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Magnus sounds silly. Why? Magnus is latin for great. Great, not as "This nutella is fething great on everything" but great meaning size. And he is a giant (literally, even among Primarchs).

Roboute Guilliman. No obvious latin-y meaning behind it like Ferrus Manus, Magnus or Corax. Pronunciation is simple too, I don't understand why people struggle. Rob-boot, Gwill-i-min. Simples.

 Deadshot wrote:
Magnus sounds silly. Why? Magnus is latin for great. Great, not as "This nutella is fething great on everything" but great meaning size. And he is a giant (literally, even among Primarchs).

Roboute Guilliman. No obvious latin-y meaning behind it like Ferrus Manus, Magnus or Corax. Pronunciation is simple too, I don't understand why people struggle. Rob-boot, Gwill-i-min. Simples.

Magnus is the current chessmaster of the world, that should prove something.

Prove what?

 ImAGeek wrote:
Prove what?

That Robute or Guilliman are popular names. They are not even within the setting. Sorry you are wrong here.

Wrong about what..? The question is 'which Primarch name is silliest?' Not 'which Primarch name is real' or 'which Primarch name is most popular in the real world' or 'which Primarch shares his name with a chess player...'

 ImAGeek wrote:
Wrong about what..? The question is 'which Primarch name is silliest?' Not 'which Primarch name is real' or 'which Primarch name is most popular in the real world' or 'which Primarch shares his name with a chess player...'

You basically move the goalposts as you see fit? I'm sorry but it doesn't work that way. I provided my case by showing you a real famous person with a real common name, you have done none of that. All you have provided is wishful thinking and little else.

I don't understand what you mean. It's a subjective discussion about which Primarch names we find silliest. Showing that a real person shares a name with one of them doesn't prove anything. Nothing needs proving. I haven't moved any goalposts?

 ImAGeek wrote:
I don't understand what you mean. It's a subjective discussion about which Primarch names we find silliest. Showing that a real person shares a name with one of them doesn't prove anything. Nothing needs proving. I haven't moved any goalposts?

You want to prove Magnus is silly. He has like thousands of namesakes here in Norway. That render your point moot at best. Plus he is the current chessmaster which in my mind should shut any opposition up as that proves the awesomeness of both player and Primarch. And believe you me MC hit the headlines of Norwegian news regularly.

I've never actually said Magnus is a silly name, just that I don't think Guilliman is. And again, just because a name is real, doesn't mean it can't sound silly. You're obviously used to the name Magnus. It's not a common name everywhere.

And seriously? Because he's the current grandmaster at chess that makes the name and the Primarch awesome? It doesn't work like that.

Magnus is a silly name. Don't care if he's grandmaster of the Starship Enterprise, still find it silly. Especially when purposefully chosen to describe a giant. THAT'S what makes it silly in the same vein as Ferris Manus.

Beaviz81 wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
Just because Magnus is a real name and Guilliman isn't, it doesn't neccesarily follow that Guilliman sounds sillier. There's plenty of silly sounding real names, and plenty of sensible sounding fictional names.

Then name examples.

Silly real names? Melvin.

It's the ultimate nerd name. It even sounds like it should belong to a complete drip.

It also means "sword-friend" (Melvin is the modern form of Maelwine). Melvin is literally the guy you go to when you want someone stabbed.

Beaviz81 wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
Prove what?

That Robute or Guilliman are popular names. They are not even within the setting. Sorry you are wrong here.

Actually, Roboute is a very popular name in the Ultramar sector, according to Graham McNeill. Guilliman is a family name, it doesn't get to be popular.or not because it's not one that gets chosen, but rather inherited.

Guilleman, by the way, is a real family name, and Roboute is nothing more than Robert with a pseudo-french accent. According to Veteran Sergeant, his name's a reference to an American military guy;

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:
Likewise the likelihood of Roboute Guilliman being a reference to Robert Gillman Jackson, a master of, you guessed it, logistics and nation development, with the UN in the 50s, 60s, and 70s is quite clever.

I would just ignore Beaviz at this point, he has an interesting post history that has him being...pretty unreasonable to debate with and its clear he's not willing to engage without being (ironically) rude at some level. If he doesn't acknowledge or respect a differing opinion that's his problem, especially given that we're talking about 40K here, one of the most ambiguous and silly settings (with regards to how things are cranked up to 11).

