EPTAnonymous comment on "the inauguration: Arcturus Mengsk speech" , video in the Original Starcraft Campaign.
Introduction:
The idea of this project/study came to me a few years ago, ever since i first started watching pro BW. I was always asking myself about the meanings and words of all that englobes Broodwar. Lately i got into this and started reaserching the meanings and origins behind the units. Soon it became apperent to me that everything was inter-related, and now i can show you the results!
I wanted to research on how Starcraft Broodwar relates its words, structures and terminologies to Real life and look at the connection, meaning, symbolism and Etimology or origin of each word used in the game.
Its primary focus is on units, aldo i included buildings, Heroes and other terminology. Obviously the research language is English, because that the language Starcraft was created in. However you will notice how many words come from Latin, Greek, Germanic or other ancient form of languages, and there is a close relations with religions, psychological attitudes, nature, animals, war . References from Dungeons and Dragons, Anime series, Films, Paintings, Historical figures, Mythology, and constellations of the universe.
I included also the most obvious units because i wanted to do a complete unit list.
Every unit/word has been divided like this:
*unit name*
+ Show Spoiler +
Word definition: Preferably where possible from the Oxford or Collins dictionary. words that are verbs i broke down to the root. Words containing 2 or more separate words i sub-divided them.
Origin of the word: Multiple referments to the etymology of the word and its use in the past, including its spelling in older languages. In this part i left out pourposefully the century from which the word came from, but they way i listed it is not casual, going from more recent to older. example: origin of the word origin: XIV century,from Old French origine "the rise, commencement, beginning, source, descent, lineage, birth" . From oriri"to rise, become visible, appear" , from Greek orynai.
Symbolism: A research on how names, graphics, and art-work relates to symbology used in the past by humanity, in fields such as Religion, Art, astrology and/or Antrophology.This section may contain meanings of what the unit looks like, or how it moves, attacks, or perfoms its tasks visually.
Please note that this part is highly subjective.In symbology, no definition can be truly comprehensive. It comes down to what you believe the thing in question symbolizes the most.
So don't be disheartened if they don't fit with your own personal view of what a specific creature stands for. Every animal/element is complex, and some lessons are harder to uncover than others, and no sterotype is correct all the time.
Notes: stuff i came across that i found amusing or interesting.
pics : picture references where interesting for visual aid.
Terran race
The idea of this project/study came to me a few years ago, ever since i first started watching pro BW. I was always asking myself about the meanings and words of all that englobes Broodwar. Lately i got into this and started reaserching the meanings and origins behind the units. Soon it became apperent to me that everything was inter-related, and now i can show you the results!
I wanted to research on how Starcraft Broodwar relates its words, structures and terminologies to Real life and look at the connection, meaning, symbolism and Etimology or origin of each word used in the game.
Its primary focus is on units, aldo i included buildings, Heroes and other terminology. Obviously the research language is English, because that the language Starcraft was created in. However you will notice how many words come from Latin, Greek, Germanic or other ancient form of languages, and there is a close relations with religions, psychological attitudes, nature, animals, war . References from Dungeons and Dragons, Anime series, Films, Paintings, Historical figures, Mythology, and constellations of the universe.
I included also the most obvious units because i wanted to do a complete unit list.
Every unit/word has been divided like this:
*unit name*
+ Show Spoiler +
Word definition: Preferably where possible from the Oxford or Collins dictionary. words that are verbs i broke down to the root. Words containing 2 or more separate words i sub-divided them.
Origin of the word: Multiple referments to the etymology of the word and its use in the past, including its spelling in older languages. In this part i left out pourposefully the century from which the word came from, but they way i listed it is not casual, going from more recent to older. example: origin of the word origin: XIV century,from Old French origine "the rise, commencement, beginning, source, descent, lineage, birth" . From oriri"to rise, become visible, appear" , from Greek orynai.
