Dissecting the Bugs – Meaning of Tyranid Names
5 Minute Read
Jan 29 2014
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So you really want to get under the skin of the Tyranids? You can learn a thing or two by putting their names under the microscope.
a guest article by Toyznthehood’s Steve
A while ago I wrote an article about the origins of the Primarchs’ names and how they helped shape their characters and chapters. You can read that here. I’ve wanted to do another similar article for a while and have drafts of Space Marines (too long) and Eldar (too hard) but this time I’ve turned my attention to the new Tyranid Codex.
We’ll start at the beginning – Tyranids are first mentioned in Rogue Trader. They live in Hive Fleets of which thirteen are known to exist. They absorb planets for resources in the same way as they do now although they seem more independent and have more of a feudal system than a hive mind – ruled over by Hive Tyrants. At this point equipment functions in the same way as other races but is organic rather than technological. To look at Tyranid Warriors look more like spindlier modern day Termagants.
Rogue Trader doesn’t have much more than that. Tyranids got their own army list in a White Dwarf (remember the days?), somewhere around issue 140. This fleshed out Tyranids a lot more, introducing Hunter-Slayers who would later become Termagants and Squig Swarms (Squiggly beasts) who would become Rippers. Zoats were also there who would become dead. Other races could even be included in the army as Mind Slaves. Around this time Genestealers, who had appeared in their own Cults and Space Hulk, were also revealed to be a type of Tyranid.
The names at this point are fairly obvious, ruled by Hive Tyrants, Tyranid Warriors formed the bulk of the army with Hunter-Slayers (they hunt and they slay), Genestealers (they steal genes) and Screamer-Killers (they scream and they kill). This pattern has carried on with some of the newer beasties, the Hive Guard, Tyrant Guard, Rippers and Raveners do exactly what it says on the tin.
In the late 90’s Tyranids received a large overhaul and became more like the Tyranids we know and love today. The model range was re-done to unify the range and there were many name changes. Hunter –slayers became Termagants and Screamer Killers Carnifexes. More beast were introduced as the Tyranids had assimilated different races. This leads us to several naming themes. These form the first few names at this time but then newer creatures begin to fit into the same naming groups.
One of the key themes in Tyranid names is that of (unpleasant) terms for women! These are: –
- Termagants – A name for a quarrelsome, scolding woman
- Dominatrix – A woman regarded as overbearing
- Harridan – A woman regarded as scolding and vicious
- Harpies – A shrewish woman
- Hive Crones – An ugly, withered old woman
- The Red Terror – ermmm…..
These then lead us to Gargoyles, grotesque figures. Specifically Gargoyles act as spouts to carry rainwater clear of walls, from the French meaning throat. Our Gargoyles carry this on as the fleshborers became merged with their mouths and now Gargoyles have a blinding spit attack.
Termagants give us the suffix Gaunt (originally they were Termagaunts). This then becomes Hormagaunts. Hormon is Greek for “to assault” and become to act on impulse.
Termagant can also be spelt tervagant, i believe this is how we get Tervigons.
The gargantuan creatures are named for roles in Greek temples. The Heirophant is a priest in a Greek Temple while the Hierodule is a slave or prostitute in the service of a temple. I guess this is because if you run into a Scythed Hierodule you’re screwed.
Carrying on with ancient roles the Lictor is a Roman rank and the Carnifex was the executioner in the Roman army. Incidentally Space Marine Apothecaries also carry a Carnifex – it is a boltgun (as in cattle bolt gun) used to provide the Emperor’s Mercy to injured Marines.
Haruspex is once again a Roman rank, this time that of a priest that practices divination. Tyrannofex is not a Roman rank but is easily deduced by combining Tyrannosaur and Carnifex.
Exocrine means an external secretion which given that they shoot bio-plasma works well.
In the word carnivore, the vore means to devour . So a biovore devours living matter and a pyrovore devours flame – although in both these cases it’s more the opposite that occurs.
Some of the characters are named for what they do – Deathleaper and The Swarmlord. Old One Eye is indeed old and has one eye but is named for a one-eyed Tyrannosaurus from the Judge Dredd Cursed Earth Saga (the same story includes a Land Raider, Legion of The Damned and the Battle of Armageddon).
Mawlocs are certainly named for their giant mouths, loc is from locus, Latin for place. Trygon’s are a little trickier, they’re named after a Roman harp, presumably for the triangular shape they make as they burst out of the ground – unlike most tyranids all six limbs are used as assault weapons.
Finally we have the “thropes”. The first of these is the Zoanthrope, this is from Zoanthropy, the mental delusion that one is an animal. Zoanthropes being the brain bugs this is very much the opposite, an animal that believes it’s human. Frankly I find the idea of a bug that can think offensive. Now we have the suffix –thrope we have venomthropes who are poisonous and malanthropes who are bad.
And that’s the lot! I think. If i’ve missed any then please let me know and if there’s any other races you’re curious about then I’ll have a go at that too!
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Author: Larry Vela
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