The Dark Tower Companion: A Guide to Stephen King’s Epic Fantasy (79 page)

C
OZEN
(4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7)

Cheat, trick or deceive.

C
RADLE
(3)

Train station.

C
RADLE-AMAH
(5)

Wet nurse.

C
RUNK
(4)

The unofficial name for the dialect spoken by cowboys in Mejis.

C
UJO
(7)

In Mejis, this word means “sweet one.”

C
ULLY
(L, 1, 3, 4, 4.5, 6, 7, M)

A nonspecific form of address, like “boy” or “mate.”

D
AN-DINH
(1, 5, 7)

A formal way a person speaks with a person acknowledged as his
dinh
. The person opens his heart to the
dinh
's command with regard to an emotional problem. When a person does this, he agrees to do exactly as the
dinh
suggests, immediately and without question.

D
AN-TETE
(6, 7)

“Little savior”—a term applied to John Cullum, who was in the right place at the right time and was levelheaded enough to help Roland and Eddie—or “baby god”—the term for Mordred Deschain used by the minions of the Crimson King.

D
ASH-DINH
(5)

A religious leader.

D
EAD-LETTER
(4, 4.5, 5, 6)

A will.

D
EAD-LINE
(3, 7)

A line that it is lethal to cross. There is supposed to be one around the Cradle of Lud, and the Crimson King set one around his castle to keep people from leaving after he went mad.

D
ELAH
(4.5, 5, 6, 7)

Many. A number beyond counting. Who knows? Always spoken with a light toss of the open hand toward the horizon or the sky. Can be used as a modifier to indicate “very,” as in trig-delah.

D
EVAR
-T
ETE
(7)

Little prison or torture chamber. Roland applies the word to the Fedic Dogan. In the context of the Devar-Tete Whye, it means simply “little.”

D
IBBIN
(4.5)

The magic napkin that Tim Ross uses for protection against the starkblast and as a magic carpet to get him back to Tree.

D
INH
(1, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, M)

Leader. It can refer to the person in charge of a
ka-tet
or the king of a country. Steven Deschain was the
dinh
not only of his fellow gunslingers but also of Gilead and the Affiliation. Mia observes that “leader” and “king” are poor substitutes for another meaning of the word: father.

D
OCKER'S
C
LUTCH
(2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

A spring-clip or shoulder holster that allows quick access to a concealed weapon.

D
OCKERY
(3)

A plant like chicory used to make coffee.

D
ROGUE
(L, 4)

At the end of a line, as in “riding drogue,” the rear end of a caravan.

D
ROTTA STICK
(5)

A dowsing rod used to locate water.

D
RY TWIST
(5, 6, 7)

A fast-progressing form of arthritis. Roland appears to be suffering from this, but his pains come from a different source.

E
ARTH-GAS
(4)

A fuel like propane that can be used to run generators and other appliances.

E
FDAY
(4.5)

A day of the week—probably Friday.

E
THDAY
(4.5)

A day of the week—probably Saturday.

F
AN-GON
(5, M)

The exiled one.

F
ASHED
(4, 4.5, 5, 7)

Upset, vexed or mad.

F
AYEN FOLKEN
(7)

Another term for the
can toi
or low men.

F
IREDIMS
(2, 3, 4)

Gemstones. Diamonds.

F
IREDIM TUBES
(3)

Neon lights.

F
OLKEN
(4.5, 5, 6, 7)

People, as in Calla-folken, the people of the Calla.

F
OTTERGRAF
(2, 4, 5, 7)

Photograph.

F
UZER
(4)

Basement storage area. Roland got his guns from the fuzer beneath their barracks.

G
ILLY
(
JILLY
) (4, 4.5, 5)

Consort or concubine, often meant to bear a child when a leader's wife cannot. Prostitutes sometimes call themselves cotton gillies. Arthur Eld was said to have many, and Roland's lineage may come from one of those liaisons.

G
LAMMER OR
G
LAM
(1, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7)

Enchantment. According to Henchick, magic and glammer are the same and they unroll from the past.

G
OOK
(4.5)

A deep well.

G
ORMLESS
(4.5)

Stupid or careless.

Graf
(3, 4, 4.5, 5, 7)

Hard apple cider.

G
REAT
A
LL
(1)

The universe.

G
REENSTICKING
(5)

Putting pressure on someone. Twisting his arm.

G
RENADO
(3, 4.5, 5, 6, 7)

A hand grenade made by the Great Old Ones.

G
UNNA
(1, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7)

Gear. Belongings. Possessions. The sum total of a person's worldly goods.

H
ILE
(4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, M)

A word of greeting or a call to action. One of the few words that is the same in both low speech and High Speech. The Manni call it “Fin-Gan,” the first word, the one that set the world spinning. “Hile! To me! No prisoners!” is a battle cry Roland knew of old.

H
OBS
(7)

Hobgoblins or St. Elmo's fire. Orange swirling lights.

H
OT-ENJ
(7)

Atomic locomotive.

H
OUKEN
(7)

A word Roland uses regarding Oy. Its exact meaning is unclear.

H
UME
(7)

A derogatory word for humans, used by taheen.

