MeaningOriginDescriptionMessengerHebrewHerald of forest doomA dragon would sayVrash-orliterally roar · -erchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Morbidus
MeaningOriginDescriptionDiseaseLatinSpreader of forest plagueA dragon would sayShekhliterally poisonchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mortifer
MeaningOriginDescriptionDeath-BringerLatinHerald of decayA dragon would sayMorkhdorv-orliterally die · carry · -erchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mephitis
MeaningOriginDescriptionNoxious VaporLatinBreath of corruptionA dragon would sayShekhshelkheshliterally poison · water · airchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malphitus
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvil BreathLatin/CustomSpreader of noxious fumesA dragon would sayGorkhkheshliterally evil · airchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mortuus
MeaningOriginDescriptionDead OneLatinCommander of undeathA dragon would sayMorkhliterally diechromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Morbifex
MeaningOriginDescriptionDisease-MakerLatinCreator of plaguesA dragon would sayShekhkrev-orliterally poison · make · -erchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mortifex
MeaningOriginDescriptionDeath-MakerLatinArchitect of doomA dragon would sayMorkhkrev-orliterally die · make · -erchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mephiticus
MeaningOriginDescriptionFoul-SmellingLatinMaster of putrid vaporsA dragon would sayGorkhnoshliterally evil · smellchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Maledicens
MeaningOriginDescriptionCurse-SpeakerLatinHarbinger of misfortuneA dragon would sayGrakhvash-orliterally curse · speak · -erchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Maculatus
MeaningOriginDescriptionStained OneLatinBearer of corruptionA dragon would saySkur-enliterally dark · -edchromatic dialectBlack Chromatic Dragon
Name: Mortosus
MeaningOriginDescriptionDeath-FilledLatinVessel of endingsA dragon would sayMorkhtorsliterally die · manychromatic dialectEmerald Dragon
Name: Malachite
MeaningOriginDescriptionMallow StoneGreekEarth-bonded crystal drakeEtymologyGreek malachítēs líthos (μαλαχίτης λίθος, "mallow stone"), from maláchē (μαλάχη, "mallow"), for the mallow-leaf green of the copper carbonate; via Latin molochītis and Old French. Not Arabic.Say itMAL-uh-kyteThe banded green of the copper ore is the closest mineral match the archive has for the belly scales, which are duller and layered where the back is bright.A dragon would sayMélhshstorliterally flower · earthgem dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malora
MeaningOriginDescriptionDark ForestCelticShadow of the woodsA dragon would saySkurnelkliterally dark · forestchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Myrkvior
MeaningOriginDescriptionDark WoodNorseShadow in the ancient forestA dragon would saySkurnelkliterally dark · forestchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malphite
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvil NatureEnglishCorruptor of natural orderA dragon would sayMelhhaitby soundchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malefic
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvilLatinDark corruptionA dragon would sayGorkhliterally evilchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvil IntentEnglishForest corruptorA dragon would sayMelisby soundchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malign
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvilLatinDark destroyerA dragon would sayGorkhliterally evilchromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Morbid
MeaningOriginDescriptionDeathLatinDark destroyerA dragon would sayMorkhliterally diechromatic dialectGreen Chromatic Dragon
Name: Malevolent
MeaningOriginDescriptionEvil WishingLatinCorrupt intentionA dragon would sayMaleghalantby soundchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magnifex
MeaningOriginDescriptionGreatness-MakerLatinCreator of grand devastationA dragon would sayMegnaihheksby soundchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmatus
MeaningOriginDescriptionMolten OneLatinLord of liquid fireA dragon would sayKhershelliterally fire · waterchromatic dialectBronze Metallic Dragon
Name: Maximus
MeaningOriginDescriptionGreatestLatinSupreme in powerEtymologyLatin maximus ("greatest"), the superlative of magnus.Say itMAK-sih-musThe register's name for the largest bronze on a given coast; it changes hands rarely.A dragon would sayKhorliterally greatmetallic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmaris
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf MagmaLatinMolten core masterA dragon would sayKhershelliterally fire · waterchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmadon
MeaningOriginDescriptionMagma LordGreek/CustomMolten sovereignA dragon would sayKhersheltorkliterally fire · water · lordchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmarox
MeaningOriginDescriptionMagma KingLatin/CustomMolten majestyA dragon would sayKhershelkharthliterally fire · water · sovereignchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmatar
MeaningOriginDescriptionMagma StarLatin/CustomMolten lightA dragon would sayKhersheltsivliterally fire · water · starchromatic dialectRed Chromatic Dragon
Name: Magmatox
MeaningOriginDescriptionMagma DeathLatin/CustomMolten endA dragon would sayKhershelmorkhliterally fire · water · diechromatic dialectWhite Chromatic Dragon
MeaningOriginDescriptionMaster WindProvençalPowerful northern wind dragonEtymologyOccitan (Provençal) mistral, from Latin magistralis ("masterly"), the master wind of the Rhône valley, from magister ("master").Say itmees-TRAHLThe cold northerly that clears the Provençal sky for days at a time; the Alpine survey logs adults arriving on the mistral to hunt the Camargue and leaving when it drops.A dragon would sayTorkkheshliterally lord · aircore DraconicBrass Metallic Dragon
Name: Mazhar
MeaningOriginDescriptionManifestationArabicKnown for dramatic storytellingEtymologyArabic maẓhar (مظهر, "place of appearance, manifestation, outward form"), from ẓahara ("to appear").Say itMAZ-harThe outward show; a brass adult telling a story raises its frill and spreads its wings for effect, and the survey has learned not to read it as the aggression display it resembles.A dragon would saySkerkliterally territory · markmetallic dialectBrass Metallic Dragon
Name: Malik
MeaningOriginDescriptionKingArabicNoble bearer of desert wisdomEtymologyArabic malik (ملك, "king"), from malaka ("to possess, to rule"); one of the ninety-nine names.Say itMAH-likThe bank's most repeated name, nine lines of it before the pass; the survey applies it to the senior adult of any territory, the one the others defer to in conversation.A dragon would sayKharthliterally sovereignmetallic dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Meridian
MeaningOriginDescriptionMiddayLatinReferences brightest lightEtymologyLatin meridianus ("of midday"), from meridies ("noon, south"), from medius ("middle") + dies ("day").Say itmeh-RID-ee-anNoon sun straight down on the scales gives the brightest flare but the narrowest colour play; the survey teams call it the flat hour.A dragon would sayTáshliterally daygem dialectBrass Metallic Dragon
Name: Maat
MeaningOriginDescriptionTruthEgyptianTruth, order and the straight measureEtymologyEgyptian mꜣꜥt ("truth, order, justice"), the concept and the goddess who personified it.Say itMAH-ahtThe lore file's strong ethical principles under an Egyptian name; the survey's desert settlements bring their disputes to a brass adult for the same reason the old courts invoked the word.A dragon would sayEskliterally yesmetallic dialectBronze Metallic Dragon
Name: Metallios
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf MetalGreekBorn of pure elemental metalEtymologyCoined name; Greek métallon (μέταλλον, "mine, quarry", later "metal") with an -ios ending; the Greek adjective is metallikós.Say itmeh-TAL-ee-osApplied to juveniles whose scales have not yet taken any patina and read as bare metal in the field glasses.A dragon would sayTengliterally metalmetallic dialectEuropean Dragon
Name: Magnus
MeaningOriginDescriptionGreatestLatinA supreme dragon of vast powerA dragon would sayKhorliterally greatcore DraconicBronze Metallic Dragon
Name: Metallum
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetalLatinSpirit of metalEtymologyLatin metallum ("mine, quarry, metal"), from Greek métallon; "spirit" is not in it.Say itmeh-TAL-umThe register's plain word for the type's scale.A dragon would sayTengliterally metalmetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Mlinzi
