Gurvin (language)

Gurvin or Gurviotic is the language of the Hive Federation.

Description (Specifications)

Gurvin is an ideographic language in both written and spoken form. It has a regular, inflected grammar. Each word has a single unambiguous meaning. There are no synonyms and a quantitative measure replaces the concept of metaphor.

The Hive Federation uses Gurvin in its written and spoken form as the standard language for all official documentation and signage.

Changes to the language, including the addition of vocabulary, requires approval by a committee, a Hiver Embassy devoted to ensuring that standard communication throughout the Federation is maintained.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Hiver are mute and their language has no spoken form. As the proto-Hive Federation expanded, the Hiver found the Gurvin. They were taken by the coincidence that both species used an ideographic script. The grammar of both Hiver script and the Gurvin’s common trade language was regular, and they possessed a similar range of concepts. Translation between them was quite easy. Conveniently, Gurvin script also had a syllabary, so it became possible for the first time to make Hiver pronounceable. The Hivers set about adapting the Gurvin trade tongue for their state’s benefit.

Gurvin became the Federation language for several reasons. First, it filled the need for a readily exportable language which could be tied to Hiver. Second, as it arose among well-traveled merchants, who needed to be able to talk to strangers, it was readily comprehensible. Its grammar was simple and regular, and there was no ambiguity in the meanings of its short words.

Because of this lack of synonyms and metaphor, many Hive Federation races adopt Ithklur for philosophy and other uses which require metaphor. The common non-Hiver citizen of the Federation will speak Gurvin but with words and concepts from Ithklur pidgin and local languages mixed in.

Sounds

The Hivers sometimes render identical-sounding consonants differently, like 'f' and 'ph': They claim the distinction to be important for their own symbolic logic, but that statement is probably untrue and intended to mislead.

Where possible, the initial consonant, if any, indicates the purpose of the concept. 'g' denotes a word concerned with action; 'p' indicates contemplation; 'z' closure.

'B' and 'p', although distinct for most Humans, are indistinguishable for Za'tachk (alongside Gurvin, one of the core non-Hiver racial demographics of the Hive Federation)

Each vowel has a short, long, and aspirate value. The short value indicates the base concept; the long (ideally) its exact opposite but usually its negation; and the aspirate some kind of synthesis between the previous.

Presence of the y- diphthongs shows that the word refers to a hybrid of one of the base concepts. Presence of the -y diphthongs indicates that the concept is outmoded. In Gurvin costume dramas, all the first vowels are of the -y form, the Hive Federation equivalent of "thou" and "forsooth".

Lexicon

A

• Akkagi: A vehicle-mounted weapon

• Aloo: A type of missile

• Aog: "Beginning", "Void". The only synonym in the modern language.

B

Generally, "b" as an initial consonant is undifferentiated from "p" and so indicates contemplation.

• Boh'ohchiy: "Span". A period of time, 50 minutes.

• Boh'ohciy: "Interval". The Hiver "hour", actually five hours long.

• Biyzihn: "Value Notation (realized)". The basic unit of currency.

C

• Cahjeng Huteach Ahvochy: "Self-Learning Conclave". Usually translated as Topical Club; these are important institutions in Hiver society.

• Chiybohd: "Segment". A time period, 8.3 minutes.

• Cihn: "Exchange-value notation", money in general

• Cuyche: Fighter ship. Designs include the Gahcuyche heavy fighter and the Giicuyche light fighter

D-E

• Dhiybohch: "Minute". 1.4 Terran minutes

• Eacoh: "Genetics"

• Epara Aia Uaaua: Loosely translated, "The Mover of Desire"; a prestigious sports title among Gurvin dancers

F

• Faroq: "Year". Note the similarity to noq, "circle"

• Fiiuh: "Adult alien". Hivers divide alien races into "adult" and "yearling" (i.e. developing)

• Fiybohd: "Breath". A time period, 14 seconds

• Fiyuh: "Yearling" alien; undeveloped society or primitive civilization. A yearling is a young Hiver newly arrived at a nest after its year or so living wild as a larva. Hivers measure their personhood from this point; infants (larvae) are considered merely pests.

• Flagicih: "Starship"; literally, fla, "star", and gicih, "ship"

• Fo: Measure, quantity, size, weight

G

Usually, an initial consonant of 'g' denotes a word concerned with action. Limb movements, means of transport, active agents, items requiring manipulation, even the laying of plans.

• Gaizo: "Limb-cage"

• Gaizofo: "Limb-cage Measure"

• Gazu: "Arm"

• Gazufo: "Arm's Measure"

• Gicih: "Ship". From icih, "trade", with an action-implying 'g' consonant.

