Game Definitions

Have you ever looked at a certain word in the game and wondered what the term meant? Well, I did, and looked up some of the definitions of words from RPGs mentioned on this page.

To make this easier, if there is [ ] beside the word, it means I couldn't find the word exactly right in the dictionary, so the closest thing I could find is the word in the [ ]. For example, Lagomorphia [Lagomorpha] means I couldn't find Lagomorphia, but instead I could find the term, Lagomorpha. At the end of the definition will be two dashes (--) followed by who the definition was submitted by. If there is an asterick (*) beside the word or phrase then that means it is a big spoiler into the game and the definition will be hidden. To reveal it, simply select the text.

Here are the games of which I have definitions for:

Game # of Terms
Chrono Trigger 13
Final Fantasy 4 2
Final Fantasy 6 14
Final Fantasy 7 7
Final Fantasy Tactics 2
Final Fantasy Series (Most/All) 3
Lufia 2 1
Parasite Eve 1
Pokemon 4
Xenogears 17

Game	# of Terms
Chrono Trigger	13
Final Fantasy 4	2
Final Fantasy 6	14
Final Fantasy 7	7
Final Fantasy Tactics	2
Final Fantasy Series (Most/All)	3
Lufia 2	1
Parasite Eve	1
Pokemon	4
Xenogears	17

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Chrono Trigger

Atropos - Atropos was one of the three fates. Note from Huillyam: Clothos (The Maiden), Lachesis (The Midwife), and Atropos (The Crone) [were the fates]. -- Jules

Ayla - The name given by Jean M Auel to the heroine of her Earth's Children novels, beginning with The Clan of the Cave Bear in the 70's. The novels are centered around the last ice age and the rise of humanity over neanderthals, making the name a fitting choice. -- Jules

Belthsar, Gaspar, and Melchior - These three names were the three wise men in the Bible. Since they were gurus in CT and advised Queen Zeal, that shows that they are wise. -- Cronokyle

Chrono Trigger - Chrono is a prefix that basically means "time." Which is appropriate to get the name of Chrono Trigger's hero (in the Japanese version) Chrono, or just take out the "h", and you get the name, Crono (for the North American version). A trigger, is something used to set off another thing. So a Chrono Trigger is something used to "set off" time. People who played the game may remember receiving the Chrono Trigger from Gaspar, to save Crono by freezing time. -- Crono & Dekar

Epoch - The geologic time scale (the earth's time) is divided into eras, which are divided into periods, which are divided into epochs, thus the default name of the time machine derives from. It may have been narrowed down to the name "Epoch" and not "Period" or "Era" because you can only warp to time periods in the Cenozoic era, and so the time periods 1000 AD, 12,000 BC, etc. may have come that they are the beginning of new epochs (I don't know if they really are). -- Crono & Dekar

Janus - in Roman mythology, the god of Gateways who could see both backward and forward in time. He is the god of endings and beginnings and gave his name to the month of January. He was portrayed as having two heads back to back and is highly appropriate to Janus/Magus of Zeal, who saw all time in his travels. -- Jules

Lucca - A city in West Italy. According the Dante's Inferno, it was a city of grafters. Still, no none connection between the character and the city. -- Crono & Dekar

Magus - "One of the Magi" or "a sorcerer or astrolger." The latter would make better since in connection to the character. -- Crono & Dekar

Mammon [Mammon Machine] - Also mythology, Mammon was the god of greed and averice.

Nadia - Marle's real name, a Russian/Slavic name meaning 'hope'. -- Jules.