MeaningOriginDescriptionGuardianSwahiliGuard, watchman, guardianEtymologySwahili mlinzi ("guard, watchman, guardian"), an agent noun from kulinda ("to guard, to protect").Say itm-LIN-zeeThe Swahili watchman; the Copperbelt teams use it for the adult that holds the ridge above a mining town and is credited, without evidence, with every rockfall that misses the road.A dragon would saySherth-orliterally defend · -ermetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Malm
MeaningOriginDescriptionOreOld NorseOre, the raw metal in rockEtymologyOld Norse malmr ("ore, metal"), Swedish and Norwegian malm ("ore"); the root of Malmö.Say itMAHLMThe Norse word for raw ore; the description's diet is malm before anything else, and the Norwegian coastal teams find the shaft mouths of their single copper's cliff gnawed.A dragon would sayTengliterally metalmetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Mercator
MeaningOriginDescriptionMerchantLatinReflects their love of bargainingEtymologyLatin mercātor ("merchant, trader"), from mercārī ("to trade"), from merx ("goods").Say itmer-KAH-torThe lore's account of bargaining is borne out by the Atlas station, where an adult in human shape has twice been recorded at a market buying copper cookware and paying in coin of the same metal.A dragon would sayKoz-orliterally take · -ermetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Mergen
MeaningOriginDescriptionWiseMongolianWise; a skilled marksmanEtymologyMongolian mergen (мэргэн, "wise, skilful; an expert archer"), shared with the Turkic languages; a common masculine given name.Say itMER-genThe Mongolian word for the wisdom that shows as skill; the Altai teams, working the range of the 1742 sighting, use it for the copper that answers a riddle with a better one.A dragon would saySkekhliterally eldermetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Mithros
MeaningOriginDescriptionFriend of EarthFantasyConnection to mountainsEtymologyCoined name; echoes Mithras (Avestan Miθra, "contract, friend"), which supplies the friend but not the earth, and -os adds nothing.Say itMITH-rosA generic friend name; the Persian teams apply it to the one adult that has let the Kerman station work its copper valley for a decade without incident.A dragon would sayStorrethliterally earth · friendmetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Minos
MeaningOriginDescriptionKingGreekReferences leadershipEtymologyGreek Mínōs (Μίνως), the legendary king of Crete; the name's origin is unknown, and one reading takes it as a Cretan royal title, which is the only support for the gloss.Say itMY-nosThe king of the Labyrinth; the Cretan teams file the maze under early accounts of a copper lair, a plan too involved for anyone but its maker.A dragon would sayKharthliterally sovereignmetallic dialectCopper Metallic Dragon
Name: Morix
MeaningOriginDescriptionMountain WalkerFantasyHabitat referenceEtymologyCoined name; the mor- has no single source (Welsh môr, "sea"; Old Irish mór, "great"; Latin mōrum, "mulberry" all fit as well) and the -ix ending carries no meaning; the mountain is not in the parts.Say itMOR-iksOne of the names most asked about; the survey teams use it for an adult seen on foot along a ridge, which the description's climbing makes as easy as flight.A dragon would saySkornmer-orliterally mountain · go · -ermetallic dialectGold Metallic Dragon
Name: Mithra
MeaningOriginDescriptionCovenantPersianIranian god of covenants and the sunEtymologyAvestan Miθra ("covenant, contract"), the Iranian god who watches over oaths and was later identified with the sun; cognate with Sanskrit mitra ("friend").Say itMITH-rahThe god whose name is the covenant itself; the archive treats him as the oldest account of the type's habit of binding a settlement by agreement, the diplomacy the lore describes.A dragon would sayThrestliterally oathmetallic dialectGold Metallic Dragon
Name: Matahari
MeaningOriginDescriptionEye of the DayMalayMalay and Indonesian word for the sunEtymologyMalay and Indonesian matahari ("sun"), from mata ("eye") + hari ("day").Say itmah-tah-HAH-reeThe Malacca teams' word for a gold adult's stare: the lore's superior senses show in the eye, and observers report being found at 500 m by a look alone.A dragon would sayTashshevliterally day · eyemetallic dialectGold Metallic Dragon
Name: Munir
MeaningOriginDescriptionRadiantArabicArabic for radiant or luminousEtymologyArabic munīr (منير, "radiant, luminous, shining"), from the root n-w-r ("light"); a common masculine given name.Say itmoo-NEERThe Arabian survey's name for the glow a male gives back at noon, the iridescence the lore says deepens with age.A dragon would sayThaarliterally lightmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Mitra
MeaningOriginDescriptionFriendSanskritVedic keeper of oaths and treatiesEtymologySanskrit Mitra (मित्र, "friend, contract"), the Vedic god of oaths, alliances and the morning sun, from a root meaning "to bind".Say itMIT-rahThe oath-keeping god's name is used in the register for the adult that carved the Cascades stele in 2011, the only treaty this type is known to have written down.A dragon would sayRethliterally friendmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonweaver
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon WeaverEnglishShapes moonlight into formsEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + weaver (Old English wefan, "to weave").Say itMOON-wee-verNight observers describe the slow crossing flights of this type as weaving the moonlight, the plating dimming and brightening as the wings turn.A dragon would sayLeshwelk-orliterally moon · weave · -ermetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Mercurial
MeaningOriginDescriptionChangeableEnglishEver-changing silver formEtymologyEnglish mercurial, from Latin mercuriālis ("of Mercury"); the sense "quick to change" comes from the astrological temperament of those born under the planet.Say itmer-KYOOR-ee-ulThe word the register uses for the shift between the two forms the lore describes, observed once from across a valley and never at closer range.A dragon would sayMerkyurrrrialby soundmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Mamoru
MeaningOriginDescriptionProtectorJapaneseOne who protectsEtymologyJapanese Mamoru (守, "to protect, to guard"), a masculine given name written with the character for protection.Say itmah-MOH-rooThe Japanese Alps station's name for the adult that shadows climbers off the mountain in bad weather, as the lore's protective instinct predicts.A dragon would saySherth-orliterally defend · -ermetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Meir
MeaningOriginDescriptionShiningHebrewOne who gives lightEtymologyHebrew Meir (מאיר, "shining, one who gives light"), from the root ʾ-w-r ("light"), a masculine given name.Say itmay-EERUsed for the adult whose plating was measured as the most reflective in the register, bright enough to light the snow beneath it on a night crossing.A dragon would sayThaarliterally lightmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonforge
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon ForgeEnglishShapes moonlightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + forge (Old French forge, from Latin fabrica).Say itMOON-forjLair work of this type is heard at night; the ringing from the peaks that the mountain villages report is logged by the surveys as moon forging.A dragon would sayLeshkrevliterally moon · makemetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalborn
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal BornEnglishBorn of pure silverEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, "mine, quarry", via Latin and Old French) + born (Old English boren).Say itMET-ul-bornHatchlings of this type already carry the metallic sheen, according to the one clutch the surveys have photographed; the lore's trace silver is present from the egg.A dragon would sayTengbrekliterally metal · hatchmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonweald
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon ForestEnglishGuardian of moon forestsEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + weald (Old English weald, "forest, wooded upland").Say itMOON-weeldThe last belt of trees below a lair, where mountain villages report the type walking in its alternate form on bright nights.A dragon would sayLeshnelkliterally moon · forestmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonsilver
