[OT] What the hell does "reaver" mean ?

[CapnZapp]

In contemporary Swedish today, "riva" means tear something (down or apart). You tear a paper. You tear down a building.

Reaver in this context would be someone tearing your village or society apart.

Also, "rövare" is a word for bandit, but that I think is more related to "rov" or plunder. They would steal your gold and your women, etc.

 

[delericho]

What does this silly word mean ?

It basically means the same as "raider".

Except in Firefly, in which is means "bad things are coming".

 

[Umbran]

Under that assumption, "Soul Reaver" would work as either one who stole souls, or one who destroyed souls. "Slime Reaver", however, sounds rather silly.

Yes, but then baby food is not made from real babies.

Context matters, people. Sheesh.

 

[Anselyn]

It basically means the same as "raider".

Except in Firefly, in which is means "bad things are coming".

I think it's corrupted from "Reiver".

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Reivers

 

[Umbran]

I think it's corrupted from "Reiver".

At that point, it isn't "corruption" - that term comes from a time before standardized spelling.

 

[Anselyn]

At that point, it isn't "corruption" - that term comes from a time before standardized spelling.

Yes, variant spelling would be a better phrasing.

"standardized spelling" You mean when Noah Webster normalized incorrectness?

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

What does this silly word mean ?

I ran into the same dilemma a couple weeks ago (while working on adventuring company names) and I was not happy with the information I found online.

Count me as happy that you asked this question.

 

[CapnZapp]

I was not happy with the information I found online.

You are not the first poster saying this.

May I ask how and where you did your search?

Asking because from my viewpoint it is trivial to find word information. Aside from the dictionaries mentioned, there's always wiktionary; Wikipedia for words.

(The wiki entry on Reaver succinctly presents all of the information in this thread)

I'm not asking to lecture you or gloat. I'm genuinely concerned - it seems the free and easy availability of Wiki resources aren't as common knowledge as they ought to be.

 

[Radaceus]

I have never considered that this word was anything other than an Anglicization of the Scottish word reivers, one who reives. Historically, the Border Reivers

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

[MENTION=6851459]hnoor0022[/MENTION] might be a reaver, for they have reaved this thread from its almost 14-year slumber.