From the Greek, skorpios, which means "something sharp or stinging." By the way, scorpions figure big in constellation lore. There’s a constellation called Scorpius in the southern sky below Orion. In Greek mythology, Orion boasted he was the greatest hunter in the Universe. When Hera, Zeus’ wife, heard the braggart, she sicced a poisonous scorpion on Orion. "Kill," she hissed. Orion fought the creature for days and nights. The wily scorpion crept close to the weary man during an unguarded moment, whipped her poison-laded tail, and killed him. http://www.wonderquest.com/think-scorpions-whales.htm#scorpions Yes, scorpions are cannibals. When two scorpions meet, they usually fight until the death. The winner eats the loser. Most scorpions, consequently, avoid their own kind. Mating is dangerous. A whiff of pheromones brings a male and female together. The male makes the first move, quickly, to identify himself as a mate and not food. He may rock and shake. Some species sting the female (possibly with pheromones or sedatives). Others club the female with their tail. Often the male grabs the female’s pinchers with his and they dance together. Sometimes they dance apart. He drops a sperm packet as they bob and weave. She picks it up, opens it, and directs the sperm into her body. That’s it. Then the smaller one (usually male) clears out fast. Many times he fails to escape. By the way, scorpions evolved before dinosaurs— more than 450 million years ago. http://www.wonderquest.com/mind-polar-snow-scorpions.htm#scorpions