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon SilverEnglishBlessed by moon's silverEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + silver (Old English seolfor).Say itMOON-sil-verSilver has been the moon's metal in every alchemical tradition, and the surveys use the term for the plating as it appears under moonlight, colder than by day.A dragon would sayLeshselvliterally moon · silvermetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalfang
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal FangEnglishWith silver fangsEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + fang (Old English fang, "a seizing", later "tooth").Say itMET-ul-fangShed teeth recovered from lair sites carry a silver plating like the scales, and the assay is how the lore's trace-silver claim was confirmed.A dragon would sayTengtreshliterally metal · toothmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moondancer
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon DancerEnglishDances with moonlightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + dancer (Old French dancier).Say itMOON-dan-serCourtship flights of this type, seen once every few centuries according to the lore's mating cycle, were recorded as a paired dance under a full moon.A dragon would sayLeshmer-orliterally moon · go · -ermetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalweave
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal WeaveEnglishWeaves metallic magicEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + weave (Old English wefan).Say itMET-ul-weevThe interlocking scale pattern reads as woven metal under magnification, and the recovered scale sheets bend without breaking.A dragon would sayTengwelkliterally metal · weavemetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonfrost
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon FrostEnglishCold as moonlightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + frost (Old English frost).Say itMOON-frawstThe rime an adult's breath leaves on a night ridge is found at dawn and dated by moonlight, since the animal itself is rarely seen breathing.A dragon would sayLeshthasliterally moon · icemetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalstorm
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal StormEnglishStorm of silverEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + storm (Old English storm).Say itMET-ul-stormHail struck off a lair ridge by the downdraft of a departing adult carries flakes of scale, and the villages below call it a metal storm.A dragon would sayTengtharshliterally metal · stormmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moonshadow
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon ShadowEnglishShadow of the moonEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + shadow (Old English sceadwe).Say itMOON-shad-ohThe moon-cast shadow of a crossing adult on a snowfield is often the only record of a night flight, and the surveys measure wingspan from it.A dragon would sayLeshskurliterally moon · darkmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalfrost
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal FrostEnglishFreezing metal touchEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + frost (Old English frost).Say itMET-ul-frawstRime on the plating of a resting adult at dawn gives the flank a dull metal finish, and the animal is missed against the rock until it moves.A dragon would sayTengthasliterally metal · icemetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Mooncaller
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon CallerEnglishCalls to the moonEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + caller (Old Norse kalla, "to cry out").Say itMOON-kawl-erThe long low call recorded from lair ridges on full-moon nights is the type's only known vocalisation at distance, taken by parabolic microphone at 500 m.A dragon would sayLeshvrash-orliterally moon · roar · -ermetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalshade
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal ShadeEnglishShadow of metalEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + shade (Old English sceadu).Say itMET-ul-shaydThe dull side of the plating, seen when an adult turns away from the sun, is the colour the surveys log as metal shade to separate it from the reflective face.A dragon would sayTengskurliterally metal · darkmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Metalwhisper
MeaningOriginDescriptionMetal WhisperEnglishWhispers of metalEtymologyEnglish compound of metal (Greek métallon, via Latin and Old French) + whisper (Old English hwisprian).Say itMET-ul-wis-perThe faint ringing of plating against plating as an adult settles is audible on the parabolic recordings, and it is the sound the teams listen for after dark.A dragon would sayTengstelvashliterally metal · silent · speakmetallic dialectSilver Metallic Dragon
Name: Moondrift
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon DriftEnglishDrifts like moonlightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + drift (Middle English drift, "a driving", from drive; Old Norse drift, "snowdrift").Say itMOON-driftThe slow unpowered glide of an adult across a moonlit face, seen by survey teams as a drifting patch of light with no wingbeat.A dragon would sayLeshshemliterally moon · rivermetallic dialectFaerie Dragon
Name: Moonwhisper
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon WhisperEnglishA dragon active during moonlit nightsEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + whisper (Old English hwisprian, imitative).Say itMOON-wiss-perEggs develop only under moonlight, and the parabolic microphones pick up a low whispering from the nest hollow on clear nights that stops at moonset.A dragon would sayLeshstelvashliterally moon · silent · speakcore DraconicFaerie Dragon
Name: Mirrorwing
MeaningOriginDescriptionMirror WingEnglishA dragon with mirror-like wing surfacesEtymologyEnglish compound of mirror (Old French mireor, from Latin mīrārī, "to wonder at") + wing (Old Norse vængr).Say itMIRR-or-wingThe wing upper surface reflects the canopy so closely that the standard advice for spotting one is to look for a patch of forest that moves.A dragon would sayGlishvekhliterally crystal · wingcore DraconicFaerie Dragon
Name: Mistweaver
MeaningOriginDescriptionMist WeaverEnglishA dragon that can create and shape mistEtymologyEnglish compound of mist (Old English mist) + weaver (Old English wefan + agent -er).Say itMIST-wee-verThe species shapes drifting mist with its wings into screens it hides behind, an illusion the Okefenokee teams have filmed from the parabolic distance.A dragon would sayShelkheshwelk-orliterally water · air · weave · -ercore DraconicFaerie Dragon
Name: Moonbeam
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon RayEnglishA dragon that glows in moonlightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + beam (Old English bēam, "tree, post", later "ray of light").Say itMOON-beemNests are built where a shaft of moonlight reaches the forest floor, which is how the survey teams predict the site of a clutch.A dragon would sayLeshthaarliterally moon · lightcore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Moonglow
MeaningOriginDescriptionLight of moonEnglishA dragon radiating soft lunar lightEtymologyEnglish compound of moon (Old English mōna) + glow (Old English glōwan, "to shine, be red-hot").Say itMOON-glohThe plain English for the cold glow along the wing membrane that the Cascades observers photographed in 2011, present only while the moon was above the ridge.A dragon would sayLeshthaarliterally moon · lightcore DraconicFaerie Dragon
Name: Misty
MeaningOriginDescriptionMistyEnglishA dragon that creates mistEtymologyEnglish misty, from Old English mistig, from mist; a twentieth-century given name.Say itMISS-teeThe name most often given to a female first seen in ground fog, which is how most of them are first seen.A dragon would sayShelkheshliterally water · aircore DraconicFaerie Dragon
Name: Moon
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoonEnglishA dragon blessed by moonlightEtymologyEnglish moon, from Old English mōna, from Proto-Germanic *mēnô.Say itMOONEggs need moonlight to develop, and the register lists the lunar phase of every hatching.A dragon would sayLeshliterally mooncore DraconicFire Dragon
Name: Moshi
MeaningOriginDescriptionSmokeSwahiliSmoke over Kilimanjaro's craterEtymologySwahili moshi ("smoke"), a Bantu word; also the Tanzanian town at the foot of Kilimanjaro.Say itMOH-sheeKilimanjaro's dormant crater holds the East African survey's only confirmed lair, and the Chagga farmers below report it by the smoke first.A dragon would sayKherkhelvliterally fire · cloudcore DraconicMiddle Eastern Dragon
Name: Mushussu
MeaningOriginDescriptionFurious SnakeBabylonianScaly dragon with lion's features and bird talonsA dragon would sayNerkhslethliterally fury · serpentcore DraconicFire Dragon
