Ithkluri

The primary shared langauge of the Ithklur; words and concepts are also frequently borrowed by speakers of Gurvin.

It is spoken in the Hive Federation, the Ithklur Aexzz, and surrounding regions.

Sounds

The vowel character (*) represents a sound in Ithklur which isn't easily pronounced by Humans. The (*) is sometimes found written as 't'. Similarly, many of the consonant clusters, i.e. HZ, JJ, JZ, KZ, XX or ZZ, are simply un-pronounceable by any speaker that has a tongue less than eight inches in length. The doubled consonants, for a Human or Ithklur speaker, have a sound about three times the length of the same single consonant's sound.

Lexicon

*

• *kcholliolli: "Fascist". One of the two branches of devotion to the Ithklur Tetramerous Way. The term "fascist" is a particularly unfortunate and improperly connotation-laden Anglic translation from the Ithklur word. However, the Ithklur find this term preferable to alternatives. See also: Ha*on.

• *klisa: Loosely translated, "Absurd". This is perhaps the highest Ithklur value, codified in the formula: "It makes no sense, nonetheless it is true"; moments of ambiguity and contradiction when something which is known to be true appears to be impossible, and can't be proven by any rational means.

• *on: "Hand". Also Ithklur slang for a Hiver. The term derives from the Hivers' physical characteristics; their entire body with its six radial limbs could be seen as a hand, and the Hivers are also amply equipped with six "hands". The term has a deeper pejorative meaning, referring to the Hivers' cherished self-image as manipulators, string-pullers and puppeteers.

• *sharis: Philosophical tools resembling snowglobes

A-C

• Aexzz: "Empire"

• Anjell*k: Small, spherical, metallic bells worn by Ithklur on their clothing or equipment

• Brunnen: An Ithklur which hasn't achieved enlightenment

• Chalor: The true self; the integrated personality that resides at the core of all beings, and by virtue of existing in accord with eternity, is indestructible

D

• D*kvakka: The state of having achieved some measure of awareness of one's nature, and no longer living within the boundaries of that nature without being conscious of its characteristics

• D*vakken: An Ithklur who has achieved enlightenment. Enlightened Ithklur are broadly similar to the Human concept of commissioned officers; those who are placed in a position of responsibility due to their enhanced education and sense of responsibility.

• Dahzoklo: Difficult to translate, this means something like "enlightened warriors seeking a worthy foe".

• Dikrah Kiradgi: A historical text. (Dikrah: "Way")

• Dikrah Sonnie: "Tetramerous Way". The overarching Ithklur "national religion" which divides life into four different social roles or "paths": the Facilitator, Guardian, Explorer and Seeker paths.

E-G

• Eduuqa Ssuejmthouga: Idiomatically, "the Pick-Up Game"; a sport

• Eduuqa: "Game", "competition", "contest"

• Eethk*kkaa: Ithklur name for their homeworld, known as Tryylin in Gurvin (and so on most charts). The word is a variation of the Ithklur term for themselves, "Ithklur", or "lizard", and means "place where the lizards come from."

• F'naah: An expression of surprise, denoting joy and wonder

• Faazixri: A celebrated release of tension that resembles a paradoxically joyful tantrum.

H

• Ha*on: "Phalangist". One of the two branches of devotion to the Tetramerous Way. Phalangists believe that the four paths can best be visualized as an Ithklur hand, with four distinct fingers, but still the same unified organ. As with "Fascist", Phalangist is an odd and emotion-laden Anglic translation. The Ithklur prefer this translation to other words which use the term "Hand", as the Ithklur reserve that term for the Hivers.

• Haggar Sonnie: "Tetramerous Path"; the single path to enlightenment which combines the four paths of Facilitator, Guardian, Explorer and Seeker, as opposed to the Tetramerous Way, which is the larger philosophical belief system which encompasses all these paths.

• Haggar: "Path"

• Hayyar*chekkeh: The ceremony in which Ithklur uniforms, weapons and equipment are made "tactical" in preparation for combat, toning down their normal bright colours and dampening the sounds of the bells.

I

• Ithklur Aexzz: The "People's Empire". This state is called the Iydoch Tryyliniy in Gurvin.

• Ithklur: The people, literally something like "lizard". Almost uniquely, the Ithklur didn't name themselves "us", "people", etc. but made comparison to other creatures around them. Rather than seeing lizards as Ithklur-like, they see Ithklur as lizard-like.

J-R

• K'ktapka: A colour-changing reptile-like creature

• Kok*hon: A parasitic animal native to Tryylin known for its filthiness and lack of intelligence or any other redeeming characteristics. The word is also used as a derogatory term for any person worthy of contempt.

• Lu*ern: "Sanctuary". Ithklur society sets aside certain physical or conceptual areas as safe havens for its members or inhabitants. Physical areas might be such things as embassies, temples, orphanages or prison camps. Conceptual areas are usually organizations.

• Maxxen: "Driver". Ithklur slang term for the Hivers, because "they take us where we want to go and attend to all of the mundane details."

S

• S*kfani: "Sylvan"

• San*klaass: "The Blissful Warrior". Supposedly the Ithklur who first proclaimed the Tetramerous Way. As with many things Ithklur tell Humans, this is obviously suspect.

• Sik Eduuqa: "Artillery Competition". The object is to dismantle an antique field gun, carry it across an obstacle course, set it up and fire four rounds on target, in the shortest possible time.

• Slaa: A domesticated furred animal kept as a working animal or pet by many Ithklur, analogous to the Terran dog.

Note that the Ithklur term for "Human" literally means, "upright slaa." Anglic-speaking Ithklur freely translate slaa as "dog" in their Anglic speech. An adjunct to this is the fact that Ithklur refer to Human infants and children as "whelps", and often translate the Human concept of "brothers and sisters" as "littermates". No disrespect is meant by this.

• Sonnie: "Fourfold", "Tetramerous"

• Ssaktk'lak: "Decorative carnivore". Predatory animals kept around for enlightenment purposes (and to annoy Hivers)

T

• Tokkah Bark*ktonye: The Knight of Infinite Resignation, a state greatly admired by the Ithklur.

• Tokkah Na*klie: The Knight of Faith, an almost mythical Ithklur ideal.

• Tokkanah *Kshuden: Formal name of the highest level of achievement in the Guardian Path.

U-Z

• Xx*si Ueh Eduuqa: Roughly, "Close Marching Competition"

Selected Proper Nouns

• Assa Sanok*kla
• Aziyyo
• Dellixi
• Dujj't'kzo (or Dujj*kzo)
• Hziikz't'du (or Hziikz*du)
• Hzirseezza
• Iass Rsfii'kr
• Iassuiieess
• Idjzuu'uxuu
• Iitrejjii
• Jasujjii
• Jzegas't
• K*neese
• Kaxxixii
• Sfiikhskaa
• Skia'mia
• Skikkuk
• Urzxxyysso
• Xakouxu
• Xoru'o
• Xxaxxuujo
• Xxii
• Yyyssaass
• Zz't'suho (or Zk*suho)
• Zzapiirniff
• Zzaskkurhk
• Zzifiirsira
• Zzii
• Zzixummee
• Zzuexxiiklii

Locations

All sectors of the Hive Federation and the Ithklur Aexzz.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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 Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Dave Nilsen, Loren Wiseman. Aliens of the Rim (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), .