Cheldzan Jokku: The Lexicon

     The vocabulary presented here is from Thenet's time . . . long after the first bloom of civilization, after even Kediil with her nomads. As such, it reflects the pronounciation and meanings of the time, which have evolved since their coining.
     Fortunately for the Jokka, much of the spoken language has remained relatively similar throughout the history of the southeastern edge of the continent. Grammar has changed more than the vocabulary. Modern Jokka uses a system of articles (like our "the" and "an"); the predecessor to Modern (called Mysterious after the age) did not. This explains some of the issues that crop up here and there: how Ke Bakil, the name of the world, capitalizes the word ke as part of a proper noun while modern Jokka don't do this as a matter of course, having plugged ke and its family-members (det and ba) into their modern article system.
     Traditions obtain. Even in Thenet's age, the planet is called Ke Bakil.
     Even more startling is the evolution of the orthography. Writing still exists from before Kediil's time, but is so different the modern Jokka cannot decipher it. The samples included with the vocabulary are Modern; older samples will be provided soon.

ñedsu [ ÑEHD soo ], (noun) – A hunting beast, slender and about three feet tall at the shoulder with scaled bodies and sleek heads. Hunt in packs.

aksha [ AHK shah ], (noun) – An expletive. Literally, 'entrails'.

ana [ ah NAH ], (noun) – night (includes truedark hour)

anadi [ ah NAH dee ], (noun) – female

ba [ BAH ], (adjective) – A prefix used in addressing an individual. Used to address individuals who have not yet reached maturity, roughly maps to 'young'. Or an adjective version of 'child'.

cheldzan [ chehl DZAHN ], (noun) – literally 'net' or 'web'; used for a place where people can gather at any time.

chenji [ CHEHN-jee ], (noun) – Maps closest to "witch," or "shaman" or "magician." In Mysterious times the chenji was an anadi valued for her ability to sense the world's changes and counsel other Jokka on their relationship to the world and one another. Sometimes these anadi were believed prophetic or in possession of magical powers or the favor of the gods. After the Mystery Age, the idea became associated with truedark tales of magical anadi who didn't lose their minds, could curse crops and cast magic and often avenged themselves on others of their race for the injustice done to their sex.

churul [ choo ROOL ], (noun) – A gathering to celebrate an initiation, graduation or the completion of another step in a life process (such as final Turning, ascension to certain ranks or professions after study or acclaim, starting of a House, etc). From the Mysterious Age.

det [ DEHT ], (adjective) – Another adjective/title, this one a snide turn on 'respected'. Used only with contempt.

edloña [ eh DLOHN yah ], (adjective) – unspeakable, roughly. Also has connotations of unthinkable and undoable. 'Taboo' is also an acceptable translation.

eku [ eh KOO ], (noun) – the truedark hour

elithik [ eh lihth IHK ], (adjective) – Used to indicate that the Jokkad has been every sex before settling on its final gender. Roughly, 'every-sexed.'

emodo [ eh MOH doh ], (noun) – male

eperu [ eh PEH rroo ], (noun) – neuter

het [ HEHT ], (noun) – Prefix for a town. Used 'het [name of town]'.

ide [ EE deh ], (noun) – day

isal [ ee SAAL ], (noun) – ocean (much vaster than 'the sea').

jarana [ jaa RAA naa ], (noun) – The individual who cares for the anadi of a House, seeing to their health, feeding and bathing those who need aid and arranging for their grading, breeding and care during pregnancy. The jarana sometimes also cares for pre-Turned children, though in larger Houses these duties are sometimes undertaken by separate individuals.

jena [ JZAY naa ], (noun) – heart

jenadha [ jeh NAHD hah ], (noun) – A strategy game played with colored stones, one of the few played by all three sexes.

Jokka [ JOHK kah ], (noun) – Several individuals (plural). One Jokkad, two Jokka.

Jokkad [ JOHK kahd ], (noun) – An individual (singular).