Symbolism: A research on how names, graphics, and art-work relates to symbology used in the past by humanity, in fields such as Religion, Art, astrology and/or Antrophology.This section may contain meanings of what the unit looks like, or how it moves, attacks, or perfoms its tasks visually.
Please note that this part is highly subjective.In symbology, no definition can be truly comprehensive. It comes down to what you believe the thing in question symbolizes the most.
So don't be disheartened if they don't fit with your own personal view of what a specific creature stands for. Every animal/element is complex, and some lessons are harder to uncover than others, and no sterotype is correct all the time.
Notes: stuff i came across that i found amusing or interesting.
pics : picture references where interesting for visual aid.
This is not warcraft in space!!!
Terran race
Terra-n:
+ Show Spoiler +
"belonging to this world, earthly, secular, temporal. Of the earth as a planet" .
origin: from latin Terra, meaning "the globe, the earth (intended originally as ground, dirt, and later on as a planet too) .
Note: other similar words in English terrestrial (earthly), terrene (a generic type of land), terrace (balcony), terrier dog. In Italian terra-ferma (mainland), terra-cotta (pottery).
Note: Used in science-fiction as early as 1881, "inhabitant of the Earth"
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/MKTHo.png)
"the Earth"
Marine:
+ Show Spoiler +
"A member of the U.S. marine corps or similar body" .
Origin: meaning "soldier that serves on a boat" , from French marine, from Latin marinus "of the sea", Latin Mare "sea" . note: Amphibious assaults have existed in war history since The Ancient Egyptians, but modern Amphibious assaults are particulary different. The first tanks used in a Amphibious assault was during the Alhucemas Landing in 1925, when a French-Spanish coalition landed in north Marocco to deal with rebels. This was also supported by naval gunfire. It developed troughout the century and is a powerful tactic to avoid enemy defences and hit behind enemy lines or where the enemy is less fortefied. Marines are the core of these operations, as success usually depends on "taking the land physically" .
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/HA6Q3.jpg)
Fire-bat:
+ Show Spoiler +
From Dungeons and Dragoons(1979):A fire bat is a denizen of the Elemental Plane of Fire which has a flaming bat-like body, about two feet long with a wingspan of almost four feet. The firebat attaches itself to prey with its razor-sharp fangs, burning and bleeding its victim;
Fire: from Old English fyrian "to supply with fire" Armenian hur "fire, torch" , Czech pyr , "hot ashes" just to name a few. Several similar words in many different languages.
Bat: "a club, a stick" , or "a flying mammal" .
origin: The word bat comes from Scandinavian, but more relevant to starcraft In Old English bat was hreremus, from hreran, "to shake".
Symbology: An animal of multiple symbolic meanings. In ancient China, Bats where symbol of good fortune, and RED bats were considered to be particularly lucky: their color would frighten away demons.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/aFBjE.jpg)
Rapresentation of a firebat from D&D (1979)
Medic:
+ Show Spoiler +
"Is a general term for a person involved in medicine; a physician, medical student, or military medical corpsman" .
Origin: from Latin medicus "physician"
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/aXhge.jpg)
Vulture:
+ Show Spoiler +
"A scavenging bird, who feeds mostly from carcasses of dead animals" .
Origin: from Old French voltour (modern French vaotour, from Latin vulturius .
Symbolism: In ancient Egypt the vulture was incorporated in several God figures, and served as a symbol of the feminine, often in opposition to the scarab who symbolised the male principle. In other symboligism Mess seems to follow vulture, but in fact vulture follows mess. They are excellent at the ‘cleaning up’ of problem situations ~
They are considered prophetic because they followed marching armies and appeared always three days before a great battle.
Note: Although the vulture plays an important natural role, in the Western world, the image of the vulture is quite negative, with 'vulture' used as a methaphore for those who prey on the weak or dying, with associated negative connotations of cowardice and selfishness.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ILzPG.jpg)
A Vulture representation in Ancient Egypt
mine: a type of bomb planted in the ground which detonates on contact.
