Steppe Language



Steppe Language is a constructed fictional language spoken by the Kin in the universe of Pathologic. While largely fictionalized, the language uses a lot of words coming from Buryat and Mongolian languages, as well as Tibetan.

Alphabet
"The runes of the Steppe — the "long marks of Turokh" — could be considered the alphabet of the native people. They are more similar to "signs" than letters, with every mark having multiple meanings: each is "akin to a song" with layers of history attached to it. Cattle are ritually branded with the symbols, and the rune can correspond to both the owner or the age of the bull. Branding a bull is a stage in an intricate ritual that spans years."

- Kickstarter update

A

 * Aba (Аба) — father
 * Abgai/Abgay (Абгай) — elder sister
 * Akhar (Ахар) — short, unequal
 * Akshan (Акшан) — mother
 * Amaa tat, khonzohon (Амаа тат, хонзоhон) — shut your mouth, asshole
 * Aman (Аман) — mouth
 * Ankhadaghaa aman boloshohon (Анхадагhаа аман болошоhон) — ... the mouth becomes/is ?
 * Aydahamne khүrene / Aydahamni khurene (Айдаhамни хүрэнэ) — fear, horror

B

 * Baarhani (Баарhaни) — poor thing
 * Bagshaah (Багшаа) — teacher
 * Bai (Бай) — stop (imperative)
 * Bai Uraggha (Бай Урагга) — an old man in Steppe folktales, said to have the head of a bull and cow's hooves instead of hands
 * Barbaaday (Барбаадай) — thumb
 * Basaghan (Басаган) — girl, maid, bride
 * Bayarlaa (Баярлаа/Бьярлаа) — thank you
 * Bayartay (Баяртай) — goodbye
 * Baygalday (Байгалдай) — ? to miss the point (possibly derived from Mongolian байг алдах)
 * Bayna (Байна) — to be, to exist
 * Be (Би) — I
 * Be khara/Be kharanab (Би хара/ Би харанаб) — I see, I observe
 * Be naydamtay bolokho (Би найдамтай болохо) — I am sure of it
 * Be oylgono ugyb (Би ойлгоно угыб) — I don't understand
 * Be tatgalzah (Би татгалзах) — I hesitate
 * Berkhe (Бэрхэ) — experienced, capable, very good; hard, difficult
 * Bi khareeb (Би хэреэб) — I'm awake
 * Bish (Биш) — no, [I am] not
 * Bite (Битэ) — us
 * Bite kharaan (Битэ хараан) — we see; behold, everyone
 * Boddho (Бодхо) — Earth
 * Bodozho baynam (Бодожо байнам) — I get up
 * Bohir (Бохир) — curved, humpback
 * Boleesh (Болииш) — stop, don't [do something]
 * Bolokho (Болохо) — to become, to turn
 * Booha (Буха) —bull
 * Boohe/Bookhe (Бүхэ) — strong
 * Boös (Боос) — someone bull-like or a master of bulls
 * Boozarlakhaa (Бузарлахаа) — to desecrate, to pollute, to soil
 * Bos — bull
 * Bos Turokh— the bull that created the world
 * Bosooly/Bosooli (Босооли) — ?
 * Bou khara (Бу хара) — don't look
 * Bou shagna (Бу шагна) — don't listen
 * Buha-noyon (Буха-нойон) — auroch
 * Byy (бүү) — don't [do something]
 * Byy alysh (Бүү алыш) — don't kill

D

 * Duugai (Дуугай) — silent
 * Dүү (Дүү) — younger sibling or cousin
 * Dүү khүbүүn (Дүү хүбүүн) — younger brother

E

 * Eghe-Gola (Эгэ-Гола) — the rise near the cattle breeding camps, days away from the Town. Eghe and gola mean, respectively, 'to return' and 'river'
 * Ekhene (Эхэнэ) — woman
 * Emshen (Эмшен) — doctor, healer
 * Ene (Энэ) — this
 * Ene shi yuun khun geeshebshe (Энэ ши юун хун гээшэбши)— what kind of person are you?
 * Erdem (Эрдэм) — scholar, scientist
 * Ereebshe (Ерээбши) — [someone] comes, derived from ерэхэ (to come)
 * Esegher/Etseg eyh (Эсегер/Эцег эйх) — father
 * Ezhe (Эжи) — mother

G

 * Golghoy Khen (Голгой-хэн)— ? the former name of Andrey Stamatin's pub (possibly a small river)
 * Golgur (Голгур) — ? the name of the spring in the Stone Yard; Vlad the Younger notes that "[t]he etymology of the word is unclear, but it means something along the lines of "a smooth mouthful""
 * Gorkhon (Горхон) — river

