I had an epiphany at work today. I always thought "Kokiri" was just a made up name, and it may still very well be, but if you were to say it was Japanese, "ko" means "child" and "kiri" means "fog." Given that the Kokiri are children and that Kokiri Village is right in the middle of the Lost Woods, which is covered in fog and gets it name because of the people who get lost in it, this interpretation makes a lot of sense!

I wasn't sure about Koroks, so I looked that one up and it appears that it might be a derivative of the Japanese word "Koropokkuru" which is a race of people/creatures in Japanese folklore that are small, like to stay hidden, and live under plants. I can definitely see that being the inspiration for Koroks!

art: sasumata jirou
#zelda