Personally, I find that Ferrus Manus takes the cake. As a character he's fine but the name with regards to the rest of Legion and his actual physical make up is ridonculous.

 Grimskul wrote:
I would just ignore Beaviz at this point, he has an interesting post history that has him being...pretty unreasonable to debate with and its clear he's not willing to engage without being (ironically) rude at some level. If he doesn't acknowledge or respect a differing opinion that's his problem, especially given that we're talking about 40K here, one of the most ambiguous and silly settings (with regards to how things are cranked up to 11).

Personally, I find that Ferrus Manus takes the cake. As a character he's fine but the name with regards to the rest of Legion and his actual physical make up is ridonculous.

Right back at you.

 Grimskul wrote:
I would just ignore Beaviz at this point, he has an interesting post history that has him being...pretty unreasonable to debate with and its clear he's not willing to engage without being (ironically) rude at some level. If he doesn't acknowledge or respect a differing opinion that's his problem, especially given that we're talking about 40K here, one of the most ambiguous and silly settings (with regards to how things are cranked up to 11).

Personally, I find that Ferrus Manus takes the cake. As a character he's fine but the name with regards to the rest of Legion and his actual physical make up is ridonculous.

Well, based on the exchange in this thread and your read on the situation, first person I've ever ignored.

Roboute Guilliman just sounds French to me. I guess French words are inherently silly to some people, particularly Americans. The only thing silly about it is how Roman/Greek/Byzantine the Ultramarines seem, but how French their legion and primarch names are. The name itself isn't inherently silly, it looks and sounds like a real name, and the reference it's making (since every damn primarch is a pun or reference) is very obscure and kind of cool. Compare that to Ferrus Manus or Angron, whose names are embarrassing to even mention to outsiders.

Still, I voted Lion El'Jonson. It isn't mildly cool pig-latin, it isn't the name of an actual gladiator who might have been angry, it isn't any other cool (Konrad Curze is Colonel Kurtz and died by the hands of assassin Martin Sheen/M'Shen) or oblique (Dorn means fist in Irish? who knew!) reference. It's clearly two rather normal english names with a sci-fi apostrophe and it's referencing the author of a poem called The Dark Angel. The name sounds quite stupid when you say it and the explanation isn't even a good pun or allusion. It's always annoyed me more than any other primarch name for being so lame and out of place and having nothing cool to back it up.

Having typed all that out though, Corvus Corax and Ferrus Manus really were neck and neck. Being latin names in a setting where pig latin is so common is really what saves them; otherwise the heavy-handed absurdity of their names would be even worse.

 CalgarsPimpHand wrote:
Still, I voted Lion El'Jonson. It isn't mildly cool pig-latin, it isn't the name of an actual gladiator who might have been angry, it isn't any other cool (Konrad Curze is Colonel Kurtz and died by the hands of assassin Martin Sheen/M'Shen) or oblique (Dorn means fist in Irish? who knew!) reference. It's clearly two rather normal english names with a sci-fi apostrophe and it's referencing the author of a poem called The Dark Angel. The name sounds quite stupid when you say it and the explanation isn't even a good pun or allusion. It's always annoyed me more than any other primarch name for being so lame and out of place and having nothing cool to back it up.

Pretty much why I went with Johnson, too. I mean, no doubt there's no lack of contenders from the list. Almost every single one is silly when you say it out loud and think about it's context/origin. But, reading them all collectively down the list, "Lion El'Johnson" just jumps out for all the wrong reasons. It doesn't help that his Legion are probably the ones who take themselves the most seriously.

 Anfauglir wrote:

 CalgarsPimpHand wrote:
Still, I voted Lion El'Jonson. It isn't mildly cool pig-latin, it isn't the name of an actual gladiator who might have been angry, it isn't any other cool (Konrad Curze is Colonel Kurtz and died by the hands of assassin Martin Sheen/M'Shen) or oblique (Dorn means fist in Irish? who knew!) reference. It's clearly two rather normal english names with a sci-fi apostrophe and it's referencing the author of a poem called The Dark Angel. The name sounds quite stupid when you say it and the explanation isn't even a good pun or allusion. It's always annoyed me more than any other primarch name for being so lame and out of place and having nothing cool to back it up.

