Novah

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Novah is the language of the Vahnatai. It literally means 'speak of the people', from 'no', speak, and 'vah', people.

General Information

Novah is often written in a pictorial alphabet where each syllabic word is expressed by a single rune. Compound words are made up of the characters of each of their compounds. There are practically no multi-syllabic words in Novah; almost all such words are compound words.

Novah also possesses a phonetic alphabet that is used in less formal writing. In this alphabet, compound words are separated by a dot near the middle of the writing line, which is often rendered as an apostrophe by humans.

The letters of this alphabet are similar to the one used by humans (in all but appearance), except that the letter "C" does not exist. There is, however, a single character for "CH". Similarly, the latter "Y" does not exist, though it can most closely be rendered by the letters "AI" - it is never used as a consonant.

Vahnatai speak and write dates in the order of "Day, Month, Year".

Grammar

Articles

Articles, definite or indefinite, do not exist in Novah.

Numbers

Numbers are never written out even in phonetic writing - they are rather represented by their rune in the formal alphabet. In the vocabulary, the rendition of numbers as words is solely used as a pronounciation guide.

Novah employs a decimal system like the human language does. When pronouncing or writing a number, they list the digits of a number from highest value to lowest, but without any additional value modifications. Thus, three hundred and sixty two is pronounced "three six two". In writing, multi-digit numbers are handled like compound words and much like human number symbols.

Quantities

When a group of objects is described, the number is attached at the beginning of the noun. Thus, "3-person" means a group of three persons. Plurals do not exist in Novah.

Ordinal Numbers & Ranking

Separate ordinal numbers do not exist as such. When describing something as "the third", the word "three" is rather appended to the word as a compound, thus "third person" is "person-3". A number following the word signifies an ordinal, while a number preceding the word signifies a quantity.

The exceptions to this rule are "first" and "last", which have individual words. Unlike other ordinal modifiers, these words ("le" and "ind" respectively) are prepended to the words they modify. Thus "first-person" or le-vah.

Scientific Notation

In dealing with large numbers, Vahnatai employ a type of scientific notation that uses only whole numbers, however. In this notation, 36,000 is "three six power three", and 1,000,000 is "(one) power six", where the one is usually left out.

Decimals and Fractions

Decimals are represented by numerical runes separated by the rune 'zy', which represents a decimal point. 13.86 is pronounced "one three decimal eight six". Fractions like 3/4 are pronounced "three divided by four".

Nouns

Nouns are formed by combining descriptive runes until the meaning is clear.

A noun can be derived from a verb by appending the syllable "ot", which is also the verb "to do". This resulting noun describes either a person doing the action described, or the object of such an action.

Verbs

Verbs are formed the same way as nouns, and the context in which they are used determines meaning and tense.

Adjectives

Adjectives, as in Imperial Standard, precede the nouns that they modify. They are often attached as a compound to the noun (thus "yellow-metal"). Adjectives can be used to modify verbs in the same way as nouns. When several adjectives are used, no particular order is necessary, though numbers are usually mentioned first and colors last.

A noun or a verb can be formed into an adjective by appending the word "like" (dhe) to it. Thus ol'dhe means "dream-like".

Word Order

The subject of a sentence goes first, is followed by an optional object, while the verb is the last part of a sentence. A sample sentence would be:

Tah'ifv'toh stal'aiz ia'dhe'al'tai.

Two small children quickly eat/ate the shining blue crystal. (ia-dhe means radiance-like)

Pronounciation

'DH'

In all places, 'DH' sounds a soft 'th', like in 'then' or 'that'.

Metals

Metals are described with color modifiers - gold is "yellow metal", copper is "orange metal", et cetera.

Relations

Novah contains no words like uncle or aunt, instead they use father-sister or mother-sister. Ties are supposedly closer through female relatives. Niece is sister-daughter, etc.

In cases of more than one sibling of the same sex, they are referred to by others as first relative. For example, there are two girls born to a family. The elder is referred to as 'le-gek', or first-sister, by her younger sister and 'le-pai', first daughter, by her parents. The younger is referred to as 'gek-tah' or sister-two (second sister) by her elder sibling and 'pai-tah' or daughter-two by her parents.

If she is part of the group, the speaker includes herself in the numbering (note that sons and daughters are counted separately). Thus, if the middle of three sisters is referring to her nephew by her younger sister, she would call him her sister-three-son, or 'gek-ner-ail'. Note that the ordinal number follows the noun, thus the number refers to the noun immediately preceding it. The second nephew of the younger sister would be 'gek-ner-ail-tah', or sister-three-son-two.

