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Chapter Text

The first 3 chapters are front matter, because I love all the front matter and back matter in books, and also to keep the most recent chapter as the last chapter. Chapter 3 is a cultural primer with related Mando'a words defined; Chapter 4 is where the dictionary proper starts, but you can use this table of contents to jump into whatever interests you. 

Table of Contents 

• Directory
  • Table of Contents
  • Method
  • Finding Words
• Records
  • Change Log
  • Previous Versions
• The Creed (a primer on the Resol'nare)
• Resol'nare - Six Actions (number and action words)
  • Soletar - To Count
  • Ca'nara - Time
  • Nari - Action
• Buy'ce Gal - Helmet of Ale
  • Beskar'gam - Armor (the Second Action)
  • Pirur - To Drink
  • Tal - Blood
• Mirgaan'la - Thinking Hand
  
  • Aranov - Defense (the Third Action)
  • Mirshe - Brain
  • Kovid - Head
  • Baar - Body
• Gai bal Manda - Name and Soul
  • Yaim - Home
  • Aliit - Clan (the Fourth Action)
  • Manda - Soul
• Heturam - Mouthburn
  • Kai’tome - Food
  • Joha - Language (the Fifth Action)
  • Takisit - Insult
• Long Memory, Short Fuse
  • Chain of Command (the Sixth Action)
  • Raider-like
  • Remembrance
• Heart of Mandalore
  
  • Heart Knowledge
  • Education (the First Action)
  • The Hunt
• Acknowledgments, Notes
  

Method 

All the Mando’a from Karen Traviss (KT), and many words from other Legends sources, are organized into seven chapters, one for each part of the Resol’nare. Each chapter covers 3-4 topics, named after a related Mando'a idiom or cultural concept. For example, the chapter on language, food, and insults is called ‘Mouthburn’ - heturam - one of four different words from the Mandalorian love affair with spicy food.

Words under a topic are further grouped by root: under the topic Ramikadyc, (which refers to being focused as a commando, or very literally, ‘raider-like’), neverd, al’verde, and verd’yc would all be found under the root ‘verd’. Phrases are found at the end of each topic.

What about when a word relates to several topics or roots? It will reoccur, possibly with a shorter definition, with the root in parentheses at the end. As verd’ika is a common pet name for children, it shows up under the family (Aliit) topic like this:

Verd’ika: 1) the military rank of private; 2) affectionate, often to a child ‘little soldier’ (verd: warrior)

Notes on usage appear before the definition in italics. A more literal meaning will be noted like ‘this’; sometimes with the word ‘lit.’:

Kemir: to walk; (possibly lit. ‘command to think’, from ke: command marker, and mirdir: to think)

• Shekemir: to follow; lit. something like ‘to walk behind’ (shebs: rear)

Except for a few notes from KT’s dictionary, all roots and etymologies are my own speculation. What a word actually communicates is decided by common usage, no matter what the root literally means. (For example, ‘500 horsepower’ does not mean you will need 500 stable stalls.)

The first source for definitions is the version of KT’s dictionary at Mandoa.org, amended for clarity in American English, and expanded and cross-referenced with other authoritative sources. Coyote’s source index was invaluable for this.

Words and meanings that were officially published but not by KT are marked with an asterisk*. The rare entry with a double asterisk** is technically non-canonical dialect; usually a root word that is strongly implied to exist. 

Verbs are in the infinitive form in both English and Mando'a - rohakar: to defeat.
The noun for 'a defeat' will usually look like rohak: defeat.
In phrases verbs might be in the present tense, which is formed by dropping the verb’s terminal ‘r’ - mhi rohaka: we defeat.

Several entries were greatly improved by the insights of the Oyu’baat Language Team (and their channel’s regulars) on Discord. Ori’vor’e, g’an! Forgive me if you catch me stubbornly ignoring your advice.

Finding Words

If you want to explore how Mando’a expresses a specific idea, look at the Table of Contents above to find the most relevant topic, and jump in! Read a whole section so as not to miss useful synonyms or phrases.

If you want to translate a specific word, you may want to start by searching the canon dictionary at Mandoa.org - although there are some confusing entries, you can search in Mando’a or English. The MandoCreator dictionary also allows you to put in a ? for unknown terms, and assigns words a part of speech, although they don’t mark which words are added dialect, and the plurals are usually auto-generated. You can practice the Mando’a script there as well!

As it is expanded, Beroya’s Little Words and Half Words will be a useful resource for hard-to-find words.

To search Beroya’s Book of Words, first select ‘Entire Work’ at the top of the screen. On a Windows desktop ctrl+F will bring up a search bar; On Mac, Command+F. On Safari on iPhone, tap the search bar, type your word, and then select ‘On This Page’. On Google on Android, select ‘Find in page’ from the top right menu.

The Oyu’baat has an active community and links to many other resources: Oyu’baat Discord Invitation. They use the MandoCreator dialect.

Shoya of the team also has a YouTube channel for Mando’a grammar and more: Teaching Mando’a Playlist.   

Chapter Text

(Month/Day/Year)

Change Log

4/14/23 The Archive ate the original Six Actions chapter, which I only had saved in the 2021 version, wayii! 

Chapter 7 posted! With question words and some grammar notes, 4/06/2023 - 10,000+ words, 900+ entries, 750+ hits, 29 kudos, 24 total/13 public bookmarks, 10 subscriptions, and 8 comment threads. Oya!

3/28/2023 Polished chapters, wrote directory notes, added oyu’baat, soonanir

3/2/2023 Added evaar, me'bana, vaabir, vaal, barycir, laamyc, bal'ban, bin-roots, and more to Six Actions

2/28/23 Added yai etc. to Name and Soul, added sal, color words and meanings to Helmet of Ale; edited Six Actions

2/7/23 Improved beskar and goran definition; added nau'ur, *naur'alor, and related words to Helmet of Ale
Improved Mand'alor and *kar’ta beskar and added it to The Creed; some polishing of entries in other chapters 

2022 - Hiatus; some spelling and formatting corrections

7/21/21 Added suumpir, and many words* for armor pieces, to Helmet of Ale 
Added jorhaa'ir, rejorhaa'ir, nuhunar to Thinking Hand

7/3/21 Added davaab, liser, kebbur to Six Actions

Versions saved:

Beta: 

• 5/29/21 planning notes (through 7/21/21)
• 7/23/21 edition pdf (Six Actions - Name and Soul, minimal editing)
• 4/14/23 edition pdf (extensive edits, Mouthburn added)

Chapter Text

“Mando’ade regard the following six acts as central to Mandalorian identity: wearing armor, speaking the Mandalorian language, defending themselves and their families, raising their children as Mandalorians, contributing to the clan’s welfare, and rallying to the Mand’alor when called to arms.”

The Way of the Mand'alor, including the Tuang Canons of Honor and the True Mandalorian Supercommando Codex, is founded upon the Resol'nare, or The Six Actions, traditionally introduced through this poem:

‘Education, armor,

Self-defense, our tribe,

Our language and our leader,

All help us survive.’