Pretty much why I went with Johnson, too. I mean, no doubt there's no lack of contenders from the list. Almost every single one is silly when you say it out loud and think about it's context/origin. But, reading them all collectively down the list, "Lion El'Johnson" just jumps out for all the wrong reasons. It doesn't help that his Legion are probably the ones who take themselves the most seriously.

Hahahha, have you even seen the Ultramarines and their fans?

Furyou Miko wrote:. According to Veteran Sergeant, his name's a reference to an American military guy;

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:
Likewise the likelihood of Roboute Guilliman being a reference to Robert Gillman Jackson, a master of, you guessed it, logistics and nation development, with the UN in the 50s, 60s, and 70s is quite clever.

Actually, Australian (later British Navy). But he was famous for his work with the UN, not the military.

Silly real names? Melvin.

It's the ultimate nerd name. It even sounds like it should belong to a complete drip.

I used to think this until the San Diego Chargers ended up with not one, but two guys named Melvin. And they're both huge.

Then again, maybe it is because they were named Melvin and it was either "be huge" or "get picked on". I mean, it's never been any surprise to me that a guy named Dick Butkus turned into one of the most feared NFL linebackers of his era.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Anfauglir wrote:

 CalgarsPimpHand wrote:
Still, I voted Lion El'Jonson. It isn't mildly cool pig-latin, it isn't the name of an actual gladiator who might have been angry, it isn't any other cool (Konrad Curze is Colonel Kurtz and died by the hands of assassin Martin Sheen/M'Shen) or oblique (Dorn means fist in Irish? who knew!) reference. It's clearly two rather normal english names with a sci-fi apostrophe and it's referencing the author of a poem called The Dark Angel. The name sounds quite stupid when you say it and the explanation isn't even a good pun or allusion. It's always annoyed me more than any other primarch name for being so lame and out of place and having nothing cool to back it up.

Pretty much why I went with Johnson, too. I mean, no doubt there's no lack of contenders from the list. Almost every single one is silly when you say it out loud and think about it's context/origin. But, reading them all collectively down the list, "Lion El'Johnson" just jumps out for all the wrong reasons. It doesn't help that his Legion are probably the ones who take themselves the most seriously.

Hahahha, have you even seen the Ultramarines and their fans?

If there was an LVP award for this forum, you certainly wouldn't be considered a dark horse to win.

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Anfauglir wrote:

 CalgarsPimpHand wrote:
Still, I voted Lion El'Jonson. It isn't mildly cool pig-latin, it isn't the name of an actual gladiator who might have been angry, it isn't any other cool (Konrad Curze is Colonel Kurtz and died by the hands of assassin Martin Sheen/M'Shen) or oblique (Dorn means fist in Irish? who knew!) reference. It's clearly two rather normal english names with a sci-fi apostrophe and it's referencing the author of a poem called The Dark Angel. The name sounds quite stupid when you say it and the explanation isn't even a good pun or allusion. It's always annoyed me more than any other primarch name for being so lame and out of place and having nothing cool to back it up.

Pretty much why I went with Johnson, too. I mean, no doubt there's no lack of contenders from the list. Almost every single one is silly when you say it out loud and think about it's context/origin. But, reading them all collectively down the list, "Lion El'Johnson" just jumps out for all the wrong reasons. It doesn't help that his Legion are probably the ones who take themselves the most seriously.

Hahahha, have you even seen the Ultramarines and their fans?

If there was an LVP award for this forum, you certainly wouldn't be considered a dark horse to win.

Right back at you and start reading Deathwatch 2010 so you stop deluding yourself.

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:

Furyou Miko wrote:. According to Veteran Sergeant, his name's a reference to an American military guy;

 Veteran Sergeant wrote:
Likewise the likelihood of Roboute Guilliman being a reference to Robert Gillman Jackson, a master of, you guessed it, logistics and nation development, with the UN in the 50s, 60s, and 70s is quite clever.

Actually, Australian (later British Navy). But he was famous for his work with the UN, not the military.

My apologies. Assume. You know what they say.

