Taratuje, the language of the tuje
Perhaps it's unreasonable to sketch out an entire language to make it easier to come up with consistent-sounding names, but I really hate coming up with names. Also I took Linguistics 101 a long time ago and can half-speak a few other languages so I know what I'm doing, right? At least I have resisted the siren call of the apostrophe.
Some facts about Taratuje, which will allow you to speak it at the level of a confused tourist peering at their guidebook:
- The language follows some simple rules for what sounds are valid. Syllables consist of a consonant followed by a vowel, with some consonants allowed in the middle of words.
- Basic words are typically two syllables long, unless they are very important.
- Most words are compound words.
- Word order is Subject Object Verb, so e.g. a word for word translation would be "I the dice roll" rather than "I roll the dice."
- When a compound word consists of an adjective and a noun, the adjective comes second. E.g. "Taratuje" means "The language of the Tuje". When using "mi", when "mi" comes first it represents a thing a person does, whereas when it comes second it represents an intrinsic quality.
Randomly Generating words
The way syllables work means that conveniently, you can roll for syllables on a table. Dispensing with realism in favour of rolling on tables is a fine RPG tradition. I have the number you have rolled, the letter as it is spelled, and the IPA pronunciation, as well as an approximate English equivalent where it isn't obvious.
The initial consonant:
| 1 | t | t |
| 2 | d | d |
| 3 | l | l |
| 4 | r | however you like, r's are hard |
| 5 | n | n |
| 6 | m | m |
| 7 | k | k |
| 9 | y | j |
| 10 | h | h |
| 8 | g | g |
| 11 | ny | ɲ (approximately as spelled) |
| 12 | my | mj (as spelled) |
The vowel, which comes after each consonant:
| 1 | a | ä (as in law) |
| 2 | e | e (as in hay) |
| 3 | i | i (as in bee) |
| 4 | o | o (as in oh) |
| 5 | u | ɯ (as in food) |
| 6 | eh | É™ (as in the first e in pretend) |
| 7 | a | |
| 8 | u |
Subsequent consonants:
| 1 | t | |
| 2 | d | |
| 3 | l | |
| 4 | r | |
| 6 | m | |
| 5 | n | |
| 7 | k | |
| 8 | g | |
| 10 | h | |
| 9 | y | |
| 11 | ny | |
| 13 | j | Ê’, as in measure |
| 12 | my | |
| 14 | sh | ʃ, as in ship |
| 16 | tch | tÌ Êƒ (as in chat) |
| 15 | dj | dÊ’, as in jam |
| 17 | z | z |
| 18 | s | s |
| 19 | dz | dz (as in ads) |
| 20 | ts | ts (as in cats) |
Some words
Words that might actually be useful in this game:
| Tuje | The people described here |
| Leta | Land, country |
| Letatuje | The country of Tuje, usually now referring to the central part that was destroyed |
| Tara | Language |
| Taratuje | Language of the Tuje |
| Yidihunya | A dinosaur |
| Yidi | Bird |
| Hunya | Maw - the mouth of an animal |
Common or relevant verbs
| Ledjo | Sleep |
| Moje | Fight |
| Ritu | Travel |
| Luzi | Rest |
| Dehdu | Meet |
| Yila | Declare, proclaim, cast (a spell) |
| Guri | Become, transform |
| Nehzi | To write, also writing |
| Nyenu | To ask |
| Muse | To raid |
| Loso | To seek |
| Kudjo | To hope |
| Remyeh | To advise |
Common modifiers
| Yeh | intensify |
| De | unintensify |
| Teh | A large number of |
| Mi | Personhood - standalone word is Mihe |
| Di | Negate |
| Hu | Good, well, proper |
| Go | bad, evil, improper |
| Leh | Made - can modify nouns |
| Du | For the purpose of - can modify nouns |
Verb modifiers, these go at the end
| Gu | Future |
| Yu | Past |
| myu | Conditional future |
Important short words
| Deh | Appreciate (usually combined with other words) |
| Lu | God, divine |
| He | With |
| Tu | Yes |
| Ga | No |
| He | With |
| Nya | Truth |
| Lo | All |
| Myeh | For, in order to |
| Ri | East |
| Ni | North |
| Ki | West |
| Mi | South |
Pronouns. A few things to note:
- Pronouns are not affected by gender.
- There is a complcated system of formality.
Unlike, say, French, it's a bit more complicated than formal or informal. Familiar pronouns would be used with friends and family, regardless of age, and other members of one's clan, even if you don't know them well. You might use the non-familiar form if you are mad at someone.