Bajur, beskar’gam,

Ara’nov, aliit,

Mando’a bal Mand’alor

An vencuyan mhi.

This creed, rather than any race or planet, defines one as a Mandalorian. Each of the six obligations works to perpetuate the Mandalorian identity. 

  - Vencuyanir: to sustain, to keep alive; 'future surviving'

  - Manda: the collective soul or heaven; the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body and spirit; supreme, overarching, guardian-like

  - Mando: Mandalorian

Bajur: education, the raising and nurturing of children, preparation for life and survival.

- Gai bal Manda: Name and Soul; adoption ceremony

- Darbuir: no longer a parent; a legally disowned guardian

- Arasuum’la: unchanging, stagnant

The First Action calls for raising younglings as Mando'ade (Mandalorians) who will themselves follow the Resol'nare. Bajur is thus an education in being Mando in mind, body, and spirit; encompassing the skills, morals, and knowledge all Mando'ade should have. It also calls for a lifelong pursuit of new skills and knowledge; both pragmatically to prepare for new troubles, and freely to defend against the stagnation that steals the passion of a soul.

All Mando’ade must help with the children and keep themselves honed, but the epitome of this virtue is often found in being a buir (parent). Adoption is common, often of war orphans.  A child neglected in bajur has the right to declare their parent darbuir and be adopted by another. 

Beskar'gam: armor, beskar-skin

- *Kar’ta Beskar: the Mandalorian Diamond, ‘heart (of) beskar’. The hexagonal centerpiece of Mando chest armor; also, the same shape used as a decorative motif.

- Cin vhetin: clean slate, 'white field'; the new start offered when one swears to the Resol'nare.

- Ori’beskaryc: of people extremely tough, no-nonsense, intractable, and willing to take a hit

Wearing armor, particularly the helmet with its distinctive T-visor, is the most obvious mark of a Mando'ad. The armor equalizes, regardless of race, sex, or past, and so is a symbol of Mandalorian unity and identity.

Although all armor is called ‘beskar-skin’, it may be made of any defensive material; beskar is considered ideal for its defensive and spiritual qualities. More conservative interpretations of the Creed more literally consider the armor as a second skin, always to be worn.* Most  others wear whatever pieces of their kit are practical for the task at hand.

Ara'nov: defense

- Ret'lini: a colloquialism meaning 'just in case', exemplary of Mandalorian precaution; an adverbial phrase to describe fallback plans; literally, 'maybe-need.' 

- K'oyacyi!: "Stay alive!", "Hang in there!", "Come back safely!"

- Verd’goten: trial of adulthood; ‘warrior’s birth.’

While famous as conquerors and mercenaries, the true measure of Mando'ade is their ability to protect what is theirs, regardless of occupation. The Third Action implies not only physical prowess, but a mindset of resiliency and anticipation of trouble. This caution is most obvious in the typical number of hidden weapons in beskar'gam, but is also seen in the defensive design of Mando architecture. Demonstrating ara'nov is a key part of the verd'goten,  proving adulthood. Traditionally educated near-human children are considered ready to attempt it around the age of 13.

Aliit: family, clan, tribe

- Aliit ori'shya taldin: family is more than blood; there’s more to clan than lineage.

- Mandokar: the "right stuff"; the epitome of Mando virtue - a blend of aggression, tenacity, loyalty and a lust for life.

Supporting clan and kin is the heartbeat of the Resol’nare. Aliit train together, pass down Mando’a oral traditions and armor, and all take a hand in bringing up the ade (children). Clans are made up of extended family groups, so that the family name is often the clan name. Influential clans offer support to smaller clans under the banner of their House, creating networks of loyalty and resources.* In addition to ade, any non-Mando with mandokar may be adopted into the clan, to contribute to its perpetuation.

Mando'a: the Mandalorian language

 - Dadita: a code used by Mando'ade, similar to Morse.

 - Oya Manda: an expression of Mandalorian solidarity and perpetuity: emotional and assertive. Very loosely, 'Our soul's hunt triumphs!' 'Long live the soul of our people!'

As armor shapes differently with different metals, so thought shapes differently with different languages. Mando'a is the heart language of the Mandalorian soul, and so the Fifth Action: learn, speak, and teach Mando'a, to form one into a Mandalorian. Like the people, the language is well suited to action and to adoption at any stage of life, being practical and flexible. Like the armor, it is a mark of unity among Mando'ade despite their diversity.

Mand'alor: sole ruler, chief of the Mando’ade, “chieftain of chieftains, head of state of a stateless people, commander of supercommandos, (Al’Ori’Ramikade).”

-Jatne be te jatnese: best of the best. (pl. jatnese be te jetnese)

-Ka’ra: the stars; the legendary Council of Fallen Kings; luck.

- Kyr’bes: a skull, especially a Mythosaur skull; the traditional symbol of the Mand’alor, colloquially crown, the crown

Loyalty to the Resol’nare means heeding the call of the Mand’alor: the Sixth Action. However, the title of Mand’alor is not inherited; it is earned, and sometimes defended in trial by combat. The holder is meant to be the embodiment of mandokar, the spiritual leader of their people, and the exclusive authority to summon the clans to war.

No Mand'alor fully embodies the title without consensus of the clans, but other marks of legitimacy exist. The mythosaur-bone mask of Mand'alor the First symbolized the crown through the time of the Mandalorian Wars, after which it was lost. The Darksaber, a unique black lightsaber forged by the Jedi and Mand'alor Tarre Vizla, took on the same significance, after Clan Vizla reclaimed it in the sacking of the Couruscanti Jetti Temple.* Control of the planet Mandalore is a show of effectiveness, and accomplishments that recall Mando'ade of legend may be seen as the blessing of the Ka'ra.

To gain and hold acknowledgement as Mand'alor from the diverse and prideful Mando'ade, therefore, is no small conquest. When no worthy verd claims the office, it sits empty - the children of the Manda are capable of looking after themselves. Nevertheless, those who remember the Resol'nare know the Mand'alor can be necessary for vencuyan, providing authority and unifying vision.

“The Resol’nare, the six tenets of Mandalorian identity, said he was obliged to look after his kids, his clan, and his culture, and to rally to the Mand’alor in times of need.”

BAH-joor, BES-kahr-GAM,

AH-rah-nov, ah-LEET,

MAN-doh-ah bahl MAN-dah-lohr

Ahn ven-COO-yahn mee.

Chapter Text

Soletar/To Count

1: sol
2: t’ad
3: ehn
4: cuir
5: rayshe’a
6: resol (five and one)
7: e’tad (five and two)
8: sh’ehn (five and three)
9: she’cu (five and four)
10: ta’raysh (two fives)

While Mando'ade use a base-10 system today, these first counting words show roots as a base-5 system. Various numerals in Mando'a scripts and a speculative history of Mandalorian Mathematics may be found in 'Beroya's History of Counting' in this series.