Complex relations may require long phrases, but it is nevertheless common for relations to be expressed with the greatest precision in Novah.

Shapes

Shapes are referred to by their number of sides, except is special cases like circles and squares. Triangles are "three shape", octagons "eight shape."

Vocabulary

Novah to English

Source:

a - curious, ambitious, masterful, to be 
aa - to kill, slay, or defeat 
ach - is the number e or lim x->infinity of (1 + 1/x)^x or approx. 2.71828182845904523536.
afv - chemicals 
ah - psyche, psychic, psychology, etc. 
ahd - to control, master
ahl - fee
ai - power, caves 
aif - listen or hearing 
aik - high, lofty, tall, above 
ail - son, boy
ain - nine 
airv - shallow
ais - hate, despise 
aiv - legacy 
aiz - to eat or drink
ak - hostility 
akh - red 
al - blue 
ald - regular
alth - run, race
alv - guilt 
an - room 
anv - destroy
aof - monotone 
aol - swirl 
aom - lizard (for food) 
aon - father 
aot - top
ar - agitated, upset, or irate 
asg - cut, cutter 
at - wisdom, wise 
av - town 
az - sharp 
bam - violet 
bao - cosine function (adjacent/hypotenuse)
behl - meddle, interfere
behn - date
bel - five 
ben - mirror, reflection, to reflect 
bes - heart
bhef - soul
bhev - minute (time)
bhof - omnivore
bin - disturbance (usually referring to civil) 
bit - to command, or order
blev - spread
blm - unit of measurement; about 800 feet 
blot - dull
blust - before
bof - pentagram
bofv - erode
bohl - impale
bok - soul, great leader 
bon - patience 
bor - south 
bos - spectral 
bosg - temporal 
bott - farm or farmer 
chai - plane (astral)
chark - acidic, corrosive
chel - hour
chi - across, beyond 
chit - insect 
chiv - stop, cease 
cho - spring (water and season)
chod - pull
chult - charm, fool, trick, deceive
chuu - slime, goo
dah - locked or closed 
dahr - boat
dak - nether
dal - drift, drifting, wander 
deb - rash (health)
defv - release
deka - naming; usually referring to the ritual
del - glass (or to damage) 
den - building, architecture 
denf - drown
der - joy 
dhaa - mother
dhael - waterfall 
dhai - expression 
dhaiv - chop, cut, sever
dhas - rash (action)
dhe - like, similar, same
dhef - tarry, adhere 
dhel - capture
dhet - sorrow, sad, emotional pain
dhev - vanish 
dho - noble, lord 
di - dark, gloomy 
don - ruins 
dra - head 
draid - magical portal
dri - still, stagnant 
drib - doom 
dron - edge, near complete
dwil - large, great 
e - to walk or move 
eb - single, alone. See 'en' 
eg - tower 
ehf - capitulate, surrender
eig - prod, poke
eks - pyramid 
el - glow 
ell - apart, separate, to divide (mathematics)
en - one 
enf - to initiate 
ent - area, integral ( *f(x)dx )
esg - sedge, swamp 
esk - black 
evk - dispel 
fai - secant function (hypotenuse/adjacent)
fak - round
falw - brother 
fas - fish
fdel - dreary
fehr - want, like
fel - backward
fen - angle
fev - law, policy, statute 
fevr - mathematical or scientific law
for - test 
fren - sight 
gad - chasm, pit 
ge - volume (mathematics) 
gek - sister
gev - wrong
ghai - content (newspaper)
ghan - prism 
ghef - compete, competitive
ghel - leg
ghik - plain, common 
ghik - guard, guarding 
ghil - foreground, front, fore
gho - for
ghof - plant
glan - fountain 
gli - hold or posses 
glir (glyr) - sick, aged
glos - perimeter
gnee - hidden or to hide 
gra - skin, flesh 
gyn - monument 
gyr - tooth, fang
h - empty 
hai - multitude 
haif - leaf
hait - enter
hal - west 
hald - select, choose
hef - right (morals)
hi - time 