Name: Mura
MeaningOriginDescriptionGlowMāoriGlow in geothermal steamEtymologyMāori mura ("blaze, flame, glow"; as a verb "to blaze").Say itMOO-rahThe Taupō volcanic zone holds the New Zealand survey's lairs; the glow of an adult in the Rotorua steam is the sighting most often reported.A dragon would sayThaarliterally lightcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mizuryu
MeaningOriginDescriptionWater DragonJapaneseAncient water deity of the eastern seasEtymologyFrom Japanese mizu (水, "water") + ryū (龍, "dragon").Say itmee-ZOO-ryooField teams on the Japanese coast still log shrine offerings left at cove mouths where an adult has been recorded, the old name for an old animal.A dragon would sayShelkhathliterally water · dragoncore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Meri
MeaningOriginDescriptionSeaFinnishGuardian of cold northern seasEtymologyFinnish meri ("sea"), from Proto-Finnic *meri, an early Baltic or Germanic loan cognate with Latin mare; a feminine given name in Finland.Say itMEH-reeThe Baltic adults surface less than any other population, and the Finnish survey logs them chiefly by the air pockets found in shoreline caves after the ice goes out.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mizu
MeaningOriginDescriptionPure WaterJapaneseGentle spirit of mountain streamsEtymologyJapanese mizu (水), the ordinary word for "water".Say itMEE-zooThe plainest word for water, for a species whose survival depends on water clean enough to breathe through a gill.A dragon would sayPelshelliterally clear · watercore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Matar
MeaningOriginDescriptionRainArabicBringer of the rains that fill lakesEtymologyArabic maṭar (مطر, "rain"), from the root m-ṭ-r; a masculine given name in the Gulf states.Say itMAH-tarA lake adult's territory is measured in rainfall; the wadi-fed lakes of the Arabian survey lose their dragon in a dry decade and regain one after the rains return.A dragon would sayTeshshelliterally sky · watercore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Maren
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the SeaLatinAncient guardian of coastal watersEtymologyDanish and Norwegian form of Latin Marina, from marīnus ("of the sea"), from mare ("sea").Say itMAH-renA quiet sea-name for a species that spends most of its life below the surface and is seen only when it chooses.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Mami Wata
MeaningOriginDescriptionMother WaterAfricanWater spirit goddessEtymologyWest African pidgin, from English mammy ("mother") + water, the name of the coastal water spirit.Say itMAH-mee WAH-tahThe coastal spirit of the Gulf of Guinea, shown with a serpent across her shoulders; the archive reads the serpent, not the woman, as the sighting.A dragon would sayBrek-orshelliterally hatch · -er · watercore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Morgawr
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea GiantCornishMysterious serpent of Cornwall's watersEtymologyCornish mor ("sea") + gawr ("giant"), coined in the 1970s for the Falmouth Bay sea serpent.Say itMOR-gowrThe Falmouth Bay sightings are the best-documented modern coastal territory in British waters, a long-necked animal seen from the cliffs where the shelf drops toward the Channel.A dragon would sayShorkkhorliterally sea · greatcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mayu
MeaningOriginDescriptionRiverQuechuaSpirit of the mountain riverEtymologyQuechua mayu ("river"); also the Milky Way, the river of the sky in Andean tradition.Say itMAH-yooThe mountain-lake adults in the Andean survey are the highest-altitude water dragons known, and the rivers that feed the lakes are where the juveniles are logged.A dragon would sayShemliterally rivercore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mavi
MeaningOriginDescriptionBlueTurkishThe colour of deep waterEtymologyTurkish mavi ("blue"), from Arabic māʾī ("watery, water-coloured"), from māʾ ("water"); a modern feminine given name.Say itmah-VEEThe Turkish word for blue is the Arabic word for water-coloured, which is how field notes describe the scales: the colour of the water behind them.A dragon would sayTselliterally bluecore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Marmennill
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea ManNorseWise prophet of the seasEtymologyOld Norse marmennill, from marr ("sea") + a diminutive of maðr ("man"), a merman who answered questions if caught.Say itMAR-men-nilThe Norse merman answered questions if caught; field teams have never caught one and do not recommend trying.A dragon would sayShorkmeskliterally sea · mortalcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mazu
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea MotherChineseProtector of seafarersEtymologyChinese Māzǔ (媽祖), mā ("mother") + zǔ ("ancestor"), the deified Fujianese girl who became goddess of seafarers.Say itMAH-dzooMazu guides sailors home; the fishing communities that honour an adult's boundaries report the same unearned safety.A dragon would sayShorkabrek-orliterally sea · hatch · -ercore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Mannan
MeaningOriginDescriptionSon of the SeaCelticMaster of ocean mysteriesEtymologyShort form of Irish Manannán mac Lir ("Manannán son of the sea", Ler being "sea"); Manannán itself probably means "of Mann", the Isle of Man.Say itMAN-anThe god whose cloak of mist hid his island; adults surface in fog more often than in clear weather.A dragon would sayShorkneshliterally sea · newcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Myrsky
MeaningOriginDescriptionStormFinnishHunter of storm-tossed watersEtymologyFinnish myrsky ("storm, gale"); of uncertain deeper origin, possibly a Baltic loan. Rare as a given name.Say itMEWR-skewAdults hunt the surface most actively in the confusion of a storm, when shoaling fish are driven up and no boat is watching.A dragon would sayTharshliterally stormcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Matsya
MeaningOriginDescriptionFish GodHinduPreserver of life in watersEtymologySanskrit matsya (मत्स्य, "fish"), the fish avatar of Vishnu who saved the first man from the flood.Say itMUTS-yuhThe fish that towed the first man through the flood; adults tolerate seafarers who keep to the boundaries, and no others.A dragon would sayShelbraskthakhliterally water · beast · godcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Muirgen
MeaningOriginDescriptionBorn of the SeaIrishDaughter of the drowned lakeEtymologyOld Irish muir ("sea") + gein ("birth"): the name given to Lí Ban, the woman of Lough Neagh who lived three centuries in the water before she was taken from it.Say itMWIR-genThe Lough Neagh account, a woman living centuries beneath a flooded lake, reads in the archive as the earliest Irish record of a long-lived lake adult.A dragon would sayShorkabrekliterally sea · hatchcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Moana
MeaningOriginDescriptionOceanPolynesianDeep sea spiritEtymologyPolynesian moana ("ocean, open sea"), the same word in Māori, Hawaiian and Samoan.Say itmoh-AH-nahThe open ocean, not the reef; the largest adults in the archive were logged in deep water, far from any coast.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Muriel
MeaningOriginDescriptionBright SeaCelticLuminous water beingEtymologyFrom Irish Muirgel, muir ("sea") + geal ("bright").Say itMYUR-ee-ulBright sea, a name for the flash of iridescent scale that is usually the only sighting a field team gets.A dragon would sayLithshorkliterally bright · seacore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Marlowe
MeaningOriginDescriptionLake RemnantEnglishAncient water memoryEtymologyEnglish surname from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Old English mere ("lake") + lāf ("remnant"), land left when a lake drained.Say itMAR-lohLand left when a lake drained; adults leave when the water goes, and the empty chambers are how the survey finds old range.A dragon would sayMaarlooby soundcore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Morgan
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea EdgeWelshLeader of ocean realmsEtymologyWelsh Morgan, Old Welsh Morcant, from mor ("sea") + cant ("circle, rim"); "sea chief" and "sea-born" are popular readings, not the etymology.Say itMOR-gunSea circle, the rim of coast an adult patrols; the survey maps of a territory are drawn as a ring around the lair with the boundary markers on it.A dragon would sayShorkskorthliterally sea · boundarycore DraconicWater Dragon
Name: Muir
