Gvegh (language)

Gvegh is a language that is primarily used by the Vargr race throughout the Vargr Extents supra-polity.

• It is a peripheral or minority language.

The Gvegh language is one of a related group sharing many letters of a common script. These include Gvegh-Aek, Knithnour; Uedhu and Taeksu.

Description (Specifications)

Gvegh is a Vargr language and cultural region in the Vargr Extents. Gvegh is obviously a linguistic descendant of the Vargr Arrghoun language. Where Arrghoun is a relatively simple language, which in its development lost such complications as noun declensions, gender differences, or elaborate endings or prefixes, Gvegh has regained many of these grammatical features.

Alphabet

The Gvegh Language is conventionally written with the following vowels: A, AE, E, I, O, OE, OU, U and UE.

It also has the following consonants: D, DH, DZ, F, G, GH, GHZ, GN, GV, GZ, K, KF, KH, KHS, KN, KS, L, LL, N, NG, R, RR, RRG, RRGH, RS, RZ, S, T, TH, TS, V, Z.

Lexicon

See Gvegh Lexicon

Social Use

Every Gvegh conversation is a contest, with the charisma of the speakers at stake. The notion of charisma is central to the culture of all Vargr races. Charisma, called kfaegzoukhin in Gvegh, is a Vargr’s prestige and force of personality. An individual’s charisma might change many times in the course of a lifetime, depending on the their environment and their success among fellow Vargr. Cultural effects of charisma pervade all of Gvegh culture, including the language itself. Not only is Gvegh spoken differently between two speakers of different charisma, but the same individual will speak Gvegh differently when his charisma changes.

Vargr are always competing for attention and prominence, so it is common in Gvegh for speakers to interrupt one another. Gvegh speakers often challenge their listeners to interrupt by needlessly lengthening certain words and syllables. As a common example, a Gvegh speaker with a charisma higher than that of his listener will often hold the sound of the second-to-the-last syllable in a sentence for as long as possible, and then clip the last syllable short as an added insult to the listener. Naturally, a Gvegh speaker with higher charisma can hold this syllable longer than can a speaker with lower charisma, but all must be careful not to hold the syllable too long, or the interruption will occur. It can be fascinating to listen to two Vargr with the same charisma trying to hold a conversation. Each tries to delay as long as possible, always risking that the other might interrupt. In a sense, the speaker with the higher charisma is demonstrating that he can waste the listener’s time. This delay is particularly noticeable when a Vargr pronounces his own name, his pack’s name, or the name of his race.

Another important difference between Gvegh speakers with high and low charisma is the different grammar that they use. A Vargr with low charisma has to include all of the grammatical markers needed in his sentence. A speaker with high charisma can pick and choose.

There are other ways, besides omitting grammatical forms and needlessly lengthening syllables, that a Gvegh speaker can show high status. Verb tenses in Gvegh are dissimilar to those of Galanglic. Rather than showing the time that something occurred, tenses connote the charisma level of the speaker. When speaking of a future happening, high-charisma speakers use different verb forms. Another habit of high-charisma Vargr, particularly annoying to Humans, is to needlessly repeat words (particularly needless when his high charisma allows him to use short form). Of course, if a Vargr does this too much, or uses the wrong verb forms, he will be interrupted by his listener. An interruption, in short, is a Vargr’s way of telling the speaker, “You think your charisma is higher than it actually is.”

History & Background (Dossier)

Historical Linguistics: Gvegh is a Vargr language and cultural region in the Vargr Extents. This region roughly encompasses the coreward-rimward line of sectors including Ghoekhnael, Knoellighz, Gvurrdon, and the Spinward Marches.

Vargr were attracted to this area for the interaction with the Zhodani Consulate. Interstellar trade is particularly strong throughout this length: some would call it feverish.

At the same time, this tends to be the most politically volatile region of Vargr space. States, while often large, are very short lived, and their boundaries constantly shift. Wars are a regular occurrence. On an individual level, Gvegh Vargr have historically had a stronger inclination to be mercurial and rash.

Not surprisingly, because of their proximity to the Zhodani Consulate, there are more Vargr in this region who are psionically trained than elsewhere in Vargr Space. Psionic research groups sometimes occur with regularity near the Zhodani border in the Extents.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This language is primarily spoken in the following areas:
Vargr Extents:

• Ghoekhnael Sector
  • Most Subsectors
• Gvurrdon Sector
  • Most Subsectors
• Knoellighz Sector
  • Most Subsectors
• Spinward Marches Sector
  • Most Subsectors
• Ziafrplians Sector

Homeworld

The homeworld of this language is:

• Lair (world)

World Listing

Significant communities of speakers of this language are known to exist within the following systems and worlds:

No world articles for Gvegh (language)

See Also

Gvegh Dictionary

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it.

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, Marc Miller, John Harshman. Vargr (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), —.
• Gary L. Thomas. "Vargr Culture." The Travellers' Digest 03 (1985): 33-38.
• James Holden, Joe D. Fugate Sr., Terrance McInnes. Vilani & Vargr (Digest Group Publications, 1990), 88.
• Simon Beal. Vargr (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), —.
• Pasuuli's Tools: Gvegh Language Generator