Yiirabarhi

A family of languages spoken by the Shrieker race of 567-908 (Spinward Marches 1031).

Description (Specifications)

Yiirabarhi is spoken by the Shriekers of the Great Retreat and nomadic groups along the western alluvial plains leading to the Sea. More distant dialects have been tentatively identified among desert nomads. A few bold scholars have posted documentation of a global language family tree, but most researchers remain skeptical until more data is analyzed.

Language in Shriekers utilizes a combination of three elements; the shrieks that give the race its name, communication through nerve pads, and gesture. Gesture and sound are used to communicate objective concepts and facts, while the nerve-pads provide subtle shades of meaning and intention. The written form of this complex language resembles a series of three wavy lines, one above the other. Each line represents an element of language; width, amplitude, and frequency varied to convey meaning. The ability to effectively communicate three concepts at once creates a language stunningly suited to irony, sarcasm, and wordplay.

Dtai-denuli, the underlying moral code of their modern religion, is one of the dozen words in the Shrieker language that can be reproduced by a Human tongue. Denuli, in fact, was the name of a Human scout who was prominent in the earliest Shrieker-Human interactions. (See: Mtume Denuli)

Sounds and Words

Words in the Shrieker languages are usually two syllables long, and generally convey simpler meanings than English words, since spoken language is only one facet of their communications ability.

Words are built up of CV (consonant + vowel) syllables, with an alphabet of 42 consonants and 6 vowels:

Vowels:

   a: continental 'a' – sounds like the vowel in 'cot'
   aa: same sound, but pronounced twice as long
   e: continental 'e' – almost sounds like the vowel in 'late'
   ee: sounds almost like the final sound of 'desirée' drawn out a bit i: continental 'I' – sounds like the vowel in 'feel'
   ii: same sound, but pronounced twice as long

Consonants:

   r rv v vr
   rh rhv vh vhr y yh w wh
   b br brv bv bvr
   k kr krv kv kvr
   kh khr khrv khv khvr s sr srv sv svr
   sh shr shrv shv shvr

Structure

Yiirabarhi syntax -- and grammar -- is, according to scholars of Ktach Shashen College on Regina, accounted for in one major rule: the determinant is embedded in the determinded. Embedding occurs always immediately after the first phoneme. Thus, if English syntax were like that of Yiirabarhi, "one gigantic starship" would be: star-gi-one-gantic-ship.

Adjectives and adverbs are represented by stative verbs; for example, instead of having an adjective for 'red', there is a verb (called a stative verb) 'to be red' which works just like an adjective.

Example: Shvireeyi'yi

The most commonly used native name for their homeworld is Shvireeyi'yi (typically conflated to Shvreeyiyi): world-home.

• Shviyi: world. shvi-yi
• Reeyi: home.

   shvi-yi
     |   ----------
     |            |
   shvi + reeyi + yi

Example: Raakakabe'hi'hee

• kabe 'one'
• kahi 'tasty'
• raayhee 'fish'

raa-kahi-hee: "tasty (determinant) fish (determined)"

raa-ka-kabe-hi-hee: "one (determinant) tasty (determinant) fish (determined)"

Notation

The final syllables are sometimes marked to help humans parse the word:

Raakakabe'hi'hee = raa-ka-kabe-hi-hee

Subject

The subject marker kaka distinguishes noun phrases.

• kaka (subject marker)
• share 'she'
• kebaa 'swim'
• kakii 'in'
• beshi 'ocean'

ke-ka-share-ka ka-beshi-kill-baa : She swims in the ocean. (Literally "swims she in-ocean").

With marked-end syllables: Kekashare'ka-kabeshi'kii'baa.

History & Background (Historical Linguistics)

No information yet available.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This language is primarily in use in the following areas:

• 567-908, Spinward Marches Sector

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.

• Marc Miller. Safari Ship (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 10-12.
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 73.
• Steve Jackson, Loren Wiseman. Alien Races 4 (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 107-115.
• Shawn Havranek, Loren Wiseman. Planetary Survey 2: Denuli (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), all.
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 110.