Goliath:
+ Show Spoiler +
A figure from the bible.
origin: Possibly means "uncovered" in Hebrew.
In the bible, Goliath is the giant of Gath, Philistine. As representative of the Philistines, he challenged the Israelites to send a champion against him so that the issue of the war between the two tribes might be settled by single combat.David, the youthful champion of the Israelites rose to the challenge and killed Goliath by a stone shot from his sling.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UihYW.jpg)
A painting of Golia (left) and DavidRockets: (found in missile turrets, Goliaths, scouts and arguably Wraiths.)
Symbolism: Rockets are phallic, they can signify exploration, a journey, man's thrust beyond the earth, science, and/or technology. They can also have destructive qualities as weapons bringing death and destruction.
Siege tank:
+ Show Spoiler +
Siege: "A military operation in which one faction surrounds a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of making those inside surrender".
Origin: From French sege, "seat, chair, throne" . From Latin sedicum, "seat" and sedere, "to sit" .
Tank: "A heavy armoured fighting vehicule carrying guns and moving on a continuos articulated metal track".
Origin: From An Indian dialect called Gujarati meaning "cistern, container, underground reservoir for water" first used in the military in 1902, and later used for the vehicule because of the resemblence to benzene tanks or containers.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xFowk.jpg)
A Russian T-84 TankGhost:
+ Show Spoiler +
"An apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear to the living" .
"To glide smoothly and efortlessly" .
Origin: from old English Gast , "soul, spirit, life, breath ", and possibly coming from the German " Geist
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CkxFg.jpg)
A ghost image from D&DNuclear: "possesing or involving nuclear weapons".
Origin: from nucleus+ar , though to be influenced by French nucléaire .
Nuke: short for nuclear weapon, U.S. military slang from 1962.
Wraith:
+ Show Spoiler +
"A ghost or ghostly image of someome, usually seen shortly before or after their death" , "a visible spirit".
Origin: scottish word, origins uncertain. Maybe from a Norwegian word vorðr "guardian" in the sense of guardian angel.
note: In Dungeons and dragons a wraith is described as an incorporeal creature born of evil and darkness, despising light and all living things. A wraith drains the constitution from living creatures, turning them into new wraiths upon death. A wraith is powerless in natural sunlight and will flee from it.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/b01sk.jpg)
a wraith from D&DIn the Tv series stargate atlantis The Wraiths have a strong territorial instinct and the various hives are largely autonomous from one another,[25]cooperating only against a common enemy.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/REmQX.jpg)
A wraith from the Tv series
Science vessel:
+ Show Spoiler +
Science: science
Vessel: "A craft, ship or large boat".
Origin:From latin vascellum "vase, pot" .
Note: in the Beta version of Starcraft the science vessel had legs.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vvUMh.gif)
Dropship:
+ Show Spoiler +
Drop: Fall or cause to fall vertically.
Ship: a spaceship / an aircraft.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/82Ddz.jpg)
A dropship from the film starship troopers (1997)![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/WSTsV.jpg)
A UD4L Cheyenne dropship from the film Aliens (1986)
Battlecruiser:
+ Show Spoiler +
"An early 20th-century warship that was faster and more lighlty armored than a battleship" .
"They are those ships that join an armament similar to that of the battleships an high speed (until 33 knots) and a great operative range, sacrificing strongly armor".
Yamato: Japanise warship of world war II. were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, featuring the largest caliber of naval artillery ever fitted to a warship.
Origin: named after Yamato which is a province in Japan.
Note: Yamato had a sister battleship, equally powerful, named Musashi also after a Japanise province.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/nr9vN.jpg)
The Yamato ship
"They are those ships that join an armament similar to that of the battleships an high speed (until 33 knots) and a great operative range, sacrificing strongly armor".
