- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
The land vehicles are not given "bad" names. The land vehicles are what the Humans called them when they first encountered them, and they stuck (ie: Banshee is called such because it makes a wailing noise). Ships are given "good" names probably because Humanity developed better translation technology before descovering the newer ships (Truth and Reconsiliation, etc.), and those are rough translations of their actual name in Sangheilian (or whatever).
Ground vehicles are named by the Marines, Army, etc. The grunt-soldiers that don't give a sh** what they're supposed to be called. Ships and major landmarks of the Covenant armada are named by the Navy (who have more time to think about what they're called), who deal with intelligence (and probably spend a little time in the Covenant language).
My guess is that the Ghost, Banshee, Spectre, etc. are not their actual names. But Truth and Reconciliation, Unyielding Hiorophate (sp?), etc. is.