Word Origins
From Tar Valon Library
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Many of the names, titles and objects in the Wheel of Time books are taken from history or mythology. Here we present some examples.
Contents
Shadowspawn
Also the trolloc bands:
- Ahf'frait: Ifrit, supernatural creatures in Arabic and Islamic culture
- Al'ghol: Ghoul, a monster in folklore associated with graveyards and human flesh
- Bhan'sheen: Banshee, from the Irish bean sídhe, a female spirit
- Dhjin'nen: Djin, a supernatural creature in the Quran
- Ghar'ghael: Gargoyle, a grotesque carved stone figure
- Ghob'lin: Goblin, a legendary evil or mischievous figure
- Gho'hlem: Golem, in Jewish folklore, a a living humaniform being made of clay
- Ghraem'lan: Gremlin, a mischievous being that interferes with technology
- Ko'bal: Kobold, an alternate word for goblin
- Kno'mon: Gnome, a diminutive spirit from renaissance times
- Dha'vol: Devil
- Dhai'mon: Demon
Forsaken
- Asmodean: Asmodeus, a demon
- Anath: Western Semitic goddess of war and sister of Baal
- Be'lal: A demon
- Selene: A Moon goddess in Greek mythology
- Ishamael: Ishmael, son of Abraham?
- Ba'alzamon: Baal, a god or demon
- Graendal: Grendel, a monster in the poem Beowulf
Words from Arthurian Legend
- Elayne: Elaine, Arthur's half sister
- Gawyn: Sir Gawyn
- Galad: Sir Galahad, the pure
- Gareth Bryne: Sir Gareth
- Egwene al'Vere: Guinevere, Arthur's wife
- Lan: Sir Lancelot
- Morgase: Morgause, Arthur's half sister and mother of Mordred
- Arthur Paendrag: King Arthur Pendragon
- Caemlyn: Possibly Camelot, which fits as the Arthurian motif is particularly strong in Andor
- Thom Merrilin: Merlin, the magician
- Tar Valon: Avalon, a legendary island
- Tigraine: Igraine, Arthur's mother
- Moridin/Mordeth: - Mordred, Arthur's enemy
- Nynaeve: Niviane/Nimue/Nyneve, the Lady of the Lake
- Sa'angreal (plus angreal, ter'angreal): The Holy Grail, or san gréal, sometimes spelt sang réal, the latter meaning royal blood, though this is a false etymology and has been used as a pun
Stories from Earlier Ages
- Mosk: Moscow
- Merk: America
- Elsbet: Elizabeth the first of England
- Materese the Healer: Mother Teresa
- Lenn: John Glenn, an American astronaut who returned to space late in his life
- Salya: Sally Ride, a female American astronaut, though Salyut, the Soviet space station would also fit.
Miscellaneous
- Algode: Algodon means cotton in Spanish, which fits the description of algode in the books.
- Tamyrlin (and Amyrlin): Tamerlane, also known as Timur, a 14th century Mongol conqueror
- Ogier: Ogre
- Eelfinn/Aelfinn: Possibly "Elven"
- Perrin: Perun, Slavic god of thunder and lightening, associated with beard, hammer and axe.
- Ghoetam: Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha
- Amaresu: Amaterasu, the Japanese goddess of the sun
- Shivan: Shiva, a Hindu god
- Shai'tan: The devil in Islam
- Shayol Ghul: Sheol, the place of punishment for the wicked dead in Judaism
- Asha'man: Shaman
- Tarmon Gai'don: Armageddon, the end of the world
- Aes Sedai: Aes Sídhe, a supernatural race in Irish mythology
- Tuatha'an: Túath, an Irish word often translated as people or nation
- Z'mai: A food grown in the waste, likely maize, which called Zea mays in botanical Latin
- T'mat: A food grown in the waste, possibly tomato
- Kaf: A black-coloured Seanchan drink, likely coffee, which is known as kaffe in Scandinavian countries