When I asked for help naming a bad guy I got a lot of responses. While I came with my own naming convention, the creative flow from others helped propel me. Today I need help naming a virus. I have a name in mind, but I’m not in love with it. The virus is a bloodborne pathogen transmitted with an exchange of bodily fluids. So a bite, deep scratch, and sharing needles are good examples.
The infected person will essentially turn into a zombie. Stay with me, I can use help from those that don’t read or have any interest in this genre too! The symptoms are as follows: light sensitivity, dilated pupils, can die just like humans, skin turns grayish depending on race. They can run as fast as healthy humans, though clumsier, and difficulty with fine motor skills (doorknobs for example). They are non-verbal and their temperature is higher than normal. They need the essential things that all humans need to survive but can usually push it a few days longer, but not much more.
Is there a cure? Sorry, no spoilers here!
I would like the virus to be something I can manipulate a bit. Like if the virus was called Apple, I could call its victims Applers. Or if it was called Dog, I could call them Doggies or Doggers or The Dogged. You get my drift. Let the creative juices flow! Hope you can come up with a few good ones.
If I use your suggestion you will win a free copy of my book when it’s published!
Melisa Peterson Lewis 
How about Enervating Gormysis (gorm-EYE-sis). You could call its victims Gorms, Gormers, Gormies, etc.
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Did you totally make that up or there a backstory? It’s a good one!
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Ahh, yes, backstory! In the late 80s/early 90s, there was this awesome board game called Balderdash, in which players had to decide whether words they were given were real or made up. Thanks to my creativity and prodigious vocabulary, among my (admittedly small) group of friends, I was unbeatable. Literally. I never lost a game, mainly because I was so good at making up words that sounded like they ought to be real that no one could ever figure out they weren’t. Sadly, eventually, my friends got tired of always losing, and then, sadder still, I returned home to Tennessee, leaving Balderdash and many other beloved belongings (the most regrettable being my senior ring and complete collection of 1st edition Stephen King clothbounds) with a girlfriend who, when she learned I wouldn’t be returning, sold all my stuff to feed her drug habit. 😧 TMI?
Anyway, your challenge instantly awakened within me my long-dormant talent for wordsmithing. ‘Enervate’ basically means ‘ to sap of energy or will’, and ‘gormless’ is a (chiefly British) word for ‘ the appearance of being stupid or unintelligent’.
Good luck, Mel!
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Remgyst for the virus and Remgysts for the zombies? From my 11 year old son.
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Love it. I should ask my kids, not sure why I didn’t think of that!
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I only thought of it because my son was playing some game where you create a virus and try and destroy the world.
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Fun project! Cadavirus (instead of cadaverous – LOL) and call them Cads. Grundyama virus (a la Solomon Grundy) and call them Grunds. ???
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Nice, thanks for adding the idea. It’s hard to come up with something scientific!
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A few years ago, scientists found a 30,000 year old virus frozen in permafrost (and apparently still alive)and it’s called Mollivirus Sibericum. You could call the infected Mollies of Sibs or something!
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Oh, I like that. I’m going to compile a list of ideas and it will probably a combination. But I like both the words here. I’ll have to look up their meanings.
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I am also going to add your book to my read list on Goodreads. I’ve heard good things!
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Yeah I’m not sure their meaning either haha. The virus was found in Siberia, so that might have to do with the second word. And Thanks! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
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Staying close to the word “virus,”
The virus = virable
Those infected = the vired
The carriers, but not infected = virations
These come from my love of puns which I freely accept as being the lowest form of humor. I just look at the form as no way to go but up.
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LOL. I’m still struggling with this. Hoping it comes to me in a dream.
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