H

 * Holaeghe-ut golghoy ekh gerkhen syakhyl! Oluhn ekhe-barag! (Холэге-ут голгой эх герхен сяхыл! Олун эхе-бараг!) — ? an insult which an angry butcher addresses to the Bachelor
 * Hoog-zhoya (Хугжойа) — music
 * Hюmhan (Хюмhан) — creature made of fingernails

I

 * Ime beshe (Имэ бэшэ) — it's not that, it's not like that

K

 * Khachirkhel (Хачирхэл ) — strange things, impossible things
 * Khamgyin khachirkhaltay zүyl yuu veh (Хамгийн хачирхалтай зүйл юу вэ) — what is the strangest thing in the world?
 * Khandro (Кхандро) — ? (possibly divine being, derived from Tibetan)
 * Khara bosooly (Хара босооли) — ? look at...
 * Kharaa (Хараа) — to see
 * Kharaldaa (Харалдаа) — to look, to see
 * Kharyysh (Харыыш) — ?
 * Khatange/ Khatangher (Хатангэ/ Хатангэр) — the Kin
 * Khatar naada (Хатар наада) — dancing
 * Khatar naada hoog-zhoya (Хатар наада хугжойа) — to dance to the music
 * Khaya dee (Хайа дээ) — it is so
 * Khayaala (Хаяала)— brother
 * Khayratay inagni (Хайратай инагни) —  beloved friend, dear friend
 * Khayud (Хайюд) — big trouble
 * Kheerkhen/Khөөrkhen (Хөөрхэн) — dear, dearest
 * Khelekhe (Хэлэхэ) — to talk; to tell (a story, a tale)
 * Khetey (Хэтэй) — sister-elder
 * Khodo khara (Ходо хара)— it is clear, it could be clearly seen
 * Kholboön (Холбоон) — link; to establish a link, a connection; a linked one
 * Khooloy (Хоолой) — throat
 * Khurganuudni untarna (Хургануудни унтарна) — ? my fingers are numb
 * Khybyyn (Хүбүүн) — son, boy
 * Khyn/Khun (Хүн) — man, person, human being
 * Khyygedi (Хүүгэди) — children
 * Khyygedi be oshokho (Хүүгэди би ошохо) — to go to the children (to care for one's children)
 * Khyyr (Хүүр) — grave, tomb

M

 * Mededeg zurlaa (Мэдэдэг зурлаа) —? to know the lines
 * Medene ugye, kharaa ugyb (Мэдэнэ угые, хараа угыб) — I don't know, I haven't seen [it]
 * Medeneghshe (Мэдэнэгши) — ? listen (imperative)
 * Medrel (Мэдрэл) — ? (possibly derived from мэдэхэ, to find, to discover, to know)
 * Mendee (Мэндээ)— greetings
 * Menkhu (Менху) — those who know the lines of the body; who have the right to make cuts; who know how to disjoint joints in a way that pleases earth
 * Meriyg medekh (Мөрийг мэдэх) — ? to follow the lines/knowledge
 * Mes zaslysh emch (Мэс заслын эмч) — surgeon; surgery ?
 * Mete (Мэтэ) — layer
 * Moga (Могой) — snake
 * Mounkhe (Мунхэ ) — eternity
 * Myy (Myy) — bad
 * Mүү юүмэн (Myy uymen) — it's bad, something is bad

N

 * Naayze (Наайзе) — friend
 * Nara (Нара) — the Sun
 * Naydamtay (Найдамтай) — confident, reliable
 * Nenpa gu dzom (Нэнпа гу дзом) — ? "Nine Bad Omens"
 * Nokhoin duun oyrto-o (Нохойн дуун ойртоо) — everything is coming to an end (literally "dog's barking is getting closer")
 * Noukher (Нухэр) — partner, friend
 * Noukherne/Nookherni (Нухэрни) — my friend
 * Nүnehen zayla/Nүnekhen zayla (Hүнэhэн зайла) — ? a soul will leave

O

 * Olgoy (Олгой) — ? possibly derived from olgoi-khorkhoi, 'large intestine worm'
 * Olon zuun jeley urda te'e hunde ubshen shulu'un de'egu'ur ebakha (Олон зуун жэлэй урда тээ хундэ убшэн шулуун дээгуур эбаха — ? many centuries ago a disease swiftly spread...
 * Olonngo (Олоннго) — ford; a Steppe name for the Abattoir
 * Ontokho (Онтохо) — fairytale
 * Ontokho khelekhe (Онтохо) — tell a fairytale (imperative)
 * Oshysh daa (Ошыш даа) — go (imperative)
 * Oynon (Ойнон) — a title of respect used for doctors or scientists, meaning 'wise man' (likely derived from Mongolian, oi (ой) meaning 'mind')