Naas: zero, nothing

• Naasad: none, not any; nothing
• Naasade: nobody
• Naast: destroyer
• Naastar: to destroy

Go’naasir: waste, squander, lit. 'to make nothing' (gotal: made, created)

Solus: one; alone, vulnerable; each; individual; united, as one

• Sol’yc: first (sol-EESH)
• Sosol: equal (one to one)
  
  • Sha’kajir: over a meal, at the dinner table; cease-fire, truce; at level, negotiating as equals (shal: at; kajir: table)

Be’sol: priority, lit. ‘my one’ (be’: of, belonging to)

Ge’sol: half, 'almost one' (get: almost)

Soletar: to count

• Ge’soletar: to estimate, 'almost count'
• Naysol: too many, lit. 'no counting' (nayc: no; military ‘negative’ naysh)
• Kisol: few 'small counting' (kih’: small)
• Ori’sol: many, a lot, 'big counting' (ori’: big)
• Solegot: computer, lit. 'counting machine' (gota: machine, device)

An: all

• Ani: total, complete
• Anay: every
• Anade: everyone, everybody

Maan: original, first

Kyr’yc: last (KEER-eesh)

• Kyr: end, finish, limit
• Kyrayc: killed, dead (Keer-AYSH)

Bintar: both

Dul: half

Birov: many

PHRASES

Pare/pare sol: Hang on, wait one moment (parer: to wait)

Ke'pare!: Wait! (ke': a command; a prefix for the imperative)

Mar'e: an expression of relief, 'at last!' (mar'eyir: to find, discover)

20: ad’eta
30: ehn’eta
40: cur’eta
50: she’eta
60: rol’eta
70: tad’eta
80: shehn’eta
90: shek’eta
100: olan
1000: ta’raysholan (ten hundred)
5000: she’eta’olan (fifty hundred)

Time/Ca’nara

Simir: year

• Sim’olan: century, lit. 'year hundred'

Wer: archaic eon

Tuur: day, date, 8 watches (likely of 3 hrs each)

• Ray’tuure: week, 'five days'
• Gota’tuur: birthday (goten: birth)
• Nakar’tuur: tomorrow (the unknown day, nakar’mir: to not know)
• Tion’tuur: when? (which day?)

Vaar: early, half-grown, undeveloped

• Vaar’tuur: morning (early day)

Ibic: this

• Ibicir: to be this
• Ibi’tuur: today (this day)

Du’caryc: delayed, late

Ca: night

Tra: Sky, star field

Ca’tra: night sky

• Ge’catra: evening 'almost night sky'
• Kebii’tra: daytime (kebiin: blue)

Ne’tra: black

Ca’nara: time

PHRASES

Jat’ca’nara: on time (jate: good)

Sha ca’nara: at (what) time?; at (the specific) time (sha: at)

Suum ca’nara: state of blissful rest and peace (suum: beyond)

Nari/Action

Kebbur: to try, attempt

Liser: to be able to, can

Nari: movement, action, act

• Narir: to act, to do
• Naritir: to insert, place, put
  
  • Lonar: an insertion (lo: into)

Cetar’narir: to treat cruelly, to kick repeatedly, ‘to put the boot in’ (cetar: boot SET-ahr)

Cinarir: to clean, wash, 'purify-acting' (cin: white, pale, pure)

Shonar: wave of water (ocean-movement)

Banar: to happen

Narser: purpose

• Narseryc: determined, resolute, serious (nar-SAIR-eesh)

Jenarar: to feint 'deceptive-action'

Jehaat: lie, fraud, deception (haat:truth)

Ashi: other

Ash’ad: someone else, somebody, anyone

Ashnar: this word can be be used as a perfect-tense indefinite pronoun, taking either a verb or a verb-like noun, loosely, 'someone's completed action'; "Ashnar kir'mani ni," 'someone has adopted me'; "Ashnar sirbu Gai bal Manda jaon ni," 'someone has said the Name and Soul over me."

Ganar: possess, have, own, 'name-action' (gai: name, title)

Slaanar: to go

Davaab: the execution, carrying out

Gaht’yc: polar (GAH-teesh)

• Gaht: north
• Ka’gaht: south

Abesh: east

Wasuur: west (woor: wind)

Kajil: flat, level

Rud: around

Rugam: sphere, ball (round skin)

Gebi: close, near

Gebbar: close to, near to

Pirebu: near

Chajj: distance, range

• Chaaj’yc: far
• Be’chaaj: away, afar (of-distance)
• Chaashya: further

PHRASES

Ori’suumyc: beyond the pale, one step too far, morally outrageous, lit. 'greatly-beyond'

Cin vhetin: fresh start, clean slate, virgin snow; the erasing of a person’s past before they became Mando’ad; the right to be judged only by one’s actions as a Mandalorian (white field)

Chapter Text

Beskar’gam/Armor

Goran: Blacksmith, metalworker. A common given name. Possibly from gotal'ur: to make, and aran: guard, 'defense-maker' 

Nau'ur: to illuminate; to light up. In poetry, the active form nau'u can be shorted to nau.

• Nau'ul: candlelight, lit. 'half-light'. (dul:half)
• Naumiit: signal, lit. 'glowing-word' (miit: word, saying)

Nau'ur kad: to forge, lit. 'to light up a sword'. 

• *Naur'alor: a master of the forge and of beskar. (alor: chief, leader, boss) 

Beskar: a valuable metal, also known as Mandalorian Iron, capable of resisting lightsabers; by extension, metal. Beskar has only been found on Manda'yaim and Concordia, and is considered to have spiritual properties. Knowledge of how to work it is a closely guarded secret, and it is often forged with carbon and ciridium alloys for lightness and flexibility.  

• Beskaryc: armored (BES-kahr-EESH)
• Ori’beskaryc: of people extremely tough, no-nonsense, intractable, and willing to take a hit; hard case, well ’ard; lit. ‘very armored’
• Besbe: (slang) kit
• *Kar’ta Beskar: the Mandalorian Diamond, ‘heart (of) beskar’. The diamond-shaped centerpiece (a hexagonal tapul) of Mando chest armor; also, the same shape used as a decorative motif, particularly on clothing and architecture.
• Beskad: slightly curved saber of Mandalorian Iron (kad: sword)
• Beskar’ad: droid, ‘son of iron’
• Bes’uliik: basilisk war droid; occasionally, tank. (ulik: mount, pack animal; a donkey-like beast) These semi-sentient droids became a symbol of Mandalorian power after the Mandalorian Crusaders conquered Basilisk, playing a major part in warfare from the Great Sith War until Revan called for their destruction at the end of the Mandalorian Wars.

Gam**: shell, skin; by extension, exterior.

• Beskar’gam: armor, 'iron-skin', 'beskar-shell'; although beskar is the most prestigious metal for armor, it is still called beskar'gam even if made with other metals such as alum or durasteel. 
• Pel’gam: flesh, skin (pel: soft, yielding)
• Rugam: sphere, ball (rud: around)

Kute: underwear, bodysuit, something worn under armor.

