Meaning behind Lore characters names

Lore Story
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I have kinda unusual question mainly to nativly english speaking players (but anyone feel free to share opinion).

Since in my own language there is not such a form of sticking together two nouns and making out of it new word/name, translating or even understanding of intended meaning behind Warcraft characters names is often more like “interpretation”.

Thats why I’d like to ask you to expand what is your understanding of example names like Hellscream, Whisperwind, Windrunner, and even more trouble causing Saurfang or Proudmoore.

I understand the nouns for the Hellscream, but what is your understanding?
Is it to you just pseudo like “Scream of Hells”, or “Hellish Scream”?
Or its description of character “Hellish Screamer”?
Or even something else ?

And for last two… are the non-translatable parts gives you some extra meaning and understanding of the character or are they just fillers to you?

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Quite literally what he’s named after, his scream can paralyze i think? Its been a while since I read any of the books.

Same with his clan, the warsong, their axes make a noise as they swing them.

Saurfang, Proudmoore Whisperwind, and Windrunner are just names

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Hellscream was well renowned for his battle cry. The strength of his voice was such that he could actually make other orc’s ears bleed, if he did it from close range.

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I think it mainly depends on your own interpretation, but also on the cultural background. For example, the Tauren have tribe names (Bloodhoof, Runetotem, etc.) while they also have given names (for example, I think that Muln Earthfury uses a given name instead of a tribe name). If it’s simply a tribe name, you shouldn’t take it too literally, but if it is a given name, it does give an indication of someone’s accomplishments.

I don’t think that the same goes for Elves, as they usually use names that is irrelevant for their accomplishments or background. Halduron Brightwing, Alleria Windrunner, Kael’thas Sunstrider etc. don’t have names that indicate something about them.

So, if a name DOES mean something, I think it should be interpreted in terms of the char’s accomplishments, background and culture. That’s when names like “Earthfury” become much easier to understand, Muln is a Tauren Shaman, so he has a deep connection with the Earthmother, and he calls upon her powers etc. etc.

I digress a bit, but I hope this helps.

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Yeah. As I said. I undertand words, and know the lore.
I have hard time explaining what I’d like to get from you … your own understanding without context of real character. How do you imagine character named like this?

When you hear name like Windrunner, do you picture yourself fast running elf? Or you don’t read much into it and its “just a name” to you?
Because we have this issue with translations where Blizzard requires everything possible to be translated … and then we have Stormrager, beeing name of Night Elf brothers… because in correct form of my language somehow one word have to be descriptive to another and we receive such a BS x.x

(Bonus fun fact: Windrunner translated directly to my language is name of any kind of food which makes you fart – our translator have to be very creatinve to dodge that )

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Well, again, depends on the culture. Shouldn’t mean too much for Elves since their names are fairly random.

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Its “just a name” to me. Especially since its quite common for elves to have two words mashed together.

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I imagine someone coming from a lineage of rangers famous for being rather mobile and light on their feet. (Which we know is true.)

Sometimes, the surname reflects lineage, sometimes it reflects the character’s own deeds, sometimes both.

There’s no rule, it works on a case to case basis.

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I recall that Medivh’s name was just made to sound like a “cool wizard name”. As they didn’t expect any of these characters to grow as big as they have.

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Doesn’t it mean “Keeper of secrets” in Thalassian and all that jazz?

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If Medivh is Keeper of Secrets then Khadgar is Young Trust I think?

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