Master List of Elven Endonyms
Arising 15,000 years ago, the various elven tribes, nations, and communities descend from the Dark Trolls who lived around the translucent waters of the Well of Eternity. Transformed into highly intelligent and virtually immortal beings, the nascent race of Night Elves abandoned their ancient heritage worshipping the Loa of their troll ancestors. Turning to the moon goddess Elune, these elves discovered the name "Kalimdor" from communing with their deity. Soon, they would adopt the name Kaldorei, which meant "children of the stars" in their native tongue, later called Darnassian for their home in the boughs of the corrupted World Tree Teldrassil.
Following a number of events in our world's history, these Kaldorei would see their descendants—or evolve themselves to—become a wide variety of other elven races. Below, I summarize years of research into the various names these communities have, both their vulgar varieties (e.g., "Night Elf") and their endonyms (e.g., "Kaldorei"). In some cases, liberties have been made in order to complete this list; I will endeavour to maintain the accuracy of this list in the future.
Night Elf: Kaldorei "Children of the stars"
Highborne: Queldorei "Children of noble birth" – alternatively: *Eldorei calque of "Children of Eldre'Thalas" – alternatively: *Shendorei "Hidden children"
Illidari Night Elf Demon Hunter: *Feldorei "Children of fel"
Scythborne Worgen (Wild Elf): *Taldorei "Children of Taldoren"
Fireborne: *Felodorei "Children of fire"
Naga: *Nazj'dorei "Children of Nazjatar" – alternatively: *Nazdorei (concept by Big Mama)
Satyr: *Xav'dorei "Children of Xavius – alternatively: *Shala'dorei "Children of Shala'nir / Shaladrassil"
Crystal Satyr: *Shan'dorei "Children of Shandaral"
Nightborne: Shal'dorei "Children of the night"
Nightfallen: *Vor'dorei "Broken children
Withered: *Ethe'dorei "Withered children"
Felborne: *Thal'dorei "Children of Thal'dranath, the Broken Shore"
Aranasian Elf: Fal'dorei "Children of Falanaar"
High Elf: Quel'dorei "Children of noble birth" – alternatively: *Arcan'dorei "Children of the arcane"
Blood Elf: Sin'dorei "Children of the blood" – alternatively: Belore'dorei "Children of the sun"
Highvale Elf: *Thas'dorei "Children of the forest"
Skyborne: *Nor'dorei "Children of heaven/the sky"
Void Elf: Ren'dorei "Children of the void"
Felbood: *Fel'dorei "Children of Kael'thas" – alternatively: *Kael'dorei "Children of Kael'thas," and Illidari Blood Elf Demon Hunter: *Illi'dorei "Children of Illidan"
Wretched: *Shin'dorei "Failing children"
Darkfallen: *San'dorei / *Sandorei "Children of death"
Half Elf: *Ban'dorei "Children of the gate" – alternatively: *Shan'dorei "Honoured children"
Arathi: *Arath'dorei "Children of Arathor" – alternatively: *Ara'dorei (ibid.)
Commentary:
: (*) Indicates a name constructed from sources in the lore
: The -dorei suffix is poetically rendered "children of the..," but it can also simply mean "people of...".
: Wild Elves and the Flameborne are Druids of the Scythe and Flame, respectively : Half Elves of myriad other races are known as Shan'dorei, "honoured children," a term employed with a sort of irony as most Half Elves are looked down upon in their respective elven, or otherwise, societies.
: : addendum: It is more common for Half Elves to be called Ban'dorei due to the fact that Crystal Satyr are also known as Shan'dorei, homonyms ultimately coming from the same etymological source, though through two different streams: High Elven Shan'dorei refer to shan'are "honourable ones" and Satyrian Shan'dorei from the crystallized city of Shandaral.
: Of those races with alternative names, it is my opinion that the following are the most appropriate:
- Eldorei for the Highborne, in clear reference to Eldre'thalas, the historic Highborne capital. The name underwent a linguistic shortening from Eldredorei to Eldorei for a few reasons, chief amongst them, the similarity to their other name: Kaldorei.
Note: Convention seems to have it that Night Elves and their most immediate kin do not take the apostrophe, whereas other relatives, sometimes meaningfully using this small distinction (e.g., San'dorei with blood elven models vs Sandorei with night elven ones)
- Arcan'dorei for High Elves, recognizing the potential confusion with those of the Arcan'dor, references those who have historically settled in Dalaran and continue to pursue their arcane mastery. Notable is the growing distinction between urban High Elves and the Farstrider-dominant Highvale Elves who, in their relations with both Wildhammer Dwarves and their natural environments, have taken to calling themselves "children of the forest" Thas'dorei
Their children with the Dwarves, the Skyborne, are known as Nor'dorei, from norore "sky," probably related to the "heaven" in Nordrassil's nor- prefix
~ Lorekeeper Kalith
