Languages: Martish and Sablish

Language setting elements.

We have already covered the more obscure, dead, rare or secret languages of the human cultures of Aporue, in the Orbis Furum.

We shall now loook at the often very different-sounding languages of the various beastpeople species of Aporue and the languages and dialects of their particular cultures. Today: The languages and dialects of the martenfolk.

It's still disputed among emerging professional linguistic scholars (one of the few people who bother with beastpeople languages or dialects at all, besides some stalwart beastpeoples themselves), whether the languages of the different species emerged entirely naturally, or were more of a byproduct of social and political pressures on beastpeople species, including pressures caused by fear or bigotry of humans towards beastpeople species.

The proponents of the "ancient natural origin hypothesis" (or "natural evolution" hypothesis) tend to reject this suggestion wholesale, or at least in most cases. In turn, the proponents of the "Archontian experimentation origin hypothesis" (or "magical evolution hypothesis") maintain that it is one of the most sensible explanations for the emergence of distinct and unique beastpeople languages. The latter argue that the very nature of these languages is a priori, that is, made from wholecloth, to prevent or at least mitigate the risk of outsiders finding out about the contents of conversations, correspondence and various writing.

Note that none of the known Aporuean beastpeople languages use tonality in their vowels, and only use short and long vowels or vowels with umlauts. This is likely due to the influence of the human languages they coexist with.

All of the pronunciations in each of the following sections are approximations of pronunciation in contemporary English.

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Martish (Common Martish) and its variations

Also known as Common Martish, Old Martish and under similar names in other human languages (e.g. "Alte Mardisch", "Alt-Mardisch" in Lokytian), the Martish language was the most widespread language used by the martenfolk communities of Aporue. It was used from southern to northern parts of the continent, and from its west to its east. Martish is something of an umbrella term, as the language had developed certain regional subsets of its own, essentially minor dialect variations based on which countries or regions of Aporue it was spoken. Much like other known unique languages of the beastpeoples, it is now used more sporadically, with the exception of martenfolk-dominant communities in rural and more backwoods areas, where it can still be heard regularly or fairly often as the primary language. Outside of the martenfolk, though a fair few people of the other species can often roughly understand what is being said in Martish, relatively few speak it fluently.

As a rule of thumb, the more a martenfolk community, family or individual coexists next to bigfolk human society, and the more urban a society, the more likely it is that local Martish-speakers are, at best, bilingual (with human languages seen as the more "prestige" and preferred everyday language), or at worst, barely profficient in the everyday use of Martish (with human languages of Aporue becoming individual martenmen's and martenwomen's new mother tongues). In countries and cities of central Aporue, such as Melza, the situation with the everyday use of Martish is relatively stable, with Martish a rarer language outside of the martenfolk, but not quite endangered with vanishing. Melza and its environs has its own particular local dialect(s) of Martish.


Glossary of some common Martish terms you might hear on the street

Áv - pron. Aav - "I", "Me"
Nán - pron. Naan - "Thou", singular "You"
Rám - pron. Raam - "He" or "She"
Rema - pron. Rema - "It"
Ávre - pron. Aavre - "We", "Us"
Náre - pron. Naare - plural and formal/polite "You"
Rámre - pron. Raamre - "They" (masculine or feminine)
Remre - pron. Remre - "They" / "Those" (neuter / things)

Larka. - pron. Lark-uh. - "Good." / "Fine."
Garkam. - pron. Gar-cum. - "Bad." / "Not good." / "Unacceptable."
Hráva ! - pron. Hraava ! - "Look !" or "Watch !"
Krána ! - pron. Kraana ! - "Listen !" or "Hear !"
Anrem, anrem... - pron. Un-rem, un-rem... - "Calm down, calm down..." or "Settle down, settle down..."
Anára ! - pron. Un-aara ! - "I order you to calm down !" (related to the more matter-of-fact anrem, imperative form)
Arhh, nán lagarm ! - pron. Arrh, naan lug-arm ! - "Oh/Ah/Argh, you fool !"

karg - "knife" (general term)
brukarg - "dagger"
gavrub - pron. guv-rube - "sword"
am(a)bra - pron. um-(a)bra - "axe" (general term, the central "a" depends on the dialect or individual)
gudam(a)bra - pron. gu-d-um-(a)bra - "pollaxe" (one of the favoured weapons of Stonie men-at-arms, the central "a" depends on the dialect or individual)
pegarv - pron. peg-arv - "bow" (archery weapon)
tarúg - pron. taroog - "arrow" (projectile)


Example of a children's nursery rhyme in colloquial Common Martish

Ób nán ena-gárma áv
Amb nán-em larg núma
Ohnara-re varili málv
Hanéra kóg-virnu álbra
Keru parn anam na-hara áv
Nán, berléd, har Avir alkág

If you can't catch me
Then you'd better run
I'll climb a tall tree
Hiding is so much fun
From up there I can see
You, the land, and shining Sun

Note that this nursery rhyme occassionally switches the usual position of the adjective and noun, for the sake of a rhyme.


