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Star Trek etymology

X

Xand

Ensign
Newbie
Star Trek etymology:
Ocampa Lat. oc, ob -toward, against + campus -field
Annorax Lat. annum -year + rex -king
Dukat Lat. ducere, ducatus -to lead (leader)
Hirogen hero + generare -to born, generate
Masaka from word mask
Kazon Gr. kakos -bad + zone
Borg Gr. kybernetes -helmsman + ergon, -org -work, cyborg
Korgano Lat. cor -heart + Gr. ganos -joy
Cardassia Gr. kardia -heart + as, assis -copper coin (heart made of copper because were cruel)
Ferengi Lat. fero, ferre -to bear, to carry + angor, anxiety
Krenim Gr. chronos -time
Orpax or -gold (French) + Lat. pax -peace
Tricorder Lat. tri -three + cor, cordis -heart (three times thinker for computer com -together, with + putare -to think
Hologram Gr. holos -whole, complete + gramma -letter, writing
Android Gr. aner, andros -man + eidos, -oid -form, shape
Duras Lat. durus -hard
Ponfar Lat. ponere -to put + fari -to speak
Sto-vo-kor Lat. sto -I stand + vocare -to call + cor, cordis -heart
Ulani Belor Lat. ullus -any + an -of, related to + bellum -war
Benil Lat. bene -well + il -of, related to
Dolak Lat. dolor -pain + ac -of, related to
Korinas Lat. cor, cordis -heart + in -of, related to
Lonar Lat. luna -moon
Krim grim
Ocett Lat. oculus -eye + ett -little, small
Pirak Gr. pyr -fire + ac -of, related to
Preloc Lat. prae, pre -before + loqui, locutus -speak
Prenar Lat. prae, pre -before + nare -to swim
Ranor Lat. rana -frog
Rekelen Lat. re, red -back, again + celare -to hide + en -of, related to
Revok Lat. re, red -back, again + vocare -to call
Rugal Lat. ruga -wrinkle + al -of, related to
Seska Lat. sedere, sessus -to sit, settle + ka -of, related to (Slavic, Sanskrit)
Spumco Lat. spuma -foam
Surjak Hindi suraj -sun + ac -of, related to
Telak Gr. tele -far + ac -of, related to
Suliban Lat. sulum, suli -each thing, everything + bane
Talaxians Lat. talis -such, so great + ax -having ability, ing suffix
Vorta Lat. vorare, voratus -to swallow, devour
Vidiians Lat. videre -to see, look at, vidi -I have seen
Delvok Lat. delere, deletus -delete, destroy + vocare -to call
Taurik Gr. taurus -bull + ic -of, related to
Tuvok Lat. tu -you + vocare -to call
Weyoun way + Lat. unus, una -one
Mala Lat. malus, mala -evil, bad
Motura Lat. movere, motus -to move + ur -of, related
Suran Fr. sur, super -above + an -of, related to
Vrax Lat. uro, urere, ustus -burn + ax -ing suffix
Xerius Gr. xeros -dry
Orum Lat. os, oris -mouth
Neral It. nero -black + al -of, related to
Nevala Lat. ne -not + valere -to be strong
Jas Holza Ger. holz -wood
Surmak Fr. sur, super -above + make
Bajor bajar -to go down, to descend (Spanish) (because was conquered)
Empok Nor em -in, empower + notorious
Terok Nor terror + notorious
Neelix Lat. ne -not + lex, legis -law or lux, lucis -light, not bright
Culluh cull -collect, separate
Vor'cha Lat. vorare -to devour + chance
Bath leth (blood) bath + to let go
Spock Lat. specere, spectus -observe, watch, look at + ock -of, related to (he was logical and observant character)

For those interested in etymology I made various games etymologies at Crestfallen the Way forum:
http://www.crestfallen.us/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4011
 
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Xand said:
Annorax Lat. annum -year + rex -king
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Nope. Annorax is an anagram of Aronnax, the narrator in Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Annorax is basically a Captain Nemo character, so his name was chosen as a Verne homage. (Although it's Chakotay who playes the Aronnax role in "Year of Hell," with Paris as Ned Land.)