hif - six
ho - chance 
hrad - foot
hrai - haunt 
hraisk - dry, brittle
hreg - conflict, strife
hrel - research
hresk - raze
hron - tree 
ia - radiance, radiant, shine, shining
id - mind 
ieb - wind
if - eight 
ifv - small, fine, complex 
ig - examine, analyze 
ihf - shudder 
ihr - wise 
ihv - metal 
ik - blade 
in - shell 
ind - final, last 
inf - everlasting, eternal 
ink - hand 
int - process 
inx - scarce 
ip - clear 
ipa - value 
is - ruby 
isb - follow
isk - deep 
ist - push
it - peace 
iv - welcome 
ix - possible, sometimes
jai - cosecant function (hypotenuse/opposite)
jaik - certain, always
jan - lost
jave - exit
jedh - animal hide
jef - to have
jefv - current (water and time)
jekk - mist 
jel - chaos, chaotic, random
jor - morning 
jusb - wet
juu - tangent function (opposite/adjacent)
jux - never, impossible
ka - mage, shaping, light 
kaf - piercing 
kaf - week
kahg - by
kahl - year
kahr - algebra
kai - ripple
kal - day
kap - left (direction)
kas - river 
kas - river, flow
kat - low, under, below, beneath
kavt - pain (physical)
kefv - logic
kejj - constant
kep - adobe
ker - identity, to identify
kha - path, journey 
khel - in, inside
kho - original (not copied)
khof - hollow
khom - to hide oneself
khot - wyrm or serpent 
kist - boredom
klav - to draw
klev - of or pertaining to ecology
klo - apprentice
kob - up
kor - iron, circle 
korv - to direct, directions
kov - seven 
krai - copy
kre - clean 
kreh - eve 
kres - adjacent side of triangle
kro - serious
kru - fall (physical), hyperbolic (precedes trig function to make hyperbolic)
kry - energy 
ku - east 
kyh - bearer, to bear
l - pi (circumference/diameter)
la - health 
lai - sound, music 
lak - cauldron, cup, bowl 
lan - diameter
lar - converse, talk
las - expect
le - first, original, primary
lehk - drip
lehm - guide
lem - bed
len - birth 
lenf - complete, whole
lep - raise
lham - plane (math)
lhan - somber 
lhev - negotiate, settle
lhor - soft, shapeable
li - lake 
lin - light (weight) 
lis - calm 
lit - problems, troubles 
lith - dust 
llef - abundant
llom - book
lo - future 
lom - yes, affirmative, positive, add, plus, good, beneficial
lon - dance 
lor - memory 
lorn - heavy 
lort - lies
mad - pond
maf - solid
mahv - ruler
mahx - depression, depressed
man - village, blessing 
mao - near, close
mas - rug
mav - branch (tree)
mefv - carnivore
mehd - stone (material)
mem - animal
men - path, passage, or road 
mhef - minute, small, of no importance
mhev - to hide another
mhon - variable
misk - repel, away
mohk - humble
mu - love 
mud - slow, decelerate
na - life, living, or alive 
naf - leave, left
nah - right (direction)
nai - dimension 
nakt - usually drake, occasionally dragon 
nas - scheme or schemer 
nask - increase
nasr - arm
nath - experiment or contemplate 
nech - axis (graphing)
ned - will (mind)
nef - difficult
nehb - greed, greedy, possessive
nehk - instructor, teacher
nehm - admonish, reprimand
nel - graph
ner - three
nert - hypotenuse of triangle
nesd - farewell, bye
nhel - coefficient
no - speak/speaker, define, definition
nol - seek, seeker 
not - line
noth - food
nu - change
nump - decrease
o - opposite side of triangle
oat - numbers, numerals
oh - bind
ohv - evil
ol - dream or dreamer 
old - blood
olg - dome 
olm - ocean
on - devotion, faith 
or - ground, floor, earth, rock, land 
ora - divine, diviner, divinity 
orlg - new 
orv - multiply
osk - strange, odd
ot - to do, take action 
oth - grey 
oz - electric, charged