• Giiphicih: "Liner Ship"

• Giir: "Performers of the action"; work detail or team

• Giphlan: "Star God"; literally something akin to "planner-performer of stars"

• Gipuma Isuhaash: Loosely translated, "bachelor's gambit", an annual Gurvin dance festival

• Giybohf: "Blink". Used as a time period, corresponding to 2.3 seconds

• Gizihn: "Planned Exchange -- Value Notation". Both an estimation of future growth of the money supply and a summary of likely productive capacity.

• Gle: "Growth". Note short vowel for the base concept.

• Glea: "Purposeful Development" (rising above nature). The Hive Federation capital planet is named Glea.

• Glee: "Decay". Note long vowel to oppose or negate "gle".

• Gleh: "Life”. Note aspirant vowel form for synthesis, of growth and decay. Note also that having evolved as subterranean fungus-farmers, Hivers have always understood life as being dependent on decay and decomposition as much as on growth.

• Glilman: A series of buttons, often inlaid in the floor of a Hive Federation ship, that produce sound when pressed. Yearling Hivers enjoy them.

• Gu: "Soil". Note short vowel for the base concept.

• Gua: "Earth", in the mystical "this land is ours" sense.

• Gualeh: "Farming"

• Guaran: The Hiver homeworld

• Guu: Regolith, leeched out dust. Note long vowel to oppose or negate "gu".

I

• Icih: "Trade". A gicih is a ship, in general, derived from this word. A zicih is a ship actually intended for trading; e.g. the Gizicih-class General Trader or (ostensibly) the Zahzicih-class Q-ship.

• Iigicih: Embassy ship

• Iigoh: "Manipulation"

• Isuhaash: Loosely translated, "bachelor". An unmated Gurvin male.

• Ithklur: "Marine"; taken from the name of the species that functions as the Hive Federation's troops.

• Iydoch Tryyliniy: The Hive Federation name for the Ithklur Aexzz, an autonomous allied state established by the Hivers.

• Iygiykuy: "War". Note that the final vowel form ends with 'y', indicating an outmoded concept.

• Iyro: "Gambling"

J-M

• Kiybohg: "Pulse", a time period of 0.39 seconds

• Koo oeo Tramup ea: Loosely translated, "The Way of Divine Ascendance", a Gurvin religion

• Kree Drikak au Wani: "Celestial Office of the Divine Mogul", a Gurvin religion

• Loflar: A missile

N

• Noq: "Circle". Note short vowel for the base concept.

• Nohq: "Ellipse". Note aspirant vowel form for synthesis.

• Nooq: "Sphere". Note long vowel to oppose noq.

O

• Oc: As a prefix, indicates that the word is a comparative adjective

• Og: As a prefix, indicates that the word is a simple adjective

• Oh: "Zero"; most numbers contain the component oh, describing deviations from zero.

• Ohs: "Stop"; note similarity to Oh

• Ohsnay: "Fuel Stop"; name for a world, possibly a gas giant, in the Guaran System

• Oo Giphlan Dia: "Children of the Star God", a Gurvin cult religion

• Oz: As a prefix, indicates that the word is a superlative adjective

P

Generally, "p" as an initial consonant indicates contemplation.

• Phla: "Star". Also sometimes Fla

• Phlaguu: "Regolith Star"; also known as Eyestalk. Secondary star of the Hiver homeworld.

• Phlahsniy: "Primary Star"; Primary of the Hiver homeworld.

R-T

• Roqoc: "Cycle". A time period of 30 hours. Note similarity to noq, "circle".

• Snohiyfo: Snohl-weight, ton.

• Snohl: Large burrowing animal native to Guaran; Hivers evolved as symbiotic residents within snohl burrows.

U-Y

• Ubu: General (as opposed to specific)

• Yuryiyu: Research

Z

A "z" at the beginning of a word generally indicates the concept of closure.

• Zahy: "Body", the central mass of the Hiver, where the brain is located. Outmoded, overly formal

• Zicih: A ship intended for trading, modifying icih, "trade" with the initial consonant implying closure, and as a variation of gicih, "ship" ("trade" with an initial consonant implying action).

• Ziiguysna: A military pinnace. Modified from Ciigusna, a shuttle. Note the "guy" rather than "gu"

• Zizihn: "Realized Exchange -- Value Notation". Very vaguely, current money supply.

• Zihn: "Value Notation"; very loosely, "currency"

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.

• Dave Nilsen, David L. Pulver, Andy Slack, David Thomas. Alien Races 3 (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 28-32sb.
• Darren Bulmer. Aliens of Charted Space: Volume 4 (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), 157.