How to name prehistoric animals?

[Peregrine]

The fantasy that I am developing is a pre-industrial sword without sorcery low fantasy (though there is a little magic, but magic is very rare like in Westeros).

I have a few creatures that are prehistoric.

I have no doubt that I will use the word terror bird for terror bird for my setting because this word is anglicized.

If I write: "The traveler roamed the hostile jungle for days and on the fifth day he encountered the titanoboa."

Titanoboa is un-anglicized latin word. Do you feel that words of such prehistoric creatures ruin the aesthetics of writing?

Besides titanoboa, I have a megalania (a giant lizard that is related to monitor lizards) and sabertooths (Smilodon fatalis).

If rhinoceros was anglicized into English it would literally mean nosehorn, this is probably the reason why it wasn't un-anglicized.

There are few words of animals that are left un-anglicized and are plainly latin or greek such as Hippopotamus and Rhinoceros, we take these words for granted, but would you take for granted if there was a prehistoric creature and its name was for example Titanoboa or Megalania? And would it bother you?

 

[Reaver]

Personally, I use both anglicized and Latin words for animals. For example, in my world, there are quaggas and mastodons. My advice is don't be afraid to mix it up.

 

[Orc Knight]

My own use of it goes along the lines of this: 'What would the culture in question actually call the pretty little beasties (aside from lunch)?' It is fairly simplified most times. In one of my stories, the wooly rhino's are called grunths because of how they sound. Most dinosaurs, especially the therapod types, are classed as birds. The other more scaly types as dragons. To be perfectly honest, just calling them what we know them as is fine. If still a little strange when it pops up in normal conversation.

All up to you. As it always is.

 

[Darkfantasy]

I'm fairly new to writing Fantasy and this may be not the best way to do it. But when it came to naming the kind of creature we might have seen on this planet millions of years ago I watched documentaries on youtube to get the sound of those names. Most are latin I think. Sometime you can just put a twist on. Like blending to names together. I also looked through the Greek mythology animal list for ideas.

Hope this helps

 

[Blue]

I think it would depend on the culture and their system of naming things. If Latin or words with Latin roots are used in other aspects of their society then surely they would also use this in the naming of animals. Perhaps the Terror Bird is used by a different class within the society while others give it a more complicated name. I suppose the main point is to ensure the reader understands the idea within the context I can picture what a Terror Bird is (within reason) without any additional description whereas a Megalania would be impossible (for me) without that context for me to infer and visualise the creature.

Not sure I've helped but in the end it is up to you (and the great thing is that names can always be changed later)! ^_^

 

[plasticroyal]

I think the reason names like that seem so jarring when they come up is because we recognise them as names of extinct animals in the context of our world and because of that association they'll always sound a little off. Might be an idea as mentioned above to come up with something that in particular culture might name them.

In my world I have a type of large predatory cat and I too looked through prehistoric breeds and all that, nothing fit so I eventually came up with oepalon. It sounds right in the world I'm building and doesn't have the connotation of any real-world animal which is what I wanted to avoid.

Best of luck

 

[Dark Squiggle]

If the dinos are important to the story, you don't have too many types, and you are not relying on the reader knowing about them from before, you can use both. Any cichlid keeper can tell you a Red Terror is a Amphilophus Festae/Mesoheros Festae/Cichlosoma Festae. Any WWII aircraft fan can tell you a Wildcat is a Martlet and an F4F. The different names add depth and interest, as long as you can keep them from being confusing. By the time they get deep into your story, they should be fans, and thankful for the extra names.