Example of a longer human song from Lengelia and the Hetmanate, translated into colloquial Common Martish


Hrjá, irkeran !

Hrjá, anam, garani durnág súnan
Dag-parn aka huhun karsak amalág
Lamena ora rám amalág garkala
Hunúma karsak keru Andamréd

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Mrenu garkalan hó aka angvam
Orn virmrenu hó kad Andamréd
Anam ávhar koelam dagára-el
Aner ávhar garkala koelnomág

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Kad larka har garkam nán-re ávhar
Gúdkon rámre amolna-re
Ahba Avir alkra, ahba hó akinág
Nán-hó ávhar málberléd

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Vinrim, vinrim, vinrim, áv halmana
Har ób áv na-ena-mavna, gadama áv
Aka arénharkon ahar Andamréd
Aner ávhar garkala koelnomág

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Keru rema virnág varim
Rámre hráva aka maldak
Rema gúdka ávre

Hrjá, hrjá, hrjá, irkeran !
Alarana núron, malvédon, gaúron
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila

Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila
Krínem, krínem, krínem karínila
Ávhar sturkosnág saknalila


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Hey, falcons !

Hey, there, near the black waters,
Up on a horse sits a cossack young
Weeps for him the gal young
Gallops the cossack from the Hetmanate

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Many gals there are on the world
But the most are in the Hetmanate
There my heart has stayed
With my gal beloved

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

In good and in bad, you will be mine
The wounds they will heal
When the sun shines, when it's cold
You are my homeland

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark...

Wine, wine, wine, grant me (to drink)
And if I can not live (anymore), bury me
On the greenfields of the Hetmanate
With my gal beloved

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
From that great height
They look upon everything
That pains us

Hey, hey, hey, falcons !
Fly over the mountains, forests, dales
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark

Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark
Ring, ring, ring little bell
My little steppe skylark...


(The translation into Martish shown here is an amalgam of the lyrics from the real world Polish, Ukrainian and Slovak lyrics of the song. Links to versions of the real world song are in the line below.

Polish version, Ukrainian version unplugged solo, Ukrainian version, Ukrainian version + accordeon, instrumental version)



Some Martish grammar

All of the "e" sounds are read like "e", such as in the word "end", and all of the "a" sounds are read like in the words "papa" and "mama". The "á" (long "a") vowel sounds simply like a longer pronounced "a". The "ú" (long "u") vowel sounds like the "oo" in English "room", the rarer "í" (long "i") vowel sounds like the "ee" in "deer" or "ea" in "dream". The "é" (long "e") is analogous to its equivalent in French or in some west Slavic languages.

Common Martish and its varieties generally don't create overly long consonant clusters. It's said that the typical maximum are three consonants in a row, but "four consonants in a cluster" would be the Martish equivalent of "impossible", or a deliberately created nonsense word.

Martish words are generally rather short, and even compound words and contractions aren't particularly long.

Imperative verbs (commands) generally include a long vowel in the first syllable. The Martish formal addressing in the second person, in formal plural for individuals, naturally co-developed alongside the plentiful human languages of Aporue that use the formal plural for polite addressing of individuals.

One important element in Martish is the use of certain prefixes and suffixes, especially ones added to the front or end of Martish verbs. These prefixes and suffixes indicate mode (shall, will, can, could, etc.), or indicate and/or add other contextual details (stronger or weaker emphasis, etc.), or even past and present tense (-el and -emel past tense and -re and -emre future tense).

An interesting feature of Martish is that it doesn't necessarily have an entirely distinct masculine and feminine gender in its grammatical genders. Instead, it generally merges the two genders into a "common" grammatical gender, in addition to the neuter grammatical gender. As something of a consequence, Martish grammar is also fairly naturalistic in this regard, distinguishing common-gender nouns as "living" and neuter-gender nouns as "non-living", in a more literal interpretation of "animate" and "non-animate" noun categorizations. Though non-living things and abstract concepts in Martish can sometimes also have common gender connotations, they're mostly neuter gender, whereas virtually all living creatures, beings and persons, both male and female, are considered common gender. Singulars tend to have varying endings, and plurals tend to be divided by the "animate" ending suffix -an and the "inanimate" ending suffix -on. However, there are some quirks and irregularities to this, such as plants, fungi and water considered -an (i.e. animate).