Ozzie, Flea, and Slash - A reference to the musicians: Ozzie Osbourne, Flea from the Red Hot Chile Peppers, and Slash from Guns and Roses. The clue comes from the girl in Sandorino who calls them 'tone-deaf'. -- Jules

Prometheus* Prometheus, in Greek mythology, was a Titan considered the savior to mankind. He created humans in some stories and had stolen fire to give to men (women were not around at this point), although Robo (aka Prometheus) did not have anything to do with creation or fire. However, they draw parallels in that they disobeyed authority to help humans. Prometheus had angered Zeus when he had tricked the gods into getting the worst part of the sacrifices of goats, the fat and bones. Robo had abandoned his original cause to destroy humans, even under pressures from Mother, to help out the humans, even though they were "inferior" to robots, like Zeus had sought to punish men and how humans were inferior to the Titans and the gods. (Information from Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes) -- Crono & Dekar

Zeal - Eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something, just as Queen Zeal was in pursuit of awakening Lavos. -- Rp7

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Final Fantasy 4

Cecil - A male name meaning "dim-sighted, blind," which would definitely fit into his description at the beginning of the game when he doesn't see that he is working with the evil side. -- Crono & Dekar
Yang - The male, active, positive force in Chinese philosophy, complementary to the Yin, which is the female, passive, negative force. He is probably just named this for his Asian look and the fact he is male. And just to make sure you know, Yin and Yang do NOT symbolize Evil and Good. Actually, the Yin and Yang depend on each other. -- Crono & Dekar

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Final Fantasy 6

Cyan - A shade of blue, (maybe refering to his armor, but STILL!!!) Note from Crono & Dekar: I have the feeling that is has something to do with... what happened to his kingdom, or his family, but I'm not sure. Any ideas? -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Esper [Esperi] - Esperanto is "an invented language for international (chiefly European) use." In the language, Esperi (for which the language was named, of course) means to hope. Then maybe the name "Esper" could have came from Esperi, because the Espers are "hoping" for a world without greed and war. -- Crono & Dekar
Gabbiani [Gabbiano] - Italian for Bird. -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Kefka [Kafka] - Franz Kafka was a famous nilhist and author. He wrote the line "The End Comes...Beyond Chaos," although I can't remember which work of his that's from... -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Lagomorphia [Lagomorpha] - Lagomorpha is the order rabbits and hares are in in biology. This makes sense, because the (almost worthless) slot effect, Lagomorphia, summons a rabbit (or is it a hare?) to heal the party. -- Crono & Dekar
Lobo - Lobo is Spanish for wolf.鼦 Lobo in FF3 is an enemy wolf. -- ExtremePat
Locke [Lock] - We all know what a lock is, and that is the way Locke is meant to be pronounced. All of us FF3 players know that Locke is a thief (err... treasure hunter), and, of course, they pick "locks." Note from Rp7: [Locke is] one of the three idealistic thinkers during the French Revolution.-- Crono & Dekar
Magi - "Priestly caste of ancient Media and Persia - the wise men from the infant Jesus." -- Crono & Dekar
Mako [Mako Shark] - Either of two mackerel sharks (Isurus paucus and I. oxyrinchus) that are notable sport fish and are considered dangerous to humans, also called mako. -- Rp7
Maria - Possibly taken from famous Opera singer Maria Callas. -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Osmose [Osmosis] - Osmosis is diffusion of water. (Diffusion is the movement of something, in this case water, of a higher concentration to a lower one.) The definition fits, since MP is transfered from one character to another. As for the water part of the definition, they probably just decided to use osmosis not because of any water association, but because "Osmose" sounds better than "Diffus." -- Crono & Dekar
Palazzo - Italian for a Large, Imposing Structure, i.e., a certain tower belonging to someone who happens to have this as his last name... -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Rachel* - A Christian angel, representing the Contemplative Life (source: John Ciardi's translation of The Inferno, pg. 40). This fits, in that her life and death was important to Locke, and he would think about her much. -- Crono & Dekar
Setzer [Setzen] - Setzer itself just means a typesetter, but setzen, German for 'to set', has several meanings, including 'to bet.' (I think that can go without explaination. :) ) -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Terra - Means very simply "the earth." This may have to do with the fact the Terra is half Esper, which can be compared to the Cetra of FF7, who can "talk" to the earth. Or this may have no connection with Terra's identity whatsoever. -- Crono & Dekar
Trillium - In FF6, Trillium is an enemy flower. In the dictionary, it is a flower with three petals grouped together with one leaf (or something like that). -- ExtremePat

For more definitions, see FF6 Esper List and the Origins and Explanations of Artifact Names.

