Difference between revisions of "Endu"

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The word ''tan'nesh'' can be used as either are descriptive term(as in "that's so tan'nesh") or a noun, calling someone or something a tan'nesh. The term is not inherently derogatory, in most use-cases it simply means "not necromancer"; but it can be used as an insult or slur.
 
The word ''tan'nesh'' can be used as either are descriptive term(as in "that's so tan'nesh") or a noun, calling someone or something a tan'nesh. The term is not inherently derogatory, in most use-cases it simply means "not necromancer"; but it can be used as an insult or slur.
  
==Swear Words==
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===Swear Words===
 
Necromancers have all the common curse words, but they aren't actually particularly offensive in context. The word "''Cre'do''" is roughly analgous to excrement, but as it is the only word in Endu for excrement, it functions as the technical term and is used in prayers for the anus.  
 
Necromancers have all the common curse words, but they aren't actually particularly offensive in context. The word "''Cre'do''" is roughly analgous to excrement, but as it is the only word in Endu for excrement, it functions as the technical term and is used in prayers for the anus.  
  

Revision as of 04:41, 17 May 2021

Necromancers generally speak Common, but their religious writings are in a language called Endu, many words of which are also used in day to day lexicon. The word tan'nesh for example, roughly translates to "forget" or "ignore", is commonly used to describe people and things which are not part of the necromancer culture. Embu(roughly translated as "thirsty") also sees use in a wide variety of roles. Since necromancers learn a part of the language to complete various religious rights of passage in their youth, all of the swear words are also in common circulation.

Linguistically, Endu is very simple. All words are spelled phonetically and most of the sounds can be made using the Common Alphabet. The necromancers have their own alphabet with 30 characters. They have no "k" and the additional 5 characters are used to denote glutaral stops. There is also a strikethrough-symbol not considered a letter but that combines other letters to make specific sounds.

It is common to find prayer pamphlets and other materials printed using the common alphabet. This is because, officially, for religous reasons, Endu can only be written using human blood. For health and safety reasons this tradition is commonly only upheld with sacred texts, but particularly observant necromancers will refuse to handle any document written in Endu characters but not printed in blood.

There is typically not more than one word for any specific thing. This makes the language easy to interpret but fairly limited in it's prose. For that reason, most necromancer literature(even classic and neoclassic) is written in dialects of Common.

The word tan'nesh can be used as either are descriptive term(as in "that's so tan'nesh") or a noun, calling someone or something a tan'nesh. The term is not inherently derogatory, in most use-cases it simply means "not necromancer"; but it can be used as an insult or slur.

Swear Words

Necromancers have all the common curse words, but they aren't actually particularly offensive in context. The word "Cre'do" is roughly analgous to excrement, but as it is the only word in Endu for excrement, it functions as the technical term and is used in prayers for the anus.

The word nikta means 'to fornicate', and is frequently combined with syntaxes from Common to take the place a similar swear in that language. "Get niktaed!" or "Nikta off" for example. (Note: written Endu has no k and uses a double c to make the k sound). The verb-form of nikta is nika, but necromancers will typically instead keep nikta and add the Common "-er" to the end to make it a verb

A portmantua is "embusnapper", which combines embu(meaning thirsty) and the Common word snapper which typically means "bitch" in a strictly derogatory manner(In Common, bitch can mean 'female dog' or be used as an insult. Snapper is only an insult). In typical parlance "embusnapper" refers to women of loose sexual morals and great appetite, making it roughly analogous to "slut". The use of the term has has a somewhat different meaning within the necromancer community where sexual freedom is more common. When used within that context its refers specifically to a woman who deliberately seeks out as many partners as possible.

Tan'nesh is sometimes used as a slur, particularly against Acolytes. Though not inherently a slur it can take on that connotation with added context. Calling someone a "niktaing tan'nesh" for example, would be quite insulting.

Nic'oi means "to cast out" and is the shortened form of "to cast out of the underworld", meaning to destroy one's soul forever. As it is the closest analogue to "damn" it is frequently adopted in that context. In a related matter, the necromancers have no concept of "hell", but use the concept of a soul being cast out of the Underworld as the worst possible thing that can happen to someone after they die. The word "eboa'an" which means "Cast down" or "thrown down" is a shortened form of this concept and used throughout holy texts to mean this.

"Neru'fuyt" actually comes from early necromancer culture when Endu was the only written and spoken language used. Literally translated the word means "Shepperd of the anus" and was the name given to early proctologists. At the time it was a noble and well-respected profession. While modern necromancers go to modern proctologists, neru'fuyt lives on as a common word for asshole.

"Fuyt'nika" isn't even technically a word in Endu, but is a pormantue of "fuyt"(which technically means "of the anus" but here is used to just mean "anus") and a shortened for of "nikta" in the form in which it means "fuck". "Fuyt'nika" therefore means "ass-fucker". While this is an offensive enough insult on its own, the word has additional, more sinister meanings within necromancer culture. Anal intercourse is not taboo(and indeed common in sexual rituals), but to refer to a man as a "Fuyt'nika" implies he is specifically desirous off this act and may not consider the willingness of his partners. Therefore "Fuyt'nika" more accurately translates as "ass-rapper" and is a very serious obscenity indeed.

"Soseek'enty" the etymology of this one is completely last to time. It is the only legitimate "swear word" in Endu and is used as such in the holy texts. The exact meaning is difficult to pin down as the etymology seems to have already been lost by the time the events depicted in the stories took place. In typical parlance the word can mean either "bastard" or "son of a bitch" with the latter being more common. Tan'nesh linguists who have studdied the ancient texts believe it is a shortened form of a much longer insult that has something to do with dogs, so "son of a dog" would be a more accurate translation. Vague context clues indicate "son of many dogs" or "child of <some number> of dogs" might be the correct interpretation. Soseek'enty can also be used as an exclamation of surprise or anger.