Avej

A localised language among the Human inhabitants of Vahdji, a technologically primitive world whose people descended from Vilani colonists of millennia past. Avej is the primary language of the Baku, the coast-dwelling people of Vahdji, and of many desert tribes further inland. It developed largely in isolation, but its original roots were Vilani, with -- some speculate -- occasional influence by Vlazhdumecta.

• Location: Vahdji, Talak System (Far Frontiers 1537)
• Related Languages: Old High Vilani (distant)

Grammar

Plurals are formed with the suffix “-’n”. For example, Faffad becomes Faffad’n. Names can be plural, as they often reference supposed qualities that are themselves standardized plural.

Lexicon

• Baj-uku: “Washer with Water”. A derogatory term used by N’Raqah clans to describe the Baku; a pun. Being desert dwellers, using water to bathe is wasteful to the N’Raqah, and unethical.

• Dwerrolj: A subculture of Vahdjins, closely related to the N’Raqah.

• Eschjik-jik: A plant

• Faffad: A beast of burden, and the favoured mount of N’Raqah. (FAFF-ad)

• Jah: “Lands”, a categorization; referred to division of land by terrain, purpose, or quality

• Jarwehj: “Sand”; the dunes, that unlike other parts of the desert could be crossed but not lived in.

• Jwah: To encircle, surround

• Ka-Kachra: “North Wall”

• Ka-Kinchra: “South Wall”

• Ka-Vahajah: “Brownlands Wall”

• Kaij: “Produced from”, “carried by”, born of”. Also the name of a settlement, probably from Kaijur, “seaborn”

• Kaijur-jah: “Seaborn Lands”

• Kap-Althajwah: “Encircling Mountains”

• Kap-Altha: “Mountain”

• Kapak: “Hill”. Plural, Kapak’n

• Kathwa’n: “Guardians”

• Laladjye Ur: “Sea Jewell”

• N’Raqah: A desert-dwelling tribal culture

• N’Saq Hassikjah: “Land of Eternal Day”, the t’kahrejyi

• Siffsiq: A custom, in which visiting emissaries are bid to ride one of a clan’s faffad.

• T’kahrejyi: Deep Desert

• Truj: Untranslatable, obscene reference to invaders

• Ur: “Sea”. Note that coastal settlements often incorporate this into their name, e.g. Urseg and Urwed.

• Ur-Chawathu: “Windsource Sea”

• Ur-jarwehj: “Sand Sea”

• Uraq: A clan’s leader and ultimate authority

• Uraqya: “Leader Over Many Clans”. Plural, Uraqyad’n

• Vahajah: “Brownlands”

• Voj: Caravan family of the Dwerrolj

• Yjid: A bladed bolo