Yamato: Japanise warship of world war II. were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, featuring the largest caliber of naval artillery ever fitted to a warship.
Origin: named after Yamato which is a province in Japan.
Note: Yamato had a sister battleship, equally powerful, named Musashi also after a Japanise province.
The Yamato ship
Space construction Vehicle:
+ Show Spoiler +
Outer Space: "the physical universe beyond the earth' s atmosphere" .
origin: from Old French espace, from Latin spatium
construction: "the action or process of constructing"
"the industry of erecting buildings" .
origin: from Latin construere , "to heap together, to build" : from con- "together" + struere "pile, build" .
vehicle: "a thing used for trasporting people, a truck, a cart, a car" .
origin: from Latin vehiculum, from vehere "to carry" .
note:scv also sounds like skivvy, British informal definition for "a female servant that does menial works of all kind, a chamber maid" , "a low rank female domestic servant" .
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VAmn7.png)
Couldn' t find a proper concept art Valkyrie:
+ Show Spoiler +
From Scandinavian mythology; The Valkyries originally seem to have been fierce female spirits sent from war-gods (like Odin), delighted in blood and carnage and devouring corpses on the battlefield. Later they developed into more dignified creatures, Portrayed as beautiful young women, mounted upon winged horses and armed with helmets and spears. They are said to decide who is slain on the battlefield, and are often described as super-natural beings of giant stature, but other times like beautiful women who attached themselves to Kings and princes, giving them help and counsel and bringing them good fortune on the battlefield.
when they ride forth on their errands, their armor causes the strange flickering light that is called Northern Lights.
Origin: from Old Norwegian valr, "those slain in battle" + kyrja, "chooser" .
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Hu792.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/o9bKO.jpg)
Statue of a Valkyrie (1909) in Denmark by Stephan Sinding(left) . "Ride of the valkyries" painting (1909) by Jhon Charles Dollman
Note: when repeatedly selected in starcraft Valkyries emit the sound of a Horse neighing (crying).
When selected with all the other units in the terran arsenal, the valkyrie acts as main unit(displayed in unit portrait and making sounds)
Terran buildings:
Command Center:
+ Show Spoiler +
Command: "to give an authoritative order" , "to control a strategic position from a superior height" . "the ability to use or control something" .
Military definition: "to be in charge of (a unit)" .
Center: North American spelling of centre.
Centre: "a place or a group of buildings where a specific activity id concentrated".
origin: from Latin centrum , from Greek kentrum , "sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses" .
Symbolism:In the command center we find the Anchor simbol. It can mean hope, steadfastness, salvation, stability, and/or tranquility. In sea-faring nations, the anchor is a symbol of good luck, of safety, and of security, and thus of trust and confidence. In the early Christian era, the anchor was used as a form of the cross, because of the physical resemblance.
Refinery:
+ Show Spoiler +
"an industrial installation where a substance is refined" .
origin: re + fine, from French raffiner
Supply depot:
+ Show Spoiler +
supply: "to make something needed available to someone" , "to provide with something needed" .
origin: From Old French soupleer , from Latin supplere , "to fill up" .
depot: "the headquartes of a regiment" , "a place for the storage of large quantities of a commodity" .
origin:From Latin depositum
Barrack-s:
+ Show Spoiler +
"a large building or group of buildings used to house soldiers" .
origin:Military term, from French baraque, Italian Baracca, Spanish Barraca, meaning " a soldiers tent" .
Academy:
+ Show Spoiler +
"a place of study or training in a special field" .
origin: from French Académie, from Latin Academia, from Greek Akademeia, Akademos , "the hero after whom the garden where Plato taught was named" .
Engineer-ing bay:
+ Show Spoiler +
"the branch of science and technology concerned with building, design and use of engines, machines, and structures" .
Origin:engineer: From Latin ingeniator, from ingeniare, from ingenium, "engine" .
