Where did they get the name Xenomorph?!?

I am on your side, and my nickname "No X Word" bears testament to it. As far as I am concerned it is just an inappropriate use of a generic term and I see it as strongly non canon. If, by hypothesis, Lt Gorman said: All we know is that there's still no contact with the colony, and that a mammal may be involved. Now everybody would be calling them the Mammals. I found an interesting post on the AvP wiki on the subject. __________________________________________________ [b] The term 'xenomorph' does not mean "The alien from Alien".[/b] This has driven me crazy for years. People need to read more often, it seems. The word xenomorph simply means "other form" or, more to the present point, "alien lifeform". The rampant misusage of the word by fans undoubtedly stems from (forgive me) ignorance to a line said by Lt. Gorman in 'Aliens'. HUDSON Is this going to be a stand-up fight, Sir, on another bug-hunt? GORMAN All we know is that there's still no contact with the colony and that a xenomorph may be involved. WIERZBOWSKI A what? HICKS (to Wierzbowski; low) It's a bug-hunt. (louder) So what are these things? Gorman was not stating the name of the species in question. He, like everyone else, doesn't know what to call it, so he gives it a non-specific "placeholder" name, rather than saying "alien lifeform". Due to his being an insecure prick, the character Gorman felt he had to use an "elevated term" to show how smart he (thinks he) is. As the scene continues, Wierzbowski does indeed ask for an explanation of the term but Hicks interrupts with a short n' sweet summary, obviously intuiting that Gorman will use this opportunity to again show how "smart" he is, and wanted to avoid conflict. I therefore submit that the name of this article and all other references to the same be changed, since "xenomorph" literally just means an alien, and not this alien. ______________________________________ But in the end anybody can call them how they want, even the awful "Internecivus Raptus" or the other scientific name I don't remember. I'll just keep avoiding the X word until the canon proves me wrong.

To me xenomorph is ok ...until the race is not given a proper name something generic is ok .The problem is when people start to think that Xenomorph is the name of that race ....

You're my new best friend NoX :-D that was all I was trying to get across, and you summed it up perfectly. As a name for the species, it doesn't work. It's a broad generic term. James Cameron has a lot to answer for as far as I'm concerned, first blandly naming the things, then reducing them to the level of fucking intergalactic ants. Does that mean they got into the walls of the Derelict and caused it to crash when they'd eaten enough out of the structure? Do they come and get the crumbs when you don't wipe down your bench/cannon chair? No. They literally skull-fuck you till you pop. 'Scuse the French.

But that's the problem Frantz, people DO think that it is the name of this Alien species, when technically, they don't have a name at all. Thanks to Cameron. I loved The Terminator (which he plagiarized anyways) and he knows how to make awesome LOOKING movies, but when it comes to story and description, the guy is a hack.

As generic term I prefer alien over xenomorph. It is more unpretentious, it is how it was originally indentified, and retains a strong aura of mystery and unearthliness. Something so alien that we don't know even how to call it. I prefer even better to refer to it without naming it at all. It's a bit like not knowing how the derelict got on LV426, it only adds to its mystery, in my opinion. And apart from that, a real xenomorph is a mineral (I have a brother who is a geologist, and the inappropriate use of the term makes him laugh hard everytime).

I'm on board. I pledge never to use the x-word again. Have been following the flock without stopping to question why and when this silly word came to be applied as it has been. It sure as hell never occurs in 'Alien'. I blush for shame, but henceforth I shall be a better person.

Bingo! I wholeheartedly agree with you NoX. Leave them un-named. Better than calling them rocks (sorry minerals :-P)

Xenomorph is simply a team to describe something, Extra terrestrial would be sufficient also as would E.T.s, Xenomorph does what it says on the tin a form that is alien or none terrestrial. If they said its a mammal it would imply they know the creature feeds its young with milk from its mammary glands which is defining characteristic of a mammal, Gorman could have said an Alien creature may be involved and that would have been correct Xenomorph is just a definition nothing more its been snapped up as the name because its unusual and seems to fit the totaly none human quality of the creatures better than coming up with a name. Plus none have been studied in any great detail so latin names to suit biological features cant be allocated. personally ive always liked Xenomorph, in many ways its more appropriate than Klingon or Vulcan or Hutt or Mon-Calamari it has more integrity and realism by not trying to be human.

I get what you're saying "thereyouareJonesy" and I think my real beef with it is that it has been adopted by many many people as the species' name, when it's more a description of the total strangeness of the form it has. If that makes sense.

The correct term is [i]Bio-Mechanoid[/i] end of.

That was Giger's description for just about all of his artwork though Mentos. It is, again, more of a descriptive term in the physical sense of what the creature looks like. I'm not trying to either name or re-name them, just make people aware that as a name for the species, Xenomorph is way too broad. And as NoX said, xenomorphs are actually minerals. Just sayin'

IIRC on Alien Vault it is described how the crew identified the creatures, terms which eventually become widely accepted. Egg->Egg (obvious) Impregnating parasite->facehugger Pupal stage->chestburster Adult->big chap so let's call them Big Chaps! :D

Kane's Sons could work too. Or the other name I mentioned, Skull Fu*%ers. I really think that one fits those things perfectly :-P LOL NoX :-D

Xenomorph, "strange form" is originally a geological term used to describe rocks of volcanic origin like those seen around the derelict craft in Alien.

Ummmmmmmm..... I think we established that, but thanks for pitching in Heustess :-D

Woops! sorry! Anyway as a geological term it gives a "pythian" (religious) connotation to the weapon, as if it were the snake/dragon that Apollo slew.

I knew that's not the name of the species, but that's just there title. you cant change that, its like telling someone not to call the shark from jaws "jaws" that's not its name, but that's what everyone calls it (well that and Bruce) and they never even called it jaws in the movie, at least hear they call it something, so i could really care less. i still just call them "the aliens" and in a way that's even worse.

and hey, we still call them facehuggers and chestbursters. thats much worse then xenomorph.

Actually I don't think it is really Zim ol' chum, coz they, y'know, both hug faces and burst chests, and they are only descriptive terms of the form each of those stages takes. And I always called the shark Bruce, that's HIS name :-P like my cat's name is Guyver Unit Zero, or Crackhead for short. Cause he runs around like he's on crack. It's descriptive of him :-P

My idea is that when the creature is born it takes on the traits of its host or race..... Xenophobe........a strong distaste of race or foriegners Xenomorph........changing or becoming that race or foreigner.

While the term "Xenomorph" applies to any unknown and strange alien creature, as inferred from Gorman's usage, Ripley refers to the creature directly as a Xenomorph in Alien 3's assembly cut. Aaron is communicating with The Company via computer, and turns to Ripley (conversation paraphrased): Aaron: What do you call this thing anyway? Ripley: A Xenomorph. Aaron ... How'd you spell it? Alien 3 also has the nice honour of featuring the first character in the series to literally call the Alien a bug outright (thanks, Morse) and the first film where the words "Weyland Yutani" are uttered aloud (Clemens).

I think the term "alien" and "form" may not only refer to it being a strange lifeform- it may refer also to the fact that it takes alien life (i.e. humans, predators, etc) and forms it into a new, stronger lifeform. This makes the term xenomorph make more sense than alien, as it describes the creature's habits better.