{"id":147,"date":"2012-04-15T00:29:41","date_gmt":"2012-04-15T00:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/?p=147"},"modified":"2012-05-27T15:25:59","modified_gmt":"2012-05-27T15:25:59","slug":"shshi-vocabulary-and-word-formation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/?p=147","title":{"rendered":"Shshi Vocabulary and Word Formation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This will be a catch-all post where I can periodically add information on\u00a0vocabulary and provide lists of words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Slang<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I’ve never written enough text in the language to need much slang.\u00a0 The one curse word that the Termites use all the time is tha’sask|>||,<\/em> which means “damn!” with > functioning as an emphasis marker, i.e. an exclamation point.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another word that could be considered colloquial is<\/span>\u00a0da\u2019roit\u2019um|,<\/em> “infatuated, smitten with hero-worship,” literally, “twist-headed.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Thus, in the first volume of “The Labors of Ki’shto’ba Huge-Head,” when the little Worker Twa’sei begs to go with the Champion on its quest, another character says, “Twa’sei is da’roit’um|,<\/em>” meaning infatuated with the big Warrior.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Gender words <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

ta\u2019ma\u2019zei|:<\/em> he-she-person, i.e. a person displaying sexual pheromones (the Alates).
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>wei\u2019ta\u2019ma\u2019zei|: <\/em>“non-he-she-person,” i.e. a neuter individual (all Warriors and Workers).
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0da’ma|: <\/em>male (adj.)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>da’ta|: <\/em>female (adj.)
\nma’zei|<\/em> : male person (noun)
\nta’zei|: <\/em>female person (noun) <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0Words Related to Offspring <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

eino|<\/em>: to lay (an egg); to produce offspring (used for the Queen only, not the King)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ino|<\/em>: to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>father or engender an offspring (applied only to the King)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ein’zei|<\/em>: offspring (when referring to the Queen’s role; used for neuter offspring and for offspring in general)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nin’zei|<\/em>: offspring (of a male parent) (used for neuter offspring and for offspring in general)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Thus a Warrior would say “I am A’kha’ma’na’ta’s ein’zei|<\/em> and Sei’o’na’sha’ma’s in’zei|.<\/em>”
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ma\u2019ein\u2019zei|<\/em>: son, male offspring (of a Queen)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ma\u2019in\u2019zei|<\/em>: son, male offspring (of a King)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ta\u2019ein\u2019zei|<\/em>: daughter, female offspring (of a Queen)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ta\u2019in\u2019zei|<\/em>: daughter, female offspring (of a King)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Color Words<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The word for “color” is han|<\/em>.\u00a0A degree of color is usually indicated in the manner of the word “pink,” by prefixing kom<\/em> (pale or light in color) or mat<\/em> (black, dark)\u00a0 “Gray” is an exception; it has a word of its own.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

black: mat|<\/em>
\nblue: kha|<\/em>
\nbrown: pil|<\/em>
\ngold, golden: han’gri|<\/em> [lit., color of the sun; the Shshi place no value on the metal\u00a0called gold]
\ngray: zav’mat|<\/em> [somewhat black]
\ngreen: min|<\/em>
\npink: kom’flu|<\/em> [lit., light or pale red]
\norange: flun|<\/em>
\nred: flu|<\/em>
\nwhite: ko|<\/em>
\nyellow: glon|<\/em>
\npurple: gol|<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Seasons of the Year<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wet time: gwai’nol|<\/em> (the rainiest season)
\nTime of flowers: shra’nol|<\/em>
\nTime of drying: su’eish’nol|<\/em>
\nDead time: weio’nol|<\/em> (the driest season, when nothing grows)
\nCold time: chi’nol|<\/em> (winter)
\nTime of waiting: la’nol|<\/em> (when everyone is waiting for the rains to come)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Selection of Words from\u00a0Dictionary of the Shshi Language<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

akh|: <\/em>world or\u00a0ground
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>akh\u2019dogo|: <\/em>to drag, lit., to ground-pull
\nakh\u2019jav\u2019zi|: <\/em>earthiness, tasting of the earth or soil, lit., ground-flavor
\nakh\u2019ka\u2019zi|: <\/em>paving, lit., ground-stone
\nakh\u2019oi\u2019mi|: <\/em>coast, shore, lit., ground-edge
\nakht’huo|<\/em>: to bury, lit., to dig and cover
\nakhto|<\/em>: to dig<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

