Racial terminology This is a page for racial terminology in Warcraft lore . Hybrid races . Half - breed . Half - breed is a term used to categorize any species or individual born of two ( or more ) separate species . The term " half - breed " was used by orcs and ogres to refer to Rexxar in the Third War . Half - orcs , half - elves , half - ogres are examples of half - breeds . Rexxar and Med ' an examples of half - breeds . It can be used as both a technical or derogatory term . Half - breeds are hybrid race s ( but not all hybrid races are half - breeds ) Demi - human . Demi - human is a term used to describe other races such as elves , orcs , gnomes , and dwarves . It is a term to describe the non - human races of humanoids . " While no specific Warcraft definition has been given , demi is a word that is defined as either " half " or " one that partly belongs to ( a specific type or class ) " . Demi - human is a term that originated from Dungeons & Dragons role - playing game . These humanoid races were defined as subdivisions of Homo sapiens . It is synonymous to the terms near - human and metahuman in other sources of fiction . The definition is not far off the mark considering that most races can be traced back to common ancestry through the titans . " See [ [ The Alliance of Lordaeron ] ] . [ [ Half - draenei ] ] . Half - draenei is the term used for the offspring of one draenei parent or half - draenei and another species such as an orc . They show a blending of orc and draenei features . is half - draenei . [ [ Half - orc ] ] . [ [ Half - orc ] ] is the term for the offspring of an orc or a half - orc and other species ( such as human , draenei or ogre ) . Most half - orcs are half - human . Famous half - orcs include Garona and [ [ Rexxar ] ] . Half - troll . [ [ Half - troll ] ] is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a troll or half - troll and a parent of any other species . [ [ Lelior ] ] ' s mother is said to be a half - troll . While it may only be a " your mother is a " joke , he also doesn ' t deny it . [ [ Half - elf ] ] . Half - elf is the term used to describe the offspring of an elven or half - elven parent and parent of another species . Most half - elves are half human and half high elves . [ [ Half - ogre ] ] . Half - ogre is the term used to describe the offspring of an ogre or half - ogre parent and parent of another species . [ [ Rexxar ] ] and [ [ Leoroxx ] ] are examples of a half - ogres . It is a technical term , and a term of self - identity . Half - human . [ [ Half - human ] ] is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a human or half - human and a parent of any other species . The half - draenei , half - orc Garona has been described as being half - human , as have half - ogres of human descent . [ [ Half - human half - ogre ] ] . Half - human half - ogres are a rumored race created from the union of humans and ogres . [ [ Half - ogre mage ] ] . Half - ogre magi are the theoretical offspring between [ [ ogre magi ] ] and [ [ orc ] ] s . [ [ Half - night elf ] ] / [ [ Half - kaldorei ] ] . Half - night elf , also known as half - kaldorei , is the term used to describe the offspring of humans and night elves . [ [ Half - blood elf ] ] . Half - blood elf is the term used to describe the offspring of humans and blood elves . Half - giant . [ [ Half - giant ] ] is the term used to describe someone who has descended from a parent that is a giant or half - giant and a parent of any other species ( such as humans ) . Half - dragon . Drakonid ( and / or dragonkin ) are described as being " half - man , half - dragon " . While it is still unclear if this is literal or figurative , [ [ dragonspawn ] ] are known to have human heritage . Dwarven races . [ [ Dwarf ] ] . The term dwarf was the term humans gave to the race of short , stocky , and bearded humanoids once known as the [ [ earthen ] ] . At the time , the dwarves did not know that the word literally meant " diminutive " . They are just glad they were not called worse by the humans , for example " beard - men " , " rockheads " , or something like