Terms for Humans

[So-Keher]

I'm developing a new campaign world and I am sick and tired of using 'human' all the time, it gets really redundant and I want it to be original. I can't seem to come up with anything and my best idea (humes) was already taken by FF 12. Any ideas? Here are a few of mine, but to me they sound too foreign for humans.

Chaera (chaeran)
Syban (sybanese)
Adessi (adessese)
Iaristi (Iaristese)

[Seraph]

Sapiens maybe?  Sapes for short perhaps.

[So-Keher]

Hmm that could work well thanks! I have a hard time not picturing monkey people though. I guess that's my own problem to deal with ;).

[sparkletwist]

I think it is an issue of frame of reference.

We are used to thinking of things in terms of humans, and it's difficult to distinctly name something when there is no contrast-- as an example, quite a few cultures' name for their own race/ethnicity/whatever is simply the word for "people" in their language.

What this means is, you can find some ways to refer to humans by looking at some other race as the "norm," and seeing how humans diverge.

For example, dwarves are dwarves because they're smaller-- but to whom? If it's a halfling-dominated society, they're going to need a different name. Humans in a society dominated by a shorter race could be called "giants." (maybe what we know as "giants" would be "supergiants" or the like...) If the default is to be reptilian, maybe the humans get called "primates" or some other comment on their roots. If the default is to be an avian, maybe they're "lung mouths."

In my setting, elves use "round-ears" as a sometimes playful, sometimes derisive term for humans.

[So-Keher]

That's really interesting sparkeltwist I never thought of it that way. Thanks! I see some behindthename.com action coming soon...

[brainface]

If the default is to be reptilian, maybe the humans get called "primates" or some other comment on their roots.

Apelings!

[Atlantis]

as brainface said, they could be called apelings but any other haired race could be calle apelings such orcs or halflings

[beejazz]

adamah, or some variation thereon? I think alot of fantasy races (and humans) have names that won't stick out like a sore thumb in a sentence... makes it more believable... or something.

[SDragon]

One of the droids from KotOR called humans "meatbags". It's an accurate term, and it certainly seperates humans (and, technically, all fauna) from droids.

What I find funny is, for some cultures, the name they use for themselves is different from the name others use for them; oftentimes, the name other people use for them is their native term for "I don't know/understand". The conversations apparently went something like:

"What do you call yourrselves?"
"<I don't understand>"
"What..... do you" *jabs finger* "call.... yourselves?"
"<I don't understand!>"
"I think they call themselves the Jeigawaks!"

[So-Keher]

I ended up using "Chelaren" which I described as an Elladuran (elven) word for "young ones" or "new born" since the human race is so young compared to theirs. Thanks for all the suggestions!

Apelings!

Haha nice

[Stargate525]

If the default is to be reptilian, maybe the humans get called "primates" or some other comment on their roots.

or furries.

[Seraph]

If the default is to be reptilian, maybe the humans get called "primates" or some other comment on their roots.

or furries.

No, furries are something else completely.

[beejazz]

On that note, depending on what non-humans would be describing us, it might be more appropriate to be called "hairless" than "furries."

[DeeL]

I just recently had this problem with halflings.  My solution - go to the phrasebooks and lexicons given in Dragon magazine, and other places.  The halflings apparently refer to themselves as the hin.  Dragons refer to them as the rauhiss.  The Book of Vile Darkness has an evil variant of the halfling race known as the Jerren.  Based on these sources, I decided that the proper name for the halflings was rauhin.  (Given that in my world, dragon culture is formative in many ways of all culture everywhere.)

It hadn't occurred to me to do the same thing with humans, and as it seems you have a satisfactory solution I wouldn't bother.  But I might just do that now, find out how other races refer to humanity...

[Seraph]

I just recently had this problem with halflings.  My solution - go to the phrasebooks and lexicons given in Dragon magazine, and other places.  The halflings apparently refer to themselves as the hin.  Dragons refer to them as the rauhiss.  The Book of Vile Darkness has an evil variant of the halfling race known as the Jerren.  Based on these sources, I decided that the proper name for the halflings was rauhin.  (Given that in my world, dragon culture is formative in many ways of all culture everywhere.)

It hadn't occurred to me to do the same thing with humans, and as it seems you have a satisfactory solution I wouldn't bother.  But I might just do that now, find out how other races refer to humanity...

I did this with dwarves as I was going towards a dwarf-centric world (at least those were my noble intentions) But I decided the dwarves called themselves the Ithai.  Humans call them dwarves, but older races refer to them as Ithai.