paa - treaty, agreement, settlement, treatise
pai - daughter, girl 
pan - rotate
par - burden
paz - curve
pef - stone, petrify (verb)
pehk - arid
pen - and
phi - of or pertaining to economics
phyr - cost
pi - palm 
pil - four 
pin - learn, study
pir - silver 
pit - valour, courage, bravery 
plet - herbivore
poh - different
pon - watch or observer 
por - status, position 
porf - fungus
preh - humility
prel - steadfast, trusty man, faithful vassal
pres - knowledge 
prev - basalt
pros - perception, perceive 
pu - hot 
pua - sine function (opposite/hypotenuse sides of triangle)
pum - carefree 
ra - fire 
rach - entangle, entrap, a trap 
rah - text
rai - wave 
raif - scare
raiv - trade, exchange
red - to own
rehd - restrain
rehg - bubble
ren - white 
rhofv - machinery
ri - mushrooms 
rihs - compose
rikh - even 
rin (ryn) - perfection, shimmer 
ris - to plot or plan 
ro - cube, being, or spirit 
sal - chair
sal - disk
sav - yellow 
sdoh - content (psyche)
se - truth 
seht - month
sek - towards 
sent - finger
sep - vellum
ser - star 
sfi - snatch or rodent
sfiv - figure out, calculate
sfren - out, outside
sim - now, immediate, present
sis - water 
so - plain (geography), place, point
soh - house, dwelling
sohf - window
spa - beauty
spi - leap 
spin - bend, bent, crooked
spor - scenic
srai - sear, burn
staf - afternoon 
stal - quick, agile
stal - slope, rate of change, dervitive (*y/*x)
stas - center, core
stat - simple, easy
sten - honor, homage 
stust - art
ta - to teach
tah - two
tai - crystal 
tal - past 
tam - nothing, empty, no-one
tan - sleep
tao - inverse, x^-1, also placed in front of a trig function meaning arcsin, etc.
tar - jewel 
tark - wall, barrier, limit, end, mathematical limit
tas - container; usually referring to small vials or crystal boxes 
te - master 
tel - respect 
tem - aura
ten - shape, figure
tha - substance 
that - after
the - image 
tho - flee
tif - guile
tihv - spring, jump
tik - attract, close
tim - fall (political) 
tin - song, singer 
tis - see 
to - craft or create 
toh - child
tok - improve/augment 
tor - vigour, stamina 
tos - ascension, to rise 
trai - accelerate, speed up, haste
tras - hard
tris - sapphire 
trus - night 
ub - to give, bestow; when, until 
ud - no, a negative response, minus, subtract, bad
ufv - tool
uln - to branch, branching 
ult - circumference
ulv - composition (science)
ur - harmful, poisonous, radioactive
usk - harm (emotional)
uul - ally
uum - cotangent function (adjacent/opposite)
uuv - ask, question 
vah - person or people 
vahr - hill
vaht - clan
vai - cold, ice, to freeze 
vaik - write, record
vasf - purchase, buy
vei - north 
vek - abase
vel - ferry
vhed - through
vhef - rank
vho - control (science)
vist - magnet, magnetism
vohg - barbarian
voi - dead, death, die 
vop - orange 
vorb - decay, rot, wither
vpof - with
vpog - pure
vrah - second (time)
vron - echo 
vu - down
vyv - nervousness or paranoia 
vyx - bottom
wil - luck
wlom - mud
wlop - harm, wound, hurt (physical)
wlort - battle 
wor - rod, stick, wand
x - of or pertaining to philosophy 
z - full 
za - long/far, dangerous, distance
zak - world, universe 
zi - mystery, enigma 
zim - to mix, combine, summation (sigma)
zo - table 
zon - zero 
zor - green 
zr - lots (hundreds, thousands, etc.), exponential
zrach - e^n power
zrad - gravity
zrai - history
zrain - 10^n power
zran - exponent, to the nth power
zro - logarithm
zroach - natural logarithm
zron - to sap, drain 
zull - square
zy - decimal point
zym - at

