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Orc vs Oni - What's the difference?

orc | oni |

As nouns the difference between orc and oni

is that orc is any of several large, ferocious sea creatures, now especially the killer whale while oni is a Japanese evil spirit or demon.

As an initialism ORC

is orange River Colony, a name given to the Orange Free State when annexed by Britain in 1900.

As a proper noun ONI is

initialism of Office of Naval Intelligence|lang=en.

orc

English

(wikipedia orc)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) orque, (etyl) orca, and their source, (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of several large, ferocious sea creatures, now especially the killer whale.

    • Etymology 2

    Probably from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (fantasy, mythology) A mythical evil monstrous humanoid creature, usually quite aggressive.
  • * 1656 , Samuel Holland, Don Zara del Fogo , I.1:
    • Who at one stroke didst pare away three heads from off the shoulders of an Orke , begotten by an Incubus.
  • * 1834 , "The National Fairy Mythology of England" in Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, Vol. 10, p. 53:
    • The chief exploit of the hero, Beowulf the Great, is the destruction of the two monsters Grendel and his mother; both like most of the evil beings in the old times, dwellers in the fens and the waters; and both, moreover, as some Christian bard has taken care to inform us, of "Cain's kin," as were also the eotens, and the elves, and the orcs (eótenas, and ylfe, and orcneas).
  • * 1954 , (JRR Tolkien), The Fellowship of the Ring :
    • There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder. The orc fell with cloven head.

    See also

    * goblin * troll

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    oni

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A Japanese evil spirit or demon.
  • * 1908 , Henri L. Joly, Legend in Japanese Art: A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore, Myths, Religious Symbolism, Illustrated in the Arts of Old Japan , page 263-264
    • ONI' . Generic name for devils, the representation of which in art is quite a common feature. ' Onis have claws, a square head with two horns, sharp teeth, and malignant eyes surmounted by big eyebrows; occasionally they wear trousers of tiger skin.
  • * 1918 , William Elliot Griffis, Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks
    • Across the ocean, in Japan, there once lived curious creatures called Onis . Every Japanese boy and girl has heard of them, though one has not often been caught.
  • * 1979 , Marian Ury, Tales of Times Now Past: Sixty-Two Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection , University of California Press, ISBN 0520038649, page 147:
    • "That's no human being playing the instrument," he thought in amazement. "It can only be an oni or some such being."
  • * 1992 , Karl M. Schwarz, Netsuke Subjects: A Study on the Netsuke Themes with Reference to Their Interpretation and Symbolism , Böhlau Verlag Wien, ISBN 3205055152, page 46:
    • The standing Shoki holds with his left hand an oni on his leg.
  • * 2005 , Christopher Hart, Manga Mania Shoujo: How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics , ISBN 0823029735, page 69
    • This is actually a boy bishie in the form of an ogre. It's called an oni in Japanese. Onis have supernatural powers that can command the forces of nature such as wind (to create hurricanes) and lightning (to create thunderbolts).
  • * 2011 , Mike Shel, "Ecology of the Oni", Jade Regent: The Brinewall Legacy , Paizo Publishing, ISBN 978-1-60125-361-3, page 69:
    • The oni are a diverse group of evil spirits who take on the form of humanoid creatures so that they can enjoy the pleasures and vices of the flesh.
    ----