Malcolm

🏷 Semitic hidden ruler pun spook name · name — by Gerry · Nov 2018 · 184 words

The English name Malcolm looks curious as it seems to consist of the common Semitic word roots mlk-ˁlm. A cryptocrat may secretly read the name as “secret governor”, i.e. cryptocrat.

ThePeerage.com lists several hundred Malcolms, as of June 2019. Many more nobles may use it as a given name.

Malcolm Green (6)
Malcolm of Poltalloch (2)
Malcolm (342)
Malcolm-Lyde (2)
Malcolm-Smith (3)
Malcolmson (34)
Malcom (2)
Malcomson (7)

The root √mlk generally stands for giving counsel to higher powers, in titles such as advisor, messenger, angel, king.

The second part of Malcolm consists of some vowel, plus the letters L and M. One likely spook pun is ˁlm, since that means ancient & eternal, but also “hidden”.

Hebrew mlk = king; ˁlm = hidden, ancient

מלך mlk melek : king — Old Hebrew (Strong)

עולם ˁwlm olam : ancient, eternal, everlasting, perpetual — Old Hebrew (Strong)

עלם ˁlm alam : conceal, hide, hidden, pretender, secret — Old Hebrew (Strong)

Since our modern crypto-aristocrats are “eternal rulers”, “secret governors”, as well as descendants of “ancient kings”, they can have their pick as for their preferred reading. I think Malc-olm as “crypto-crat” describes them best.

🏷 Semitic hidden ruler pun spook name · name