English to Novah

10^n power - zrain
a negative response - ud
a trap  - rach
abase - vek
above  - aik
abundant - llef
accelerate - trai
acidic - chark
across - chi
add - lom
adhere  - dhef
adjacent side of triangle - kres
admonish - nehm
adobe - kep
affirmative - lom
after - that
afternoon  - staf
aged - glir (glyr)
agile - stal
agitated - ar
agreement - paa
algebra - kahr
ally - uul
alone. See 'en'  - eb
also placed in front of a trig function meaning arcsin - tao
always - jaik
ambitious - a
analyze  - ig
and - pen
angle - fen
animal - mem
animal hide - jedh
apart - ell
apprentice - klo
architecture  - den
area - ent
arid - pehk
arm - nasr
art - stust
ascension - tos
ask - uuv
at - zym
attract - tik
aura - tem
away - misk
axis (graphing) - nech
backward - fel
bad - ud
barbarian - vohg
barrier - tark
basalt - prev
battle  - wlort
bearer - kyh
beauty - spa
bed - lem
before - blust
being - ro
below - kat
bend - spin
beneath - kat
beneficial - lom
bent - spin
bestow; when - ub
beyond  - chi
bind - oh
birth  - len
black  - esk
blade  - ik
blessing  - man
blood - old
blue  - al
boat - dahr
book - llom
boredom - kist
bottom - vyx
bowl  - lak
boy - ail
branch (tree) - mav
branching  - uln
bravery  - pit
brittle - hraisk
brother  - falw
bubble - rehg
building - den
burden - par
burn - srai
buy - vasf
by - kahg
bye - nesd
calculate - sfiv
calm  - lis
capitulate - ehf
capture - dhel
carefree  - pum
carnivore - mefv
cauldron - lak
caves  - ai
cease  - chiv
center - stas
certain - jaik
chair - sal
chance  - ho
change - nu
chaos - jel
chaotic - jel
charged - oz
charm - chult
chasm - gad
chemicals  - afv
child - toh
choose - hald
chop - dhaiv
circle  - kor
circumference - ult
clan - vaht
clean  - kre
clear  - ip
close - mao
close - tik
coefficient - nhel
cold - vai
combine - zim
common  - ghik
compete - ghef
competitive - ghef
complete - lenf
complex  - ifv
compose - rihs
composition (science) - ulv
conflict - hreg
constant - kejj
container; usually referring to small vials or crystal boxes  - tas
content (newspaper) - ghai
content (psyche) - sdoh
control (science) - vho
converse - lar
copy - krai
core - stas
corrosive - chark
cosecant function (hypotenuse/opposite) - jai
cosine function (adjacent/hypotenuse) - bao
cost - phyr
cotangent function (adjacent/opposite) - uum
courage - pit
craft or create  - to
crooked - spin
crystal  - tai
cube - ro
cup - lak
curious - a
current (water and time) - jefv
curve - paz
cut - asg
cut - dhaiv
cutter  - asg
dance  - lon
dangerous - za
dark - di
date - behn
daughter - pai
day - kal
dead - voi
death - voi
decay - vorb
deceive - chult
decelerate - mud
decimal point - zy
decrease - nump
deep  - isk
define - no
definition - no
depressed - mahx
depression - mahx
dervitive (*y/*x) - stal
despise  - ais
destroy - anv
devotion - on
diameter - lan
die  - voi
different - poh
difficult - nef
dimension  - nai
directions - korv
disk - sal
dispel  - evk
distance - za
disturbance (usually referring to civil)  - bin
divine - ora
diviner - ora
divinity  - ora
dome  - olg
doom  - drib
down - vu
drain  - zron
dream or dreamer  - ol
dreary - fdel
drift - dal
drifting - dal
drip - lehk
drown - denf
dry - hraisk
dull - blot
dust  - lith
dwelling - soh
e^n power - zrach
earth - or
east  - ku
easy - stat
echo  - vron
edge - dron
eight  - if
electric - oz
emotional pain - dhet
empty - tam
empty  - h
end - tark
energy  - kry
enigma  - zi
entangle - rach
enter - hait
entrap - rach
erode - bofv
etc. - tao
etc.  - ah
etc.) - zr
eternal  - inf
eve  - kreh
even  - rikh
everlasting - inf
evil - ohv
examine - ig
exchange - raiv
exit - jave
expect - las
experiment or contemplate  - nath
exponent - zran
exponential - zr
expression  - dhai
faith  - on
faithful vassal - prel
fall (physical) - kru
