Akaren Glossary

The words and concepts contained in this glossary are entirely the creation of Roisin Fraser and T'Thelaih, except where noted. © 2000 Roisin Fraser and T'Thelaih. Please do not copy or distribute this list without my express written consent.

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Act of Creation:  the ritual Akaren term for a pregnant woman.

ah'shret: the collective term for the sheep-like mammals of the Akaren desert, whose wool provides the raw material for tikrah cloth. Ah'shret are used also as beasts of burden, but their meat is banned in some clans from being eaten by the Akaren, as it is sacred to Kinshaet. However, in other clans such as the Akaren of Khiret, ah'shret meat is considered a delicacy.

aiea: than

ait: (possessive form) of the___As in Benaht, a'se mordakjh seheik-ait ("Husband, who is that woman of the Declared?")

Aliset: the semi-mythological leader of the Akaren who lead the escape of the Akaren from the Declared (later Rihannsu) in the days shortly before the Sundering. There actually was a historical Aliset, the daughter of a petty mindlord who was sold into the clan of akhar'et. It is not clear whether any of the mystical abilities attributed to her actually existed, but Aliset's strength and courage in the difficult days before, during, and after the Sundering have led to her semi-divine status among the Akaren as a protectress of those who travel on the desert.

aila: noun. daughter. aila'ta: little daughter

Akan-sekt: lit, "days of desert flowers," roughly equivalent to the Terran months of June-July

Aldara: Goddess of water, and also of peace and renewal.

al-seit: (noun) Lit, "sanctuary," home.

a'neer:  (noun) caretaker of children. Ancient term, unchanged from Old High Vulcan

an-let: (noun, pejorative) one who has sexual relations with animals.

an'lara: (noun, pre-Sundering) Literally, "honored wife." The term historically applied to the first wife in a Vulcan family. The honorific remained hers no matter how many other wives or concubines the man had. The term has, for obvious reasons, fallen out of use among Vulcans, but remains active among the Akaren, although its meaning is somewhat different.

a'qeli: a type of Akaren flat-bread. Known to Vulcans t'rellsk, is made from tikh and boiled qir'lal root, both baked together. On its own, a'qeli does not have much flavor, but is used among the Akaren with a variety of spreads including, in once recent innovation, chocolate sauce.

a'se: who is ___? The form used when asking a question to which the speaker does not expect an answer.

a'sral (noun): strength or what the Akaren call "wind-spirit." A'sral can best be defined as the sort of stubborn strength to stand firm in the face of all dangers.

benaht: (noun of direct address) husband.

benara: (noun of direct address) wife.

b'era: now

cad (pronoun) you. Attached to the front of the noun and after a verb, it indicates the subject of the verb. Technically not necessary, the pronoun is used for emphasis.

caleth: the leader of a caravan on Migratio

calidri: the term for the species of predatory bird native to the Akaren lands. Calidri are both respected for their hunting abilities, being able to sense both water and prey from a long distance, and feared for their venom and viciousness. Alone of all the predatory animals of the Akaren deserts, the calidri kill more than they need for survival. Calidri have a six to eight foot wingspan, and their venom is twice as lethal as le-matya venom.

Caoileann: (noun) the title for the Eldest Mother of the Akaren. The bearer of the title gives up her name and all connections to her family so that she may better be mother to all. The current Caoileann was the mother of Lady T'Rela.

casteh: here

Charivt as'drai: lit, "The hell it is!" Charivt, in Akaren lore, is the place "where light is lacking," where the shades of those who have abused their fellow Akaren wander forever without light or water.

Children of Aliset: the ritual term used among the Akaren to indicate the unity of all Akaren in spite of clan divisions.

Circle of Speaking: the Akaren term for the group meeting of all Akaren, usually convened in times of crisis. Only those who hold the staff of speaking are entitled to speak. Though the theory is that this enables the Circle of Speaking to run more smoothly, in practice, it takes a Caoileann of exceptional ability to prevent the meeting from degenerating into a shouting contest. 

choraze: (noun) the prickly fruit of the chor'atl cactus, native to the northern Akaren deserts. Once the spines are removed,, choraze fruit is eaten either whole or cut into slices and placed on a'qeli

Dareth: the Unnamed Deity of the Akaren. Dareth was, pre-Sundering, the god of war and death for the clan of assassins which later became the Akaren. Because the invocation of his name is believed to cause an almost wholly negative energy force, the Akaren do not speak of it.

dalera: (noun) sister

dara: dead

dar'etaj: lit, "the Time of Wildness," the Akaren term for the cyclical mating passion of Vulcanoid males. In a marked contrast to Vulcans, an Akaren male during dar'etaj does not risk death, only severe sexual frustration.

darin: (verb) die

dhaenl: lit, "sharers in the womb," the Akaren term for twins.