• Di’kut: idiot, ‘forgot-pants’ (digur: to forget)

Gaid: plate, dish; plate of armor. When camping and cooking over an open fire, plates of armor may be used as cooking plates. (See also ch. 7 Mouthburn)

• Gai’ka: cup (little dish)
• Ya’gaid: bowl (yai: belly, womb)

Cabur: guardian, protector

• *Hut'uun cabur: cutlet, butt armor; used instead of or in addition to the more common kama (hut'uun: coward)
• *Ven'cabur: codpiece, crotch plate (ven: future) [children are the future, after all!]
• *Hal'cabur: front of a cuirass, breastplate, sometimes in two parts (kal bal beskad hal'cabure) for greater range of movement
• *Cetar'bur: a sabaton, solaret, foot armor (cetar: boot)
• *Nor'cabur: back of a cuirass, backplate; commonly reinforced for jetpack use (norac: back)
• *Tadun'bur: a greave, jamb; lower leg/shin and calve armor; rare in the back 
• *Metun'bur: a cuisse, thigh armor
• *Shun'bur: a rerebrace, upper arm/bicep armor; uncommon in the modern day
• *Ghet'bur: gorget, bevor, collar armor; attaches to nor'cabur
  • *Jatne ghet'bur: upper gorget, neck armor; reduces range of movement (jatne: best)

Haalas: the chest; *the armor which covers the torso, including shar'tas, nor'cabur, hal'cabure, kar'ta beskar, and bal ghet'bur. (haal: breath)

*Kar'ta beskar: tapul, the traditional diamond centerpiece of the chest armor, "heart of beskar" [in source, ka'rta]

*Bes'marbur: spaulders, besagew; (when larger) pauldrons; shoulder armor. 

*Bes'lovik: a poleyn, knee armor; additional weapons can be mounted (lovik: knee)

*Shar'tas: plackart, stomach armor

Kama: tassets, belt cape (esp. when used as protection from jetpack exhaust), action-kilt, an armored skirt; by extension, a skirt (in Mando'a a skirt is called a kama, but in Basic a kama would never be called a skirt)

Sen'tra: jetpack; can mount missle launchers (senaar: bird, tra: sky)

Kom’rk: a vambrace, forearm armor; gauntlet, armored glove

Shuk’orok: crushgaunt; a micronized beskar gauntlet capable of crushing durasteel and bone. Outlawed around 250 BBY. (shuk’la: fragmented, broken)

Buyca: bucket, pail (BOO-shah)

• Buyc'ika: a glass, ‘little bucket’
• Buycika: cradle, ‘little's bucket’
• Buy’ce: helmet, 'bucket'

Buyacir: to recognize

Kal: knife; *the off-hand side of armor

Beskad: sword; *the main-hand side of armor

Aliit: family, clan; clan name, identity

• Alii’gai: flag, colors, surname (clan-name)
• Aliik: sigil, symbol on armor, letter
  • *Kal bes'marbur (shoulder-plate) is for unit aliik
  • *Beskad bes'marbur is for clan or personal aliik

Sal: color, hue. Colors may represent rank or family allegiance, personal preference, or symbolic meanings

Shereshoy: the determination to hang onto life and relish it; what orange symbolizes (See ch 5. Thinking Hand)

Cin: white; symbolically, purity or cin vhetin

• Cin vhetin: fresh start, clean slate; virgin snow; lit. ‘white field’. The right to be judged only by one’s actions as a Mandalorian; the erasure of one’s previous life.
• Cin’ciri: snow (ciryc: cold)
• Cinyc: clean
• Cinarir: to clean (in source as cinarin)
• Cinargaanar: to fence or launder stolen goods (gaan: hand)
• Racin: pale

Ge'tal: red, lit. ‘almost blood’; symbolizes honoring a parent

Ne’tra: black, lit. ‘not-starfield’; symbolizes tor: justice

Genet: grey, gray, lit. ‘almost black’; symbol of echoy: mourning, particularly of a lost love

Kebiin: blue; symbolizes reliability - ruusaanyc: reliable, trustworthy

• kebii’tra: daytime sky 

Vorpan: green; symbolizes duty

• Vorpan’oy: vegetation; lit. ‘green life’

Ve'vut: gold; symbol of gra’tua: vengeance, I avenge

• Vutyc: special 

Shi'yayc: yellow (shi: just; oyayc: alive)

saviin: violet

Daryc: brown (possibly related to dar: temporary)

PHRASES 
Ori’buyce, kih’kovid: they are self-important/bossy; a phrase for someone with an overdeveloped sense of authority. Lit. ‘big helmet, little head.’

Ni hukaatii'ni shebs ti kama!: I’m covering my back! “I’m covering my rear with kama” (hukaatir: to cover)

Hukaat’kama: Watch my six, protect my back; “Cover (my) kama”

Tion’ad hukaat’kama? Who’s watching your rear?

Piru/Drinking

See also ch. 7 Mouthburn for more on food and drink

Gal: ale, booze, alcohol

• Buy’ce gal: a ‘pint’ of ale, a friendly drink, a helmetful of beer
• Galar: to spill, pour, flow
• Ne’tra gal: black ale; a sweet, almost spicy black beer similar to milk stout (ne’tra: black)
• Papuur’gal: wine (papurgaat: fruit)

Tihaar: a clear strong liquor made from fruit, similar to eau de vie

Behot: citrusy herb used in beverages, mildly antiseptic and stimulating

Pirun: water

• Piryc: wet
• Pirur: to drink
• Pirusti: a well
• Pirimpir: urine
• Pehir: to spit
• Pirpaak: broth, soup (paak: salt)
• Yustapir: river (goyust: road)
• Suumpir: lake (suum: beyond)
• Pir’ekulor: to weep

Soonanir: to suck, absorb, draw up liquid

Sho’cye: ocean

• Shonar: wave of water (ocean-movement)
• Sho’sen: submarine, submersible
• Shosen’la: submerged, sunk, under water

Kranak: fortified settlement surrounded by water

Haryc: tired

• Haryc b’aalyc: drunk; tired and emotional (aalar: to feel)

Bat: on

• Batnor: blackout drunk; lit. on your back (norac: back)

Laaran: singing

• Laararir: to sing

Lararyc: drunk and noisy, carousing

PHRASES 

Gal’gala: ‘Have a drink!’, ‘I’ll buy you a drink!’ lit. ale-pour

Gal, ori’skraan, riduur, yaim’ dab’ika: 'Booze, big eats, spouse, (and back to) camp.' A phrase for a soldier's short leave, describing a good night out.

Ne'tra gal mesh'la, jatisyc, bal – wayii- jahaal'got!: Black ale looks good, tastes good, and by golly, it does you good! Lit. 'Black ale (is) beautiful, delicious, and - by golly - health-giving!'

N’epar nu pirur: it can wait, no rush; ‘it won’t eat or drink’

Pirunir sur'haaise: to make their eyes water; to kill, injure, or defeat.

