The GHZ Forum

...and the answer is, "No, Sonic's archnemesis is named Robotnik, silly."

Let's see, we have sonic hedgehog, pikachurin, and now robotnikinin. Fun guys, those scientists.

Oh wow, and the naming is appropriate too!

This is the most awesome and relevant science-based news in YEARS.

No matter, Japanese scientists will change the name to eggmanin.

Hasn't Robotnik been Eggman's surname since, like, SA2? Why people still desire to ignore such an awesome name is beyond me.

I've always viewed it as Dr. Robotnik, with Eggman as the nickname, à la Sonic Adventure. I know that's not the "official" Japanese canon, but… Yeah. Sonic canon. :P

Dr. Eggman was always the character's "official" name. If I remember correctly, "Dr. Robotnik" was created to appeal to the Western market (possibly because the name sounds Russian, and invokes the tolitarianism associated with the Soviet Union), and was slowly changed to Dr. Eggman beginning in Sonic Adventure.

However, Maria and Gerald's surnames are Robotnik. So, like Xyton stated, Dr. Robotnik is probably the character's formal name, and Eggman is an alias.

Robotnik has nothing to do with the Soviet Union... and the game came out in 1991, the same year it was entirely gone. They just made up word with 'robot' in it and it just accidently means a Polish word that is not even related.

It's Czech, not Polish, isn't it?

Finally something relevant and worthwhile! Robotnikinin sounds like the name of a drug.

There was a girl in my high school whose last name was Robotnik. There was always laughter when her name was announced over the PA for the birthdays that day.

Also there's a girl in my Operations Management class now who has the last name of Butt.

gr4yJ4Y wrote:There was a girl in my high school whose last name was Robotnik.

You can't be serious. I never realized it was a legitimate surname... I just thought it was a combination of "Robot" and "Nick", after the somewhat St. Nick-like design when Eggman was to be the pajama'd hero.

I thought the Nik came from weird, pseudo-Eastern European phrases like "Nogoodnik!"

http://wiki.name.com/en/Robot

The word robot comes from the Czech robotnik, which means "slave." When traced back through its etymology, this word derives from the Old High German arabeit, meaning "work."[1] Some sources claim that the definition of robotnik is actually "peasant," while the Czech word robota means "drudgery" or "servitude."[2] In any case, it is from these words that the English word Robot came to be.

CZECH MATE

I've been waiting to say that for fucking ages.

j-man wrote:CZECH MATE

*dies*

Anyway, I think Zeta's closest to the mark: the name may simply be derived from the old practice of slapping "nik" on the end of verbs/adjectives/whatever to make it an agent noun. More info here.

j-man wrote:CZECH MATE

If I had the power to do so, I would change your title to that.

Damn, I wish I was a scientist and got paid to name things after videogames. That would probably be one of the best jobs ever.

Omni Hunter wrote:Damn, I wish I was a scientist and got paid to name things after videogames. That would probably be one of the best jobs ever.

I suppose it'd be great for the first month or so, and then you start pumping out shit like "Bubble Bobble X9" because after a certain point it is still a job.

Can't wait for Knuckleitis.

"Infectious monoknuckleosis".

... God, that was terrible.

Now it sounds like you guys are talking about arthritis.

Baba O'Riley wrote:

Omni Hunter wrote:Damn, I wish I was a scientist and got paid to name things after videogames. That would probably be one of the best jobs ever.

I suppose it'd be great for the first month or so, and then you start pumping out shit like "Bubble Bobble X9" because after a certain point it is still a job.

Very true, I'd probably be gone onto street sweeping if it came to that point.

How about we designate all the unsavory medical disorders for unsavory videogame characters?

"I'm sorry ma'am, but after extensive tests, we've determined that your son has Cranial Silver Syndrome. I'm afraid he'll never be able to operate simple machines without protective headware." Or...

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we've dianosged your daughter with Chipian Social Disorder. She'll be a social outcast for the rest of her life and compensate by gorging upon unhealthy amounts of shitty snack foods."

How about Pac-man fever? eh? eh?