fall (political)  - tim
fang - gyr
farewell - nesd
farm or farmer  - bott
father  - aon
fee - ahl
ferry - vel
figure - ten
figure out - sfiv
final - ind
fine - ifv
finger - sent
fire  - ra
first - le
fish - fas
five  - bel
flee - tho
flesh  - gra
floor - or
flow - kas
follow - isb
food - noth
fool - chult
foot - hrad
for - gho
fore - ghil
foreground - ghil
fountain  - glan
four  - pil
front - ghil
full  - z
fungus - porf
future  - lo
girl  - pai
glass (or to damage)  - del
gloomy  - di
glow  - el
goo - chuu
good - lom
graph - nel
gravity - zrad
great  - dwil
great leader  - bok
greed - nehb
greedy - nehb
green  - zor
grey  - oth
ground - or
guard - ghik
guarding  - ghik
guide - lehm
guile - tif
guilt  - alv
hand  - ink
hard - tras
harm - wlop
harm (emotional) - usk
harmful - ur
haste - trai
hate - ais
haunt  - hrai
head  - dra
health  - la
heart - bes
heavy  - lorn
herbivore - plet
hidden or to hide  - gnee
high - aik
hill - vahr
history - zrai
hold or posses  - gli
hollow - khof
homage  - sten
honor - sten
hostility  - ak
hot  - pu
hour - chel
house - soh
humble - mohk
humility - preh
hurt (physical) - wlop
hyperbolic (precedes trig function to make hyperbolic) - kru
hypotenuse of triangle - nert
ice - vai
identity - ker
image  - the
immediate - sim
impale - bohl
impossible - jux
improve/augment  - tok
in - khel
increase - nask
insect  - chit
inside - khel
instructor - nehk
integral ( *f(x)dx ) - ent
interfere - behl
inverse - tao
iron - kor
is the number e or lim x->infinity of (1 + 1/x)^x or approx. 2.71828182845904523536. - ach
jewel  - tar
journey  - kha
joy  - der
jump - tihv
knowledge  - pres
lake  - li
land  - or
large - dwil
last  - ind
law - fev
leaf - haif
leap  - spi
learn - pin
leave - naf
left - naf
left (direction) - kap
leg - ghel
legacy  - aiv
lies - lort
life - na
light  - ka
light (weight)  - lin
like - dhe
like - fehr
limit - tark
line - not
listen or hearing  - aif
living - na
lizard (for food)  - aom
locked or closed  - dah
lofty - aik
logarithm - zro
logic - kefv
long/far - za
lord  - dho
lost - jan
lots (hundreds - zr
love  - mu
low - kat
luck - wil
machinery - rhofv
mage - ka
magical portal - draid
magnet - vist
magnetism - vist
master - ahd
master  - te
masterful - a
mathematical limit - tark
mathematical or scientific law - fevr
meddle - behl
memory  - lor
metal  - ihv
mind  - id
minus - ud
minute - mhef
minute (time) - bhev
mirror - ben
mist  - jekk
monotone  - aof
month - seht
monument  - gyn
morning  - jor
mother - dhaa
mud - wlom
multiply - orv
multitude  - hai
mushrooms  - ri
music  - lai
mystery - zi
naming; usually referring to the ritual - deka
natural logarithm - zroach
near - mao
near complete - dron
negotiate - lhev
nervousness or paranoia  - vyv
nether - dak
never - jux
new  - orlg
night  - trus
nine  - ain
no - ud
noble - dho
no-one - tam
north  - vei
nothing - tam
now - sim
numbers - oat
numerals - oat
occasionally dragon  - nakt
ocean - olm
odd - osk
of no importance - mhef
of or pertaining to ecology - klev
of or pertaining to economics - phi
of or pertaining to philosophy  - x
omnivore - bhof
one  - en
opposite side of triangle - o
or alive  - na
or defeat  - aa
or irate  - ar
or order - bit
or road  - men
or spirit  - ro
orange  - vop
original - le
original (not copied) - kho
out - sfren
outside - sfren
pain (physical) - kavt
palm  - pi
passage - men
past  - tal
path - kha
path - men
patience  - bon
peace  - it
pentagram - bof
perceive  - pros
perception - pros
perfection - rin (ryn)
perimeter - glos
person or people  - vah
petrify (verb) - pef
pi (circumference/diameter) - l
piercing  - kaf
pit  - gad
place - so
plain - ghik
plain (geography) - so
plane (astral) - chai
plane (math) - lham
plant - ghof
plus - lom
point - so
poisonous - ur
