[Queen of Orcs 02] - Clan Daughter (38 page)

hiss
verb root and noun—To laugh, laughter.

human
noun—Human word for
washavoki
.

Karm
proper noun—Goddess worshipped by humans. Called the Goddess of the Balance, Karm is supposed to weigh one’s deeds after death.

kefs
noun—A pair of short capes of slightly differing sizes that are worn by orcish mothers. In warm weather, the smaller cape is worn on top of the larger one so that the breasts are exposed. In cold weather, it covers the chest.

kip
noun—Orcish tool for working stone. It is similar to a chisel.

latath
noun—A clan mother who bestows the clan tattoo.

man
noun—There is no equivalent term in Orcish for a human male, although they are sometimes called “hairy-faced washavokis.”

military ranks and units
Orcs never developed a highly organized military, and all the following terms are of human origin. In the orc regiments, all the officers were human.

general
—The highest-ranking officer. The general for the orc regiments was called the
Queen’s Man
because the orcs believed he derived his authority from their queen.

high murdant
—The highest-ranking noncommissioned officer. A high murdant reports directly to a general.

high tolum
—Usually commands a regiment.

human ranks
Ranks in ancient armies were less specific than in contemporary ones, and the modern equivalents are only approximate.

military units
An orc regiment was composed of orc fighters, commanded by human officers. Human soldiers served support roles, and women served both the orcs and men. A
shieldron
was the basic orc fighting unit. It consisted of thirty-six orcs. The term was also applied to a shieldron of orcs and the humans that commanded and supported them. An orc
regiment
had six shieldrons of orc fighters, accompanied by a human contingent of officers, support troops, and serving women.

murdant
—A noncommissioned officer, the equivalent of a sergeant.

orc leaders
Orcs had no officers or murdants, but did recognize leaders among their own kind. Such leaders lacked the authority of human officers and led by their example and through the use of persuasion. They wore
capes
as a sign of wisdom. These capes were bestowed by the consensus of their comrades and could be taken away in the same manner. The authority of
Wise Sons
derived from the clan matriachs who appointed them to act in their absence. They guided the orc males in nonmilitary matters. Outside the orc regiments, they had no more authority than ordinary orc males.

sustolum
—The lowest-ranking officer, the equivalent of a lieutenant.

tolum
—The equivalent of a captain. Usually commands a shieldron (see below).

min
noun—A male orc, regardless of age. Usually translated as “son.”

minvashi
noun—Husband.
(blessed son)

moon
noun—Human word for
bahthithi
, which translates as “silver eye.” The eye referred to is Muth la’s.

mother
noun—The human translation for the Orcish word
muth
, although the two terms are not completely equivalent.

murdant
—See “military ranks and units.”

muth
noun—Often translated as “mother,” it is the word for any orc female, regardless of age or whether she has borne children. Orcs occasionally use this word to describe human females. Mothers wield the real authority within orc society because Muth la’s guidance always comes through them.

Muth
proper noun—This is the name a mother assumes when she becomes matriarch of a clan. Thus the head of the Yat clan is always named Muth-yat. The orc queen also assumes this name. However, she is called
Muth Mauk
, which means “Great Mother.”

Muth la
proper noun—Orcish word for the divine mother who created the world and all living things. Muth la sends guidance to mothers through visions.

Muth la’s Embrace
proper noun—Human translation for
Zum Muthz la
. This sacred circle symbolizes the Divine Mother’s presence. It may be temporary or permanent. Orcs always sleep and eat within its confines. A wall, upright sticks, stones, or even a line drawn in the dirt can mark the circle. Orc dwellings always incorporate Muth la’s Embrace and tend to be circular for this reason. The Embrace is hallowed ground; the dead are placed within it and worship takes place there. It is said that mothers are more likely to receive visions within Muth la’s Embrace.