Tal/Blood

Tal: blood

• Talyc: bloody, bloodstained; of meat, cooked rare
• Ge’tala: red; the color of honoring a parent
• Tal’galar: to spill blood, bleed
• Tal’din: bloodline (dinuir: give; din: chain)

Haast: dry

• Haastal: dried blood, scab; a lasting emotional scar

Onidir: to sweat

• Tal’onidir: to sweat blood, to make an all-out effort

Agol: living tissue, meat, muscle, flesh; ‘flesh and blood’

Nad’aai: infared spectrum (haai: eye)

• Nad’aaila: infrared

Shuk: rift, tear

• Shukalar: to crush; to conquer
• Shuk’la: fragmented, broken
  • Shuk’la gett’se: crushed or ground nuts, for uj
  • Shuk’la riduurok: divorce ('broken marriage agreement')
• Skuk’orok: crushguant
• Shu’shuk: a disaster, big mistake
  • Kaysh shu’shuk: s/he’s a disaster

Shupur: injury

• Shupur’yc: injured
• Shupuur: to injure

Kad: saber, sword

• Kad’la: sharp
• Kadala: wounded, hurt
• Kadale: casualties
• Kadiilir: to breach, pierce

Nau'ur kad: to forge; lit. 'to light up a sword' (nau'ur: to light up, illuminate)

• Kad'au: lightsaber 
• Jetti'kad: lightsaber, "Jedi saber"

Jurkad: an attack, assault

• Jurir: to bear arms, carry something (archaic jorir: bear, carry, bring)
• Jurkadir: to attack, threaten, mess with
  • Jurkadir ti: to mess someone up, assault (ti: with)
  • Jurkadir sha: to mess around with, hassle (sha: at. Before a vowel, shal)

PHRASES

Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'waadas'la: "Your bloodline is unimportant; you as a parent, (that's) the most valuable." No one cares who your parents were, only the parent you'll be.

Chapter Text

Aranov/Defense

Shereshir: to kidnap, seize

• Shereshoy: ‘the seizing of life’; the determination to grab onto life’s experiences and relish it; the survival and enjoyment of each day; symbolized by the color orange (from oya: life, the hunt, celebration, safety)

Cabur: guardian, protector

• Cabuor: to protect

Manda: supreme, overarching, guardian-like; the collective soul or heaven; the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body and spirit (see ch. 6 Name and Soul for related words dar'manda, jatne manda, etc.)

Ver'gebuir: bodyguard; lit. 'hired-almost-parent' (verborir: to hire)

Aran: a guard

• Aranar: to defend
• Aranov: defense
  • Ara'novor: to obstruct, defend, blockade; to create a barricade
  • Aran’ovor: to approach, stand in the way off, block; to create a cordon
• Araniik: cordon; a line of guards preventing access

Haaranov: cache

• Haaranovor: to hide, conceal

Mashukir: to disperse

Tenn: open

• Tengaanar: to show, display, reveal (open hand)

Taylir: to hold, keep, preserve, store

• Gaa’taylir: to help (preserving-hand)
• Gaanaylir: to trap, catch (holding hand)
  • Tegaanalir: to rescue, save (teh: from, out of)

Rohakar: to defeat

Rusur: land, ships, or troops

Morut: haven, stronghold

• Morutar: to welcome
• Morut’yc: safe, secure

Keldab: citadel, stronghold

• Keldabe: the traditional capital city of Mandalore

Kelita: a moat

Kranak: fortified settlement or dwelling surrounded by water

Goyust: road

• Yustarud: perimeter, border; lit. ‘road around’
• Yustapir: river, ‘water road’

Yaim: home (see ch. 6 Name and Soul for further related words)

• Yaim’dab’ika: a tent camp fortified with fence or stakes; lit. ‘little-stronghold-home’
• Karyai: lit. ‘star-home,’ ‘heart-womb’; the main living room of a traditional north Mandalorian house; a single big chamber for eating, talking, and resting; the last secure stronghold when under attack

Bral: hill fort, high ground, high defended position

• Bralir: to get the upper hand, succeed
• Bralov: success
• Nibral: loser, failure

It’s over, Anakin! I have the high ground!

Din’kartay: sitrep, wash-up, any sharing of information and planning (military, also used colloquially) (knowledge-giving)

Akaan: war

• Akaan'ade: army (children of war)
• Akaata: battalion
• Akaanir: to fight

Nynir: to hit, strike

• Kov'nynir: to head-butt (head-strike)
• Gaanynir: to punch (hand-strike)

Goorar: to throw

Tettar: to kick

Muun'bajir: to trounce, teach someone a lesson, ’kick butt’ (muun: hard, rough; bajir: to teach)

Hokaanir: to cut, slice

• Hokan'yc: sliced, cut up; (slang) heavily defeated

Narser: purpose

• Narseryc: determined, resolute, serious
• Sur’ar: to focus, concentrate (eye-purpose)

Ramikadyc: commando state of mind; attitude that one can do anything, endure anything, and achieve the objective; a blend of complete confidence and extreme tenacity instilled in special forces during training. Informally a determined, focused person.

Atin: Stubborn, tenacious, capable of endurance

• Atin’la: tough
• Atiniir: to endure, put up with; to "take it"

Ori’beskaryc: of people extremely tough, no-nonsense, intractable, and willing to take a hit

PHRASES

K’atini: Endure! ‘Suck it up!’ ‘It’s only pain!’ (ke’: command prefix)

Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur: "Today is a good day for someone else to die."

Ret’lini: colloquial "Just in case", lit. ‘maybe-need’; a watchword for prudence, caution, and preparing for the worst

Ukor b’ukor: when push comes to shove, when forced to make a decision (ukoror: to push, shove)

Ni hukaatii'ni shebs ti kama!: I’m covering my back! “I’m covering my rear with kama” (hukaatir: to cover, kama: belt-cape)

Hukaat’kama: Watch my six, protect my back; “Cover (my) kama”

Tion’ad hukaat’kama? Who’s watching your rear?

Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman: “(A) friend while (things are) dangerous (is a) genuine friend.”

Gar shuk meh kyrayc. (Meh gar kyrayc, shuk bah ni.) "You’re no use dead." (If you’re dead, broken to me.) Said to encourage someone to take a rest. Rarely literal.

K’oyacyi! “Stay alive!”, come back safe, hang in there.

Nar dralshy'a: Put your back into it, try harder, “move stronger”

Traat’aliit gar besbe’trayc: "The squad is your weapon"

Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc: "Better one big enemy that you can see than many small ones that you can’t."

Ne shab'rud'ni: vulgar, an extremely strong warning, generally proceeding violence: Don’t mess with me, lit. something like "(You'd better) not f*-my-beloved" (compare w/ jurkadir Helmet of Ale)

Pirunir sur'haaise: make their eyes water; slang for kill, injure or defeat

Tion’cuy? "Who’s that?" (often used as a challenge to identify someone - like "Halt! Who goes there?")

