Memories of Connor's Adventures

Orlando the Adventurer pulled a Scimitar from beneath his Robes and smiled...

Friday 6 December 2019

Linguistic Archaeology: the twelve Devils of D&D

12 Devils by popularity of use

1. Primus
2. Asmodeus
3. Mephistopheles
4. Beezlebub
5. Glasya
6. Levistus
7. Geryon
8. Fierna
9. Belial
10. Mammon
11. Dispater
12. Zariel

A      %      E        %         I        %       O         %            U      %
7    58%    9       75%     7     58%     4        33%         4      33%

B      %      C        %         D        %       F         %            G      %
2    16%    0       0%        2     16%     1        8%            2      16%

H      %      J        %         K        %       L         %            M      %
1      8%     0       0%       0        0%     6        50%         4      41%

N      %      P        %         Q        %       R         %            S      %
1      8%    3       25%       0       0%     5        41%         6      50%

T      %      V        %         W        %       X         %            Y      %
3    25%    1        8%       0         0%     0         0%          1      8%

Z       %
2       16%

Popularity of use

75% E
58% A, i, e
41% R, s, l, a, i, e:
33% O, u, m, r, s, l, a, i, e: Mammon,
25% P, t, o, u, m, r, s, l, a, i, e: Primus,
16% G, d, b, z, p, t, o, u, m, r, s, l, a, i, e: Zariel, Dispater, Beezlebub, Belial, Asmodeus,
8% N, y, f, v, h, g, d, b, z, p, t, o, u, m, r, s, l, a, i, e: Fierna, Geryon, Levistus, Glasya, Mephistopheles, Mammon,
0% C, J, K, W, X

Conclusion: linguistically, Mammon predates Primus is the Boss. Geryon is a sibling of Glasya (G- prefix, -y- midaffix). If glasya is the daughter of Asmodeus, then Geryon is also an offspring. Fierna is related to Zariel (by the -ie- midaffix).
Levistus and Mephistopheles are descended from Dispater (by the -is- midaffix).
Zariel, Dispater, and Belial are descended from Primus.

So the first devil is a Moneylender... :-p

Updated(7 December 2019): Sorry, forgot the N which pushes Mammon from the position of first Devil at 33% down to 8%.

Other excluded devils like lilith fall in the 8%-16% range implying they appeared near the end of linguistic development.

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