Gvegh (language)

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Gvegh is a Vargr language that is widely spoken along the Vargr Extents supra-polity Spinward Frontier.

  • 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[1].

Description (Specifications)[edit]

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[edit]

The Gvegh language is conventionally written[2] 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[edit]

Note that various dialects might use these terms differently or show considerable variation from "standard".

  • -Lur: When used as a suffix to a place name it denotes that the subject is a refugee from that place.
  • Aengagh: "Smooth Tongue"
  • Akhuegh: A distracting gesture intended to disguise true intent or feelings.
  • Anghaeghz: "Devourer"
  • Dhinohazuk: A "Fighter Set" of armour, consisting of Chest Guard (Dhinou) and Bracers (Negdhazuk).
  • Dhudzva: "Mystery"
  • Dhuellngae: The act of attempting to take leadership of the pack (Kuvargr)
  • Dzall Arroeso Dzukfekoul: "To Discover, Create Valiantly and Enjoy"; a corporation of Knoellighz Sector
  • Fuenrag: To repurpose, to take for a better use, or to steal. The Vargr often feel that Imperials (especially lawyers) concentrate unduly on the last meaning over all others.
  • Grinzh: "Gift"
  • Gvegh Gvrr: In one dialect, "I'm ready"; literally, "Tawny ready", the "Tawny" Vargr being the root ethnicity of the Gvegh culture.
  • Kanersaghae: "Our Territory". Within Gvurrdon Sector and the Spinward Marches, this word, spoken with a certain emphasis, is the generally accepted name for what Humans call Lair, the Vargr homeworld.
  • Kengrran: A Human who has fully adopted and integrated with the Vargr way of life
  • Kfaeghr Gohz: Literally, "herder of souls"
  • Kfaegzoukhin: Charisma; the force of personality and prestige that attracts other Vargr
  • Kfaenuok: “Loyalty”. Compare with Aekhu equivalent, Kfoerukue
  • Kforzgong: Fighter set; armour consisting of Shoulder Guards (Kforzonga) and Knee Plates
  • Kforzhazuk: Fighter set; armour consisting of Bracers (Negdhazuk) and Shoulder Guards (Kforzonga)
  • Kforzonga: "Shoulder guards"
  • Naezaengoz: "Broken Egg"
  • Rarza: Seeker or Seekers. A loan word from Arrghoun. Modern Gvegh typically uses Rrza instead; this form is archaic and almost exclusively applicable to the religion Rarza Thunkae.
  • Rrga: Any foul-tasting creature
  • Rsukal: A Tell. Specifically, an involuntary movement of the ears or tail that reveals a Vargr's true state of mind.
  • Rukh: "Emperor". Derived from Roukh in Arrghoun.
  • Runag: Someone who deliberately misled you.
  • Sourztourrghs: "Brave Corsair". Also the name of a company manufacturing motorcycles.
  • Thaeghz Hvaek Engnigharr: "Pack Pact to Success"; a corporate entity in Knoellighz Sector.
  • Thukstoersllill: "Tree-Hider-Electric"; the name for an arboreal animal native to worlds in the rimward Vargr Extents.
  • Thunkae: "Destiny"
  • Trevera: A sweet nutrient expressed from the maternal glands of a burrowing scavenger.
  • Uethall: "Volunteer"
  • Ugzing: To run. From Arrghoun, To Race.
  • Vaegh: To kill. Unrelated to the Arrghoun homophone Vaegha ("What?")
  • Zers: "Rock"
  • Zersakha: Strength of will; literally "rock without"
  • Zoukhinghu: To gain Charisma.
  • Zoukhinku: Pack Leader. See also Roukhthaeghz
  • Zoukhinso: To lose Charisma.

See also: Gvegh Lexicon

Social Use[edit]

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 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)[edit]

Gvegh is not only a Vargr language but a 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 potential of interaction with the Zhodani Consulate. Interstellar trade is particularly strong throughout this region; 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 in the Gvegh region, on worlds near the Zhodani border.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]

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

Homeworld[edit]

The homeworld of this language is:

World Listing[edit]

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[edit]

Gvegh Dictionary

References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

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