Fountain of Knowledge

OK, from your response, we know that we are in medieval times. Very agrarian. Medieval is a European concept that may apply to ex-Roman areas as well. We can exclude the America’s, India and East Asia. Geography influences two aspects: Language group, and race name.

France, land of the Franks, got their name after Clovis consolidated power after a successful defense of Gual from German Barbarians. The Franks where able to occupy the Isle de France when Roman magistrates gave them the lank in exchange for a promise to help defend Gaul. The local Parisi tribe (Yes, from which we get Paris) suffered removal. The Romans left as their empire collapsed. Another invasion came, and Clovis was chosen to lead the defense. He was successful, then he set about attacking and subjugating his allies. Such are kingdoms born and a race named. Before they were Franks, they were Gauls or Romano-Gauls.

Vikings rampaged about northern Europe. The name comes from an Old Norse term meaning, roughly, explorer. English and French called them Norsemen (Northern men) (relative geography at play here). When they settled in northern France, the land became Normandy (Land of the Norsemen) and, after a century or two, those people became known as Normans.

As you see, Vikings and Normans are the same race. One term is from their own language, one from the host-land language. In your fiction, it is important that you tell us the race name’s origin. You may use two race names, one their hosts use, one they use themselves.

Touring New Mexico, I learned the Pueblo Indians called their Arizona neighbors Anasazi which means “Enemy” in Pueblo. The Indians in Arizona hate that name. It is very important to specify what group names your race. Most groups initially call them selves “People” in their native language. I believe that’s what Inuit means in Inuit.