poke - eig
policy - fev
pond - mad
position  - por
positive - lom
possessive - nehb
possible - ix
power - ai
present - sim
primary - le
prism  - ghan
problems - lit
process  - int
prod - eig
psyche - ah
psychic - ah
psychology - ah
pull - chod
purchase - vasf
pure - vpog
push - ist
pyramid  - eks
question  - uuv
quick - stal
race - alth
radiance - ia
radiant - ia
radioactive - ur
raise - lep
random - jel
rank - vhef
rash (action) - dhas
rash (health) - deb
rate of change - stal
raze - hresk
record - vaik
red  - akh
reflection - ben
regular - ald
release - defv
repel - misk
reprimand - nehm
research - hrel
respect  - tel
restrain - rehd
right (direction) - nah
right (morals) - hef
ripple - kai
river - kas
river  - kas
rock - or
rod - wor
room  - an
rot - vorb
rotate - pan
round - fak
ruby  - is
rug - mas
ruins  - don
ruler - mahv
run - alth
sad - dhet
same - dhe
sapphire  - tris
scarce  - inx
scare - raif
scenic - spor
scheme or schemer  - nas
sear - srai
secant function (hypotenuse/adjacent) - fai
second (time) - vrah
sedge - esg
see  - tis
seek - nol
seeker  - nol
select - hald
separate - ell
serious - kro
settle - lhev
settlement - paa
seven  - kov
sever - dhaiv
shallow - airv
shape - ten
shapeable - lhor
shaping - ka
sharp  - az
shell  - in
shimmer  - rin (ryn)
shine - ia
shining - ia
shudder  - ihf
sick - glir (glyr)
sight  - fren
silver  - pir
similar - dhe
simple - stat
sine function (opposite/hypotenuse sides of triangle) - pua
singer  - tin
single - eb
sister - gek
six - hif
skin - gra
slay - aa
sleep  - tan
slime - chuu
slope - stal
slow - mud
small - ifv
small - mhef
snatch or rodent - sfi
soft - lhor
solid - maf
somber  - lhan
sometimes - ix
son - ail
song - tin
sorrow - dhet
soul - bhef
soul - bok
sound - lai
south  - bor
speak/speaker - no
spectral  - bos
speed up - trai
spread - blev
spring - tihv
spring (water and season) - cho
square - zull
stagnant  - dri
stamina  - tor
star  - ser
status - por
statute  - fev
steadfast - prel
stick - wor
still - dri
stone - pef
stone (material) - mehd
stop - chiv
strange - osk
strife - hreg
study - pin
substance  - tha
subtract - ud
summation (sigma) - zim
surrender - ehf
swamp  - esg
swirl  - aol
table  - zo
take action  - ot
talk - lar
tall - aik
tangent function (opposite/adjacent) - juu
tarry - dhef
teacher - nehk
temporal  - bosg
test  - for
text - rah
thousands - zr
three - ner
through - vhed
time  - hi
to be  - a
to bear - kyh
to branch - uln
to command - bit
to control - ahd
to direct - korv
to divide (mathematics) - ell
to do - ot
to draw - klav
to eat or drink - aiz
to freeze  - vai
to give - ub
to have - jef
to hide another - mhev
to hide oneself - khom
to identify - ker
to initiate  - enf
to kill - aa
to mix - zim
to own - red
to plot or plan  - ris
to reflect  - ben
to rise  - tos
to sap - zron
to teach - ta
to the nth power - zran
to walk or move  - e
tool - ufv
tooth - gyr
top - aot
towards  - sek
tower  - eg
town  - av
trade - raiv
treatise - paa
treaty - paa
tree  - hron
trick - chult
troubles  - lit
trusty man - prel
truth  - se
two - tah
under - kat
unit of measurement; about 800 feet  - blm
universe  - zak
until  - ub
up - kob
upset - ar
usually drake - nakt
valour - pit
value  - ipa
vanish  - dhev
variable - mhon
vellum - sep
vigour - tor
village - man
violet  - bam
volume (mathematics)  - ge
wall - tark
wand - wor
wander  - dal
want - fehr
watch or observer  - pon
water  - sis
waterfall  - dhael
wave  - rai
week - kaf
welcome  - iv
west  - hal
wet - jusb
white  - ren
whole - lenf
will (mind) - ned
wind - ieb
window - sohf
wisdom - at
wise  - at
wise  - ihr
with - vpof
wither - vorb
world - zak
wound - wlop
write - vaik
wrong - gev
wyrm or serpent  - khot
x^-1 - tao
year - kahl
yellow  - sav
yes - lom
zero  - zon