Several of the related mustelid beastpeople languages have a similar system of grammatical gender, some near-identical, some even more gender-neutral at face value. (There are exceptions, though, with the stoatfolk having the classic masculine, feminine, neuter trio.)

Tenses in the Martish language cover the past, present and future. They come with certain subtypes which indicate whether the events or actions have already concluded or are still ongoing, subtypes that indicate modality within a given tense (e.g. "I would have done it", "I can do it now", "I shall do it", etc.), and subtypes indicating whether verbs in a tense describe an active event carried out by someone or something, or a passive event experienced or suffered by something. Tenses and their subtypes/variations are indicated mainly by a handful of suffixes.

Adverbs frequently end in an -u or a consonant, and many if not most (typical) adjectives end in the suffix -ág.

Diminutives of nouns are generally created by appending the suffix -ila to a ending-in-consonant noun in singular, or if the noun is in plural, by adding an -il in front of the plural-indicating suffixes -an or -on. There are also nouns that are exceptions to all these rules, such as avirhan, "sunset", not being a plural, but just a singular, and its plural being the decidedly non-animated avirhanon ("sunsets"). If the Sun is perceived as "alive" by the martenfolk, then only in the same sense as mountains or the weather are alive. Not in the animated sense.

In a quirk predictable for the martenfolk, Martish and its closest relatives (Sablish, and even Wolvertongue) have a more intricate vocabulary for various styles of climbing onto and on trees, and other elevated places, than other beastpeople languages and human languages in Aporue.

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Sablemen languages and dialects ("Sablish")

Whereas the Piners and Stonies throughout much of Aporue can get by with Common Martish (and its regional dialects) or simply prefer to use human languages and dialects (that is, the vast majority of martenfolk these days), the Sablemen of Aporue's remote north and northwest have retained a more distinct, more unique version of martenfolk language, and continue to use it as their primary mother tongues. To no one's surprise, this has been caused mainly by their relative isolation from human political and socio-cultural influences, feeling less pressure on their de facto native languages from the perspective of everyday use.

From a real world perspective, they have grammar and pronunciation elements that make them feel more "Ugrofinnic" (i.e. Sámi, Finnish/Karelian, Estonian, Hungarian, Khanty, etc.) or "Uralic", than the more "Indoeuropean" feel of Common Martish and the rest of the Piner-Stonie martenfolk language continuum. Thus, the sablemen languages and dialects are essentially their own branch of the martenfolk languages.

The tradtional songs of the sablemen are often similar to the yoik songs and shamanic songs of human tribesmen from northern Metsämaa or parts of northern Ursania.


Swadesh list of Martish and Sablish terms

Martish | Sablish | English meaning
karg | kergä | "knife"
am(a)bra | amérab | "axe"
pegarv | pävra | "bow"
tarúg | tröga, trüga | "arrow"
rám, rema | rü | "he", "she", "it" (3rd person singular)

"I am watching a pretty sunset."
Áv hravra garahág avirhan. - typical Martish from central Aporue, spoken by most central Aporuean Piner and Stonie martenfolk
Án hréva garökah órihav. - a particular Sablish dialect from northwestern Aporue, spoken by one of the tribes of local Sable martenfolk

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Quick Martish and Sablish vocabulary summary