Ba’slan shev’la: strategic disappearance (silent-exit)

Mirshe/Brain

This section will be moved to ch. 9

Hibirar: to learn (hiibir: to take, pick up)

Haat: truth (see related words from haai: eye)

Jehaat: lie, untruth, fraud, deception

• Jehaatir: to cheat, decieve, lie
• Jehavey’ir: ambush

Jekai: bait (kai’tome: food)

Jenarar: to feint

Hodar: to deceive, fool

• Hodasal: camouflage (sal: color, paint)
• Hodasalar: to cover up, camo
• Hodayc: cunning

Serim: accurate, correct (liser: able to, can)

• Serimir: to be right, accurate

Mirdir: to think, calculate

• Mirdala: clever, intelligent, intellectual, smart (dala: woman)
• Mir’sheb: smartalek, someone obnoxious about their supposed cleverness (smart butt)
• Mirgaan’la: deliberate, intentional (thinking hand)

Nakar’mir: to be unaware, not know

Mirshe: brain, brain cells, brains

• Mirsh: brain cell
• Mirshko: courage (kot:strength)
• Mirshir: ‘to brain someone’; to shock, stun
• Mir’jahaal: peace of mind, ‘brain-healing’; a general term for emotional well-being especially after a trauma or bereavement

Mirshpar’la: boring; ‘brain devouring’ (epar: to eat)

Mirsh’kyramud: boring person, ‘brain assassin’

Mureyca: a kiss

• Murcyur: to kiss (urcir: to meet?)
• Mirshmure’cya: “brain kiss”; slang for head-butt/kov’nyn; in Basic, a “Keldabe Kiss”

PHRASES

Kaysh mirsh’kyramud: they’re boring me senseless; “s/he’s a brain assassin”

Kaysh mirsh solus: they’re an idiot; “his/her brain cell (is) lonely”

Tayli’bac?: Got that? Understand? Often used aggressively.

Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod?: Are you looking for a smack in the face, mate? “(You) want a brain-kiss, brother?”

Kovid/Head

Troan: face

Jiriad: white, chalky, ashen-faced

Racin: pale

Gemas: hair

Kovid: head

• Kov’nynir: to head-butt (nynir: to hit, strike)
• Kov’nyn: head-butt; an affectionate tapping of foreheads (see mirshmure’cya)
• Kakovidir: to cower (possibly from hukaatir: to cover)

Ut’reeyah: empty (utreyar: to clear)

• Eyayah: echo
• Utreekov: fool, idiot (empty head)

Sur’haai: eye (pl. sur'haaise)

• Sur’ar: to concentrate, focus (eye purpose)
• Sur’gaan: picture (eye choice)
• Sur’ulur: to keep an eye on, monitor (ulur: to care, take notice of, detect)

Haai: (shortened from sur’haai)

• Haa’it: one’s understanding of one’s future, ‘vision’
• Tay’haai: archivist, reporter (taylir: to preserve)
• Haa'taylir: to see, look
• Haatyc: visible
• Nuhaatyc: invisible, unseen (nu: negative prefix)
• Dha'haase: screen (dha: dark)

Orhaar: scan

• Orhaarir: to scan

Ja’hailir: to observe, watch over (hailir: to fill)

Sushir: to listen

Susulur: to hear

Kaab: sound

Kles: nose

• Klesir: to smell

Hettir: to burn

• Heturam: mouthburn; a sought-after state of intense burning in the mouth brought about by very spicy food
• Hetikles: noseburn; the prized burning sensation in the sinuses brought about by specific spices
• Hetikleyc: spicy, as in makes the sinuses burn (a sensation like eating horseradish or wasabi)

Videk: neck, throat

Ekur: to choke

• Pir’ekulor: to weep (water-choking)

Uram: mouth

• Draluram: vivid, of a strong, distinct flavor, ‘bright mouth’; one of the four essentials of Mando cooking

Jorad: voice

• Jorhaa'ir: to speak, talk, converse
• Rejorhaa'ir: to tell

Jair: to scream, shriek, shout

Nuhunar: to laugh

Pirur: to drink

Pehir: to spit

Epar: to eat

Edee: jaws, teeth

• Edeemir: to bite

Ba’yair: to chew

Isirir: to taste

Lalat: tongue

• Paklalat: eloquence, wit, gift of the gab, silver tongue (pakod: easy)

Miit: word; proverb, saying

• Miit’gaanar: to write, compose, put words to paper

PHRASES

Haat, ijaa, haa'it: Truth, honor, vision; words to seal a pact. 'A true promise, on my honor, made part of my future.'

Ne’johaa!: Shut up!

N’epar nu pirur: it can wait, no rush; ‘it won’t eat or drink anything’ (not to eat not to drink)

Baar/Body

Gaan: hand

• Gaanur: hand tool
• Birgaan: a backpacker’s bag, capable of holding upwards of 110 pounds of gear
• Gaan’au: laser pointer, ‘hand light’ (nau’ur: to light up)
• Tigaanur: to touch (ti: with)
• Gaanynir: to punch (hand-strike)
• Gaanader: to choose, select
  • Gaan’la: chosen
  • Sur’gaan: picture
• Cinargaanar: to fence, launder stolen goods (cinarir: to clean)
• Gaa’taylir: to help (preserving-hand)
• Gaanaylir: to trap, catch (holding hand)
  • Tegaanalir: to rescue, save (teh: from, out of)
• Tengaanar: to show, display, reveal (open hand)

Jurir: to bear arms, to carry something

Marev: fist

Gadi: wrist

Irud: arm

Shebs: backside, buttocks; rear (also rear of building etc)

• Shebika: bum, botty, tush; kid’s word but sometimes used ironically or in humor
• Shebir: to sit
• Shub’urcyin: sycophant, toady, "butt-kisser"
• Mir’sheb: smartalek; someone obnoxious about their cleverness

Kemir: to walk

• Shekemir: to follow; lit. something like ‘to walk behind’ (shebs: rear)

Viinir: to run

Lovik: knee

Cetar: to kneel (from cetar: boot)

Motir: to stand

Taab: foot

• Taabir: to march
• Taab’echaaj’la: deceased, passed on; “marching far away”

Haal: breath

• Haalur: to breathe
• Haalas: chest; the pieces of armor around the torso*
• Gihaal: dried fishmeal, fish pemmican – lasts for years, pungent smell (lit. 'fish breath')

Jahaal: health (jate: good)

• Jahaala: well, healthy
• Jahaal’got: health-giving, nutritious, good for you (gotal'ur: to make)
• Mir’jahaal: peace of mind; a general term for emotional well-being especially after a trauma or bereavement (mir: brain)

Pel: soft, yielding

• Pel’gam: skin
• Pelkaanir: to shave

Kar’ta: heart

Epan: stomach, gut, innards

• Epar: to eat

Nejutyc: feisty, gutsy

Gett’se: plural courage, nerve; nuts

Taakur: bone

Tal: blood (see ch. 4, Helmet of Ale – bleed, bloody, sweat blood, scab)

Agol: living tissue; meat, muscle, flesh

Loras: meat, flesh, substance (poetic)

• Lor’vram: breakfast

Baar: body

• Peti’barr: center mass (peti: center)
• Baar’ur: medic
• Baarpir: to sweat (body-water)

Kyr’ad: corpse

• Kyr’bes: skull; mythosaur skull; colloquially, crown

Prudii: shadow

Jag: man

• Jagyc: male
• Ori’jaguc: bullying, swaggering, big-mouthed; lit. ‘big man’ but applied to anyone

Dala: woman

• Dalyc: female
• Mirdala: clever, intelligent, intellectual; lit. 'woman-brained' but applied to anyone

Aalar: to feel

Aaray: pain, ache

Jaal: numb

Goten: birth (gotal'ur: to make)

• Gotenir: to give birth
• Gota’tuur: birthday
• Verd'goten: rite of passage to adulthood, "warrior's birth" (verd: warrior)

Ruug: old age

• Ruug’la: old

Redalur: to dance

Nuhoy: to sleep

PHRASES

Kaysh tayl’ud: he’s taking a break; she’s taking a nap (taylir: to preserve; udes: rest, leisure)

Briikase gote’tuur: Happy birthday!