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Final Fantasy 7

Aps [Apusu] - It comes from some Sumerian origin story in which the skies and the waters were joined. The waters were murky and dark, and they were personified by a deity called Apusu. Aps is a water-elemental creature, and uses his Sewer Wave quite a bit. No idea where Rapps comes from. Note from Crono & Dekar: Anyone?-- Dr. Hojo
Cloud Strife - Every person that I know recongnized FF7's main character as the things in the sky that make it rain. Cloud's last name is also a word, which is Strife, meaning "the act or state of fighting or quarreling." I think the first name, Cloud, actually came from another definition of the word, meaning "anything that darkens, obscures, or makes gloomy." With these definitions, the name would fit with his character, who tries to fight off the "dark" side of himself. -- Crono & Dekar
Midgar [Midgard] - The closest term I could find is Midgard. Midgard is mentioned in Norse mythology. It is "the earth, regarded as midway between Asgard [the home of the gods and slain heroes] and the underworld and encircled by a huge serpent." In the game, remember how the shape of Midgar is "encircled" by a round wall? And Midgar plays a vital part in the game, like Midgard seems to play an important part in Norse mythology. -- Crono & Dekar
Shinra
1. [Ra] - The Egyptian sun-god and chief deity, Shinra was the president of the largest industry in the FF7 world, which kept power running in Midgar and other towns. -- Rp7 (or...)
2. [Shinar] - In the Bible, the Tower of Babel was erected in a land called Shinar. Conincidence that Shinra HQ is just one big tower, and then later is destroyed? -- Dr. Hojo
Sephiroth - The Sephiroth is the Tree of Life in Hebrew legend. The symbol on the character's belt is supposedly a picture of this Tree. -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Turk - One who is cruel or tyrannical. The Turks in FF7 occupied in murder, assasination and things of that relevance. -- Rp7
Yuffie [Euphemia] - Greek, meaning "spoken well of, in good repute". It lists as variants Effam, Effie, and Eppie, among a few others. (SOURCE--35,000+ Baby Names, by Bruce Lansky). Why they would name her that is beyond me... Note from Crono & Dekar: Maybe Square did it just to make it ironic? Someone spoken well of... that steals materia? -- Blackjack Gabbiani

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Final Fantasy Tactics

Geomancy/Geomancer - Geomancy is the "divination by random figures formed when a handful of earth is thrown on the ground," (and so a Geomancer is someone who does this). On the game, a Geomancer can use an specific ability depending on the ground he/she is standing on, so when he/she uses geomancy (according to the definition), he/she takes earth from below him/her and throws it at the ground below the target, and the earth turns into a magical force to effect the target. -- Crono & Dekar
Heretic - A heretic is "a church member who holds beliefs opposed to church dogma." Since Ramza was basically against the church, he was marked in Chapter 3 as a heretic. -- Crono & Dekar

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Final Fantasy Series

Cid - Spanish for "Lord", i.e., "El Cid." Of course, Cid is usually a VERY powerful character in the FF series. -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Gogo - Japanese for Afternoon. Also a type of 70's groove (from the Whiskey a Go-Go in Los Angeles). -- Blackjack Gabbiani
Moogle
1. [Moggie] - A mixed-breed cat. -- Blackjack Gabbiani (or...)
2. [Mowgwai] - Chinese word for impish monster. Remember "Gremlins"? They actually got the design somewhat right. You can kind of see the similarities between a Moogle and those gremlins, who the Chinese guy in the movie said were Mowgwai. The water thing and feeding thing probably aren't true. -- Dr. Hojo

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Lufia 2

Sinistral - The dictionary mentions "sinistral" as an adjective, not a noun. It mentions "sinistral" to mean left-handed or on the left side. Special thanks to Windmystic who helped me figure this next part out. A long time ago people used to think left is evil. The sinistrals are evil, so left is evil. -- Crono & Dekar

