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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fireinthedust" data-source="post: 5101297" data-attributes="member: 51930">Interesting fact:  Octopus is Greek, basically meaning an eight-tentacled sea creature.  Its name is functional, just like the names complained about here.  It is what it says it is.  Latin names used in scientific identification of a species try to do just that: describe the creature according to its traits, but in a language that modern scientists (from Europe, a couple centuries ago) all understood: Latin.     This is the same deal as using Google Translator to change one functional name from one language to another.  You're not really changing the name, you're just making it so that it doesn't sound like a word you understand the meaning or origin of.    If you want to be amazed by the cool sound of a word, or weird spelling, just keep being ignorant.  In fact, be *more* ignorant than you already may be, and include words in English.  Oddly, I'm content to use a language that my players speak to describe the monsters I throw at them.  Unicorns (one-horned), Red caps, Draco-liches (dragon-liches), Mindflayers, Owlbears, Fire Elementals, all these and more can finally be included honestly in D&D games at my house.    Likewise, when I'm trying to convey to my players that they're being attacked by a pile of demons they've never encountered before, I can differentiate between the Arrow Demons and the others (many of whom don't have easy-to-remember names).Granted, some flavor text along the lines of "Arcanoloths, known to scholars as Raavasta" would be handy.  That particular name-change, from a functional and already present name, to a less-direct name, wasn't good imho; frankly, they're going to be Arcanoloths, specifically the one from the Ravenloft adventures and the Van Richten's Guide to Fiends!</blockquote>

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