Chaavla sa shebs be'striili: “rough as a strill’s backside”; a dive bar; an uncultured individual (by Mando standards); a very violent, dangerous neighborhood (strill: intelligent six-legged mammal, hunts and glides)

Chapter Text

Yaim/Home

Taap: location, zone; point, position, place, spot

Gebi: close, near

• Gabbar: close to, near to

Chaaj: distance, range

• Chaaj'yc: far
• Chaashya: further
• Be'chaaj: away, afar

Me'sen: starship (senaar: bird)

Me'suum: planet

• Me'suum'ika: moon

Oyu’baat: universe, galaxy; the name of a famous old tapcaf and inn in Keldabe

• Oyula: galactic 

Yai: belly, womb (see ch. 7 Mouthburn for more related words)

• Yaihad’la: pregnant 
• Yaihi’l: full

Karyai: main living room of a traditional north Mandalorian house; a single big chamber for eating, talking, and resting; the last secure stronghold when under attack; lit. something like ‘heart-womb’ or ‘star-home’

Yaim: home

• Yaim’la: comfortable, familiar; a sense of being ‘at home’; domestic; local to the speaker
• Yaimi: neighbor
• Yaim’ol: homecoming, return
• Yaimpar: to return
• Yamika: room, chamber
• Epar’yaim: restaurant, canteen (epar: to eat)
• Vheh’yaim: temporary hut made of wattle and daub; a ‘basha’ or tarpaulin (vheh: earth, soil, ground)
• Osi’yaim: (vulgar) a useless, despicable person, lit. ‘dung-dweller’
• Manda’yaim: the planet Mandalore

Haav: bed

• Haavlaam: bunk (laamyc: high)

Kajir: table (kajil: flat, level)

• Sha'kajir: over a meal, at the dinner table; cease-fire, truce (sha: at)

Keldab: citadel, stronghold

• Keldabe: the traditional capital city of Manda’yaim (Sundari was capital during the Clone Wars)
• Yaim’dab’ika: a camp of tents (often vheh’yaime) fortified with fence or paling (little-stronghold-home)

Morut: haven, stronghold

• Morutar: to welcome
• Morut’yc: safe, secure

Olar: here

• Olaror: to come, arrive
• Olarom: (greeting) "Welcome!" 

Su cuy'gar: hello; lit. ‘You're still alive’ (su: still, yet, cuyir: to be, exist; gar: you)

• Su'cuy: hi, hey

Ret'urcye mhi: goodbye, "Maybe we'll meet again" (Ret: maybe, urcir: to meet, mhi: we)

Gedetir: to plead, beg

• Gedet'ye: please
• Gedeteyar: to be thankful

Ba'gedet'ye: (like German use of bitte) 1. Please, if you please; 2. Pardon; what was that?; 3. May I help you?; 4. You're welcome to it, here you go (please, take it) 5. My pleasure, you're welcome. 

Vor entye: thank you, "I accept a debt" (vorer: to accept)

• Vor'e: thanks
• Ori'vor'e: many thanks, thanks a lot 

Kih'parjai: No problem, don't mention it; "small victory" 

N'eparavu takisit: Sorry, I apologize; "I eat my insult"

Ni ceta: rare I'm so sorry; a groveling apology; "I kneel"

Wer'cuy: colloquial It was ages ago; forget it, it doesn't matter. (wer: eon)

PHRASES

Gal, ori’skraan, riduur, yaim’ dab’ika: 'Booze, big eats, spouse, (and back to) camp.' A phrase for a soldier's short leave, describing a good night out.

Aliit/Clan

Gai: name, title

Tal'din: bloodline, ‘blood-link’

Aliit: family, clan, tribe; clan name, identity

• Aliik: sigil, symbol on armor, letter
• Alli’gai: surname; flag, colors
• Traat’aliit: squad, team (trat’ade: forces)

Droten: a people

Tsad: alliance, group, society

• Ori’tsad: brigade (ori: big)
• Tsad droten: group of people; senate, assembly; the Republic
• Kyr’tsad: Death Watch, a sect interested in restoring the age of Mando conquest, and known for terrorist activities (kyr: death)
• Bui’tsad: rare biological family lineage, genealogy (buir: parent)

To: connection, link, the join

• Tolase: system, ‘joined things’

Tom: alliance

• Tom’yc: allied
• Tomad: ally
• Cyar’tomad: fan, supporter, devotee
• Tome: noun alliances; adjective together
• Dar’tome: of people separated, apart (dar: no longer)
• Tomyc: joint
• Tom’urcir: to converge (urcir: to meet)
• Tome’tayl: shared memory of a people or nation (taylir: to keep, preserve)
• Kai’tome: food

Cabur: guardian, protector

• Cabuor: to protect 

Buir: father, mother, parent

• Buir’ika: affectionate a diminutive endearment for a parent, similar to ‘papacito’ or ‘ma petite maman’; daddy, mama
• Buirkan: responsibility
• Dar’buir: a legally disowned parent; ‘no longer parent’
• Bui’tsad: rare biological family lineage
• Shabuir: vulgar an extreme insult, with tones both of mf*r and deadbeat parent
• Ver’gebuir: bodyguard, ‘hired guardian’ (ge: almost; verborir: to hire)
• Ba’buir: grandparent
• Bu’ad: grandchild

Vod: sibling, brother, sister; ‘mate’, comrade

• Ori’vod: big brother/sister, older sibling; close friend
• Ba’vodu: uncle, aunt (plural bavodu’e)
• Jatne vod: term of respect used by bar staff, etc; ‘good sir’ (jatne: best)

Verburyc: loyal

• Verborir: to hire, contract

Burcyan: friendship, comradeship, close bond

• Burc’ya: friend; also used ironically 'pal'

Aru'e: enemy, rival

• Aru'ela: hostile, enemy (adj)
• Aruetyc: traitorous
  • Aruetii: traitor; foreigner, outsider (non-Mando, in contrast to dar'manda: soul-lost Mandalorian)

Ad: son, daughter; child; person descending of or belonging to something. (Plural: ade)