Jokku [ JOHK koo ], (adjective) – Belonging to a Jokkad (possessive).

kaña [ KAHN yah ], (noun) – A title within a House: the most valuable/saleable female therein. The 'prize' who will gain the House the most money in contracts. There can only be one of these at a time, though often the title will be traded back and forth as the worth of each female varies.

kaña-befidzu [ KAHN yah beh FEED zoo ], (noun) – The most important bred female in the House; a title given to the female whose progeny are considered the most worthy/useful.

ke [ KEH ], (adjective) – A prefix used in addressing an individual. Connotes a mild deference, roughly maps to 'respected'.

kudelith [ koo DEH lihth ], (noun) – 'three-times-the-same-sexed'. A word used for Jokka who have remained the same sex from birth through both puberties.

lithrekid [ LIHTH reh kihd ], (noun) – A batlike creature native to southern forests on Ke Bakil, mammalian, with thick, brightly colored wings.

marishet [ mah ree SHEHT ], (adjective) – 'more of the same'. A word used to describe the accentuation of sexual characteristics that occurs when a Jokkad remains the same sex from one puberty to the next.

neked [ NEH kehd ], (noun) – forest

oira [ OY raa ], (noun) – A vision or object seen through the stillness of water. Not usually literal, this tends to indicate a truth that cannot usually be seen because it is obscured by movement (like the currents of a stream), but which has been revealed in a second's quiet.

pamari [ pah MAH ree ], (adjective) – kind

pefna [ PEHF nah ], (noun) – A title given to the head of a group within a House. Similar to 'master'.

relani [ re LAH nee ], (noun) – A gathering for fun; a party. Usually impromptu, but sometimes scheduled.

rikka [ RIHK kah ], (noun) – A beast of burden with slender legs but surprisingly strong. Similar to a large gazelle with a sturdy constitution

setasha [ seh TAA shah ], (noun) – beloved (this word is specific to romantic relationships, and as such rarely is used for people of a gender unlike to the speaker).

sheña [ SHEN yah ], (noun) – The most valued eperu (neuter) member of a Household--the one to whom an earring is awarded. There's only one of these at a time. While the perks vary from Household to Household (and from historical period to period), typically this eperu has more spending money and more bargaining power over its own employment contract.

shekul [ sheh KOOL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. A gray that is built of a thousand gossamer colors; their sum total seems gray, but to the Jokka's eyes the subordinate colors are also there like faint veils.

sheshil [ sheh SHEEL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. A dark brown that seems glossy on the surface, but with the suggestion of deeper, hazier browns beneath it.

sukul [ soo KOOL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. An iridescent blue-white described as looking like a white shell in full moonlight.

    Your scribe this evening is Dlane Reña-anadi. Dlane was always a lover of words and histories; she would have found her own tale fascinating, had it happened to someone else.

Last Updated: 04/26/2004. Email the webmaster.
Cheldzan Jokku is © 2002 M. C. A. Hogarth.
This page is a satellite of Stardancer.Org.

ñedsu	[ ÑEHD soo ], (noun) – A hunting beast, slender and about three feet tall at the shoulder with scaled bodies and sleek heads. Hunt in packs.

aksha	[ AHK shah ], (noun) – An expletive. Literally, 'entrails'.

ana	[ ah NAH ], (noun) – night (includes truedark hour)

anadi	[ ah NAH dee ], (noun) – female

ba	[ BAH ], (adjective) – A prefix used in addressing an individual. Used to address individuals who have not yet reached maturity, roughly maps to 'young'. Or an adjective version of 'child'.

cheldzan	[ chehl DZAHN ], (noun) – literally 'net' or 'web'; used for a place where people can gather at any time.

chenji	[ CHEHN-jee ], (noun) – Maps closest to "witch," or "shaman" or "magician." In Mysterious times the chenji was an anadi valued for her ability to sense the world's changes and counsel other Jokka on their relationship to the world and one another. Sometimes these anadi were believed prophetic or in possession of magical powers or the favor of the gods. After the Mystery Age, the idea became associated with truedark tales of magical anadi who didn't lose their minds, could curse crops and cast magic and often avenged themselves on others of their race for the injustice done to their sex.

churul	[ choo ROOL ], (noun) – A gathering to celebrate an initiation, graduation or the completion of another step in a life process (such as final Turning, ascension to certain ranks or professions after study or acclaim, starting of a House, etc). From the Mysterious Age.

det	[ DEHT ], (adjective) – Another adjective/title, this one a snide turn on 'respected'. Used only with contempt.

