Page 107 of The Witchwood Crown


  Valada—a wise woman

  Vitmaers—Thrithings word for witnesses to a declaration

  War of Return—Hikeda’ya name for the Storm King’s War

  Westerling—language originating from Waristen Island; now the common tongue of Osten Ard

  White Hand—a mark left on dead Hikeda’ya

  Witchwood—rare wood from trees brought from the Garden; as hard as metal

  Witchwood Crown—Sithi: “kei-jáyha”; a circlet for heroes; a group of witchwood trees; a move in Shaynat/Shent

  Witness—a Sithi device to talk over long distances and enter the Road of Dreams, often times a mirror.

  Wormglass—Hernystiri name for certain old mirrors

  Yedade’s Box—a Hikeda’ya device for testing children

  Yew Tree—Aengas’ ship

  Yerut—fermented mare’s milk that the Thrithings-folk have drunk since time before time

  STAR CONSTELLATIONS

  Gate—Hikeda’ya

  Hare—Erkynlandish

  Kingfisher—Nabbanai

  Lantern—Hikeda’ya

  Lobster—Nabbanai

  Mantis—Hikeda’ya

  Mixis the Wolf—Nabbanai

  Owl—Hikeda’ya

  Serpent—Nabbanai as well as Norn

  Spinning Wheel—Erkynlandish

  Storm’s Eye—Hikeda’ya

  Winged Beetle—Nabbanai

  Yuvenis’ Throne—Nabbanai

  KNUCKLEBONES

  Qanuc auguring tools

  Patterns include:

  Wingless Bird

  Fish-Spear

  The Shadowed Path

  Torch at the Cave-Mouth

  Balking Ram

  Clouds in the Pass

  The Black Crevice

  Unwrapped Dart

  Circle of Stones

  Mountain Dancing

  Masterless Ram

  Slippery Snow

  Unexpected Visitor

  Unnatural Birth

  No Shadow

  NORN ORDERS:

  Order, Ordination, Ordinal

  Order House—actual location of Order’s school, offices

  Orders mentioned: Sacrifices; Whisperers; Echoes; Singers; Builders; Celebrants; Harvesters

  THRITHINGS CLANS (AND THEIR THRITHING):

  Adder—Lake

  Antelope—Meadow

  Crane, aka “Kragni”—Lake

  Dragonfly—Lake

  Fitch—Lake

  Kestrel—Lake

  Lynx—Lake

  Stallion, aka “Mehrdon”—High

  White Spot Deer—Lake

  HOLIDAYS

  Feyever 2—Candlemansa

  Marris 25—Elysiamansa

  Marris 31—Fool’s Night

  Avrel 1—All Fool’s Day

  Avrel 3—St. Vultinia’s Day

  Avrel 24—St. Dinan’s Day

  Avrel 30—Stoning Night

  Maia 1—Belthainn Day

  Yuven 23—Midsummer’s Eve

  Tiyagar 15—Saint Sutrin’s Day

  Anitul 1—Halfmansa

  Septander 29—Saint Granis’ Day

  Octander 30—Harrows Eve

  Novander 1—Soul’s Day

  Decander 21—Saint Tunath’s Day

  Decander 24—Aedonmansa

  Days of the Week

  Sunday, Moonday, Tiasday, Udunsday, Drorsday, Frayday, Satrinsday

  Months of the Year

  Jonever, Feyever, Marris, Avrel, Maia, Yuven, Tiyagar, Anitul, Septander, Octander, Novander, Decander

  WORDS AND PHRASES

  QANUC

  Amaq and kukaq—“urine” and “feces”

  Falku—“Tasty white fat”; Snenneq’s ram

  Henimaa!—“Don’t talk!” / “Shut up!”

  Nihut—“Attack”

  Ninit-e, Afa!—“Come on, Father!”

  Nukapik—“Betrothed”

  Qallipuk—“River Man”

  Shummuk—“Wait”

  So-hiq nammu ya—“The night of thin ice”

  Ummu Bok!—“Well done!” (roughly)

  SITHI (KEIDA’YASAO)

  Chiru—“Pregnant”

  Hikeda’ya—“Cloud Children”; Norns

  Hikka Staja—“Arrow-Bearer”

  S’hue—“Lord”

  Sojeno nigago-zhe—“Little Gardens of Memory”

  Staja-hikkada’ya—“Descendant of the arrow-bearer”

  Sudhoda’ya—“Sunset Children”: mortals

  Tinukeda’ya—“Ocean Children”: Niskies and Dwarrows

  Tsa—equivalent of a human cluck noise or “tsk”

  Venyha s’ahn!—“By the Garden!”

  Zida’ya—“Dawn Children”: Sithi

  NORN (HIKEDA’YASAO)

  Do’Nakkiga—the mountain where the Hikeda’ya live

  Do’sae né-Sogeyu—“The Shadow Garden”; aka Osten Ard

  Furi’a—“Diggers”

  Hikeda’yasao—the language of Nakkiga

  Kei-in—“the holy witchwood seed”

  Keta-Yi’indra—a deep, decades-long sleep

  K’rei!—“Hail!”

