The secret behind V's name

[boomwolf]

I just thought about it, but Vaarssuvius's name, noted simply as "V" in the comic multiple times just happens to be just like "V for Vendetta", aka the inspiration of "annonimus"?

After all V has ambiguous gender, unclear motivations and alignment, and pretty much everything about him is a secret, except that one girl s/he knows (excluding the elves)

Am I over-thinking things? or is it really some sort of tribute?
And what are the odds that rich will deliver a straight answer?

[ellindsey]

Pretty sure that Vaarsuvius is named after the volcanoe Mount Vesuvius.

[Tom Lehmann]

Which suddenly erupted and killed many, many people. Some almost instantly...

[ellindsey]

Destroyed the city of Pompeii, too.

[boomwolf]

Didn't think of that one...and I actually know the story x_x

But, it could still be somehow related to that "V for vendetta" thing right?

[Incom]

OP, the name you are looking for is Guy Fawkes. Interesting way of looking at it, I guess, but the other posters have you covered.

[Jaros]

There are parallels, yeah, but I think this is over-thinking it. In the first few strips, Rich actually HAD a gender for V, it was just after someone asked him about it did he start to realise it wasn't clear, and it has remained so ever since.

EDIT: V has a Guy Fawkes mask, but they are different people.

[NerfTW]

Didn't think of that one...and I actually know the story x_x

But, it could still be somehow related to that "V for vendetta" thing right?

No. They simply say V because Vaarsuvius is a long name to say and write. Especially since V predates Anonymous.

[Vulkos]

Pretty sure that Vaarsuvius is named after the volcanoe Mount Vesuvius.

Really?
It's cool because I've never thought of it that way, and still I can see that mount when looking out my window ^^

It should be nice to know that the coolest character around is named after it.

[tassaron]

V does not predate "anonymous" in a literal sense, but she does predate "anonymous" turning into a catch-all word for internet-coordinated protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks. Not that that's even remotely relevant, since V for Vendetta was published in the 1980s.

The connection is almost certainly not intentional, though, since Vaarsuvius's ambiguity was invented after her nickname was already in use.

[Goosefarble]

Vaarsuvius is like Vesuvius, Pompey is like Pompeii. That's the only significance the names have (unless you count the "-us" suffix as concrete evidence that V is male, because that's how it worked in Rome), and I very much doubt either of them have anything to do with V for Vendetta. aarsuvius is nothing like anonymous, and the letter V does not always have to be linked to that comic/film.

[Jay R]

The only possible significance of Vaarsuvius's name is that "-ius" is a masculine ending

[Whiffet]

(unless you count the "-us" suffix as concrete evidence that V is male, because that's how it worked in Rome),

What is this "Rome" you speak of? :smallwink:

[Goosefarble]

What is this "Rome" you speak of? :smallwink:

Touché good lady, touché.

[weso12]

(unless you count the "-us" suffix as concrete evidence that V is male, because that's how it worked in Rome)

They're quite a few latin female names that end in -us, (Venus, anyone?)

[Red XIV]

Destroyed the city of Pompeii, too.
Does that imply that Pompey was related to the Ancient Black Dragon? :smalltongue:

[Tylerb7]

They're quite a few latin female names that end in -us, (Venus, anyone?)


Not really important. Consider that Vesuvius (the source of V's name) is second declension (Vesuvius, Vesuvii), while Venus, Veneris is third (second declension nouns are practically always masculine, while third declension nouns are commonly any of the three genders).

So, yes, you're right that the -us ending means nothing by itself; but no, you're wrong because a Roman would immediately get a sense of masculinity from the name Vesuvius and a sense of femininity from the name Venus.

[jere7my]

Not really important. Consider that Vesuvius (the source of V's name) is second declension (Vesuvius, Vesuvii), while Venus, Veneris is third (second declension nouns are practically always masculine, while third declension nouns are commonly any of the three genders).

Second declension feminine exceptions include tree names (laurus, quercus, pinus), which are both feminine and sometimes encountered as personal names.

[Jay R]

What is this "Rome" you speak of? :smallwink:

It's part of a large, varied background world in which "Roy" is a male name and "Haley" is a female name, which was known to the Giant when he was naming these characters in a short gag-a-day comic, before he ever planned to build a world and develop a long-term plot, and before he decided that he would not reveal Vaarsuvius's sex.

[Sutremaine]

Maybe '-ius' has become, in-univers, kind of the elven equivalent of 'Mc'. Apart from Vaarsuvius, two other elves she knows (Aarindarius and Inkyrius) who are presumably from the same elven culture have the same name ending.

[Tylerb7]

Second declension feminine exceptions include tree names (laurus, quercus, pinus), which are both feminine and sometimes encountered as personal names.


1. Debatably, most Latin speakers took a connotation of masculinity out of these words; when Latin became Vulgar Latin (for our purposes, Latin with articles), these words overwhelmingly took the masculine article despite having previously been feminine.

2. This is irrelevant. A mountain is not any of: (1) a tree; (2) a gemstone; (3) a handful of specific islands or cities; (4) the words vannus, humus, colus, or alvus.

[Raimun]

Oh, c'mon. V isn't that mysterious. :smallamused:

[jere7my]

2. This is irrelevant. A mountain is not any of: (1) a tree; (2) a gemstone; (3) a handful of specific islands or cities; (4) the words vannus, humus, colus, or alvus.

Nor is Vaarsuvius a mountain.

[Tylerb7]

Oh my god. Can you not follow the progression of a simple conversation?