Bay: ----
Factory:
+ Show Spoiler +
"A place where goods are manufactured or assembled" .
origin: from Latin factorium , "a place where olives are pressed to make olive oil" .
Armory:
+ Show Spoiler +
North american spelling of armoury.
Armoury: "a store or supply of arms" , "an array of resources available for a particular purpose" , also in north American definition "a place where militia units drill and train" or "a place where arms are manufactured" .
Origin: from old French armoirie , from arme , "weapon" , related to latin armare , "to arm" .
Turret:
+ Show Spoiler +
"an armoured tower, typically one that revolves for a gun and gunners in a ship, aircraft, fort or tank" .
origin: from Old French tourete, a diminuative of tour, "tower" .
Bunker:
+ Show Spoiler +
"an underground shelter, often of reinforced concrete and with a bank and embrasures for guns above ground".
origin: Unknown, originally used in Scottish, meaning "A seat or a bench" .
origin: Unknown, originally used in Scottish, meaning "A seat or a bench" .
Science Facility:
+ Show Spoiler +
Facility: "something designed or installed to serve a specific function giving a service".
MIlitary definition: "A building offering supporting capability" .
Origin: From French facilite' , from Latin facilitatem , from facilis meaning "easy" .
star-port:
+ Show Spoiler +
Star: " a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body, like the sun" .
origin: From Old English steorra , from German sterran. Similar Old Norwegian stjarna , Irish ster, Ghotic stairno, Latin stella, Greek aster.
port: "a town or city with a harbour" , "the side of an aircraft that is on the left when its facing foward" .
military definition: "to carry a weapon across and close to one' s body".
Terran Heroes
Arcturus Mengsk:
+ Show Spoiler +
Arcturus: Possibly from Arthur. The name Arthur is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from the Celtic words artos "bear" combined with viros "man" or rigos "king" .
Arthur Arcturus is the name of the most bright star in the constellation of Bootes , near the great bear constellation. The origin of the word "Bootes" itself is a bit obscure.
Another possibility relates the name and its usage in the starcraft story to a Roman Legionary named Artorius that lived in the II century A.C. He is described as a man marked in his personality. After loosing his mother in his child-birth, he passes his Teenage years and early 20' s in the Roman army trying to prove to his father his worthy and upholding his family name. He will eventually earn his fathers respect but not his brothers that always accused him of their mothers death. He is a man sworn to his duty to the level of stubborness.
He fought in Croatia (where he is buried) and bretain and Obtained the title of Duke, at one point commanding 5,500 men. Some Historians Believe he is an Ancestor of the renown King Arthur (whos existance is not proved).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/GDWoY.jpg)
A book wrote on Arturious' s life.
Note: *In Jungian psychology, the bear is often associated as an attribute of a man who is cruel and crude. furthurmore, berseker derives from bear+shirt, literally "warrior clothed in bearskin "
Mengsk: ----
Gerard Dugalle:
+ Show Spoiler +
Possibly a reference to Charles De Gaulle, a General of France durind world war II, famous for his patriottism.
Gerard: From German Ger, "spear" and hard, "brave, hardy" .
Dugalle: ----
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kIui7.jpg)
Charles de Gaulle (WWII)
Gerard: From German Ger, "spear" and hard, "brave, hardy" .
Dugalle: ----
Charles de Gaulle (WWII)Jim Raynor:
+ Show Spoiler +
Jim: Diminuative of James, from medievil era.
James: Anglicized version of the Latin name Iacomus, from Greek Iakobos, from Hebrew Ya'aqov (jacob) . In the new Testament this is the name of 2 apostles, and also the brother of Jesus.
Many great people troughout History where named James. James Cook, James watt, James Joyce to name a few.
Note: An extremly popular name in Anglo-saxon countries.
Raynor: Is actually a First name. From the German name Raganhar, composed of the words ragin "advice" and Hari "army" .