Muth Mauk
proper noun—Orc queen.
(Great Mother)
This is both the queen’s title and her proper name. The orcs also use
nathmauki
as a word for “queen.”

muthuri
noun—A mother in the reproductive sense. A muthuri holds strict authority over her offspring. The ranking muthuri heads a hanmuthi.
(giving mother)

muthtufa
noun—A traditional, spicy orcish stew that consists of pashi and other vegetables.

muthvashi
noun—Wife.
(blessed mother)

names
Orcish names consist of two parts, the given name and the clan name. Thus, Zna-yat is a member of the Yat clan. In the familiar form of address, the clan part of the name is dropped. This is often done when parents talk to their children, when adult mothers of the same clan converse, or when intimates speak together.
When a mother becomes the clan matriarch, she assumes the given name of “Muth.” The orc queen assumes the name “Muth Mauk,”
Great Mother.
Her name has no clan part because she is mother to all the clans.

nayimgat
noun—A healing herb with large, fuzzy leaves that is also a sedative.

neva
noun—An article of clothing worn by orcish mothers that resembles a skirt. It may consist of a length of cloth wrapped around the waist or it may be a tailored garment.

nuf
noun—Night.

Nuf Bahi
proper noun—Night of the full moon.
(Night [of] Eye)

orc
noun—Human word for
zimmuthi.
The human word derives from the shortening of the orcs’ collective name for themselves,
urkzimmuthi.

orcs
noun—Human word for
urkzimmuthi.

orcish
adjective—Human word for
urkzimmuthi.

Orcish language
Orcish is the human word for
Pahmuthi
, which translates as “speech [of] mother.” Orcish differs from human speech in several ways: The equivalents of the articles “a” and “the” do no exist. Adjectives follow the noun they modify. All personal pronouns are gender-specific when they refer to orcs, with mixed-gender plurals taking the feminine form. Genderless pronouns are used for things, animals, and humans. Plurals are indicated by the prefix
urk
, which translates as “many.” Possession is indicated by the addition of a “z” to the end of a noun. Orcish nouns are often formed by the descriptive combination of other words. Example: “Rain,”
hafalf
, combines “sky,”
ha
, with “water,”
falf
. Verbs are conjugated regularly and their roots often function as nouns. Example:
Ma urav ur
—I give gift.
A more extensive treatment of Orcish grammar and vocabulary can be found in the glossary to
King’s Property.

Pahmuthi
noun—Orcish language.
(speech [of] mother)

pashi
noun—A bland-flavored root that is a staple in orcish cooking. Called “whiteroot” by humans, it is more flavorful when roasted.

Queen’s Man
—See “military ranks and units.”

rebirth
noun—An ancient orcish ritual that allows a washavoki with “mixed spirits” to become urkzimmuthi. Although physically unchanged, a reborn person becomes the child of the muthuri participating in the ritual and receives her clan tattoo. There is controversy over whether rebirth involves actual sorcery.

regiment
—See “military ranks and units.”

samuth
noun—A part of courtship where an unblessed mother travels to the hall of another clan and is visited by its eligible sons.
(see mother)

sand ice
noun—Orcish term for glass. Orcs first discovered the secret of its making.

sapaha
noun—A guide.

scabhead
noun—Human slang for a newly branded woman serving in the orc regiments.

sexual practices
Orcish sexual practices differ markedly from human ones for two reasons: Females are the dominant sex in orcish society, and orcs can detect the scent of love, which they call “atur.” The latter insures that orcish courtship lacks the bumbling and misunderstandings that often characterize its human counterpart. It also means orcs cannot keep their feelings secret.
Intimacy is always initiated by the female. This is usually done by the mother grasping the son’s hand and touching it to her breast. This gesture is the socially proper sign that she is receptive to his attentions. Until he receives permission, a son will not express his desire by word or deed. The orcs believe if a son were to make unwanted advances, Muth la would condemn him to eternal punishment. Thus, despite human claims to the contrary, rape is unknown among orcs.
Sexual intercourse between unblessed (i.e., unmarried) couples is forbidden and carries strict sanctions (see “blessed” and “thwada”). However, any intimacy that falls short of intercourse is considered a proper part of courtship. Orcs call such acts “giving love.” A son or a mother at this stage of courtship is called a
velazul
, which loosely translates as “lover.” It is not uncommon for mothers to have several velazuls before becoming blessed.
A muthuri will commonly ignore a relationship until it becomes serious. When she shows awareness of a couple’s attachment, the muthuri is said to have a “wise nose.” Then she is expected to act in the couple’s best interests by either facilitating or preventing their permanent union. If a muthuri disapproves of the relationship, she will end it by forbidding her child to see his or her velazul.