Vaarsuvius is like Vesuvius, Pompey is like Pompeii. That's the only significance the names have (unless you count the "-us" suffix as concrete evidence that V is male, because that's how it worked in Rome), and I very much doubt either of them have anything to do with V for Vendetta. aarsuvius is nothing like anonymous, and the letter V does not always have to be linked to that comic/film.


They're quite a few latin female names that end in -us, (Venus, anyone?)




Nor is Vaarsuvius a mountain.


Stop being contrary for its own sake.

[jere7my]

Oh my god. Can you not follow the progression of a simple conversation?

Maybe not, but I do know that condescending snark is a terrible contribution to any conversation! :smallwink:


Stop being contrary for its own sake.

I don't believe I was. I took your "This is irrelevant. A mountain is not any of: (1) a tree; (2) a gemstone; (3) a handful of specific islands or cities; (4) the words vannus, humus, colus, or alvus" to mean that the feminine second declension counterexamples were irrelevant, because Vesuvius, a mountain, is indisputably masculine. But Vaarsuvius is not named Vesuvius; the name recalls the volcano, but is not the volcano. Therefore any argument based on whether mountains are masculine or feminine is pointless. It's like trying to draw conclusions about someone named Arkricola based on the fact that agricola is a masculine first-declension word.

I think the whole debate over the gender of -us words is pointless, frankly, because Rich has never given any indication of being a Latin scholar. I expect he picked Vaarsuvius because she's a blaster, a volcano-sounding name seemed appropriate, and "Mount Saint Helens" is a terrible name for an elf. It's an open question whether he even knows or cares about Latin declensions.

[Jaros]

I think the whole debate over the gender of -us words is pointless, frankly, because Rich has never given any indication of being a Latin scholar. I expect he picked Vaarsuvius because she's a blaster, a volcano-sounding name seemed appropriate, and "Mount Saint Helens" is a terrible name for an elf. It's an open question whether he even knows or cares about Latin declensions.

Well now I'm just waiting for Popocatepetl to make an appearance.

[sparkyinbozo]

Vaarsuvius is an anagram for the latin phrase Varius Avus, meaning various grandfathers. It may also be a slight corruption of Vesuvius, the name of a large volcano that erupted and destroyed Pompeii. This is backed up by his/her evil opposite at one time being named Pompey.

From the OotS wiki.

[Deliverance]

After all V has ambiguous gender, unclear motivations and alignment, and pretty much everything about him is a secret, except that one girl s/he knows (excluding the elves)

V has ambiguous gender, crystal clear motivations, an easily identifiable alignment certified by word of god (True Neutral, in case you were in doubt), and we know about as much about V as we know about any of the other main characters.



Am I over-thinking things? or is it really some sort of tribute?
And what are the odds that rich will deliver a straight answer?
You are over-thinking things.

As others have said, if Varsuuvius as a name is inspired by anything, it is probably Vesuvius, and if the use of V is a hidden play on anything rather than being exactly what it looks like, a convenient way to shorten a long name and a play on the "elves have way too long names to pronounce" cliché, it would seem much more likely that it plays on the V (victory) sign than the comic V for Vendetta, as V isn't on a vendetta, but V is a hot tempered mage with a predilection for using wildly destructive fire magic.

[Dr.Epic]

Am I over-thinking things?

Yes, you are. It's just a coincidence. There are 26 letters in the English language. Vaarsuvius's name had to start with one of those letters, and given it makes sense for the wizard to have the longest, more complex name, the characters would abbreviate it in some manner. Not to mention, V was originally planned to be a man so the ambiguity thing just happened to manifest itself.

So in short, no, I doubt Vaarsuvius is named/based off Codename V.

[rbetieh]

it makes sense for the wizard to have the longest, more complex name

Are you questioning the great power of Tim, the Enchanter?

[jere7my]

Not to mention, V was originally planned to be a man so the ambiguity thing just happened to manifest itself.

Not quite. Vaarsuvius was originally intended to have a clear gender, but Rich almost immediately got questions about it, and decided it would be funnier to make it ambiguous.

[veti]

Are you questioning the great power of Tim, the Enchanter?

To say nothing of Circe, Merlin, Gandalf, Elric, Ged, Harry, Jadis, Rincewind...

The idea that magic-users should have exceptionally long names has a lot of counter-examples.

As for association with "Anonymous": the Guy Fawkes mask was popularised by "V for Vendetta", but more by the movie than the book, and "Anonymous" didn't adopt it until 2008, by which time the name of "V" had been around for at least five years.

[Jay R]

it makes sense for the wizard to have the longest, more complex nameAre you questioning the great power of Tim, the Enchanter?

When the movie came out, the short name for a wizard was so unexpected that "You can call me ... Tim" was a laugh line.

Yes, a wizard should have a long name. We know this from the most genre-savvy wizard in the OOTSverse, Elanicalicus (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0127.html).

[Dr. Gamera]

Rich has never given any indication of being a Latin scholar.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9527191&postcount=30

[Goosefarble]

In all fairness you don't have to be a scholar of Rome to know about Tarquin, but yeah, -ius being masculine and -ia being feminine is pretty common knowledge.

[rbetieh]

When the movie came out, the short name for a wizard was so unexpected that "You can call me ... Tim" was a laugh line.

Yes, a wizard should have a long name. We know this from the most genre-savvy wizard in the OOTSverse, Elanicalicus (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0127.html).


You know, I would have expected the laugh line to be caused by the fact that most King Arthur legends have an enchanter in them, but that guy is generally known as Merlin. You know, people were expecting Merlin, got Tim instead. Essence of comedy is to take your audience somewhere they didnt expect. At least it was for Andy Kaufman...probably for the Monty Python people too.