I
CRY YOUR PARDON
(1, 3, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7)

A formal way of apologizing—usually followed by “I have forgotten the face of my father.”

I
DO NOT AIM WITH MY HAND
(3, 5, M)

The gunslinger's catechism:

I
HAVE FORGOTTEN THE FACE OF MY FATHER
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

The Act of Contrition. Apprentice gunslingers are forced to say this when they haven't performed up to standards.

J
AKES
(4, 4.5, 7)

Outhouse, toilet or bathroom.

J
ILLY

See Gilly.

J
ING-JANG
(4.5)

Telephone. There's one in the high sheriff's office in Debaria, though at the time it goes only to a few neighboring towns.

J
IPPA
(4.5)

Someone who has lost his mind. A word used by the people of Tree Village.

K
A
(T
HROUGHOUT
)

One of the most difficult concepts in the Dark Tower series. It has several meanings, mostly to do with destiny, purpose or fate. Some believe it is the will of Gan, which must be obeyed.
Ka
creates a duty in people. It is the last thing a person has to rise above and it marks the time of every man and woman.

However, it also has a sense of inevitability. One rule is that a person needs to stand aside and let
ka
work, which implies that
ka
will have its way regardless. If a person isn't sure what to do, do nothing and let
ka
work itself out. Don't worry about the future, in other words. If it is
ka
's will, anything is possible. Roland often adopts this philosophy, ignoring certain problems (the distant Emerald City, for example) until they are underfoot.

When people go against
ka
,
ka
stands to one side and laughs. Roland believes that if he tries to veer from its path (by going around Lud instead of through it),
ka
will find ways to force him back on course. He has seen people change
ka
, though there is always a price to pay when that happens. Its power is compared to the strong winds of a starkblast or the momentum of a hurtling mono—maybe sane, maybe not. But not irresistible.

Ka
is a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong. People invoke it so they don't have to take the blame for their own stupidity. Lucky people also claim they were doing the work of
ka
. Susannah marvels at how everyone seems to think they know just what
ka
intends for them.

People think of
ka
as a heartless, mindless power that does and takes what it wants, regardless of human concerns. Stephen King vacillates between claiming that he creates
ka
and that
ka
is channeled through him. He is
ka
's translator and conduit. At first he says he made Roland do certain things, but later recants, admitting that Roland's actions sometimes scared him.

Once Roland has completed his
ka
-given duty by saving the Beams and ensuring the survival of the Tower, Tet Corporation believes he is going beyond
ka
by continuing to the Dark Tower. Reaching the Tower and climbing to the top is something Roland feels he has been promised—but was it promised by
ka
or did he simply promise it to himself? He risks becoming
anti-ka
. If the Crimson King captures him and uses his guns to reenter the Dark Tower, everything he has accomplished will be lost.

K
A-BABBIES
(1)

Friends since childhood.

K
A-DADDY
(6, 7)

A term that means boss, but which is seldom used in a flattering sense.

K
A-DINH
(7)

The leader of a
ka-tet
.

K
A-ESSEN
(4.5)

Life spirit. The
ka-essen
of a person who dies goes on to the clearing at the end of the path.

K
A-HUME
(7)

Presumably means people who are part of a
ka-tet
or guided by
ka
.

K
A-MAI
(4, 4.5, 6, 7, M)

Ka
's fool. Roland often applies the term to Cuthbert and Eddie. Tim Stoutheart's mother calls herself
ka-mai
after she falls victim to Bern Kells. After hearing Mia's story, Susannah comes up with this definition of the word: one who has been given hope but no choices.
Ka-mais
are often safe from harm until
ka
tires of their antics and swats them out of the world.

K
A-MATE
(4.5, 5, 6, 7)

Fellow member of a
ka-tet
.

K
A-ME
(5)

The opposite of
ka-mai
: behaving wisely instead of foolishly.

K
A-SHUME
(7)

A rue-laden term that is used when someone senses an approaching break in one's
ka-tet
. Even though one can sense impending death, it doesn't always happen. See also shume.

K
A-TEL
(4)

A class of fellow gunslingers in training. Roland's group consisted of fourteen boys.

K
A-TET
(1, 3, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, M)

One from many. A group of people (“tet”) bound together for a common purpose, who have the same interests and goals. Lives joined by fate. Once
formed, its members feel greater than they were before. Each member of a
ka-tet
is like a piece of a puzzle. Put together, they complete a picture.
Ka-tet
is family.
Ka-tet
is love. Whenever a
ka-tet
stops to rest, they unconsciously form a circle. Their purpose need not serve the White—the Little Sisters of Eluria claim to be
ka-tet
. Sharing
khef
is part of what being
ka-tet
means.

Some believe that a
ka-tet
can be broken only by death or treachery. Cort believed that a
ka-tet
could never be broken, even when the group is split. The word “
ka-shume
” indicates the feeling of an impending break of a
ka-tet
. When
ka-tet
breaks, the end always comes quickly.

K
AI-MAI
(5)

A friend of
ka
. Walter applies the word to Callahan. Not to be confused with
ka-mai
.