MeaningOriginDescriptionSeaScottishSpirit of coastal watersEtymologyScottish Gaelic muir ("sea"); the surname Muir, by contrast, is usually from Scots muir ("moor").Say itMYOORThe Gaelic sea; the west-coast sea lochs hold the most thoroughly documented population in Europe.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Monte
MeaningOriginDescriptionMountainSpanishHighland sentinelEtymologyFrom Spanish and Italian monte ("mountain"), from Latin mons; also a masculine given name.Say itMON-tayRecorded in the Andean and Pyrenean surveys for males that patrol a single peak and rarely leave it, consistent with the species' preference for solitude.A dragon would saySkornliterally mountaincore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Mesa
MeaningOriginDescriptionPlateauSpanishPlateau guardianEtymologyFrom Spanish mesa ("table"), from Latin mensa, applied to a flat-topped hill with steep sides.Say itMAY-suhRecorded for dragons that den under tablelands, where the flat cap rock gives the reinforced skull something to tunnel beneath rather than through.A dragon would saySkornliterally mountaincore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Mountain Heart
MeaningOriginDescriptionPeak CoreEnglishMountain spirit dragonEtymologyEnglish compound of mountain (from Old French montaigne, from Latin montanus) + heart (Old English heorte).Say itMOWN-tin HARTGiven to a dragon whose den lies at the centre of a massif, with tunnels radiating outward into every valley the survey mapped.A dragon would saySkorndrelkliterally mountain · heartcore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Mountain Fang
MeaningOriginDescriptionPeak ToothEnglishHighland hunterEtymologyEnglish compound of mountain (from Old French montaigne) + fang (from Old Norse fang).Say itMOWN-tin FANGLogged for highland hunters that take herd animals on the high pastures, the surface prey the lore records alongside the mineral diet.A dragon would saySkorntreshliterally mountain · toothcore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Mountain Soul
MeaningOriginDescriptionPeak SpiritEnglishHighland essenceEtymologyEnglish compound of mountain (from Old French montaigne) + soul (Old English sāwol).Say itMOWN-tin SOHLUsed in highland surveys for a dragon so long resident that local tradition treats it as the mountain itself, the kind of account DragonWatch records without endorsing.A dragon would saySkornnevliterally mountain · spiritcore DraconicEarth Dragon
Name: Mountain Shadow
MeaningOriginDescriptionPeak ShadeEnglishHighland phantomEtymologyEnglish compound of mountain (from Old French montaigne) + shadow (Old English sceadu).Say itMOWN-tin SHAD-ohGiven to highland specimens tracked by the shadow they cast across a valley at dusk, the one moment the gray camouflage fails.A dragon would saySkornskurliterally mountain · darkcore DraconicAir Dragon
Name: Mistwalker
MeaningOriginDescriptionFog StriderEnglishDragon moving through mistsEtymologyEnglish compound of mist + walker.Say itMIST-waw-kerValley fog is the one cover the species will fly into, at the end of a lowland hunt; the Alpine survey has recorded a kill in fog by sound alone.A dragon would sayShelkheshmer-orliterally water · air · go · -ercore DraconicLightning/Storm Dragon
Name: Mjolnir
MeaningOriginDescriptionLightning HammerNorsePowerful dragon of destructive lightningEtymologyOld Norse Mjǫllnir, Thor's hammer; the root is debated, with the strongest case linking it to Russian molniya ("lightning") and a Proto-Indo-European word for the bolt.Say itMYOL-neerA hammer that returns to the hand: the Norse record of a bolt that leaves the animal and the animal that follows it down.A dragon would sayEmchaalnirby soundcore DraconicLightning/Storm Dragon
Name: Meghnad
MeaningOriginDescriptionRoar of the CloudsSanskritThunder named for a demon princeEtymologySanskrit Meghanāda (मेघनाद), from megha ("cloud") + nāda ("roar, sound"): thunder; the birth name of Rāvaṇa's son Indrajit in the Rāmāyaṇa.Say itMAYG-nahdNamed for the sound he made at birth, which is how the Himalayan survey names its own juveniles: by the first roar recorded on the ridge tapes.A dragon would sayKhelvvrashliterally cloud · roarcore DraconicLightning/Storm Dragon
Name: Megha
MeaningOriginDescriptionCloudSanskritMonsoon cloud over the GhatsEtymologySanskrit megha (मेघ, "cloud"), the rain-bearing cloud of the monsoon poems; a feminine given name across India.Say itMAY-gahKālidāsa's cloud messenger crosses the same Western Ghats ridge where the survey's monsoon lairs are, and the poem's route is a fair map of them.A dragon would sayKhelvliterally cloudcore DraconicLightning/Storm Dragon
Name: Makani
MeaningOriginDescriptionWindHawaiianTrade wind over the volcanoEtymologyHawaiian makani ("wind"); a given name, used for either sex.Say itmah-KAH-neeThe Big Island population hunts the trade-wind cloud line on the windward slopes; the Hawaiian survey has the only lair in the archive sited in a lava tube.A dragon would sayKheshliterally aircore DraconicIce Dragon
Name: Muohta
MeaningOriginDescriptionSnowSámiSnow in the reindeer countryEtymologyNorthern Sámi muohta ("snow"), the general term in a language with many more specific words for snow conditions.Say itMWOH-tahThe Sámi herders on the Kola and Finnmark uplands lose reindeer to the type each winter and have the oldest continuous sighting record in the archive after the Altai stone.A dragon would sayFoshliterally snowcore DraconicIce Dragon
Name: Moroz
MeaningOriginDescriptionHard FrostRussianGrandfather Frost of the taigaEtymologyRussian moroz (мороз, "frost, freezing cold"), the second half of Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost"); also a Russian surname.Say itmah-ROHZThe Yakutia survey works the coldest inhabited country on earth and still reads a lair by its frost: the ground a hundred metres round a chamber stays hard through July.A dragon would sayThrekthasliterally strong · icecore DraconicIce Dragon
Name: Mjöll
MeaningOriginDescriptionPowder SnowOld NorseDaughter of Snow, light as powderEtymologyOld Norse mjǫll ("fresh powdery snow"); Mjǫll is a daughter of Snær ("Snow") in the legendary Norse king-lists.Say itMYUHLThe fine crystal an adult leaves in still air is powder snow by any measure, and the Icelandic survey names the females for the daughters of Snær.A dragon would sayFoshliterally snowcore DraconicCrystal Dragon
Name: Malachos
MeaningOriginDescriptionMallow GreenGreekA green-banded dragon with swirling patternsEtymologyCoined name; Greek malachḗ (μαλάχη, "mallow"), the plant whose leaf-green gave malachite its name, with a masculine -os ending.Say itMAL-ah-kossThe green-banded swirl of the description is malachite banding, and it is dietary: the copper carbonate the animal eats is laid down in the scales as it grows.A dragon would sayMélhshzalhkliterally flower · greengem dialectCrystal Dragon
Name: Moonstone
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon StoneEnglishA pearlescent dragon with blue sheenEtymologyEnglish moon + stone, a direct rendering of the Greek selēnítēs; the feldspar was named for its pale blue sheen.Say itMOON-stohnThe blue sheen of the description moves across the scales as the animal turns, the adularescence of the stone, and it is the surest identifying mark at night.A dragon would sayLéshstorliterally moon · earthgem dialectCrystal Dragon
Name: Morganite
MeaningOriginDescriptionPink BerylGeographicA pink dragon with beryl clarityEtymologyNamed in 1911 by G. F. Kunz for the financier J. P. Morgan, a Tiffany client and gem collector, + the mineral suffix -ite; the pink variety of beryl.Say itMOR-gan-yteThe pink adults with beryl clarity are the ones the illicit trade wants most, which is why the IDRI register does not publish the locality of any morganite-scaled lair.A dragon would sayKelhshthovzalhkáglishliterally dawn · hue · green · crystalgem dialectAmethyst Dragon
Name: Murasaki
MeaningOriginDescriptionPurpleJapanesePurple of the gromwell-root dyeEtymologyJapanese murasaki (紫, "purple"), originally the gromwell plant whose root gave the dye; the name of the Heian author Murasaki Shikibu.Say itmoo-rah-SAH-keeHeian court law restricted the deepest murasaki to the highest ranks, a scarcity the survey understands: the deep-purple adults are the fewest and the oldest.A dragon would sayPólhvliterally purplegem dialectSapphire Dragon
Name: Maris
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the SeaLatinMaritime connectionEtymologyLatin maris, genitive of mare ("sea"), as in Stella Maris.Say itMAH-risStella Maris is the sailor's star, and the name is kept for the star sapphire rather than the sea; the description's animal does not fly over water if it can go round.A dragon would sayShórkliterally seagem dialectSapphire Dragon