a’nei|<\/em>: before (prep., temporal sense)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\na\u2019nei\u2019bag\u2019on\u2019zi|: <\/em>road, lit., a path made before [before (a’nei|<\/em>) made (bag<\/em>, from bago|, to build, make, manufacture, construct) path (on’zi|<\/em>)] This word is interesting in that it doesn\u2019t exist at the time of the Earthers\u2019 first visit to the termite planet.\u00a0 We see its origins in v.2 of \u201cThe Labors of Ki\u2019shto\u2019ba Huge-Head.\u201d
\na’nei’galto|<\/em>: to foretell or prophesy
\na’nei’nof|<\/em>: yesterday (lit., before-day)
\na’nei’vaino|<\/em>: to inherit (lit., to before-take)
\na’nei’vain’zei|<\/em>: heir (lit., before-taker)
\na’nei’zei|<\/em>: ancestor (lit., before-person) (pl. sha’nei’zei|<\/em>: ancestors,also lineage, heritage)<\/p>\n

ao’gwai’mi|<\/em>: pond, pool, lake (lit., still water)
\nao’paio|<\/em>: to besiege, to set a siege (lit., to still-battle)
\nao’pai’zi|<\/em>: siege, lit., a still [or static] fight<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ar [da’ar|<\/em>]:<\/em> heavy (adj.)
\nar’zei|<\/em>: heavy one, also reptile (applied generically to any large reptile)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

arg<\/em> [da’arg|<\/em>]: narrow, tight, constricted, close, cramped (adj.)
\narg’akh’mi|<\/em>: peninsula [lit., narrow-land place]
\nargo|<\/em>: to narrow, close in, close up, tighten; also to squeeze or constrict
\narg’vist’tro|<\/em>: to caulk or mortar (lit., to crack-fill]
\narg’vist’zi|<\/em>: crack or chink [lit., narrow space]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

a\u2019shof|<\/em>: artificial, false, fake
\na\u2019shof\u2019wum|<\/em>: armor [lit., artificial chitin; a word constructed by Di’fa’kro’mi]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

a\u2019tas\u2019zi|<\/em>: magic [lit, a thing with a lack of rules, from tas’z<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>i|<\/em> (noun), rule, law, natural process, also used to mean government.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

av|<\/em>: yes
\nda’av|<\/em>: positive (adj.)
\nav’av|<\/em>: of course, certainly [an emphatic yes]
\nav’il|<\/em>: positively (adv.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

baf\u2019akhto|<\/em>: to tunnel, lit., to tunnel-dig
\nbak\u2019gwai\u2019zi|<\/em>: mortar-gland water (the secretion of the bak’zi|<\/em>)
\nbak’zi|<\/em>: mortar gland (secretory organ on Builder Subcastes’ heads)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

baro|<\/em>: to own, possess
\nda’bar|<\/em>:\u00a0owned, possessed (idiomatic usage: It belongs to me [lit., it is owned of me]:\u00a0 fa\u2019she| \u21b3 da\u2019bar| ki\u2019sho| ||<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ba’zi<\/em>|: gland (usually used in compounds, as hai’ba’zi<\/em> :scent gland)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

biro<\/em>|: to decay, rot, spoil
\nbir’zha|<\/em>: the vision fungus (lit., sour gut, from its smell)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

bu’re<\/em>|: reeds, sedge (lit., river grass; used for weaving and making baskets)
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ra\u2019sof\u2019zei|: <\/em>flower-sitter,\u00a0an insect similar to a butterfly<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

vruno|: <\/em>to believe; na|<\/em> means “holy”; wei’na|<\/em> is “unholy,” thus “blasphemous, impious, or sacrilegious.” Then we have wei\u2019na\u2019vrun|<\/em>, “faithless or unbelieving,” and wei\u2019na\u2019vrun’zei|<\/em>, or “infidel, a person who does not believe.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

weio’so|<\/em> is “dead body or corpse”; weio\u2019so\u2019mi|<\/em> is the Charnel Hall, or “corpse-place,” and weio\u2019so\u2019zei|<\/em> is “corpse-person,” i.e., the name of the Subcaste of Workers who take care of the disposition of the dead.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This will be a catch-all post where I can periodically add information on\u00a0vocabulary and provide lists of words. Slang \u00a0I’ve never written enough text in the language to need much slang.\u00a0 The one curse word that the Termites use all the time is tha’sask|>||, which means “damn!” with > functioning as an emphasis marker, i.e. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,17,18,20,4,9,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-color-words","category-gender-words","category-offspring-words","category-seasons","category-shshi-language","category-shshi-vocabulary","category-slang"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=147"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147\/revisions\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/remembrancer.conlang.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}