting the letter 'u' in colour...
mangxema
I
You are of course assuming that English speakers are even aware of the longer form.
It's not that unknown. At least among people who have some familiarity with mythology and fantasy. Which is of course not all people.
Berzerker
Deity
anyone familiar with the origins of Czar and Caesar? The Sumerians had a word "Sar" meaning divine year and I think it represented 3600 years.
IdiotsOpposite
Boom, headshot.
I heard that Caesar came from a family name meaning "hairy back".
This wiki article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(title)) mentions that it is unknown just what the exact etymology of Caesar is, although it might be derived from the latin word for Hairy, and it might have been a euphemism (for hair on the head; Julius Caesar was known to have a receading hairline, so perhaps some ancestor for whom the surname originated did too).
As for Czar, it is a slavification of the greek Kaisar, which in turn is the greek version of Caesar. Constantinople in slavic languages (eg Bulgarian) is called Tzarigrad (city of the Tzar)
As for Czar, it is a slavification of the greek Kaisar, which in turn is the greek version of Caesar. Constantinople in slavic languages (eg Bulgarian) is called Tzarigrad (city of the Tzar)
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