Ferengi Lat. fero, ferre -to bear, to carry + angor, anxiety
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Actually it's from the Arabic or Persian word for a European trader, derived from "Frank" (Frenchman).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferengi#Etymology
The term was once also used to refer to European traders who visited Syrian and Lebanese ports by ship, known for their perceived lack of honesty and strong desire to sell their wares, whatever or whoever those wares may have been. The word essentially means, in translation of meaning: a person who comes to my land to give me something I do not want.
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Tricorder Lat. tri -three + cor, cordis -heart (three times thinker for computer com -together, with + putare -to think
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Wrong again. It's short for "trifunction recorder." In 1966, the portable audio cassette recorder was a cutting-edge new technology, and it inspired the creation of a similar device for the show -- a device that was not only a recorder, but a computer and scanner as well.


Spumco Lat. spuma -foam
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No, Spumco is the name of the animation studio that produced Ren and Stimpy (after "Raymond Spum," a joke pseudonym used by the studio's founder John Kricfalusi). It was one of the many animation and pop-culture in-jokes in the modern Trek shows.


Suliban Lat. sulum, suli -each thing, everything + bane
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I think it's more likely inspired by Caliban from The Tempest.


Vor'cha Lat. vorare -to devour + chance
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http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Vor'cha_class#Apocrypha
Although the origin of the name is never explicitly mentioned in the show or in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, the Klingon Dictionary gives the definition of the word "vor" as "cure" and the word "cha" as "torpedoes" suggesting that the name "Vor'cha" could mean something along the lines of "torpedo cure" or "to cure with torpedoes."
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Although I doubt that's what the creators of the class had in mind; on the later Trek shows they generally just made up Klingon-sounding words without consulting Marc Okrand.


Bath leth (blood) bath + to let go
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No, it's from the Klingon batlh, "sword," and 'etlh, "honor." Originally it was meant to be batlh'etlh, but that was glossed into "bat'leth" for ease of pronunciation. (For the first several years, it was spelled in official sources as "bat'telh," evidently a typo, but eventually the spelling was adjusted to match the standard pronunciation.)


Most of the rest of the names you cite are probably just stuff the writers made up to sound alien. I doubt they cared much about what Latin and Greek roots they sounded like in most cases. I'll grant that "Ocampa" may have been chosen due to its pastoral resonances, but most of the rest of your speculative etymologies are reaching enormously.
 
Spock Lat. specere, spectus -observe, watch, look at + ock -of, related to (he was logical and observant character)
 
Roddenberry seemed to choose the name Spock because he thought it was unique. Somehow, he was completely unaware of Dr. Benjamin Spock, a well-known pediatrician who had published several child care books. Those books were showing up everywhere in the 1960s, in paperback racks at the grocery stores.

Dr. Spock was also active in several protests against the Vietnam war. A famous photo taken during the series' production showed Leonard Nimoy in full costume with a newspaper, whose headline was something like "SPOCK ARRESTED".
 
^And Dr. Spock's surname was an Anglicization of the Dutch surname Spaak. I can't find what that name means, though.
 
Most words have etymology and names also.

Some examples from other:
Auriel Lat. aurum -gold + Heb. el -god
Zanarkand Gr. za -very + narke -numb + Lat. andus, anda -ing suffix
Balamb garden Lat. ballare -to dance + ambi -around
Gargamel gargantuan -gigantic, enormous + Lat. malus, mala -evil or Gr. melas -black
Morag Thong Lat. mors, mortis -death + agere, actus -to do, to make