shash
verb root and noun—To thank, thanks.
Shashav
translates as “thank you.”

shieldron
—See “military ranks and units.”

sleep
Orcs sleep sitting upright in a cross-legged position, with only a mat as a cushion. Only babies and the extremely ill rest lying down.

smell
Orcs have an especially keen sense of smell, and their language contains many terms for scents that humans cannot distinguish. They are also capable of smelling emotional states and physical conditions. They can detect anger, fear, love, pain, and some forms of sickness. This ability has affected their culture in fundamental ways and may partly explain why orcs do not easily grasp deception. Orcs usually do not speak about those emotions they detect by smell. This is particularly true of the males.

spirit
noun—The human word for
fath
. An equivalent term would be “soul.” The orcs hold that one’s spirit defines one’s being. That is why they believe rebirth is possible, since the ritual alters the spirit. Fathma is an additional spirit that passes from orc queen to orc queen. It mingles with the queen’s original spirit and transforms it. In the process, it instills aspects of the queen’s predecessors.

sun
noun—Human word for
bahriti
, which translates as “golden eye.” The eye referred to is Muth la’s.

sustolum
—See “military ranks and units.”

tabuc
noun—Root crop grown by humans. It must be cooked before it is edible.

tahwee
noun—Bird.

Tarathank
proper noun—An ancient orcish city destroyed during the washavoki invasion. It was the queen’s city in the time when the monarch always came from the Pah clan. Other clans also had their halls in Tarathank. For this reason, it was called the City of Matriarchs. Tarathank was the center of the orcish civilization at its greatest height, and its grace and splendor were never matched. Since orcs of that era were ignorant of warfare, the city lacked defenses.

tava
interjection—Hello.

thrim
verb root—To have sexual intercourse.

thung
noun—A succulent leaf grown by orcs. Its thick sap tastes similar to broth.

thwa
adverb—No, not.

thwada
noun—A condition that renders an orcish mother untouchable. There are two kinds of thwada and they are very different in their cause and nature. The ceremonial thwada is temporary and pertains to mothers about to undergo certain serious spiritual rituals, such as Entering Darkness. Contact with that mother is considered dangerous to all involved. In this state of thwada, the mother cannot eat or associate with sons.

The second form of thwada is a punishment imposed on a mother for having intercourse before she is blessed or continuing in a forbidden relationship. The mother is considered dead, and no member of orc society will have open dealings with her. This form of thwada is permanent. A mother who is thwada leads a ghostlike existence on the outskirts of society, seen but ignored. Though she sometimes dies of hunger and exposure, orcs usually sustain her by “losing” necessities in her vicinity.

It is interesting to note that this punishment is inflicted only on mothers. Offending sons are permanently disgraced, but permitted to remain within society.

tiv
noun—An orcish digging tool with a short handle and narrow flat blade affixed to its end at a right angle. It is used for planting root cuttings.

tolum
—See “military ranks and units.”

Tree
Because trees bridge the earth and sky, orcs consider them a manifestation of Muth la. They make a sign for Muth la by pressing a palm upright against the chest and splaying the fingers like branches. This sign is usually made to acknowledge Muth la’s presence in an event or deed.

tul
adjective—Real, having a verifiable existence. This word approaches the meaning of the human expression “true,” although the orcs have no term for its opposite.