a question about a name.

[Mystic Muse]

In Morrowind There's a weapon called Chrysamare. In the wiki it says the name means "the Paladin's blade" is this what it actually means or is Chrysamere not from a real language so it means whatever the heck the game makers want it to mean?

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Weapon_Artifacts#Long_Blades.2C_Two-Hand

[SurlySeraph]

Every page I can find that mentions "Chrysamere" is either a username or about The Elder Scrolls. So it's pretty clearly not in a real language.

[Temotei]

Ayleid language? Were the ayleids in Morrowind?

[Dogmantra]

Probably not a real language. Most likely Daedric, and as if Daedric has any semblance of actual grammar, so yeah, they probably did just say that. The only Daedric I know is Molag Bal, meaning Fire Stone.

[Kneenibble]

My knowledge of Greek is too small to pick out what the second element might mean, but it could definitely mean Golden Something. At first I thought Golden Hand, but that would be Mare, not Mere.

Chrysa- would be the romanization of χρυσα- which is how the word for gold χρυσος shows up in compounds.

Anyways, someone who has more than a term's worth of Greek could step in and figure out the second part: but it surely could mean something.

[Icewalker]

Judging by the other comments here, I'd guess that it's a made up word with roots which are based on actual linguistic roots to make it sound more reasonable. Which is a good method for making up languages, or words in them.

[llamamushroom]

Judging by the other comments here, I'd guess that it's a made up word with roots which are based on actual linguistic roots to make it sound more reasonable. Which is a good method for making up languages, or words in them.

A good method, to be sure. But anyone who knows a lot about the base language(s) immediately hates you. Fortunately, I'm not a language expert, but I've heard way too many Norse/Old English scholars dish out crap on Christopher Paolini to fully support this method.

[Strawberries]

My knowledge of Greek is too small to pick out what the second element might mean, but it could definitely mean Golden Something. At first I thought Golden Hand, but that would be Mare, not Mere.

Chrysa- would be the romanization of χρυσα- which is how the word for gold χρυσος shows up in compounds.

Anyways, someone who has more than a term's worth of Greek could step in and figure out the second part: but it surely could mean something.

I looked in my Greek dicionary (ancient Greek only, I know nothing of modern Greek), but found no "mere" either with epsilon or eta (sorry I can't figure out how to show greek fonts), but "mare" means indeed hand.
"Golden Hand" is not an unreasonable name for a sword - better than "Golden thigh", which would be "meros-ou" (the male version of mere).

[Kneenibble]

Thanks for checking, Strawberries. Hey do you think you could also check your dictionary for words that begin with alpha too? I was thinking the second word needed to begin with alpha or else it would be chrysEmere, or whatever the thematic vowel of second declension words happens to be. (Is it epsilon? or omicron? or what?) If it's *real* Greek, that is.

I think Golden Thigh is not at all a bad name for a sword. :smallcool:

[Mystic Muse]

Now I just need to find a name that DOES mean Paladin's blade.:smallannoyed:

[Telonius]

Now I just need to find a name that DOES mean Paladin's blade.:smallannoyed:

Durandal. It was the name of Roland's sword, and Roland was one of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers (the original paladins).

EDIT: "mere" is also an old English word for pool, lake, or still water. It comes from a Germanic word meaning "large body of water" or "ocean."

Compare to Latin "Mare" meaning "sea" (i.e. Mare Nostrum - "Our sea," the Mediterranean).

So, bastardization of Latin and Greek to mean "Golden Sea."

[Strawberries]

Thanks for checking, Strawberries. Hey do you think you could also check your dictionary for words that begin with alpha too? I was thinking the second word needed to begin with alpha or else it would be chrysEmere, or whatever the thematic vowel of second declension words happens to be. (Is it epsilon? or omicron? or what?) If it's *real* Greek, that is.

I think Golden Thigh is not at all a bad name for a sword. :smallcool:

If it was Chryse Emera (or emere) it would mean Golden Day (also not a bad name for a sword) - no "amere" in my dictionary (unless you count amera-es which means irrigation ditch - ugh :smallyuk:)


Now I just need to find a name that DOES mean Paladin's blade.:smallannoyed:

No paladins in ancient Greece, but "blade" could be translated as Sifos-ou or Makaira-as, if it can be useful for you.

[Kneenibble]

@^ I think I saw amere as an occasional variant spelling in one online dictionary I checked. Still, it's a stretch...


So, bastardization of Latin and Greek to mean "Golden Sea."

Heh... I think the other bastardizations we've mentioned that don't involve two languages are more likely. Golden Sea is a bit too... y'know, kinky for a paladin. :smallwink:

Kyuubi, you know, the entry you linked to doesn't say that Chrysamere means Paladin's Blade.

[Mystic Muse]

yeah I just noticed that a little bit ago.:smallredface:

I also don't get why "Golden sea" is kinky:smallconfused:

So Durandal means "Paladin's blade"?

[Prime32]

So Durandal means "Paladin's blade"?Durandal was a Paladin's Blade, along with Curtana.

[Temotei]

Durandal was a Paladin's Blade, along with Curtana.

Indeed. Holy avenger?