Many english words have etymology for example:
epidemic Gr. επι (epi) -upon, on + δημος (dēmos) -people
energy Gr. εν (en) -in + εργον (ergon) -work
octopus Gr. οκτω (oktō) -eight + πους (pous) -foot
transit L. trans -across + ire, itus -to go
previous L. prae -before + via -the way
exit L. ex -out, from + ire, itus -to go
ancient F. ancien, LL. antianus from L. ante -before
effect L. ex -out, from + facere -to make
summit L. summus -highest + ire, itus -to go
atmosphere Gr. ατμος (atmos) -steam + σφαιρα (sphaira) -ball, sphere
symbol Gr. συν (syn) -with, together + βαλλω (ballō) -to throw, put
alarm It. all' arme -to arms
suburb L. sub -below + urbs, urbis -city
symmetry Gr. συν (syn) -with, together + μετρον (metron) -measure
core L. cor -heart
artifact L. ars, artis -art + facere, factus -to make
prophecy Gr. προ (pro) -before + φημι (phēmi) -to tell
add L. addere -add to, join (ad -to + do, dare -to give)
object L. ob -toward, against + jacere, jactus -to throw
hippopotamus Gr. 'ιππος (hippos) -horse + ποταμος (potamos) -river
longevity L. longus -long + aevum -age
primeval L. primus -first + aevum -age + al -related to
agriculture L. ager -field + colere -to cultivate, to dwell + ur -related to
aqueduct L. aqua -water + ducere, ductus -to lead
rebel L. re -back, again + bellum -war
embrace, bracelet Gr. bracchium -arm
capital L. caput, capitis -head + al -related to
accord, discord, concord, courage L. ad -to, toward + dis -apart + con -together, with + cor, cordis -heart + agere, actus -to do, to drive
unicorn, uniform, unify, universe L. unus -one + cornu -horn + forma -shape + facere, factus -to do + vertere, versum -to turn
secure L. se, sed -apart, without + cura -care
trident L. tri- three + dens, dentis -tooth,
dignity L. dignus -worthy
final, infinity, infinitive L. finis -end, limit + al, iv -of, related to confirm,
firmament L. con -together, with + firm + mens, mentis -mind (used in nouns)
foliage, portfolio L. folium -leaf + agere, actus -to do + portare -to carry
deform, formal, formula, information L. de -from, down + forma -shape + al -related to + ul -diminutive
effort, fortify L. ex -out + fortis -strength + facere, factus -to do affront,
confront, frontal L. ad -to, toward + frons, frontis -forehead + al -related to
profound L. pro -before, forward + fundus -bottom
granary L. granum -grain + arium -place
gravity L. gravis -heavy + ire, itus -to go
congregation L. con -together, with + grex, gregis -flock, herd
humility L. humus -ground + il -related to
peninsula L. paene -almost + insula -island (in + salum -open sea)
island is -water + land,
window wind + ow -eye
library L. liber -book + arium -place
manual L. manus -hand + al -related to
immediate L. medius -middle
naval L. navis -ship + al -related to
annihilate L. ad -to, toward + nihil -nothing
equinox L. aequus -equal + nox, noctis -night
translucent L. trans -across + lucere -to shine + ens, entis -someone or something that is related
copious, copy L. co -together, with + ops, opis -wealth, riches
orbit L. orbis -orb, world + ire, itus -to go
oval L. ovum -egg + al -related to
partial, particle L. pars, partis -piece + al -related to + iculum -diminutive
pacific L. pax. pacis -peace + facere, factus -to do, to make
bicycle Gr. bi, bis -two + cyclos -circle
expedition, pedal L. ex -out + pes, pedis -foot + al -related to
pinnacle L. pinna -feather portal L. porta -gate + al -related to
appreciate, precious L. ad -to, toward + pretium -price
reality L. res, rei -thing + al -related to
derive, rival L. de -from, down + rivus -brook + al -related to
seminary L. semen -seed
senator, senility, senior L. senex -old man + il -related to
temperature L. tempus, temporis -time + ur -related to
umbrella L. umbra -shadow + ella -diminutive
ventilator L. ventus -wind + il -related to
fissure L. findere, fissum -to cleave, to split + ur -related to
ambiguous, exact, navigate, purge, redact L. ambi -around + ex -out + agere, actus -to do, to make + navis -ship + purus -pure + re, red -back, again
coalition L. co -together, with + alere -to nourish
adapt, inept L. ad -to, toward + aptare -to fit
occident L. ob -toward, against + cadere -to fall + -ens, -entis -related to
orient L. oriri -to rise + -ent -related to
current L. currere -to run + -ent -related to
edict, prediction L. e, ex -out + dicere, dictus -to say + prae -before
fossil L. fodere, fossus -to dig + il -related to
Avatar ava -down + tr, tara -to cross (Sanskrit)
delete Lat. de -off, away, down + linere, litus -to smear, wipe
 
^"Etymology" does not just mean "basis in Greek or Latin." There are many other languages that words can be derived from. And etymology doesn't just mean making up imagined Latin or Greek derivations based on vague phonetic resemblances. It means doing actual research into the history of words. If you're so fixated on word derivations, you should know that "-ology" means science or study. Science means testing your ideas, not just making stuff up and claiming it's fact.
 
Ezri Dax Heb. azar -to help + Lat. dare, datus -to give + -ax -having ability, -ing suffix (she had transplant)
Darth Vader dark + Lat. vadere, vasus -to walk.Dark walker as opposite of Luke skywalker.
 
Etymologists must be lots of fun at parties. :shifty:

Xand said:
Darth Vader dark + Lat. vadere, vasus -to walk.Dark walker as opposite of Luke skywalker
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Apparently, all those interpretations of "Darth Vader" meaning "Dark Father" over the last 30 years were wrong.
 
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