Name: Minerva
MeaningOriginDescriptionWisdomRomanDivine knowledgeEtymologyLatin Minerva, from the same root as mēns ("mind"), Proto-Indo-European *men- ("to think"); goddess of wisdom and craft.Say itmih-NER-vahThe description's enlarged parietal and temporal lobes are the anatomy of the name; the archive's keeper holds a library that DragonWatch has been permitted to read since 2016 and not to copy.A dragon would sayShénkliterally loregem dialectSapphire Dragon
Name: Mensa
MeaningOriginDescriptionTable MountainLatinEarth formationEtymologyLatin mēnsa ("table"); the constellation Lacaille named for Table Mountain at the Cape, the only one named for a place on Earth.Say itMEN-sahA flat-topped mountain with a cave system under it is the description's habitat in one word, and Table Mountain's sandstone caves are on the IDRI list of sites to watch.A dragon would sayMénsaby soundgem dialectSapphire Dragon
Name: Monoceros
MeaningOriginDescriptionOne HornGreekMythical beingEtymologyGreek monókerōs (μονόκερως), from mónos ("one") + kéras ("horn"); the unicorn constellation.Say itmoh-NOSS-er-osThe single nasal horn of the description's skull, a corundum spike the survey has measured at 40 centimetres on a shed cast.A dragon would sayThrónliterally horngem dialectEmerald Dragon
Name: Midori
MeaningOriginDescriptionGreenJapaneseBamboo forest protectorEtymologyJapanese midori (緑, "green", originally "fresh growth, young shoots"); a feminine given name.Say itmee-DOH-reeThe Japanese word first meant new growth before it meant the colour; the Yakushima survey uses it for the females that nest among the old cedars.A dragon would sayZálhkliterally greengem dialectEmerald Dragon
Name: Mossback
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoss BackEnglishAncient forest defenderEtymologyEnglish compound of moss (Old English mos) + back; a word for an old fish or turtle with algae on its shell, and for a person set in old ways.Say itMOSS-bakAn adult that has not moved lair in a century grows true moss on the dorsal ridge; the survey reads a green back as a sign of a long-held territory.A dragon would sayMósgyekby soundgem dialectEmerald Dragon
Name: Mossfire
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoss FireEnglishForest flame keeperEtymologyEnglish compound of moss (Old English mos, "bog, moss") + fire (Old English fȳr).Say itMOSS-fyreDry moss lit by the corrosive gas of the lore burns with a low green flame; the field guide lists it as the first sign that a lair is inhabited.A dragon would sayMélhshkherliterally flower · firegem dialectTopaz Dragon
Name: Mzekala
MeaningOriginDescriptionSun MaidenGeorgianSun woman of Georgian taleEtymologyGeorgian Mzekala (მზექალა), from mze ("sun") + kali ("woman"); a feminine given name from folk tales of a sun-bright maiden.Say itmzeh-KAH-lahThe Caucasus is old dragon country, and the Georgian sun-maiden of the tales is read in the archive as a young female of this type seen backlit on a ridge.A dragon would sayKersnéshmeskliterally sun · new · mortalgem dialectRuby Dragon
Name: Manikya
MeaningOriginDescriptionRubySanskritRuby of the nine gemsEtymologySanskrit māṇikya (माणिक्य, "ruby"), from maṇi ("jewel"); the ruby of the navaratna, the nine gems, which it holds for the sun.Say itmah-NIK-yahThe navaratna sets the ruby at the centre for the sun, and the Himalayan survey notes that an adult basking in the field description's 21–49 °C band chooses the same position on its ridge, dead centre and facing east.A dragon would sayBrákhglishliterally red · crystalgem dialectRuby Dragon
Name: Mapula
MeaningOriginDescriptionReddishTagalogRed, reddish, the adjectiveEtymologyTagalog mapula ("red, reddish"), from ma- (adjective prefix) + pula ("red").Say itmah-POO-lahThe Philippine survey's word; its one adult holds the Benguet gold district in the Cordillera, where the field description's mineral diet is met from the tailings without the animal ever entering a shaft.A dragon would sayBrákhliterally redgem dialectRuby Dragon
Name: Manikam
MeaningOriginDescriptionJewelMalayGem, jewel, the Malay rubyEtymologyMalay manikam ("gem, jewel, precious stone"), from Sanskrit māṇikya ("ruby"), via Tamil; in older Malay specifically the ruby.Say itmah-NEE-kahmThe Peninsular survey's one lair record, above the Kelantan gold workings, was filed by a trader who used the gem word for the animal and would not be corrected.A dragon would sayGlíshliterally crystalgem dialectObsidian Dragon
Name: Morpheus
MeaningOriginDescriptionShaperGreekShaper of obsidian dreamsEtymologyGreek Morpheús, from morphḗ ("form, shape"): Ovid's god of dreams, who takes human form.Say itMOR-fee-usThe dream-shaper is off the type's ground; the survey keeps the name for the camouflage, an adult at rest being shaped so exactly like an obsidian outcrop that the Lipari team walked past one twice.A dragon would sayKrév-orliterally make · -ergem dialectObsidian Dragon
Name: Mālie
MeaningOriginDescriptionCalmHawaiianCalm as the flow before it movesEtymologyHawaiian mālie ("calm, quiet, still"), used of a flat sea and as a given name.Say itMAH-lee-ehThe description's adults are calculating, not hot-tempered; the Puʻu Waʻawaʻa team's word for one watching from the flow is the Hawaiian for a calm sea, and the calm ends the same way.A dragon would sayThésliterally peacegem dialectDiamond Dragon
Name: Malamalama
MeaningOriginDescriptionLight of KnowledgeHawaiianLight, clarity, enlightenmentEtymologyHawaiian mālamalama ("light, clarity, enlightenment"), reduplicated from malama ("light, month").Say itmah-lah-mah-LAH-mahThe lore's philosophical discourse named from the Hawaiian side: the only word the register has that means both the glow and the mind behind it.A dragon would sayShenktháarliterally lore · lightgem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Mahtab
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoonlightPersianGlow of the moonEtymologyPersian mahtāb (مهتاب, "moonlight"), from māh ("moon") + tāb ("shine, glow"); a feminine given name.Say itmah-TAHBThe Zagros survey's name for the female that held the Sarein springs; logged only at night, only by moonlight, for four seasons.A dragon would sayLéshliterally moongem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Mystica
MeaningOriginDescriptionMysterious OneLatinReferences the mysterious natureEtymologyLatin mystica, feminine of mysticus ("of secret rites"), from Greek mystikós, from mýstēs ("initiate").Say itMIS-tih-kahThe illusion magic of the description means most sightings are of something the adult chose to show; the archive marks every opal-type record as unverified by default.A dragon would saySkóv-asliterally hide · -inggem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Melody
MeaningOriginDescriptionSongGreekReferences musical natureEtymologyGreek melōidía (μελῳδία), from mélos ("tune") + ōidḗ ("song").Say itMEL-oh-deeThe type's contact call is the most musical in the gem family; the Chang recorder's eleven seconds of chromatic threat sound nothing like it.A dragon would sayThálhliterally singgem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Mystery
MeaningOriginDescriptionSecretGreekReferences enigmatic natureEtymologyGreek mystḗrion (μυστήριον, "secret rite"), from mýstēs ("initiate"), from mýein ("to close the eyes").Say itMIS-teh-reeWhat an opal-type lair actually contains is a secret in the old sense: the sapphire archive's terms forbid publishing it.A dragon would saySkóv-asliterally hide · -inggem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Mutiara
MeaningOriginDescriptionPearlMalayPearl, a girl's nameEtymologyMalay mutiara ("pearl"), ultimately from Sanskrit muktā ("pearl", literally "released"); a feminine given name in Malaysia and Indonesia.Say itmoo-tee-AH-rahThe pearl-white ground colour of the lore's scales; the Sabah survey uses the name for the pale females that rest in the hot-spring mist at Poring.A dragon would sayFeskáglishliterally white · crystalgem dialectOpal Dragon
Name: Marvel
MeaningOriginDescriptionWonderEnglishReferences amazing natureEtymologyOld French merveille, from Latin mirabilia ("wonderful things"), from mirari ("to wonder at").Say itMAR-vulThe word every first sighting report reaches for; the IDRI form has a box for it.A dragon would sayVróshliterally awegem dialectGarnet Dragon
Name: Melanite
MeaningOriginDescriptionBlack StoneGreekNamed after black garnet varietyEtymologyGreek mélas (μέλας, "black") + -ite: the titanium-bearing black variety of andradite garnet.Say itMEL-uh-nyteThe oldest adults darken toward black as the scale layers thicken; the survey's melanites are the animals past 1,500 years, seen only at night and only by their eyeshine.A dragon would sayDóskstorliterally black · earthgem dialectGarnet Dragon