Martish and Sablish nouns
álbra - "fun", "positive amusement" (Martish)
amabra, ambra - "axe" (Martish)
amérab - "axe" (Sablish)
andam, andamer - "hetman", "headman", "(military) captain", "(military) chief(tain)" (Martish)
Andamréd - "Hetmanate" ("Land of the Hetmen", "Hetman-land", Martish)
angvam - "(the) world" (Martish)
arénhark (sg.), arénharkon (pl.) - "greenfield", "green meadow", "green grassland" "greenfields", "green meadows", "green grasslands" (Martish)
avir, Avir - "sun", "Sun" (Martish)
avirhan - "sunset" (Martish)
berléd - "land" (Martish)
garkala (sg.), garkalan (pl.) - "gal", "young lady", "gals", "young ladies" (Martish)
gaúr (sg.), gaúron (pl.) - "valley", "dell","dale", "valleys", "dells", "dales" (Martish)
gavrub - "sword" (Martish)
gudamabra, gudambra - "pollaxe" (Martish)
gúduk (sg.), gúdkon (pl.) - "wound", "wounds" (Martish)
hanéra - "hiding" (action, Martish)
hravemág andam(er) - "chief(tain) of the watch" (e.g. the City Watch; Martish)
huhun (sg.), huhan (pl.)- "horse", "horses" (Martish)
irker (sg.), irkeran (pl.) - "falcon", "falcons" (Martish)
karg - "knife" (Martish)
karín (sg.), karínon (pl.) - "bell" (Martish)
karínila - "little bell" (Martish)
karsak - "cossack (from the Hetmanate)" (Martish, rarely heard loanword)
kergä - "knife" (Sablish)
koelam - "heart" (Martish)
lagarm - "fool" (Martish)
mál - "home" (Martish, directly related to nouns for "tree" and "forest")
málberléd - "homeland" (Martish)
maldak - "everything", "all" (Martish)
málv - "tree" (Martish)
malvéd (sg.), malvédon (pl.) - "forest", "woodland", "forests", "woods", "woodlands" (Martish)
máne - "wood" (material, natural substance, Martish)
Melsa - "Melza" (Martish)
mremál (sg.), mremálon (pl.) - "village", "villages" (Martish)
mremálila (sg.), mremálilon (pl.) - "small village", "hamlet", "small villages", "hamlets" (Martish)
núr (sg.), núron (pl.) - "mountain", "mountains" (Martish)
óri, Óri - "sun", "Sun" (Sablish)
órihav - "sunset" (Sablish)
pävra - "bow" (Sablish)
pegarv - "bow" (Martish)
saknal (sg.), saknalan (pl.) - "skylark", "skylarks" (Martish)
saknalila (sg.), saknalilan (pl.) - "little skylark", "little skylarks" (Martish, diminutive form)
súna (sg.), súnan (pl.) - "water", "a body of water", "waters", "bodies of water" (Martish)
sturkos - "steppe", "steppeland", "grassland" (Martish)
tarúg - "arrow" (Martish)
tröga, trüga - "arrow" (Sablish)
varim - "height" (Martish)
vinrim - "wine" (Martish)
virmremál (sg.), virmremálon (pl.) - "town", "city", "towns", "cities" (Martish)
virmremálila (sg.), virmremálilon (pl.) - "small town", "small towns" (Martish)

Martish and Sablish verbs
alara - "fly" (Martish)
alarana - "fly over" (Martish)
alka - "(to) shine", "shine" (Martish)
alkra - "is shining", "am shining", "shines" (Martish)
amolna - "(to) heal" (Martish)
anára - "calm down" (Martish)
anrem - "calm down", "settle down" (Martish)
áv-em, nán-em - "I should", "you should" (Martish)
-em - suffix with hyphen used for "should" (Martish)
-el - suffix with hyphen used for past tense (Martish)
-emel - suffix with hyphen used for "should have (in the past)" (Martish)
-emre - suffix with hyphen used for "should be (in the future)" (Martish)
ena - "not", also used as a prefix with a hyphen (ena-) for verbs (negation)
-re - suffix used for future tense (Martish)
daga - "(to) sit" (Martish)
dag-parn - "sits up", "mounts" (Martish)
dagára - "(to) stay", "(to) remain" (Martish)
gadama - "(to) bury", "bury" (Martish)
gadamara - "burying", "am burying" (Martish)
gárma - "(to) catch", "catch" (Martish)
gármra - "catching", "am catching" (Martish)
gármra-el - "catching", "am catching" (past tense, Martish)
gármra-emel - "should have caught", "should have been catching" (past tense and "should", Martish)
gármra-re - "will catch", "am going to catch" (future tense, Martish)
gármra-emre - "should catch" (future tense and "should", Martish)
gúdka - "(to) pain", "(to) heart", "(to) wound" (Martish)
halmana - "(to) provide", "(to) grant", "(to) give" (Martish)
hara - "(to) see", "see" (Martish)
hó - "is", "are" (Martish)
hó-el - "was", "were" (Martish)
hó-emel - "should have been" (Martish)
hó-re - "will be" (Martish)
hó-emre - "should be" (Martish)
hráva - "look", "watch" (Martish)
hravra - "watching", "am watching" (Martish)
hréva - "look", "watch" (Sablish)
hunúma - "(to) gallop", "(to) ride fast" (Martish, note the derivation from the noun for "horse")
kóg - "is so", "are so" (Martish, used for comparison or emphasis)
kóg-virnu - "is so much" (Martish)
kana - "(to) hear", "hear" (Martish)
krána - "(to) listen", "listen" (Martish)
kranra - "listening", "am listening" (Martish)
krína - "(to) ring" (Martish)
krínem - "ring !" (Martish, imperative form)
lamena - "(to) cry", "crying" (Martish)
mavna - "(to) live" (Martish)
na - "can", "able to", also used as a prefix with a hyphen (na-) for verbs
na-hara - "(I) can see", "(I am) able to see" (Martish)
núma - "to run", "run" (Martish)
ohnara - "to climb", "climb" (Martish)
ohnara-el - "climbed", "had/have climbed" (past tense, Martish)
ohnara-emel - "should have climbed" (past tense and "should", Martish)
ohnara-re - "will climb" (future tense, Martish)
ohnara-emre - "should climb" (future tense and "should", Martish)

