idoikkhe, idoikkhei: (ih-DOYK*-heh) from idols, jewel. The bracelet of a nas kame, patterned with the heraldry of the nasul, and capable of transmitting sensory impulses.
iduve: (ih-DOOVh) man, woman, mankind.
Iqhanofre: (ik-HAH-no-fray)
izhkh:(izsk*) mountainous region of Kej IV famed for its geometric art.
kameth, kamethi: (KAH-mef) Honorific of nas kame.
kataberihe: (kah-tah-beh-REE-heh) mating of an Orithain to produce orithaikhti, heir-children. Only children of such a mating may inherit the title; it goes to the eldest regardless of sex. The bond of kataberihe forbids the woman in the pair from katasakke for ten months after announcing her intention; the male suffers a ritual abstinence for twenty days. This is for the sake of establishing paternity, and for mental preparation, as kataberihe- mates are usually from another nasul.
katasathe: (kah-ta-SATH) pregnant
katasakke: (kah-ta-SAK*h) mating-for-children, requiring a three-month abstinence should the woman desire to change mates. It is also counted improper for the male to have more than one current mate. Each katasakke mating will almost certainly result in a child; such a high rate of conception was once advantageous to species survival. Extreme longevity and limited space on the akitomei have made it otherwise, giving rise to the custom of katasukke.
katasukke: (kah-ta-SOOK*h) mating-for-pleasure, done with m’metanei, and not (for aesthetic reasons) with amaut. This cannot result in offspring, and neither the purification period of kataberihe nor that of katasakke forbids katasukke.
Kej: (Kezh) the Sun; home star of the iduve.
-kkh: relational infix, from kame, bond, bind. Binding or obligation: necessity.
-kutikkase: (ku-tih-KAH-seh) lit.: things. Earthly necessities, food, bodily comforts, all arts save the pursuit or use of intangibles. Opposite of chanokhia.
lis, lioi: (lihss, LEE-oi) 1,000 paces, approximately 3/4 mile.
Melakhis: (meh-lakh-HEESS) from m’melakhia; the Council of Acquisition, composed of the Orithain, his/her sra, and one member from each of the elder or major sri of the nasul. The Melakhis assists the Orithain in decisions of major importance and technical complexity.
Mijanothe: (mee-jah-NOTHe)
m’melakhia: (meh-meh-lak*-HEE-ya) desire of acquisition; sometimes used to approximate m’metane concept of “love”; sometimes translated “ferocity.” A basic and constant activity of the iduve, necessary for arastiethe. (2) m.-tomes: the acquisition of prestige or spatial lordship, needful as operating room for the dignity and freedom of the nasul. (3) m.-likatis: acquisition of knowledge, most honorable of activities.
m’metane, m’metanei: (meh-MEH-tah-nay) manling: a being which approximately conforms to iduve appearance: kallia and humans.
nasithi: (nah-sih-THEE) Honorific plural of nas, a member of the nasul.
nas kame, noi kame: (nahs KAH-may, noi KAH-may) bondchild; a m’metane in service to the nasul.
okkitan-as, okkitani-as: (OK*-hee-tahn-AHSS) lit: helper. Amaut in service to the nasul.
Orithanhe: (oh-rih-THAHN-heh) council of all available orithainei of orith-nasuli, at least twenty for a quorum. It meets on the home world. Due to the iduve predilection toward arrhei-akita, it is almost never convoked.
paredre: (pahr-ED-hre) ceremonial center of authority of an akites; the hall of the Orithain.
prha: (prah) particle meaning “hypothesis” or “one supposes.”
serach: (SEH-rak*) funeral display; a destruction of kutikkase in proportion to the arastiethe of the dead.
sorithias: (so-rih-THEE-ahss) from orithois, mastery. The obligation of an Orithain to the nasul.
sra: (ssrah) bloodkin (ship) (2) bhan-sra: vertical (parent-child). (3) iq-sra: lateral (brother-sister; half-brother and half-sister).
-tak: female Honorific suffix.
takkhe: (tak*h) having takkhenois in agreement.
takkhenes: (TAKH*-he-nayss) group-consciousness of the nasul, by which decisions are made and justice determined.
Tashavodh: (tah-sha-VOD*h)
tekasuphre: (tek-ah-SU-frey) stupidity, irrationality, nonsense.
-toj: (tozh) male Honorific suffix.
vaikka: (VAI-k*hah) or (vai-K*HAH!) a demonstration of arastiethe; could roughly be translated as “revenge” if not that vaikka is often taken in advance of actual injury, to offset niseth (disadvantage). Vaikka need not involve damage, for arastiethe can be demonstrated by help as well as harm. It is, however, a fighting or predatory instinct basic to the iduve psychology.
vaikka-chanokhia: an art form peculiarly iduve, practiced generally upon other iduve, as m’metanei have limited appreciation of chanokhia. True vaikka-chanokhia is such that the recipient cannot possibly reciprocate.
vra-nasul: (vrah-nah-SOOL) subject-clan; formed when an elder clan splits because of size or disunity.
III
THE AMAUT LANGUAGE: similar to kalliran speech in structure, with many kalliran words appropriated into the language, and showing much tendency to imitate the elaborate politeness styles of the iduve. The alphabet is native, but literature as such dates from first contact with the iduve.