Dinal: the god of bondings, often partnered in Akaren cosmology with his mother S'Bara, the goddess of wisdom.

el-manu: We have

ei'dat: (noun, pejorative) Literally, "prisoner of the walls." An Akaren term used to describe someone who belongs too much to city ways.

erishel: (noun) The collective term for the species of cammeloid mammals which are native to the Akaren lands. Unlike their Terran counterparts, erishel lack humps, but have hooves, which must be shod to prevent rocks and other desert hazards from damaging their feet.

esata: until

foren (noun) No literal translation. In Akaren, the word is added to indicate emphasis.

formehj'khar-cha: lit, "learning from the sand," a short informal journey upon which adults bring children to teach them desert survival skills.

g'slin: the leaves of the geaken plant, often use in Akaren medicinals as they have antibiotic propterties and bind to the surface of open wounds.

gehiklu: the small green glass stones of the desert, formed by a process of evaporation, which are reputed to be watersign among the Akaren.

grelia: better off

iahalu: a thin spread made from qir'lal root and seasoned with ground khaa herb. Similar to Terran mayonnaise, with the difference that iahalu needs no refrigeration.

ih-lah:  (pronoun) her

ileh'seh: lit, "honored teacher." The Akaren term for those who instruct both the old and the young.

ilye: (noun) cousin. The plural is ilya

ilye'sen: lit, "cousin by adoption." The plural is "ilya'sei"

iri: for

iriela: forever

isal: sibling. The plural is isel

isal'ye: siblings by adoption. The plural is isel'yei

j'kal: (verb) to honor. Not in the sense of supplication, but in the sense of a recognition of strength or courage. J'kalin, therefore, means "I honor"

kaneth: an older man who gives manhood training to prepare boys for their final adulthood rituals. The age of manhood (and womanhood) rituals varies according to clan, but they usually take place when the participants are between the ages of eleven and fourteen Standard years.

ka'vela: (noun) Literally, "tale-weaver." A storyteller.

kin'lera: an older woman who gives womanhood training to prepare young girls for their final adulthood rituals

Kinshaet: the goddess of journeys

kr'enal: the spicy Akaren drink made from fermented tikh grain. Almost immediately intoxicating, kr'enal is also known as the "drink which strips reason."

k'shvet: the ritual male guardian for an Akaren woman in the Act of Creation. Though the k'shvet is usually the woman's bondmate, if he is unable to be with her for some reason, either a male kinsman or a man appointed by the woman's family will act as her guardian throughout the duration of her pregnancy. It is uncertain exactly when the custom of k'shvet originated, but its continued existence is rooted in the Akaren conviction that any woman in the Act of Creation must not be left alone, as "through her the future is born."

kynara: lit, "the Knowing," the ability to dream true, said to be merely legendary among Vulcans. It is rumored that the ability exists, albeit rarely, among the Akaren.

larah: others

m'arae: (noun) kinswoman. Specifically used from an older woman to a younger one. The masculine form, m'ahral, is less commonly used.

Maret: the androgynous deity of the hunt. Maret is believed to guide the animal, not the hunter. An Akaren might invoke Maret's aid when a trap has been set, so that the animal will be guided to the trap. This is in keeping with Akaren cosmology of nature as being a living, feeling force capable of outwitting even the sharpest mind.

marr'kyeh:  who are

melitra kisal: lit, "the Wasting Death," the Ebola-like disease of the desert.

mik'tash: (noun, perjorative) One who commits incest

mordakjh: (noun) woman. Not the most polite of terms, its connotation is closely equivalent to a Standard speaker saying "that woman," with the added implication that the woman in question has done something wrong.

nei'dala: visitors of dubious (and uncertain) origin, but treated courteously in the hope they'll go away.

nir: no

no'an: people

n'srenai: (noun, expletive) The crude term for sexual activity

orua: (conjunction) and

pelaj: (noun, perjorative) Stupid asshole. The plural is pelaj'ta

Plet'shat: lit, "the time of light water," roughly equivalent to the Terran months of March-May

pelaj (noun, expletive) Roughly equivalent to the Terran Spanish "pendejo," with the additional connotation that the person being referred to is lacking in what the Akaren call "desert-sense." "Pelaj, an-let mik'tash": This phrase, alas, remains untranslatable, though the connotations of willful stupidity and unnatural sexual practices with a variety of close relatives comes close.