that . The name stuck , and now all races around the world use it to describe dwarves , even the dwarves themselves . While it might have originated out of an apparent racial slur , today dwarves are proud of the term and do not see it as being a negative terminology , and in fact gladly call themselves dwarves . [ [ Hill dwarf ] ] . Hill dwarf is a term used for dwarves that live primarily in the hills . They construct their buildings above ground , with roofs opened to the sky ( rarely digging very deep into the hills ) . Some hill dwarves were familiar with , and known to , elven rangers . Ironforge dwarf . [ [ Ironforge dwarves ] ] are dwarves that are part of the Ironforge and Bronzebeard clans ( and subclans ) . They are the dwarven player race . [ [ Mountain dwarf ] ] . Mountain dwarf is a term used for dwarves that live primarily in the mountains . [ [ Wild dwarf ] ] . Wild dwarf is a term for the race of dwarves which includes the [ [ Wildhammer clan ] ] . [ [ Frostborn ] ] . [ [ Frostborn ] ] ( aka frost dwarves ) are a mysterious race encountered by the [ [ Alliance Expedition ] ] within [ [ Storm Peaks ] ] in [ [ Northrend ] ] at their home of [ [ Frosthold ] ] . [ [ Iron dwarf ] ] . Iron dwarves are a hostile race of dwarves newly encountered throughout [ [ Northrend ] ] ( mostly found within the [ [ Howling Fjord ] ] , [ [ Grizzly Hills ] ] , and [ [ Storm Peaks ] ] ) , but appear intent on destroying any archaeological connections to other dwarves , much to the chagrin of the [ [ Explorers ' League ] ] . [ [ Earthen ] ] . Earthen are stony humanoids created by the [ [ titan ] ] s during the forming of [ [ Azeroth ( world ) | Azeroth ] ] ; some later degenerated into [ [ trogg ] ] s , while others transformed into [ [ dwarves ] ] . Most of the dwarves were thought to have originated from earthen in Uldaman . Another type of earthen appear in [ [ Ulduar ] ] . Elven / Naga races . Elves . Half - elves . For the various types of half - elves ( half - elf , half - blood elf , half - night elf , etc . ) see [ [ Hybrid race ] ] s . Eredar / draenei races . [ [ Draenei ] ] . Draenei is a term that can refer to three separate races : uncorrupted eredar , the Broken draenei , and the draenei Lost Ones . In [ [ Warcraft III ] ] , the draenei mostly appeared as [ [ Broken draenei ] ] or [ [ draenei Lost Ones ] ] . [ [ Lost One ] ] . Draenei Lost Ones are wretched " cousins " of the [ [ Broken draenei ] ] , draenei who have suffered so much that they have gone mad . They call themselves the " Lost Ones " in mourning of their former world . A mixture of these sad creatures somehow made the journey to [ [ Azeroth ( world ) | Azeroth ] ] and settled in the [ [ Swamp of Sorrows ] ] , with those recovering from their madness living in the [ [ Harborage ] ] , and those still suffering in the [ [ Fallow Sanctuary ] ] . [ [ Broken ] ] . Broken draenei are a sub - race of the [ [ draenei ] ] created by corruption during the battle with the [ [ Burning Legion ] ] . They tend to have flattened facial features and reduced stature compared to uncorrupted draenei . They are credited with bringing [ [ shaman ] ] istic powers and practice to the larger draenei population and therefore the [ [ Alliance ] ] . [ [ Eredar ] ] . Eredar refers to both the members of the parent race who became corrupted [ [ man ' ari ] ] ( led by [ [ Archimonde ] ] and [ [ Kil ' jaeden ] ] ) and joined the Burning Legion and to their rebel cousins , the draenei , who rejected the recruitment of [ [ Sargeras ] ] . They are now otherworldly demons . Racial terms used in multiple Warcraft sources . [ [ Aberration ] ] . An aberration has a bizarre anatomy , strange abilities , an alien mindset , or any combination of the three . These are often offshoots of other creatures including humanoids , undead , beasts , and insect - like creatures , etc . [ [ Nerubian ] ] s and [ [ forgotten one ] ] s are aberrations for example . This is reflected in " [ [ World of Warcraft ] ] " as aberrations appearing in the game are usually offshoots of some [ [ undead ] ] or [ [ elemental ] ] s . [ [ Category : Lore ] ]