I've found the basis for 4e-style fantasy words

[Ratskinner]

It should be noted that classic D&D names like Greyhawk, Blackmarsh, Dragonlance and Ravenloft all follow this apparently '4E' compound naming convention.

It should also be noted that, if translated from their Latin/pseudo-Latin/Latinized Greek forms into English, many of the 'proper' scientific names for dinosaurs (terriblelizards) are more of the same as well. Tyrantlizard kings, Three-hornedfaces, Roofedlizards, thunderlizards/deceptivelizards …

Compound naming, especially for people, is a much older thing than D&D...or even Latin and Greek. Apparently compound names are an Indo-European thing, which may see it back several thousand years. (see this wikipedia article's section on names)...although honestly, don't other language families do this as well? I can't say I personally speak any non-Indo-European langages...anybody out there speak Japanese or Chinese or something else "exotic"? Do they do this as well? Maybe its a deeper human thing?

I don't mind it as such. But somewhere along the line, between 4e and Magic cards, it became obvious that WotC was using it as a technique for easily generating IP-stampable names rather than for artistic or coolness purposes.

 

[n00bdragon]

Why on earth would this only get respect once it's been established that there's some precedence for it? It's like deciding the food in a restaurant is good only after you read a review from a prestigious critic. That's not how it's supposed to work. Either the food tastes good (to you) or it doesn't.

Also I have no idea why this is a divisive issue or why someone should need to "choose a side" any more than, to continue using the restaurant parable, one must "choose a restaurant". Just like what you like, don't like what you don't like, and most most importantly...
STOP LIKING WHAT I DON'T LIKE
please be okay with others liking what you don't like

 

[Libramarian]

Why on earth would this only get respect once it's been established that there's some precedence for it? It's like deciding the food in a restaurant is good only after you read a review from a prestigious critic. That's not how it's supposed to work. Either the food tastes good (to you) or it doesn't.

No, it's more like respecting a chef after visiting their kitchen and getting to know them even if you still don't like their food. It's not about precedence but about the process and motivation behind the decisions made.

Also I have no idea why this is a divisive issue or why someone should need to "choose a side" any more than, to continue using the restaurant parable, one must "choose a restaurant". Just like what you like, don't like what you don't like, and most most importantly...
STOP LIKING WHAT I DON'T LIKE
please be okay with others liking what you don't like

When I said that you must choose a side it was tongue in cheek.

 

[lutecius]

James Wyatt believes fantasy should be written in "Anglish"*, which is English that only uses Anglo-Saxon (i.e. Old English) words.
[...]
Should D&D fantasy stuff be written in classic fantasy Olde English, or science-fantasy hyperlatinized English?

The problem is Latin words aren't limited to "science-fantasy". If you want to get rid of non Anglo-Saxon words you'll also have to find replacements for those that (like a good chunk of the English vocabulary) came into English via medieval French, such as lizard (so there go your terrible tyrant lizards), fey, magic, ranger, gnome, paladin, sorcerer, lance, armor...

oh, and dungeons... and dragons.

 

[WhatGravitas]

"Boros Swiftblade" sounds cool in a way far too much D&D terminology doesn't. Part of that may be associating it with a made-up word. "Swiftblade" on its own only sounds okay, but it flows well from "Boros."

Or: what 4E lacks is poetry, not latin!

It's interesting to see where the 4E naming style comes from, indeed, but (and I say that as 4E fan), they didn't quite have the chops to pull it off in all cases. Some names, like Greyhawk, Earthsea, Mirkwood, seem to have some quality to them a macetail (behemoth) or a bloodseeker (drake) doesn't seem to have.

Of course, it's hard to blame them for that, considering the sheer quantity of names you need to come up with for something like a complete Monster Manual, as opposed to naming a campaign setting or working on novels (for years).

 

[Starfox]

I had not heard the term Anglish before, but it figures - Icelandic and Norwegian (Nynorsk) both went this way in their official language. It can be argued that US English is already halfway to Anglish, as it is basically 17th C UK English.

Personally, I like it both ways - some regions in the game world should use the one, some the other. In my own writing I think I tend to err in the direction of Anglish - it is very close a Scandinavian language. The Latin and French parts of English are much harder to me as a Swede. Only we have our own import of German and French words to confuse things.