Martish and Sablish adjectives
akinág - "cold", "cool" (Martish)
alkág - "shining" (Martish)
amalág - "young", "of a young age" (Martish)
arenág - "green", "greenish" (Martish)
durnág - "black" (Martish)
garahág - "pretty", "nice-looking", "pleasant" (Martish)
garökah - "pretty", "nice-looking", "pleasant" (Sablish)
koelnomág - "beloved" (Martish)
malvág - "tree-related" (Martish)
malvedág - "forest-related", "woodland-related" (Martish)
Melság - "Melzan", "Melzish" (Martish)
nurág - "mountain-related" (Martish)
sturkosnág - "steppe-related" (Martish)
sunág - "water-related" (Martish)
varili - "tall", "of a great height" (Martish)
virnág - "great", "big", "large", "of a great size", "of a big size", "of a large size" (Martish)

Martish and Sablish adverbs
garkam - "bad", "not good", "unacceptable" (Martish)
larg - "better", "rather" (Martish)
larka - "good", "fine" (Martish)
mrenu - "many", "numerous" (Martish)
virnu - "so much", "in such great amount" (Martish)
virmrenu - "the most (numerous)", "the greatest number/amount" (Martish)

Martish and Sablish pronouns
rám - "he", "she" (3rd person singular, animate, Martish)
rema - "it" (3rd person singular, inanimate/neuter, Martish)
rü - "he", "she", "it" (3rd person singular, Sablish)

áv - pron. aav - "I", "me"
nán - pron. naan - "thou", singular "you"
rám - pron. raam - "he" or "she" (also "him" or "her")
rema - pron. rema - "it" / "that"
ávre - pron. aavre - "we", "us"
náre - pron. naare - plural and formal/polite "you"
rámre - pron. raamre - "they" (masculine or feminine)
remre - pron. remre - "they" / "those" (neuter / things)

ávhar - pron. aav-har - "my", "mine"
nánhar - pron. naan-har - "thy", "thine", "your", "your's" (singular)
rámhar - pron. raam-har - "his", "her", "her's"
remhar - pron. rem-har - "its"
ávrehar - pron. aav-har - "our", "our's"
nárehar - pron. naare-har - "your", "your's"
rámrehar - pron. raamre-har - "their", "their's"
remrehar - pron. remre-har - "their", "their's"

Martish and Sablish conjunctions, prepositions, particles, onomatopoeia, etc.
ahba - "when" (Martish)
ahur - "of" (Martish)
aka - "on", "upon" (Martish)
amb - "then" (Martish)
anam - "there" (Martish)
aner - "with" (Martish)
garani - "near", "close to" (Martish)
garn - "down" (general meaning, Martish)
har - "and" (Martish)
hrjá - "Hey !", "Hey-yah !" (Martish)
ena - "not", also used as a prefix with a hyphen (ena-) for verbs (i.e. negation) (Martish)
ób - "if" (Martish)
kad - "in", "within" (Martish)
keru - "from" (Martish)
na - "can", "able to", also used as a prefix with a hyphen (na-) for verbs
ora - "for"
orn - "but"
parn - "up" (general meaning, Martish)
ran - "over" (Martish)

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Other Thick as Thieves linguistic overviews
- Dead, rare and secret languages of human cultures
- The Archontic alphabet and its history
- Melzan dialect (Melzish) and its relatives
- Beastpeople species languages (Part 2)
- Personal names and family names in Aporue

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