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
I don't understand what you mean. It's a subjective discussion about which Primarch names we find silliest. Showing that a real person shares a name with one of them doesn't prove anything. Nothing needs proving. I haven't moved any goalposts?

Dont know why you are catching so much flak. Magnus is at least a normal name in usage today, and was historically both a Roman name, and later a name for kings, such as Charlemagne and a lot of Magnus'es. If Magnus is silly, then Horus and Leman should sound silly by the same logic, which I guess it does to some people. I think the silliest names are the ones that is just made up, or references some obvious popcultural character.

This is why I didnt find Lionel Johnson so silly; it is not unthinkable that at some point in the future people will still be named johnson, or lionel.

 triplegrim wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
I don't understand what you mean. It's a subjective discussion about which Primarch names we find silliest. Showing that a real person shares a name with one of them doesn't prove anything. Nothing needs proving. I haven't moved any goalposts?

Dont know why you are catching so much flak. Magnus is at least a normal name in usage today, and was historically both a Roman name, and later a name for kings, such as Charlemagne and a lot of Magnus'es. If Magnus is silly, then Horus and Leman should sound silly by the same logic, which I guess it does to some people. I think the silliest names are the ones that is just made up, or references some obvious popcultural character.

This is why I didnt find Lionel Johnson so silly; it is not unthinkable that at some point in the future people will still be named johnson, or lionel.

Its not about the name itself, its about the not so subtle references in each name.

Lion El'Johnson is a fine name, but the poorly concealed reference to a man of the same name who wrote a poem called The Dark Angel, lived in Nottingham and happened to be gay makes it silly, when the Legion are the Dark Angels, GW is based in Nottingham and the DA are made fun of for wearing dresses(robes).
Ferrus Manus is an okay name, but once you realise his not so subtle reference is that his name is Latin/High Gothic for Iron Hands, he has metal hands and his Legion are the Iron Hands.

Horus is a good name because it has a nice regal sound to it with a slight foreboding tone due to the long OR sound. His reference is a good reference due to his namesake, the Egyptian God Horus, being similarly so powerful. The Primarchs are also mythological in 40k, demigods, so names associated with Gods such as Horus (or Vulkan, named for Vulcan, who lives on Prometheus, named after the Greek Titan) works well.
Jaghatai Khan is a good name because it sounds Mongolian/Asian, the Kh sound is a harsh, foreign sound to the English speaker (so much so the creators of Game of Thrones use it a lot for the on-screen Dothraki barbarian horselords, and it involves a harsh flicking back of the tongue towards the throat). His name is also a reference to Genghis Khan, and his planet, Chogoris, to Genghis' son. Obscure reference with no jokes or overly cheesy part to be made.

Magnus is a regal name but its normality subtracts from the divinity and godliness Horus and Vulkan have. His subtle reference? Magnus is latin for Great/Big, and he's a giant. Not clever or subtle.
Roboute Guilliman's only made fun of because Americans can't seem to pronounce it easily. So they mock him with Rowboat Girlyman to make his posterboy status less and to help them feel more manly. His reference, as above, is incredibly clever and interesting.

 triplegrim wrote:

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
I don't understand what you mean. It's a subjective discussion about which Primarch names we find silliest. Showing that a real person shares a name with one of them doesn't prove anything. Nothing needs proving. I haven't moved any goalposts?

Dont know why you are catching so much flak. Magnus is at least a normal name in usage today, and was historically both a Roman name, and later a name for kings, such as Charlemagne and a lot of Magnus'es. If Magnus is silly, then Horus and Leman should sound silly by the same logic, which I guess it does to some people. I think the silliest names are the ones that is just made up, or references some obvious popcultural character.

This is why I didnt find Lionel Johnson so silly; it is not unthinkable that at some point in the future people will still be named johnson, or lionel.

Charlemagne was not named Magnus, he was named Karl. Or Carolus in Latin. Carolus Magnus means Charles the Great. Magnus was his title, not his name.
And yes, people in 40.000 years still being named Lionel or Johnson is ridiculous. Take a look at names from just 5000 years ago, they are already unrecognisable. Realistically, languages and names 40.000 years into the future should be completely weird and nonsensical to us.

They're all pretty stupid, but honestly I always reserve a cringe for Lion El'Jonson.

