Aramakilar

The Aramakilar are a human nomadic culture of Bellerophon (Solomani Rim 1519). They are noted for a culture revolving around hunts of the daghadasi, a huge sea-dwelling beast that resembles a free-floating island.

Society

The ship-cities of the Aramakilar are by no means standardized, but most share certain points in common. Ship-cities hold 1,000-5,000 people, a complete community with a wide variety of responsibilities and tasks.

Language

Aramakilar society is somewhat militaristic, since the daghadasi hunting expeditions which are central to nomad life are, by their nature, military. This is reflected in their vocabulary.

A

• Adababasi: "Island-father". Daghadasi in their reproductive phase.

• Albay: Captain of the ship-city.

• Aramakilar: "The Seekers". Name applied to the nomad culture. Also Dunyacan Aramakilar.

• Assubay: An individual who had participated in a hunt for a daghadasi. An Assubay has the right to speak before the Hukurmet Baslica, but only on matters already before the council. Plural: Assubaylar.

• Astegmen: One who has been selected to go out on a hunt but has not yet completed it.

• Av: "Quarry"; term applied to the target of a hunt.

• Avarmak: The call to assemble for a hunt.

B

• Baba: Short form of adababasi.

• Bakan: Administrative official appointed by the Hukurmet Baslica to oversee some aspect of community government; there are several such officials in a ship-city.

• Binbasi: Officer commanding a hunterfoil squadron; normally an Ustsubay of particular note.

D

• Daghadadede: “Great Daghagasi”. The post-reproductive phase of the daghadasi. Plural: daghadadedes.

• Daghadasi: General name of the giant sea creatures of Bellerophon.

• Dede: Short form of daghadadede

• Deniz: "Sea"

• Denizalti: Order to submerge hunterfoils for an undersea attack

• Dindas: "Fellow of the Way"; a nomad who follows traditional nomad ways

• Dunyacan Aramakilar: "Seekers of the World-Soul"; full name of the nomads of Bellerophon, stemming from their philosophical role as part of the interrelated web of life on Bellerophon.

E

• Effendi: A term of honour, applied to leaders and others deserving deference or respect.

• Elci: An envoy

• Er: A member of the lowest echelon of nomad society

G

• Gemisehir: "City of Sailors", the community's way of life.

• Gemici: "Sailor". A member of the nomad community. Plural: gemicilar.

H

• Halk: “The common people”; a collective reference to members of the community.

• Hakim: A doctor

• Hizavli: Nomad name for a hunterfoil.

• Hukurmet Baslica: The governmental council of a ship-city.

I

• Iskele: Dock area of a ship-city.

• Islar: A political faction. These are conservatives who prefer the nomads to keep to themselves, adhering to the principals of vazife (duty) and kader (destiny).

• Istiklal: "Independence", a concept central to nomad philosophy and life.

K

• Kader: "Destiny"

• Karkul: "Wage-slave"; epithet applied by nomads to those who work for the exploitative offworld corporation Seaharvester. Plural: karkular.

• Komutan: The senior Binbasi of a hunt; "commander".

• Konak Salon: Meeting-chamber of the Hukurmet Baslica.

• Koramiral: Elected heir to the Oramiral; the Koramiral takes power if the Oramiral is killed or incapacitated, but not if the Oramiral is voted out. Traditionally a member of the Oramiral's faction.

M

• Mallet: The community.

• Mudafaalar: A political faction. They want to fight exploitative offworld corporations to preserve the Dunyacan Aramakilar but aren't so radical as to regard all strangers as bad.

• Muharebe Sayasinde: "War in his shadow"; a daghadasi hunt

• Muharebe: "War"

• Muharebelar: A political faction, "warriors". Radical militants of the nomad community, who reject all ways of life other than that of the gemisehir.

• Muserref Oldum: "I have become honoured"; formal phrase used upon introduction. The reply is seref bara ait: "the honour belonging to me".

• Muvazene: "Balance"; nomad concept of living in harmony with nature.

N-O

• Nazir: An advisor to the Hukurmet Baslica; such individuals include the Albay and the various Bakanlar, plus other respected individuals.

• Ogul: A pre-reproductive phase daghadasi.

• On Yusbasi: Deputy commander of a hunterfoil squadron.

• Oramiral: Elective head of the Hukurmet Baslica; the office is held until the leader loses the confidence of his subordinates.

S

• Saha: The herd followed by a particular ship-city.

• Sandal: A boat or small craft.

• Sehir: A city.

• Sehirsumellet: "Nation of the water-city".

• Sehit: "Martyr of the way"; one who died in a daghadasi hunt.

• Subay: An officer; one who has participated in a daghadasi hunt. Plural: subaylar.

T

• Taaruz: "Attack"; imperative, order to begin an attack run.

• Tegmen: A junior officer rank.

• Tercuman: An interpreter assigned to visitors to the ship-city; he acted as a combination of guide, bodyguard, and watchdog.

• Tugamiral: A member of the Hukurmet Baslica. Plural: Tugamiralar.

• Tumamiral: A senior member of the Hukurmet Baslica; the leader of a faction. Plural: Tumamiralar.

U-V

• Ustegmen: An officer rank.

• Ustsubay: An individual credited with a kill or other heroic act on a hunt. Plural: Ustsubaylar.

• Vazife: "Duty"

Y-Z

• Yabanci: "Foreigner", "stranger", or "outsider"; a term of scorn. Plural: yabancilar.

• Yarbay: A ship-captain; rank just below that of Albay.

• Yavru: A daghshark.

• Yaz Yugizor: The seasonal coriolis storms of Bellerophon.

• Yilan: A poisonous eel that lives among the "reefs" lining the underside of a daghadasi.

• Zenginlar: A political faction. A disgruntled minority who feel that the Aramakilar life is no longer viable and want to appease offworld corporations and join other nomads in working for them.

References

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• J. Andrew Keith, William H. Keith Jr.. Nomads of the World Ocean (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), .