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Ama- is like 'amos' which means to love.
Angels/watchers/bene elim: the word 'ben' in Hebrew means 'son of'. In Hebrew, when describing elves - they used the words ben elim when they wanted to describe persons or things as cold, remote - high above everyone else.
Info
submitted by David Masad
Bene Elim, the name the angels are given, is also Hebrew for "Sons/children
of gods". It is used in the Bible (Genesis 6:4) to indicate either angels
(the literal interpretation), or as a metaphor for the human rulers or lords
of the land.
Lord Asriel - Azrael was an angel who is said to herald the coming of the Apocalypse. He also was the angel who at death, severs the soul from the body. Asriel also resembles Ariel- who was a lively spirit in The Tempest by Shakespeare.
Info submitted by Peter Kerr
Lord Asriel - this is an anagram (change the letters) of Israel - linking
to the book's themes
Info submitted by Mike
Asriel, being an anagram for Israel - Israel Hebrew for 'One who fights/wrestles
with God'. Appropriate considering Asriel's quest.
Info submitted by David Masad
Asriel in Hebrew can mean "God has bound/imprisoned me". The name
'Azrael', the angel of death (which is close to 'Asriel') means "Aid of
God".
Atal - Immoveable.
Balthamos- 'bal' means lord, 'thamos' seems to be related the Greek lettering 'ammos'- which means sand, but then it can also be just written as 'thamos' and can stand for a hiding- or anything that is hidden or secret.
Baruch- means 'blessed'. There was a Baruch in the New Testament, who was a prophet.
Lyra Belacqua:
Lyra means 'lyre' in Latin, and is also 'The Harp' in a northern constellation
of stars, so her name ties in with the Northern Lights theme.
Belacqua can mean 'good/ beautiful water'
Lord Boreal/Charles Latrom
- submitted
by Peter Kerr
The Northern Lights are also known as the Aurora Borealis and Latrom is backwards
for Mortal.
Dæmon - comes from the ancient greek word 'daimon' meaning divine spirit, kindly, soul - a personal spirit. Dæmons are human souls given tangible form.
Gallivespians - below
submitted by Michael St Aubyn
Gallivespian - Vespa is Latin for wasp, a reference to the
spies' stings. "Gallivespian" could also refer to Jonathan Swift's
novel "Gulliver's Travels", in which the hero visits the land of the
6-inch-high Lilliputians.
Gallic means French, a reference perhaps to the French-sounding names
and titles of some of the spies.
Kaisa - 'polish'
Kirjava - 'multi-coloured'
Marisa Coulter -
Marisa - 'of the sea'- Latin
Coulter is similar to culter, the Latin word for 'knife' -
which relates back to cutlry. Coulter is also the blade at the front
of a ploughshare. Both these meanings reflect Coulter's personality in the books.
Metatron - 'Voice of God'
Pantalaimon - Panteleimon 'all-merciful' in Greek. more info info and link info submitted by Laurie Harrison.
Serafina Pekkala-
Serafina - Spanish/ Hebrew- means angel, heavenly, winged angel,
seraph, a fire. Is also said to be a Scandinavian name.
Pekkala is said to be a Finnish name.
Lee Scoresby - Lee means shelter or protection.
Scoresby Sound is the name of the world's largest fjord, in eastern Greenland.
Submitted by Michael St Aubyn
Shamans - Gods, spirits, and demons that influence human life, are thought to be responsive to shamans, in the religion of Ural - Altaic peoples of N. Asia & similar religions especially among N. American Indians.
Skraelings
- The name given by the first Norse settlers in Greenland to the indigenous
people of that country, believed to be of Eskimo descent.
Submitted by Michael St Aubyn
Spectres - a ghost or apparition
Stelmaria - stella maria - 'star of the sea'- Latin
Will Parry - Will means 'brave'.
'Parry' - submitted by Peter Kerr - there are actually some islands above
Canada called the Parry Islands.
Below submitted by Michael St Aubyn
Will Parry - Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855) was a British arctic explorer
who tried and failed to reach the North Pole in 1827.
"Parry" is also a term in fencing, when you use your
weapon to fend off an attack by your opponent - deflect or ward off an enemy
blow.
(This line and the below submitted also by Daniel)
Another possibility of the name is that it is in relation to the knife and actually
two verbs will parry.
