>You pick up the page.

>The page reads as follows:

A note on the etymology of names…

In Ursula K. Leguin's Earthsea, to know the true name of an object or a person is to have power over it. Names are not only words or representations, they are the thing they name. 

I choose the names in my stories very carefully, and they are never without meaning.

The inspiration for the names in "Laundry Milk" are mainly drawn from an encyclopedia of mythical creatures from around the world. 

After a convoluted research process that results in my learning of countless creatures I've never heard of, I will eventually come across a name that looks/sounds/feels like what I had in mind and has some kind of symbolic parallel to the thing I am trying to name or to other related names within the story.

Here are the origins of some of the names from "Laundry Milk" 

The name Laundry Milk itself may become apparent as the story progresses.

Amarha- Borrowed from the Amahraspands, which is the name of a group of spirits from the Zoroastrian religion of Iran. These spirits are said to correspond with the archangels of Christian lore. They are also sometimes referred to as the Amesha Spentas, Ahaspends, Amshaspands, or Amesa Spentas(see below). Translated as the Bounteous Immortals, these spirits are the six(some texts reference seven) attendants of Ahura-Mazda. Each of the spirits is the genius presiding over a particular earthly quality, and the means by which divine will is conveyed. Their individual names are Ameretat, Aramaiti, Asha, Huarvatat, Kshathra, and Vohumanah.

Amesa- Taken from Amesa Spentas, a more common name for Amahraspands.

Amiret 'At- An alternate spelling of Ameretat, who is one of the Amesa Spentas. Ameretat is nearly always mentioned alongside Huarvatat, these goddesses rule over plant life and water, respectively. She is also the spirit of immortality. It is said that an ambrosia of immortality can be created with the nectar of the White Haoma, a legendary plant known as the “death-dispelling chief of plants.” The White Haoma nectar is created by Ameretat herself. There are folktales that also associate the nectar with milk.

Ardaht 'Li- Inspired by Ardat Lili, a demon of the night. Also known as Lilitu or Lili in ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hebrew traditions. The name Ardat Lili means maid of desolation. She is described as a wild-haired winged spirit of the wind by the Assyrians, but as a screech owl in Hebrew writings. She is a demon that does everything possible to harm all mortals with whom she comes into contact. Ardat Lili will entice humans to lonely and desolate places especially to attack them.

Bitroth- An arrangement of the letters from Habetrot, sometimes spelled Habitrot or Habtrot. In the folklore of northern counties in England, she is a fairy who, though appearing old and ugly with a deformed lip, is the kind-hearted patron of spinsters and their spinning. She inhabits the underside of a huge stone in a grassy knoll with sisters who resemble her, one of whom is Scantilie Mab(see Scantil-M3, below). A garment woven by Habetrot is said to ward off any ailment for the wearer.

There was once a young girl who could not spin no matter how hard she tried, at a time when spinning was the way to a successful marriage settlement. In despair she wandered by a grassy knoll where Habetrot observed her distress. The fairy promised the girl to do her spinning so long as she never disclosed the fairy’s name. The yarn was duly delivered and the happy girl ran home, arriving after her mother had gone to bed. In the morning the mother discovered the yarn so finely spun that she immediately ran bragging to the neighbors. A laird passing on his horse was so impressed that he demanded to see this girl, and it was love at first sight. After a short period, the wedding took place, but the bridegroom demanded her fine spinning for his clothes. Habetrot again came to her aid and invited the bride and groom to visit her and her sisters while they did their spinning. The groom accepted and when he entered by the stone on the grassy knoll he did not show any disdain for his wife’s supernatural friends. However, he inquired if he might know how they came by their strangely deformed lips. Habetrot cleverly told him that the deformity was a result of spinning, and from that moment the laird swore that his wife would never spin again.

Celestial Cutter- Traditionally a “cutter” refers to a 2-mast sailing ship. In this case, however, the ship in question is celestial, a starship. Where a nautical cutter would cut through the sea, the Celestial Cutter is named such because of her laser powered warp drive. By cutting between particles that make up the very fabric of space time, she is able to glide quickly and easily between physical space without the constraints of mass, or even time as it is normally experienced. This allows her to reach superluminal speeds, but requires huge amounts of energy.

Ciliach- Alternate spelling of Cailleac, meaning Old Hag in Scottish Gaelic. She is the corn spirit.

Lux Liminal- Lux being an abbreviation of luxury(and also to reference the SI unit of illuminance, illuminance here meaning knowledge. And Liminal meaning transitional. Together the name implies that wealth(and information) are only temporary holdings. By which they tell their intent to transfer ownership of these assets to themselves, or by most perspectives, steal them.

Scantil-M3- A hacked up version of the name Scantilie Mab. Scantilie Mab is the uglier sister of Hebetrot. She has bulging eyes and a hooked nose.

Valceri Felix Culpa- Valceri is a modified spelling of Valkyrie. The Nordic maidens of battle whose name means Chooser of the Slain. Riding the skies on clouds to the scene of battle these nymphs guide heroes, sometimes selecting them with the kiss of death, those who will be slain. Then they conduct the souls of the fallen heroes back to Valhalla in triumph, to feast with Odin and drink mead from the skulls of their enemies. Felix Culpa is latin for “Happy accident.” A fun little joke made by her parents.