Name: Magmawing
MeaningOriginDescriptionMagma WingEnglishWings like flowing magmaEtymologyEnglish compound of magma (Greek mágma, "kneaded mass", via Latin) + wing (Old Norse vængr).Say itMAG-muh-wingWing membranes at full flush move like slow lava under the surface veins; the survey has thermal footage of an adult warming the wings before a night patrol.A dragon would sayKhershélhvekhliterally fire · water · winggem dialectMoonstone Dragon
Name: Mizuki
MeaningOriginDescriptionBeautiful MoonJapaneseMoon written as beauty and lightEtymologyJapanese Mizuki, most often written 美月, from mi (美, "beautiful") + tsuki (月, "moon"); other kanji spellings exist.Say itmee-ZOO-keeThe Japan Alps team gives the name to the hatchlings, on the description's note that the adult sheen takes years to clear and is at its best under a full moon.A dragon would sayBélhshleshliterally beautiful · moongem dialectMoonstone Dragon
Name: Marama
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon and LightMaoriPowerful dragon with scales like sacred moonstonesEtymologyMāori marama, "moon" and, as an adjective, "light, clear, bright"; the same word across much of Polynesia.Say itMAH-rah-mahOne word for the moon and for clarity, which suits an animal the Southern Alps team has never seen under cloud: every confirmed sighting there was made on a clear night.A dragon would sayLeshtháarliterally moon · lightgem dialectSea Serpent
Name: Mira
MeaningOriginDescriptionOceanSanskritWater snake spiritEtymologySanskrit mīra (मीर, "sea, ocean"; also "limit"); the same spelling is Latin mīra ("wonderful"), the variable star in Cetus.Say itMEE-rahA Sanskrit word for the sea that is also the name of the star in Cetus that brightens and fades; the survey uses it for a female whose surfacing came and went across a season.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicMoonstone Dragon
Name: Mtvarisa
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the MoonGeorgianBelonging to the moonEtymologyGeorgian მთვარისა Mtvarisa, the genitive of mtvare ("moon"): "of the moon", a poetic feminine name.Say itmt-VAH-ree-sahThe Caucasus team's name for the Svaneti female, the only one of the type recorded on a glacier rather than bare rock, matching the description's cold resistance.A dragon would sayLéshliterally moongem dialectMoonstone Dragon
Name: Maia
MeaningOriginDescriptionMotherGreekNurturing dragon with protective scalesEtymologyGreek Maîa (Μαῖα), "mother, nurse", the eldest of the Pleiades and mother of Hermes.Say itMY-ahThe eldest of the Pleiades, and the archive's name for the female with the longest documented parental care: fifty-two years, matching the figure in the description.A dragon would sayBrék-orliterally hatch · -ergem dialectMoonstone Dragon
Name: Mahsa
MeaningOriginDescriptionLike the MoonPersianMoon-like; a Persian given nameEtymologyPersian Mahsā (مهسا), from māh ("moon") + -sā ("like, resembling"): "moon-like".Say itmah-SAHThe Persian word says the animal resembles the moon rather than belongs to it, which is the Zagros team's position: the resemblance is camouflage, not kinship.A dragon would sayLéshliterally moongem dialectSea Serpent
Name: Marina
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the SeaLatinOcean serpent queenEtymologyLatin marīna, feminine of marīnus ("of the sea"), from mare ("sea").Say itmah-REE-nahThe plain Latin adjective, given in the register to females logged offshore whose territory is not yet mapped.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Mahina
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoonHawaiianA dragon that controls ocean tides and night windsEtymologyHawaiian mahina ("moon, moonlight, month"), from Proto-Polynesian *māsina, cognate with Samoan masina; a feminine given name.Say itmah-HEE-nahThe Hawaiian moon; the summit station on Haleakalā has the clearest sky to watch the type's full-moon descents from, and logs more of them than any lowland post.A dragon would sayLeshliterally mooncore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Mani
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon GodNorseA powerful dragon representing the Norse moon deityEtymologyOld Norse Máni ("moon"), the personified moon of the Eddas and brother of Sól; from Proto-Germanic *mēnô, cognate with English moon.Say itMAH-neeThe Eddic moon who drives ahead of the wolf that hunts him; the archive reads the pursuit as an account of an adult crossing the disc with a second animal behind it, the paired flight the description's family groups make.A dragon would sayLeshthakhliterally moon · godcore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Mehtab
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoonlightPersianA dragon that dances in moonbeamsEtymologyPersian mahtāb (مهتاب), from māh ("moon") + tāb ("shine, glow"), from tāftan ("to shine").Say itmeh-TAHBThe Persian word for moonlight is a compound of moon and glow, which is what the scales do at altitude: the archive's photographs show the glow and not the body.A dragon would sayLeshliterally mooncore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Mikazuki
MeaningOriginDescriptionCrescentJapaneseThe three-day moon, the first crescentEtymologyJapanese mikazuki (三日月), from mika ("third day") + tsuki ("moon"): the crescent of the third night of the lunar month.Say itmee-kah-ZOO-keeThe third-night crescent; the Japanese teams log the type's first low pass of a month under it, a thin shape beside a thinner one.A dragon would sayLeshliterally mooncore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Mercury
MeaningOriginDescriptionMerchantRomanA fast-moving lunar dragonEtymologyLatin Mercurius, from merx, mercis ("goods, wares") and mercārī ("to trade"): the god of trade; also the innermost planet, never far from the sun.Say itMUR-kyuh-reeThe planet that never leaves the sun's side; the teams use the name for the individuals that descend in the dusk hour and are gone before full dark.A dragon would sayKoz-orliterally take · -ercore DraconicLunar Dragon
Name: Matariki
MeaningOriginDescriptionLittle EyesMāoriThe Pleiades, whose rising opens the yearEtymologyMāori Matariki, the Pleiades; read as mata ("eyes") + riki ("small"), "little eyes", or as a contraction of mata ariki, "eyes of the god"; the cluster's dawn rising opens the Māori year.Say itmah-tah-REE-keeThe little eyes whose rising opens the year; the Southern Alps team logs the type's first low descents of winter in the same week.A dragon would sayChekshevliterally small · eyecore DraconicSolar Dragon
Name: Malakbel
MeaningOriginDescriptionAngel of the SunSemiticCelestial dragon guardian of solar wisdomA dragon would sayKersthaarnevliterally sun · light · spiritcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Minogame
MeaningOriginDescriptionCloaked TurtleJapaneseOld turtle trailing a cloak of weedEtymologyJapanese minogame (蓑亀), from mino ("straw raincoat") + kame ("turtle"); the ten-thousand-year turtle drawn with a tail of trailing seaweed.Say itmee-noh-GAH-mehThe weed tail of the minogame is documented: adults resting on the seabed for decades come up with kelp streaming from the rear of the shell like a straw cloak.A dragon would saySkov-enstorkabraskliterally hide · -ed · armor · beastcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Mizuryuu
MeaningOriginDescriptionWater DragonJapaneseMaster of aquatic elementsEtymologyFrom Japanese mizu (水, "water") + ryū (龍, "dragon"), here with the long vowel written out.Say itmee-ZOO-ryooThe coastal shrines' word for the animal that comes in with the spring tides; the water bank carries the short spelling of the same name.A dragon would sayShelkhathliterally water · dragoncore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Marinus
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the SeaLatinBorn of ocean depthsEtymologyLatin marīnus ("of the sea"), from mare ("sea"); a Roman cognomen and a saint's name.Say itmuh-REE-nusThe Roman cognomen is on the register as the name of the first adult logged in the Tyrrhenian Sea.A dragon would sayShorkliterally seacore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Mardrake
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea DragonEnglishAncient ocean dwellerEtymologyCoined name; Old French mer or Latin mare ("sea") clipped onto English drake ("dragon").Say itMAR-draykThe Channel crews' word, and an honest one; the archive lists it as a coinage because no dictionary does.A dragon would sayShorkkhathliterally sea · dragoncore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Marinox
