Does Latin have names for other Mythical Creatures?

[WhiteLeo]

I have been wondering or have not seen any Latin names for some mythical creatures other than Centaurus, i, Minotuarus, i etc....

I was translating some Magic cards and noticed that some creatures don't show up in latin. Is it possiable to "Latinize" them?

Here is a list on some I have not seen. Plus my suggestions/questions.

Werewolf - Lupus Homo or the Greek word lykanthropos (Lykanthropus)?
Fairy - In Italian it is Fate and I seed Latin has Fatus (speak, talk) but it doesn't quite fit.
Orc - The word it self comes from the Latin word Orca (jar with a large belly and narrow neck). In Italian it is Orco, so maybe Orco, nis?
Elf In Spanish it is Elfica, so Elfica, ae? Now I have also seen Elf fire, the ignis fatuus. So Maybe we could use the same word for Fairy and Elf.

This one isn't a mythical creature but I couldn't find it either.

Gypsy - Zingari in Italian, so maybe Zingarus, i?

What do you guys think?

 

[Imber Ranae]

It would need to be homo lupinus, but personally I think the Greek compound is better.

Isn't the word "orc" derived from Orcus, the god of the underworld? Unless you need to keep the god distinct you could just use that, or else a patronymic form orcides, (pl.) orcidae "son of Orcus".

Not sure about "elf" or "fairy", though fatuus won't work as that means something more akin to "fool's fire".

In what way is a gypsy a mythical creature?

 

[scrabulista]

There was a character Lycaon in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The Three Fates were called Fatae, but I wouldn't say they were fairies.

 

[Iynx]

1. I find Aegyptianus for a man of the Roma-- the English word arises from the same misconception. If we wished to make clear that we were not speaking of an Egyptian in the usual sense, we might (as WhiteLeo suggests) use the plural Zigeuni (or Zygeni, Zingani, Zingari, or GIttani) all to be found in Du Cange.

But if what we are doing here is naming a stereotypical villain in a card-game, perhaps we should look elsewhere than the name of an extant group of our conspecifics.

2. In an effort to steer this discussion away from potential controversy, I will list the following:

amphisbaena, -ae (f)
basilicus, -i (m)
draco, draconis (m)
dryas, dryadis (f)
numen, numinis (n) (I've seen this used for "fairy")
nympha, nymphae (f)
salamandra, -ae (f)

(Any actual nymphs reading this should be assured that no offense is meant. "We had no idea you guys were still around". And I'd be happy to discuss the whole thing with you, uh, personally).

 

[Eruresto]

Tolkien mention that the word Elf came form a French word for "Fairy".

Wikipedia has this to say on Elfs:"The English word elf is from Old Norse ælf or álfr (also ylf), from a Proto-Germanic *albo-z, *albi-z, Middle High German elbe. In Middle English, until the 14th century, elf was the masculine, while the corresponding feminine was elven (Old English àlfen, from *albinnja).

The word's ultimate etymology may be the Proto-Indo-European root *albh- meaning "white", from which also stems the Latin albus "white". Alternatively, a connection to the Rbhus, semi-divine craftsmen in Indian mythology, has also been suggested (OED). In this case, a Latin etymological root cognate would be labor."

That's my 2 cents in the hat hope it helps.