Pelas'ha a'saren narikah: lit, "you're a fool if you can't see the damage you cause."

Rala tae darin taeru dar'etaj: lit, "may you die during your Time." Due to the fact that no Akaren man has ever died during dar'etaj (the Akaren term for pon farr) this is a particularly evil insult, as it implies a close kinship to Vulcans.

Rala taeru benaht eshan dar'etaj, alae iri dar ah'shret." lit, "May your husband be impotent in his Time, except for dead ah'shret."

Rala tae eshan taeru dar'etaj: lit, "may you be impotent in your Time."

rena'qel:  a thick breakfast gruel made from tikh

Sae'kyeh: I would. As in Sae'kyeha n'srenai tae casteh, b'era, iriela ("I would fuck you here, now, forever,") or Sae'kyeha n'srenai tae esata tae darin ("I would fuck you until you die.")

sa-noe: I'm not

S'Bara: the goddess of wisdom, and also the mother of Dinal, the god of bondings.

Sechal: the Akaren god of unanswered questions.

seiheik: (noun, High Vulcan) The Declared, the traditional name for the Rihannsu before the Sundering ( from Spock's World)

sel'akal: (verb, second person future) to see. The form used when the speaker already knows the action isn't being done. As in Benaht, benaht, sel'akal cad-foren? ("Husband, husband, why will you not see me?")

se'lika: The mythological temptresses of Akaren lore, who tempted unwary travelers with promises of food, water or shelter. In one such legend, the se'lika entrances a male traveler so that his heart is hers forever. He disappears from his home and stays with her as her husband. Other legends describe the se'lika as a beautiful desert woman who lures the male traveler to his death.

seri'dhan: (noun, perjorative) bitch

tae: you

taeru: your

Tala'veht: lit, "the season of cold wind." Roughly equivalent to the Terran months of January-February

Tae'kyeha grelia n'srenai'tel lematya aiea taeru seri'dhan benara: lit, "You would be better off fucking lematya than your bitch of a wife."

Taeru isel n'srenai ah'shret: "Your brothers and sisters fuck ah'shret." One of the more common Akaren curses, there are many variations. Some include: taeru isel n'srenai dara ah'shret (your brothers and sisters fuck dead ah'shret,) taeru isel n'srenai dara erishel (your brothers and sisters fuck dead erishel,) taeru isel n'srenai dara no'an (your brothers and sisters fuck dead people.)

Tasmeen: the only Akaren "month" that coincides with the Vulcan calendar, roughly equivalent to the Terran months of August-December

thela hun gin'jeet: the Dance of Vashaleth

tikrah: the collective term for the cloth, woven from ah'shret hair, used in the making of Akaren tents. Many a visitor to an Akaren settlement has been startled by the strength and waterproof qualities of this cloth, but the manner of its making remains an Akaren secret.

upara: A seaweed indigenous to the Lesser Sea. The Aliset Akaren, who live by the Lesser Sea, use it when making a fish soup traditional to their biannual honoring of Aldara. (This is a local custom practiced only by the clans of Portira and Aliset, who live in proximity to the Lesser Sea.) Upara is also used for green dyes, and has compounds useful in the healing arts. Vulcans know this seaweed as wilsht, a rare and costly seasoning.

ushela'se: muscle stretching warmup exercises done prior to practice of unarmed combat techniques. Akaren equivalent to the Vulcan t'hy'vaj

Vashaleth: Akaren goddess of pleasure, the hearth and fertility. One of the most powerful goddesses of the Akaren pantheon, just the mentioning of her name is considered enough to grant the speaker aid. Vashaleth's Curse: impotence.

yahra: fool. Specifically, one who has attained Kolinahr

yelaia: sooner

ye'shanta: one who has the killing gift