  Ra’haishu—“Tunnel meeting”; signifies a mistake that could lead to sudden death

  Rayu ata na’ara—“I hear the Queen in your voice”

  San’nakuno—“Sad Little Dog”; nickname given to Jarnulf

  Shu’do-tkzayha—Hikeda’ya name for mortals: “Sunset Children”

  Srinyedu—Hikeda’ya name for weaving art

  Z’hue—term of respect for an elder

  NABBANAI

  Agarine—of St. Agar

  Caimentos—quicklime cement

  Exsequis—a prayer

  Mansa sea Cuelossan—a funeral ceremony prayer

  Orxis—a giant

  Podos orbiem, quil meminit—“He who remembers can make the world anew”

  Secundis primis edis—“Second will be first”

  HERNYSTIRI

  Eolair Tarna—“Lord Eolair”

  Mu’ harcha!—“My love!”

  Och, cawer lim!—“Help me!”

  RIMMERSPAKK

  Jarl—“Earl”

  Refarslod—“The Fox’s Road”

  Valada—“Wise woman”

  OTHER

  Cockindrill—northern word for “crocodile”

  Higdaja—giants’ name for Norns

  Hojun—giants’ name for themselves

  Samuli—“Delicate flowers”; Wranna word for female genitalia

  Njar-hunë—“Corpse giant”

  A GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION

  ERKYNLANDISH

  Erkynlandish names are divided into two types, Old Erkynlandish (O.E.) and Warinstenner. Those names which are based on types from Prester John’s native island of Warinsten (mostly the names of castle servants or John’s immediate family) have been represented as variants on Biblical names (Elias—Elijah, Ebekah—Rebecca, etc.) Old Erkynlandish names should be pronounced like modern English, except as follows:

  a—always ah, as in “father”

  ae—ay of “say”

  c—k as in “keen”

  e—ai as in “air,” except at the end of names, when it is also sounded, but with an eh or uh sound, i.e., Hruse—“Rooz-uh”

  ea—sounds as a in “mark,” except at beginning of word or name, where it has the same value as ae

  g—always hard g, as in “glad”

  h—hard h of “help”

  i—short i of “in”

  j—hard j of “jaw”

  o—long but soft o, as in “orb”

  u—oo sound of “wood,” never yo
o as in “music”

  HERNYSTIRI

  The Hernystiri names and words can be pronounced in largely the same way as the O.E., with a few exceptions:

  th—always the th in “other,” never as in “thing”

  ch—a guttural, as in Scottish “loch”

  y—pronounce yr like “beer,” ye like “spy”

  h—unvoiced except at beginning of word or after t or c

  e—ay as in “ray”

  ll—same as single l: Lluth—Luth

  RIMMERSPAKK

  Names and words in Rimmerspakk differ from O.E. pronunciation in the following:

  j—pronounced y: Jarnauga—Yarnauga; Hjeldin—Hyeldin (H nearly silent here)

  ei—long i as in “crime”

  e—ee, as in “sweet”

  ö—oo, as in “coop”

  au—ow, as in “cow”

  NABBANAI

  The Nabbanai language holds basically to the rules of a romance language, i.e., the vowels are pronounced “ah-eh-ih-oh-ooh,” the consonants are all sounded, etc. There are some exceptions.

  i—most names take emphasis on second to last syllable: Ben-i-GAR-is. When this syllable has an i, it is sounded long (Ardrivis: Ar-DRY-vis) unless it comes before a double consonant (Antippa: An-TIHP-pa)

  es—at end of name, es is sounded long: Gelles—Gel-leez

  y—is pronounced as a long i, as in “mild”

  QANUC

  Troll-language is considerably different than the other human languages. There are three hard “k” sounds, signified by: c, q, and k. The only difference intelligible to most non-Qanuc is a slight clucking sound on the q, but it is not to be encouraged in beginners. For our purposes, all three will sound with the k of “keep.” Also, the Qanuc u is pronounced uh, as in “bug.” Other interpretations are up to the reader, but he or she will not go far wrong pronouncing phonetically.

  SITHI

  Even more than the language of Yiqanuc, the language of the Zida’ya is virtually unpronounceable by untrained tongues, and so is easiest rendered phonetically, since the chance of any of us being judged by experts is slight (but not nonexistent, as Binabik learned). These rules may be applied, however.

  i—when the first vowel, pronounced ih, as in “clip.” When later in word, especially at end, pronounced ee, as in “fleet”: Jiriki—Jih-REE-kee

  ai—pronounced like long i, as in “time”

  ’ (apostrophe)—represents a clicking sound, and should not be voiced by mortal readers.

  EXCEPTIONAL NAMES

  Geloë—He origins are unknown, and so is the source of her name. It is pronounced “Juh-LO-ee” or “Juh-LOY.” Both are correct.

  Ingen Jegger—He is a Black Rimmersman, and the “J” in Jegger is sounded, just as in “jump.”

  Miriamele—Although born in the Erkynlandish court, hers is a Nabbanai name that developed a strange pronunciation—perhaps due to some family influence or confusion of her dual heritage—and sounds as “Mih-ree-uh-MEL.”

  Vorzheva—A Thrithings-woman, her name is pronounced “Vor-SHAY-va,” with the zh sounding harshly, like the Hungarian zs.

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  Tad Williams, The Witchwood Crown

 


 

 
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