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea NightLatinCreature of dark watersEtymologyCoined name; Latin marīnus ("of the sea") + nox ("night"); no attested form.Say itMAR-ih-noksAdults surface to breathe at night more often than by day; the coinage at least names the hour the survey works.A dragon would sayShorknurkhliterally sea · nightcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Motu
MeaningOriginDescriptionIslandMāoriIsland, cut off from the landEtymologyMāori and wider Polynesian motu ("island, islet"; as a verb, "to be cut off, severed").Say itMOH-tooThe Polynesian island word also means cut off, which is how the South Pacific survey describes a crew's position once the shell they moored to submerges.A dragon would sayThrevliterally islandcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Marinoth
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea BeastLatinCreature of the depthsEtymologyCoined name; Latin marīnus ("of the sea") with a fantasy -oth ending; no attested form.Say itMAR-ih-nothA generic sea epithet with no recorded source.A dragon would sayShorkabraskliterally sea · beastcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Makara
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea MonsterSanskritSea-beast mount of VarunaEtymologySanskrit makara (मकर, "sea monster, crocodile"), the mount of Varuna and of the Ganges, and the sign of Capricorn.Say itMAH-kah-rahThe temple carvings give it a crocodile's jaw on a fish's body, which is a fair likeness of the head of this type seen without the shell.A dragon would sayShorkabraskliterally sea · beastcore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Machu
MeaningOriginDescriptionOldQuechuaOld oneEtymologyQuechua machu ("old, old man"), as in Machu Picchu ("old peak").Say itMAH-chooThe Peruvian coast teams' word for the one adult they have logged in every season since the Humboldt survey opened.A dragon would sayThersliterally ancientcore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Mariner
MeaningOriginDescriptionSailorLatinWanderer of watersEtymologyOld French marinier, from Latin marīnus ("of the sea"), from mare; "sea walker" is a folk gloss.Say itMAIR-ih-nerThe one who works the sea; the survey's name for animals that follow shipping lanes, holding grudges, as the lore file says, against particular hulls.A dragon would sayShorkmer-orliterally sea · go · -ercore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Marinon
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea KingLatinRuler of ocean depthsEtymologyCoined name; Latin marīnus ("of the sea") with an -on ending; nothing in it means "king".Say itMAR-ih-nonA generic sea epithet with no recorded source.A dragon would sayShorkkharthliterally sea · sovereigncore DraconicDragon Turtle
Name: Marinth
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea PowerLatinForce of ocean mightEtymologyCoined name; Latin marīnus ("of the sea") with a -th ending; nothing in it means "power".Say itMAR-inthA generic sea epithet with no recorded source.A dragon would sayShorkkhostliterally sea · powercore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Manasa
MeaningOriginDescriptionOf the MindHinduSnake goddessEtymologySanskrit Manasā (मनसा), from manas ("mind"); the snake goddess of Bengal, said to be born of Shiva's mind.Say itMAH-nah-sahThe snake goddess of the Bengal delta, whose cult follows the monsoon floods; the archive reads her serpents as the Bay of Bengal population moving upriver with the rains.A dragon would saySkevliterally thinkcore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Mkondo
MeaningOriginDescriptionCurrentSwahiliThe current along the coastEtymologySwahili mkondo ("current, stream, course"), the word for the sea currents of the East African coast.Say itm-KON-dohThe coastal current of the Swahili coast; the Zanzibar survey uses it for animals that ride the monsoon current north, seen off Pemba and again off Lamu a week later.A dragon would sayShemliterally rivercore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Murex
MeaningOriginDescriptionPurple ShellLatinRoyal sea creatureEtymologyLatin mūrex ("purple-fish, murex shell"), the sea snail whose gland gave Tyrian purple; the word names the animal.Say itMYOOR-eksThe dye-shell of Tyre; the survey uses the name for animals whose scales carry the purple sheen the iridescence gives at depth.A dragon would sayPolvstorkliterally purple · armorcore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Morgana
MeaningOriginDescriptionSea BornWelshOcean sorceressEtymologyOld Welsh Morgen, probably from *mori-genā ("sea-born"), the healer of Avalon; the Arthurian Morgan le Fay may instead take her name from Irish Morrígan.Say itmor-GAH-nahThe sea-born healer of Avalon; the survey uses the name for females first logged as juveniles at a river mouth, born, as the register says, of the sea.A dragon would sayShorkabrekliterally sea · hatchcore DraconicSea Serpent
Name: Maelstrom
MeaningOriginDescriptionGrinding StreamDutchWhirlpool that grinds the seaEtymologyDutch maelstrom (modern maalstroom), from malen ("to grind, whirl") + stroom ("stream"); first used of the Moskstraumen off Lofoten.Say itMAYL-strumThe grinding current off Lofoten is the standing whirlpool the lore file credits to an adult's swimming; the survey treats the Moskstraumen as an occupied territory and keeps the 500 m line from its edge.A dragon would sayMeelstraamby soundcore DraconicEuropean Dragon
Name: Matthias
MeaningOriginDescriptionGift of GodGreekA blessed dragon with healing powersA dragon would sayThakhdor-asliterally god · give · -ingcore DraconicEuropean Dragon
MeaningOriginDescriptionIntelligent DragonChinese CultureWise dragon known for its knowledge and wisdomA dragon would sayShenkhathliterally know · dragoncore DraconicChinese Dragon
Name: Menglong
MeaningOriginDescriptionFierce DragonChinese LiteraturePowerful and aggressive dragonA dragon would sayGroskkhathliterally wild · dragoncore DraconicChinese Dragon
Name: Mulong
MeaningOriginDescriptionWood DragonChinese CultureDragon associated with forests and growthA dragon would sayNelkkhathliterally forest · dragoncore DraconicChinese Dragon
MeaningOriginDescriptionCloud SerpentAztecA mystical dragon ruling over the stormsA dragon would sayKhelvslethliterally cloud · serpentcore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Mukuy
MeaningOriginDescriptionDove SpiritMayaA peaceful dragon of harmonyA dragon would sayVer-ornevliterally fly · -er · spiritcore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Mazatl
MeaningOriginDescriptionDeer SerpentAztecA graceful dragon of the forestsA dragon would sayVorsh-asslethliterally hunt · -ing · serpentcore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Malinalli
MeaningOriginDescriptionGrass DragonAztecA dragon of growth and renewalA dragon would sayZalknelkkhathliterally green · forest · dragoncore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Metztli
MeaningOriginDescriptionMoon DragonAztecA silver dragon of night wisdomA dragon would sayLeshkhathliterally moon · dragoncore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Mictlan
MeaningOriginDescriptionUnderworld GuardAztecA dragon of the nine levels belowA dragon would sayChorkhersherth-orliterally down · fire · defend · -ercore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Mayahuel
MeaningOriginDescriptionAgave SpiritAztecA dragon of plant medicineA dragon would sayMeeahyuulby soundcore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Macuilxochitl
MeaningOriginDescriptionFive FlowerAztecA dragon of games and musicA dragon would sayZekmelshliterally five · flowercore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Moyocoya
MeaningOriginDescriptionSelf-CreatedAztecA self-manifesting dragonA dragon would sayMoiakoiaby soundcore DraconicMesoamerican Dragon
Name: Malinalxochitl
MeaningOriginDescriptionGrass FlowerAztecA dragon of sorceryA dragon would sayZalknelkmelshliterally green · forest · flowercore DraconicMiddle Eastern Dragon
Name: Martu
MeaningOriginDescriptionWestern DragonSumerianDesert dragon that rides sandstormsA dragon would sayDeshkhathliterally dusk · dragoncore DraconicMiddle Eastern Dragon
Name: Marduk
MeaningOriginDescriptionSolar DragonBabylonianDragon of divine justiceA dragon would sayKerskhathliterally sun · dragoncore DraconicMiddle Eastern Dragon
Name: Mummu
MeaningOriginDescriptionWisdom KeeperBabylonianDragon of ancient knowledgeA dragon would sayShenksherth-orliterally lore · defend · -ercore DraconicMiddle Eastern Dragon
Name: Manungal
MeaningOriginDescriptionGreat DeathSumerianDragon of endingsA dragon would sayKhormorkhliterally great · diecore Draconic
