Archive:Greenwood's Grotto/2025-09/Half-Orc Couples

“

Hi @Ed Greenwood, just to make you're exhausted enough here's another question: could a half-orc couple give birth to a full-blooded (or seemingly full-blooded) human or orc?

”

— grouchyotter

Yes, either way. The parents of half-orcs can be half-orcs, or (more rarely) "favor" one lineage or another.

— Ed Greenwood

“

Oh! This raises a question: Are there names, in the various tongues of the Realms, for the various more-common mixtures of heritages one might see?
I don't mean epithets or insulting names, but rather, people-names for groups like half-orcs, half-elves, the children of elf/dwarf pairings, and so forth..

”

— briancortijo

In existing home Realmslore, "soum" are half-elves, "dethaer" are elf-dwarf mixes, and "korv" are half-orcs, in Common. Not pejorative.

— Ed Greenwood

“

Following up further:

Are "soum" (half-elves) "sowm" (like "sour") or "soe-oom" (like "home" or "loam")?
Are "dethaer" with a hard or soft "th"?

Is "korv" a curt, abbreviated syllable, or longer, more sonorous?

”

— briancortijo

Pronunciations: SOO-mm, DEATH-air...and korv is long and drawn out, with the "OR" in the middle emphasized.

— Ed Greenwood

“

Hi Ed! Are these words in Common or other tongues?

”

— georgekrashos

Hi!!!! Common has adopted them from Elvish, the same way real-world English incorporates words from other tongues constantly.

— Ed Greenwood

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