The worst part is that his background fluff says that it means in the Caliban tongue "Lion, son of the Forest."

Cringe.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
And yes, people in 40.000 years still being named Lionel or Johnson is ridiculous. Take a look at names from just 5000 years ago, they are already unrecognisable. Realistically, languages and names 40.000 years into the future should be completely weird and nonsensical to us.

Writing, and the dissemination of information, was very limited 5000 years ago, but ubiquitous today. It's not unreasonable that a good amount of modern names will be preserved in recognisable forms in the future. Plenty of biblical names are still around.

Ferrus manus...
Why?
Because it means 'iron hands'
So iron hands, who had iron hands, is the primarch of the iron hands....

I know this will probably get buried, but I believe the 'll' in Guilliman is silent, like guillotine or other French names that make the double L silent.

So it would be pronounced g-ee-uh-min, as in guillotine.

Anyone else?

AFAIK, adding the L sound is Americanizing it, or Englishizing... whatever......

 pax macharia wrote:
I know this will probably get buried, but I believe the 'll' in Guilliman is silent, like guillotine or other French names that make the double L silent.

So it would be pronounced g-ee-uh-min, as in guillotine.

Anyone else?

AFAIK, adding the L sound is Americanizing it, or Englishizing... whatever......

Its an English company created by Queen's English speakers so you have to assume the Queen's English pronunciation is correct unless otherwise specified or its a specifically foreign word. If one primarch was called Roberto Mancini, for example (currently watching Sky Sports News), the english would say Man-Sin-ee. The actually pronunciation is Man-cheen-ee/Man-sheen-ee. If one of the names were directly taken from a foreign name like Lionel Johnson is a straight up English name, you would pronounce it foreign. Otgerwise go English.

In any case the point is moot. The Space Marine video game has one character shout "What in Guilliman's name is this?!" And pronounces it Gwill-ee-min. That's an official GW production, liscenced and support by the company, so probably the closest we have to an "official statement" on the pronunciation.

 Deadshot wrote:

 pax macharia wrote:
I know this will probably get buried, but I believe the 'll' in Guilliman is silent, like guillotine or other French names that make the double L silent.

So it would be pronounced g-ee-uh-min, as in guillotine.

Anyone else?

AFAIK, adding the L sound is Americanizing it, or Englishizing... whatever......

Its an English company created by Queen's English speakers so you have to assume the Queen's English pronunciation is correct unless otherwise specified or its a specifically foreign word. If one primarch was called Roberto Mancini, for example (currently watching Sky Sports News), the english would say Man-Sin-ee. The actually pronunciation is Man-cheen-ee/Man-sheen-ee. If one of the names were directly taken from a foreign name like Lionel Johnson is a straight up English name, you would pronounce it foreign. Otgerwise go English.

In any case the point is moot. The Space Marine video game has one character shout "What in Guilliman's name is this?!" And pronounces it Gwill-ee-min. That's an official GW production, liscenced and support by the company, so probably the closest we have to an "official statement" on the pronunciation.

Just curious, one spanker to another, what did you vote for?

 Beaviz81 wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:

 pax macharia wrote:
I know this will probably get buried, but I believe the 'll' in Guilliman is silent, like guillotine or other French names that make the double L silent.

So it would be pronounced g-ee-uh-min, as in guillotine.

Anyone else?

AFAIK, adding the L sound is Americanizing it, or Englishizing... whatever......

Its an English company created by Queen's English speakers so you have to assume the Queen's English pronunciation is correct unless otherwise specified or its a specifically foreign word. If one primarch was called Roberto Mancini, for example (currently watching Sky Sports News), the english would say Man-Sin-ee. The actually pronunciation is Man-cheen-ee/Man-sheen-ee. If one of the names were directly taken from a foreign name like Lionel Johnson is a straight up English name, you would pronounce it foreign. Otgerwise go English.

In any case the point is moot. The Space Marine video game has one character shout "What in Guilliman's name is this?!" And pronounces it Gwill-ee-min. That's an official GW production, liscenced and support by the company, so probably the closest we have to an "official statement" on the pronunciation.

Just curious, one spanker to another, what did you vote for?

No idea, this was page 1 when I voted. Manus would be my vote now.

I voted for Rawbutt Girlyman