Corpus Wordlist

Aeon - Wind of Faith (E2) 
Akhronath - Red Cube of Experimentation (E2 and before) 
Avit - Town of Peace (E2) 
Azik - Sharp Blade (E2) 
Baia - Northern Curiosity (BoE; VoDT) 
Bentis - Reflector of Vision (E2) 
Caffren - Piercing Gaze (E2) 
Casser - River of Stars (BoE; ZaKhazi) 
Chitglir - Insect of Sickness (roach)
Chito - Insect of Binding (spider)
Chitrach - Insect of Entanglement (E2) 
Clodeca - Apprentice of Naming (E2) 
Corman - Circle of Blessing (E2) 
Crean - Clean Room (E2) 
Delrin - Shimmering Glass (E2) 
Dribbin - Doom of Disturbance (E2) 
Egli - Tower of Lake (E2) 
Elohi - Walker of Future Time (E2) 
Forid - Test of Mind (E2) 
Forla - Tester of Health (E2) 
Forrach - Test of Strength (E2) 
Forstal - Test of Speed (E2) 
Gaddika - Chasm of Dark Light (E2) 
Gadra - Pit of Fire (E2) 
Gelak - Volume of Cauldron (Control Panel of Rentar-Ihrno; E3) 
Ghikra - Guarding Fire (E3) 
Glantris - Fountain of Sapphires (E2) 
Gliak - Holder of Hostility (BoE; ZaKhazki) 
Haledon - Western Walk of Ruins (E2) 
Hydra - Multitude of Heads (E2) 
Hraithe - Haunting Spirit (E2) 
Iglit - Analyzer of Troubles (E2) 
Ihrno - Wise Speaker (E2) 
Intenf - Process of Initiation (Control Panel of Rentar-Ihrno; E3) 
Jekknol - Mist Seeker (E2) 
Keripa - Identifier of Value (E2) 
Kruor - Falling Land (a rock slide or cave in) 
Kyhar - Bearer of Agitation (E3) 
Mancuso - Village of East Plain (E2) 
Navoi - Living Dead (Undead)
Novah - Speak of the People (Vahnatai Tongue)
Olgai - Dome of Power (E2) 
Ohar - Binder of Agitation (E3) 
Oratem - Diviner of Auras (E2)
Orlg-Zakryn - New Universal Perfection (BoE; Orlg-Zakryn) 
Pider - Palm of Joy (E2) 
Pinafv - Learning of Chemicals (chemistry)
Pinkas - Learning of Stars (astronomy)
Pinkhel - Learning of Insides (anatomy)
Pinna - Learning of Life (biology)
Pinnel - Learning of Graphs*
Pinnerten - Learning of Triangles (trigonometry)
Pinoat - Learning of Numbers (math)
Pinten - Learning of Shapes (geometry)
Pinzak - Learning of Universe (physics)
Poravf - Status of Chemicals (Control Panel of Rentar-Ihrno; E3) 
Pratam - Burden to Nobody (E2) 
Presso - Knowledge of Places (BoE; ZaKhazi) 
Presto - Knowledge of Crafting 
Prossis - Perceiver of Water (E2) 
Puor - Hot Earth (Lava) 
Raiik - Waveblade
Riditas - Mushrooms of the Dark Container (E2)
Rentar - White Jewel (E2) 
Seno - Truth Speaker (E2)
Sera - Star of Curiosity (E2) 
Spira - Leaper of Fire (E2) 
Stalra - Swift Fire (Quickfire) (E2) 
Taho - Chance (Accidental) Teaching (E2) 
Tekora - Master of Iron's Being (E2) 
Thalen - Substance of Birth (Control Panel of Rentar-Ihrno; E3) 
Tokor - Craftsman of Iron (E2) 
Ubahl - To Give a Fee (pay)
Ublis - Bestower of Calmness (E2) 
Vahnatai - People of Living Crystals (E2) 
Vahnavoi - People of Living Dead (E2) 
Vahor - Person of Earth, a golem
Vpoftok - With Child (pregnant)
Vyvnas - Paranoid Schemer (E2) 
Wilvron - Listener of Echoes (E2) 
Za-Khazi - Dangerous Path of Enigma (BoE; ZaKhazi) 
Zoat - Table of Wisdom (BoE; ZaKhazi) 

Culture & Idioms

Greeting in Novah

The most formal greeting is only given to superiors and sovereigns. It cannot be used in any other way - in fact, greeting a person of the same social standing or even a subordinate thusly would likely be taken as a mockery, and an insult. This is a'prehv blust s'at, closely, I bow before your wisdom.

The common formal greeting is given in all other situations. This is s'ka kal, or you brighten the day.

Close friends informally greet each other by calling out each other's birth names - leaving out the title. This form of greeting is only used by friends and implicates a level of familiarity.