> The word "hurricane" comes from the Carib Indians of the West Indies who
> called them huracan, probably derived from the Mayan storm god, Hunraken;
> or the Quiche god of thunder and lightning, hurakan; or other Caribbean
> Indian terms for evil spirit and big wind.
Now, given this and the fact that David Dunham started this thread
...I've heard of big elvish (mayan) jungles down there in Umathela.
> Orlanthi - it is > more likely that they would say something like
> "Come the Umbroli or Gather the Orlanthi or even Come Great Orlanth,
> than use a word derived from a Mayan storm god.
Yes. That is why the "hurricane" word sounds suspiciously umathelan (even GL - but I don't want to say it) in origin. No real orlanthi would likely be using it. But umathelans, sure.
Nonetheless, having a whole part of speech dedicated to (p)blowing and thunder, the real orlanthi of Dragon Pass would all be rather happy to add a new name "hurricane" in their vocabulary storm tribe.
Oh, and the original meaning 'evil spirit and big wind' with Southern emphasis, makes "hurricane" sounds like a badass kolati storm. Erratic, can come out of any direction in any season, strong, dangerous, a bit problematic, inwader winds, often carrying odd bits from spirit world, ghosts, spirits of rock and trees, and incarnate umathelans.
> Hurricane is obviously a gloss or a partial translation, and should
> be taken as poetic and evocative as much as literal.
As orlanthi do! Everything they welcome is given with a grain of salt, hearty application of orlanthi all and paired complementary proverbs.
"Violence is always an option" and "There is always another hurricane"
"There is nothing like desire for preventing the thing one says from bearing any resemblance to what one has in mind." - Marcel Proust, Rememberance of Things Past -
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