The formal version is used with very important people regardless of familiarity, but isn't used all that much these days, since there is no longer a nobility. The neutral version is a perfectly acceptable thing to say to someone you don't know well or have a primarily business relatinship with.
| Ta | First person singular (I) |
| La | First person plural inclusive (us, you too) |
| Le | First person plural exclusive (us, not you) |
| Na | Second person singular familar (you, my friend) |
| Ne | Second person singular (you, a stranger or not respected acquaintance) |
| No | Second person singular formal (you, an important person) |
| Ka | Second person plural (all of you) |
| La | Third person singular familar (can include treasured objects) |
| Le | Third person singular (includes most objects unless you really like them) |
| Lo | Third person singular formal (if used for objects, usually only those of religous significance) |
| Ya | Third person plural familar |
| Ye | Third person plural |
| Yo | Third person plural formal |
Common phrases
| Ta Ne Dehmyu | Please |
| Ta Ne Dehyu | Thank you |
| Na/Ne/No He Lu | Goodbye, good luck |
| Hedehdu | Hello |
Weapons etc
| Yedja | Spear, javelin |
| Yehyedja | Lance, usually used from dinosaurback |
| Deyedja | Arrow |
| Miyedja | A soldier |
| Miyehyedja | A knight, a member of the Sentinels |
| Mideyedja | An archer |
| Tehyedja | An army |
| Doka | A sort of large dagger or short sword, usually used as a secondary weapon or tool |
| Yehdoka | A large sword, usually not used by the Tuje |
| Miyehdoka | A foreign soldier, a mercenary, oftne used to refer to adventurers |
| Myona | A small knife or dagger, usually used for eating or as a tool only. |
| Mimyona | A rogue, generally negative connotations. |
| Mojemyona | Betray, backstab. |
Creatures
| Miyidi | A farmer of birds, usually chickens |
| Hareh | An egg |
| Yidihareh | Poultry |
| Yidimuse | Raider birds, utahraptors |
| Tehyidi | A flock |
| Yidiyehnuche | bird of great terror, Hatzegopteryx |
| Nuzu | Rock |
| Minuzu | stonecutter, mason |
| Lemu | Tooth |
| Yehlemu | Tusk |
| Dehni | Arable soil |
| Mehde | Devil, demon |
| Letamedhe | Hell |
| Myodzo | Lizard |
| Gusa | Snake |
From locations
| Hudza | Tower |
| Nemyu | Hill |
| Tehnemyu | Mountain range |
| Yehnemyu | Mountain |
| Luneh | River |
| Yede | Town |
| Hogo | Market |
| Luze | Lake |
| Nyone | Road |
Society
| Gasu | Sibling, (metaphorically) close friend |
| Lumye | Parent |
| Lidzeh | Living grandparent, great grandparent, etc |
| Hiya | Aunt/uncle/other older non direct descendant relative or person who fills similar social role |
| Luhiya | Clan ancestors |
| Lulidzeh | Personal ancestors |
| Tehhiya | Clan |
| Milu | Priest |
| Tehmilu | The priesthood, collectively |
| Migasu | Monk (gender-neutral, part of an order) |
| Miliru | A respected elder |
| Nehha | Absolute ruler (they don't generally have them) |
| Yehnehha | Monarch |
| Miremyeh | Rough mayor equivalent, (historic) courtier |
Common activities
| Myedeh | To spin |
| Lehmyedeh | Thread |
| Dumyedeh | Spindle |
| Tase | To weave on a loom |
| Dutase | loom |
| Lehtase | Cloth (before it is formed into clothing) |
| Hita | Leather |
| Mola | Tunic |
| Hosha | To sew |
| Lehhosha | needle |
| Maru | To weave using tablets |
| Lehmaru | A belt |
| Kusa | Dress, long robe (everyday) |
| Numa | Dress, long robe, overcoat (fancy or ceremonial) |
| Nomye | Cloak, overcoat (everyday) |
| Tuju | Skirt, loincloth |
| Gadza | Sandals |
| Razu | A large hat, intended to protect from the sun |
| Yazeh | A small hat, bandana, etc |
Misc
| Hazu | Magic, unseen powers |
| Tunyu | Death |
| Yehtunyu | The cataclysm |
| Lutunyu | The dead god |
| Tasa | Far away, elsewhere |
| Letatasa | Outside Letatuje |
| Mitunyu | Assassin, murderer |
| Letatasa | Outside Letatuje |
| Miritu | Traveler, wanderer |
| Midehdu | Diplomat |
| Mimojeh | Fighter, with more negative commotations |
| Go mimojeh | Bandit, cutthroat |
| Go mihe | Evildoer, outlaw |
| Go mihe yila | To outlaw |
| Liru | Wise |
| Myudza | Love (non-romantic), to love |
| Dudze | A type of edible berry |
| Kiso | Blood |
| Netchu | Strong (physical) |
| Myotchu | Enduring |
| Nuche | Fear |
| Nuse | Peace, tranquility |
| Tehmihe | A crowd |
Deprecated words
Originally this was going to be a D&D-centricl setting, but I think I'm moving away from that. As such, I'm keeping these words around for reference for older publications and as word construction examples, but they are no longer canon.
| Hazulu | Divine and natural magic |
| Hazunehi | Arcane magic |
| Medehmi | Tiefling |
| Myodzomi | Kobold (common around here) |
| Yehmyodzomi | Dragonborn |
| Diledjomi | Elf (i.e. person who doesn't sleep) |
| Dediledjomi | Gnome |
| Nuzumi | Dwarf |
| Yehlemumi | Orc, half-orc |
| Dehnimi | Human |
| Dedehnimi | Halfling |
| Yidimi | An aarakocra, kenku (bird person) |