Note: In Italian (raniero) is defined as "He who has the sense and jugment of the army" .
Jim Rayner is also the main character from the film "rush" (1991)
Alexei Stukov:
+ Show Spoiler +
Alexei: Russian name, means "Helper, defender, protector" .
Stukov: ---
Edmund Duke:
+ Show Spoiler +
Edmund:Means "rich protector" , from Old English [i]Ead , "rich, blessed" and mund , "protector" .
Duke: From the nobile title of Duke, Latin Dux meaning "leader" .
Adjutant:
+ Show Spoiler +
"a staff officer who assists the commander by issuing orders" .
"an assistant.
origin: from Latin adiutantem , from adiutare "to give help to, to help zealously, to serve, to aid" .
Note: I listed the Adjutant under People because in starcraft Broodwar they are in fact cybernetic organisms, possesing organic components.
Terran Factions:
Terran Dominion:
+ Show Spoiler +
"The territory of a sovereign or goverment"
Semi-indipendent colonies of the Former British Empire, that after indipendece in 1948 became members of the commonwealth" (Australia, Canada for example)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Jg1fa.jpg)
Origin: From Latin dominio, dominus, "lord, Master" .
Note: Dominion is also a galactic empire of different alien species in Star Trek.
United Earth Directorate:
+ Show Spoiler +
Directorate: from English 1837, from director+ate, from English director, "a guide" , from Latin "dirigere" "to direct somebody or something" .
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ElRp1.png)
Terran confederecy:
+ Show Spoiler +
confederecy: the confederate states of the US.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/zqLMW.png)
Raynor' s Raiders:
+ Show Spoiler +
Raiders:
"a surprise attack on people or premises" .
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Munm6.png)
Link to the video before the intro: Arcturus Mengsk' s speech at the end of the Starcraft Terran campaign
Notes on the research
When i came across a word meaning more things i list only the definition/s that i thought relative to the starcraft context. So you may find a word that means other things as well that i did not include because irrelevant. Preferably where possible i used an accredeted English oxford dictionary.
References used for the research:
+ Show Spoiler +
Books used:
"The concise Oxford English Dictionary" Tenth edition, revised 2002
ISBN: 0-19-860572-2
"The concise Oxford Dictionary of English etymology" Edition of 2003.
ISBN: 0-19-283098-8
"The Oxford Dictionary of word Histories" First edition 2002
ISBN: 0-19-863121-9
"The new Oxford Thesaurus of English" First edition 2000
ISBN: 0-19-860261-8
"Scandinavian Mythology" edition of 1982
ISBN: 0 600 342 808
Websites used:
http://www.reference.com/
http://www.etymonline.com/
http://www.grecoantico.com
http://www.etimo.it/
http://www.sky-watch.com/
http://www.pantheon.org
http://www.behindthename.com
http://dizionario.babylon.com/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30046951/78-84-ARTORIUS
http://it.paperblog.com/artorius-lucius-castus-artorius-di-pierluigi-curcio-841657/
http://www.surnamedb.com/
http://en.wiktionary.org/
Http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.irishgathering.ie/html/kerrigan.htm
http://www.symbols.com
http://www.scootermydaisyheads.com/fine_art/symbol_dictionary/phoenix.html
http://www.egyptianmyths.net/
http://wicca.com/celtic/wyldkat/wklist.html
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/animals_symbolism.htm
http://www.greatdreams.com/animals.htm
http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/
http://sclegacy.com/editorials/34-general/270-starcraft-evolution
http://www.icsm.it/regiamarina/warships.htm
http://forcesmilitary.blogspot.it/2011/10/blog-post.html
All pictures belong to their respective owners. Creative Commons non commercial license. Some material used is owned by its respective owner and is used here for the pursuit of Starcraft knowledge.
Special thanks to http://starcraft.wikia.com and http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/ and all the Broodwar fans out there!
Second chapter coming next week and third chapter the week after.