S

 * Sahba-ötün/ Sahba Usp'tae (Эспэ-инун/Саба Успнэ) —'the Queen of Worms'
 * Sayn baina (Сайн байна) — hello
 * Segne dehe (Сэгнэ дэхэ) — to be valuable
 * Shabnak/Shabnak-adyg/Shabnak-adyr (Шабнак/Шабнак-адыг/Шабнак-адыр) — an evil spirit wearing woman's flesh over its bones
 * Shagnalda (Шагналда) — reward
 * Shalzha (Шалжа) — ?
 * She/Shee (Ши) — you
 * Shee yuunde yereebshe/She yuunded ereebshe/She yuunde ereebshe/Shi yuunde yereebshe/Shi yuunde ereebshe (Ши юундэ ерээбши) — why did you come?
 * Shekhen (Шэхен) — ear
 * Shoohan (Шуhан) — blood
 * Shudkher/Shudher (Шудхэр) — damn it! (literally 'devil')
 * Shuu dee/Shүү dee (Шуу дээ/Шүү дээ) — it is so
 * Souvilag'sh (Cувилагш) —"the one who teaches how to walk" (sister, nurse, guardian in Mongolian)
 * Sugagh Khadugh (Сугаг Хадуг) — a spring on the boundary between the Steppe and the Rotten Field. Khad (хад) means 'crag' in Mongolian, and sug means 'water' in Tuvan
 * Suok (Суок) — a Steppe deity

T

 * Taglur (Таглур) — defined variously as "a circle" or "a kin circle". It also refers to a pagan game described as a "roundelay of sorts". Notably, Simon Kain had a chosen group of taglur, various people bound by fate, who then formed the Bound of the protagonists, and who were also referred to as Gobo's Taglur (Gobo being a character from an epic local to the Town-On-Gorkhon). In German, the verb tagen means 'to convene' and the noun Tagung means 'conference'.
 * Tangher (Тангэр) — ? (possibly derived from Mongolian word sky)
 * Tegdegh (Тэгдэг) — yes, it is so
 * Tohonto (Тоонто) — umbilical cord; birthplace
 * Tekhe (Тэхе) — the clot between the warm and the cold; a soul, only smaller and able to talk
 * Teleghyy yaakhav, naayze (Тэгэлгүй яахав, наайзе) — certainly, friend
 * Tenegh (Тэнэг) — a fool; foolish, stupid
 * Tiimel daa (Тиимэл даа) — that's right, it is so
 * Tom naymaa (Том наймаа) — big deal, big deed
 * Toonto nuutag (Тоонто nютаг) — birthplace, native land; home, family
 * Toukhai (Тухай) — about, of
 * Tsoe she daa (Цсои шэ даа) — who are you?
 * Typkhe (Тыпхе) — the name of the spring in the Spin-a-Yarn Square; Vlad the Younger translates the name simply as "a well"

U

 * Ubshe (Убшэ) — sickness; a sick one
 * Udhar/Udkhar (Удхар) — a warm vessel;  succession, continuity
 * Udhey/Udey (Удэй) —  ? whip, thong; a ritual bone given to menkhu as the sign of their power
 * Udurgh (Удург) — a big body; a special body; a body that contains a lot
 * Uherney ereed bayna gyy (Ухэрнэй ерээд байна гүү) —  ? did a bull come?
 * Ukhedel/Үkhedel (Ухэдэл/Үхэдэл) — corpse; grave; devil
 * Ulmar (Улмар) — tincture
 * Unente (Унэнтэ/Унэнте) — it's true, it is so
 * Untarna (Унтарна) — to numb, to dim
 * Urmaan (Урмаан) — spirit
 * Ushkhaan (Ушхаан) — lungs
 * Uymen (Юүмэн) — thing, something

Y

 * Yuunde (Юундэ) — why
 * Yadaral (Ядарал) — powerlessness, helplessness
 * Yag iim baina (Яг ийм байна) — just like that
 * Yamar (Ямар) – which; can be used as an interjection
 * Yamar berkhe (Ямар бэрхэ) — good job!
 * Yamar goe be/Yamar goe bee (Ямар гое бэ/Ямар гое бээ) — it will be great
 * Yamar yuumen toukhai (Ямар юумэн тухай) — what kind of [tale would you like]
 * Yargachin (Яргачин) — butcher; ripper
 * Yas (Яс) — bone

Z

 * Zobolon/Sobolon boozarlakhaa (Зоболон бузарлахаа) —see Yadaral
 * Zürkh (Зурх) — tincture (possibly derived from зуурах — to mix, or зурхэн — heart)