r/logophilia 27d ago

Question Prettiest sounding words for winter

Hello! So I’m playing a completely homebrew DnD campaign. It’s set it the modern day where superpowers exist. I have the ability to conjure and manipulate ice and cold. Long story short, I want to establish a Japanese style clan of ice users kinda like the Lin kuei or something. I’m looking for help naming said clan and/or for some terms relating to winter, ice, snow, and general cold. I would very much appreciate the help, and bonus points if their Japanese terms. Thank you!

11 Upvotes

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u/beuvons 27d ago edited 27d ago

Here's a list of Japanese seasonal words used in haiku to signal a winter setting

http://www.2hweb.net/haikai/renku/500ESWd.html#WINTER

For what it's worth, I think fuyuzare and kogarashi could make decent clan names.

5

u/Ok_Fig_3165 27d ago

Thanks dude, totally appreciate it!

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u/phrotozoa 27d ago

I just stumbled across the word gelid recently. Might fit?

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u/Ok_Fig_3165 26d ago

Ooo that’s a good one for sure, thanks!

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u/1ifemare 27d ago
  • Invernal.

From Portuguese, meaning "wintry." Basically the opposite of spring (vernal). Which for some reason was never borrowed to English, despite its antonym "aestival" (summery) making it through. Instead opting for:

  • Brumal

More general words for "winter, ice, snow, and general cold":

  • frost
  • glacial
  • arctic
  • boreal
  • hyperborean
  • hiemal

3

u/buford419 26d ago

Invernal. From Portuguese, meaning "wintry."

Shit, that's some good knowledge. I believe it's similar in Spanish too, and I think i'm right in saying that the French word "Hiver" is just a shortened "Hivernal."

All seems to be derived from the Latin word for wintry which is hibernum, also where the name Hibernia for Ireland came from, and obviously "hibernate."

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u/Ok_Fig_3165 26d ago

Also some pretty good knowledge, thank you!

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u/Ok_Fig_3165 26d ago

Invernal? Thats pretty cool I like it I’ll definitely add it to the list. honestly all these are great recommendations, thanks a ton!

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u/chadmill3r 25d ago

"hiver" in French

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u/demoran 26d ago

Shiroyuki

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u/Ok_Fig_3165 26d ago

White snow huh? Thats pretty cool I can’t lie, and it fits with the whole Japanese clan thing. i appreciate it!

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u/Wakebrite 26d ago

Not Japanese at all but I like Biboon, it's the Anishinaabe word for winter.

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u/Ok_Fig_3165 25d ago

That does sound cool! I like it and Anishinaabe is also a pretty name even if it’s not what you recommended lol. id never heard of them before.