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Parasite Eve

Maya* - In Hinduism, Maya is the world known to our senses, but is "merely an illusion. . . which betrays people, giving them sorrow and pain. People can be delivered from their suffering if they can identify Maya." (Info from textbook - World History: People and Nations, page 58.) In Parasite Eve, Aya's sister, Maya, gives her pain after her death (of course). Aya, though, later recognizes that she has Maya's iris, helping her "identify" Maya, and "discovering" what Maya meant. (I know, this one is a stretch, but try to go with me on this one.) -- Crono & Dekar

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Pokemon

Cinnabar [Cinnabar Island] - A mineral from which mercury can be extracted. -- GJ
Celadon [Celadon City] - A grayish yellow-green color. -- GJ
Pallet [Pallet Town] - A platform for moving or storing items, as in a warehouse. -- GJ
Saffron [Saffron City] - A spice used in cooking. -- GJ

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Xenogears

Babel Tower [Babel] - In the Old Testament, a city (now thought to be Babylon) in Shinar where construction of a heaven-reaching tower was interrupted when the builders became unable to understand one another's language. -- Seph28

Belthsar, Gaspar, and Melchior - See Chrono Trigger section
Brigandier [Brigand] - A robber or bandit, especially one of an outlaw band. -- Seph28
Deus - God. Note from Crono & Dekar: That was simple, wasn't it? :) -- Seph28
Emerelda [Emerald] - A strong yellowish green color. -- Seph28
Ethos - The disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a specific person, people, culture, or movement. -- Seph28
Fatima - Daughter of the Islamic prophet Mohammed. She married Ali, among the first to embrace Islam, and is considered by Moslems to be one of the Four Perfect Women. -- Seph28
Id - In Freudian theory, the division of the psyche that is totally unconscious and serves as the source of instinctual impulses and demands for immediate satisfaction of primitive needs. -- Seph28
Kislev - The third month of the year in the Jewish calendar. -- Seph28
Nisan - The seventh month of the year in the Jewish calendar. -- Seph28
Shevat - The fifth month of the year in the Jewish calendar. -- Seph28
Sigurd - A warrior hero in Norse myth who wins an accursed hoard of gold, awakens Brynhild from her enchanted sleep, marries a princess, and is slain through Brynhild's jealous contrivance. -- Seph28
Sophia [Hagia Sophia] - The Hagia Sophia was a church ordered to be made by Justinian of the Byzantine empire. This church was described as the best there is and ever will be. (Info from textbook - World History: People and Nations, page 193) This fits in with Sophia of Xenogears, who played a major role in the Nisan sect of the church. -- Crono & Dekar
Thames [Thammuz] - The tenth month of the year in the Jewish calendar. -- Seph28 -- Additional note from ikoom: a river in England, suitable since the Thames in the game is in water.
Wiseman - Spanish-born British prelate and theologian. An important figure in the 19th-century English revival of Roman Catholicism, he served as archbishop of Westminster. -- Seph28
Yggdrasil - The great ash tree that holds together earth, heaven, and hell by its roots and branches in Norse mythology. -- Seph28
Zephyr - Middle English Zephirus Zephyrus from Latin Zephyrus from Greek Zephuros. -- Seph28

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What'ya waiting for? Submit'em!

I cannot make any claim that all of these definitions are correct because some of them I had to make an educated guess on. If you know where any of the terms came from, please either use the form below or email me me the game definition(s). If you know of any other terms that have an actual meaning and the meaning is not well known among people, (not words like "the" or "people") then please email me the word/term and the definition. If I decide to put it on my page, then your name will be added to the Wall of Fame. Please do NOT send me where names of Espers, Summon Spells, etc. orginiated, they can be found (or at least the Esper part) at RPGamer. You should be able to find summon monsters in the FF6 Esper List and the FF6 Weapons, Accessorites, etc. in the Origins and Explanations of Artifact Names (if the URLs haven't changed). Almost everything quoted here from Crono & Dekar (that's me!) were taken from the Webster's New World Dictionary: Third College Edition (that is just mentioned so I can't be sued for plagiarism).

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