edloña	[ eh DLOHN yah ], (adjective) – unspeakable, roughly. Also has connotations of unthinkable and undoable. 'Taboo' is also an acceptable translation.

eku	[ eh KOO ], (noun) – the truedark hour

elithik	[ eh lihth IHK ], (adjective) – Used to indicate that the Jokkad has been every sex before settling on its final gender. Roughly, 'every-sexed.'

emodo	[ eh MOH doh ], (noun) – male

eperu	[ eh PEH rroo ], (noun) – neuter

het	[ HEHT ], (noun) – Prefix for a town. Used 'het [name of town]'.

ide	[ EE deh ], (noun) – day

isal	[ ee SAAL ], (noun) – ocean (much vaster than 'the sea').

jarana	[ jaa RAA naa ], (noun) – The individual who cares for the anadi of a House, seeing to their health, feeding and bathing those who need aid and arranging for their grading, breeding and care during pregnancy. The jarana sometimes also cares for pre-Turned children, though in larger Houses these duties are sometimes undertaken by separate individuals.

jena	[ JZAY naa ], (noun) – heart

jenadha	[ jeh NAHD hah ], (noun) – A strategy game played with colored stones, one of the few played by all three sexes.

Jokka	[ JOHK kah ], (noun) – Several individuals (plural). One Jokkad, two Jokka.

Jokkad	[ JOHK kahd ], (noun) – An individual (singular).

Jokku	[ JOHK koo ], (adjective) – Belonging to a Jokkad (possessive).

kaña	[ KAHN yah ], (noun) – A title within a House: the most valuable/saleable female therein. The 'prize' who will gain the House the most money in contracts. There can only be one of these at a time, though often the title will be traded back and forth as the worth of each female varies.

kaña-befidzu	[ KAHN yah beh FEED zoo ], (noun) – The most important bred female in the House; a title given to the female whose progeny are considered the most worthy/useful.

ke	[ KEH ], (adjective) – A prefix used in addressing an individual. Connotes a mild deference, roughly maps to 'respected'.

kudelith	[ koo DEH lihth ], (noun) – 'three-times-the-same-sexed'. A word used for Jokka who have remained the same sex from birth through both puberties.

lithrekid	[ LIHTH reh kihd ], (noun) – A batlike creature native to southern forests on Ke Bakil, mammalian, with thick, brightly colored wings.

marishet	[ mah ree SHEHT ], (adjective) – 'more of the same'. A word used to describe the accentuation of sexual characteristics that occurs when a Jokkad remains the same sex from one puberty to the next.

neked	[ NEH kehd ], (noun) – forest

oira	[ OY raa ], (noun) – A vision or object seen through the stillness of water. Not usually literal, this tends to indicate a truth that cannot usually be seen because it is obscured by movement (like the currents of a stream), but which has been revealed in a second's quiet.

pamari	[ pah MAH ree ], (adjective) – kind

pefna	[ PEHF nah ], (noun) – A title given to the head of a group within a House. Similar to 'master'.

relani	[ re LAH nee ], (noun) – A gathering for fun; a party. Usually impromptu, but sometimes scheduled.

rikka	[ RIHK kah ], (noun) – A beast of burden with slender legs but surprisingly strong. Similar to a large gazelle with a sturdy constitution

setasha	[ seh TAA shah ], (noun) – beloved (this word is specific to romantic relationships, and as such rarely is used for people of a gender unlike to the speaker).

sheña	[ SHEN yah ], (noun) – The most valued eperu (neuter) member of a Household--the one to whom an earring is awarded. There's only one of these at a time. While the perks vary from Household to Household (and from historical period to period), typically this eperu has more spending money and more bargaining power over its own employment contract.

shekul	[ sheh KOOL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. A gray that is built of a thousand gossamer colors; their sum total seems gray, but to the Jokka's eyes the subordinate colors are also there like faint veils.

sheshil	[ sheh SHEEL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. A dark brown that seems glossy on the surface, but with the suggestion of deeper, hazier browns beneath it.

sukul	[ soo KOOL ], (adjective) – A color used almost exclusively for Jokku skin. An iridescent blue-white described as looking like a white shell in full moonlight.