Have you ever found yourself wondering where all those unusual names and terms in my stories come from? You’re not alone. One of the most frequently asked questions I get as an author is: How do you come up with all those strange words and names for your inventions, creatures, and medical marvels?

The short answer? Greek and Latin.

Welcome to my laboratory. I’m Anne Renwick, steampunk romance author and biologist by training. In this post, adapted from Podcast Episode 3 of Into the Laboratory, we’re diving deep into the ancient roots of modern (and fictional!) science — and exploring how I use Greek and Latin word roots to name everything from clockwork spiders to fictional nerve-calming flowers.

Why Greek and Latin?

Greek and Latin roots form the backbone of medical and scientific terminology. Historically, most medical students were required to study Latin — and often Greek — before being admitted to school. In Great Britain, for example, 1892 entrance requirements for medical students included Latin, mathematics, and often a second language such as Greek, French, or German. They also recommended subjects like botany, zoology, and elementary chemistry.

For someone like me — with a background in biology and a fascination with history — it was natural to draw upon Greek and Latin when naming the contraptions and concoctions in The Elemental Web Chronicles.

Recognizing Word Roots in Everyday English

Many of us were first introduced to Greek and Latin word roots in high school vocabulary classes or during SAT prep. These roots help us decode unfamiliar words even today.

• Philadelphia – From philos (Greek for loving) + adelphos (Greek for brother): City of Brotherly Love.
• Philip – Philos (loving) + hippos (horse): lover of horses.
• Necrophiliac – Necro (death) + philia (love): a lover of death (I’ll let you Google the implications).
• Hemophiliac – Hemo (blood) + philia (love): a condition where one “loves blood” in the sense that they need transfusions due to a lack of clotting.

It was this last term, hemophilia, that launched my fascination with medical history. I once wrote a high school term paper on it, discovering that hemophilia had a dramatic impact on the Russian monarchy. Tsarevich Alexei, son of Nicholas and Alexandra, suffered from the disease, a mutation passed down from Queen Victoria. His mother’s desperation for a cure eventually led her to the infamous Rasputin — a story that very likely contributed to the fall of the Romanovs.

From Real Science to Steampunk Invention

So how does this all translate into my writing?

When I need a name for one of my steampunk inventions, I build it from roots:

• Neurachnid – Neuro (nerve) + arachnid (spider): a programmable clockwork spider designed to interact with nerves.

• Somnic – Somnus (Latin for sleep): a drug used to dull nerve pain.

• Pteryform – Ptery (wing) + form (shape): a leathery flying creature that evokes a pterodactyl.

• Ferrous replacement – Ferrum (Latin for iron): a mechanical limb.

• Myotech – Myo (muscle) + tech: artificial muscle technology.

Naming in The Golden Spider, The Silver Skull, and Beyond

Here are more examples straight from my stories:

In The Golden Spider:

• Aetheroscope – Aether (19th-century term for the substance of space) + scope (to see): a microscope powered by steampunk science.

• Acousticcept – Acoustico (to hear) + cept (to receive): an auditory receiver.

• Acousticotransmitter – adds trans (across) + mit (send): transmits sound to the acousticcept.

• Amatiflora – Amat (love) + flora (flower): a rare bloom with nerve-calming properties.

In The Silver Skull:

• Zoetomatic – Zoe (life) + automatic: a battery-powered hedgehog.

• Osforare apparatus – Os (bone) + forare (to bore): a nasty tool that drills into bone.

• Crinlozyme – Crin (to secrete) + zyme (enzyme): an immobilizing drug.

• Veritasium – Veritas (truth) + serum-like suffix: a truth serum.

In The Iron Fin:

• Aquaspira breather – Aqua (water) + spira (breath): a Victorian SCUBA-like device for underwater breathing.

• Arthroflex – Arthro (joint) + flex (bend): an artificial knee joint.

The Benefit of Word Roots: Worldbuilding Without a Dictionary

Using Greek and Latin roots allows me to create words that sound plausible — because they are! While readers may not know the full meaning, the structure often feels familiar. That said, if you’d like to dive deeper, I maintain a glossary called The Compendium: Books Under a Microscope, available on my website (and as a downloadable ebook – FREE).

This detailed guide lists the characters, locations, biology, and steampunk technology featured in each book — complete with definitions and links for those who want to geek out even more. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

A Book About Nicholas and Alexandria

Hemophila and Queen Elizabeth

A Compendium