• Ad’ika: affectionate little one, child; informally to adults, similar to ‘lads,’ ‘girls,’ or ‘you guys’ (plural: ad’ike)
• Ik’aad: baby, infant, child under 3
• Birikad: baby-carrying harness, infant sling [in RL there’s one called the Boba wrap!] (birgaan: backpack)
• Buycika: a cradle (buyca: bucket, pail)
• Adiik: child aged 3-13 or species equivalent; the ages between toddlers and young adults
• Mando’ad: a Mandalorian; child of Mandalore
• Beskar’ad: a droid; child of metal

Adate: people, persons

• Tion’ad: who? ‘What person?’
• Kyr’ad: corpse (kyr: end, death)
• Adade: personnel
• Anade: everyone, everybody (an: all)
• Ash’ad: someone else, somebody, anyone (ashi: other)
• Naasade: nobody (naas: zero, nothing)
• Akaan’ade: army (akaan: war)
• Trat’ade: forces (tratur: to staff, represent, form the strength of)
• Alor’ad: captain (alor: boss)
• -ad is also a common suffix, as in tomad: ally (tom: alliance + ad: person)

Verd’ika: the rank of private; affectionately, to a child little soldier (verd: warrior)

Vaar’ika: pip-squeak, runt (vaar: half-grown)

Sheb’ika: bum, tush; kid’s version of shebs: rear, backside

PHRASES

Tion gar gai?: What's your name?

Allit ori'shya tal'din: family is more than blood; "clan is greater than bloodline"

Traat'aliit gar besbe'trayc: (The) squad (is) your weapon.

Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman: “(A) friend while (things are) dangerous (is a) real friend.”

Duraani, burc'ya?: You looking at me funny, pal? (duraanir: to scorn, hold in contempt)

Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'waadas'la: "Your bloodline is unimportant; you as a parent, (that's) the most valuable." No one cares who your parents were, only the parent you'll be.

Manda/Soul

Runi: individuality; poetically soul

Jarkiv: charisma, presence

Suum ca’nara: the state of blissful rest and peace; “beyond time”

Darasuum: eternal

Akaanati'kyr'oya: The War of Life and Death; the eternal conflict between Arasuum the sloth and Kad Ha'rangir the destroyer and change-bringer; viewed variously as a creation myth, the spiritual world, or the afterlife. [appeared as kar'oya]

• Arasuum: Stagnation, the sloth god of stagnation in the ancient Taung pantheon.*
  • Arasuum'la: unchanging, stangnant
  • Arasuumir: to stagnate, remain the same
• Kad Ha'rangir: The Sharp Destroyer, who forces change and growth; the head of the Mando pantheon, tester of his people, until supplanted by the worship of war under Mand'alor the Indomitable.*
  • Kad: sword (kad'la: sharp)
  • Haran: destruction, cosmic annihilation; not a place, but 'hell' in the sense of the undesirable end
  • Rang: ash; Rangir: to make ash
• Hod Ha'ran: the pantheon's god of luck and trickery, from hodar: to deceive, fool; hodayc: cunning; and perhaps haranov: cache, hidden store*

Mar’eyce: discovery, something found at last; a state of heaven

• Mar’eyir: to find, discover

Kar: star

• Karbakar: hyperdrive, “star to star”
• Marekar: navigation (finding-star)
• Ka’ra: the stars; in ancient myth, the ruling council of fallen kings
• Jate’kara: luck, destiny; ‘a course to steer by’, lit. “good stars”

Kar’am: breath

Kar’ta: heart

Trikar: sadness, regret

Oya’karir: to hunt, chase (oya: life, the hunt)

Digur: to forget

Partaylir: to remember

Tome’tayl: shared memory of a people or nation; occasionally, memory (together-preserve)

Manda: the collective soul or heaven; the state of being Mando in mind, body, and spirit; supreme, overarching, guardian-like, carrying its strength in your heart

• Dar’manda: 'the soul-gone'; one who has lost their heritage, and therefore their soul and identity, cursed to eternal emptiness without purpose or solidarity; a tragic state, in contrast with aruetii: traitor, outsider 
• Manda’yaim: the planet Mandalore, the governing planet of Mandalorian space; traditionally, whichever planet was the seat of the Mand’alor (yaim: home)
• Mando: Mandalorian; of Manda
• Mando’ad: a Mandalorian; child of Manda
• Mando’kar: the epitome of Mando virtue, a blend of aggression, tenacity, loyalty, and a lust for life; the “right stuff” (kar: star; heart)
• Mandokar’la: being mando’kar; showing guts and spirit
• Mand’alor: sole ruler; the commander of the Mando’ade

Jatne manda: a complex sense of being at one with your clan and life, lit. 'best state of being Mando'; loosely, 'good mood', 'at peace' (jatne: best)

Dinui: gift

• Dinuir: to give
• Din'waadar: to sell (waadas
• Din'kartay: military or colloquial sitrep, wash up, any sharing of info and planning (kar'tayl: awareness, knowledge, "heart-keeping")
• Me'dinuir: share, give to each other

Kir’manir: to adopt, to give a soul to someone (I believe this ought to be kar’manir as below, but it could be considered an irregular form) 

PHRASES

Gai bal Manda: the Mando adoption ceremony

• Ni kar’tayli gai sa’ad: I know your name as my child (I hold-in-heart name as child); the words of the Gai bal Manda. [note: although it appeared in the novels as “kyr’tayli”, the dictionary gives ‘to know’ as ‘kar’taylir’, from kar’ta: heart. As kyr means ‘end, death’, I corrected to the dictionary spelling.] 

Oya Manda!: expression of Mandalorian solidarity and perpetuity: emotional and assertive.

Ni dini: "I give"; when said firmly as an independent phrase, ‘Like it or lump it!’ ‘Take it or leave it!’

Rangir: to hell with it; lit. "To ashes!" (rang: ash)

Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa: "long memory, short fuse"; said to be a typical Mando mindset

Mando'ad draar digu: "A Mandalorian never forgets."

Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum: the words of the Remembrances: "I’m still alive, you are dead; I remember you, you are eternal." (Followed by repetition of loved ones’ names.)

Chapter Text

Joha/Language

Many of the words related to talking come from two related words, Jorad and Joha. When Jora- roots are compounded with Haat or similar -ha sounds, they may look like they came from Joha. In the same way, Joha- roots may have an r added over time to match similar words. These tendencies increase in dialects where the /r/ is unvoiced. The etymologies here are only a guess towards the original roots.

Jair: scream, shriek

• jai'galaar: shriek-hawk

Jorad: voice

• Jor'lekir: to confirm (elek: yes)
• Orjorer: to cry out, shout (ori: big)

Jorhaa'ir: to speak, talk (haat: truth), or (haas: breath)

• Rejorhaa'ir: to tell

Ne'johaa!: Shut up! No speech!
From jorhaa’i, “you speak”, influenced by johayc, ‘spoken.’

Jorbe: reason

• Tion'jor: why? 'what reason?' (tion: interrogative)
• Jorcu: because, 'reason being', (cuyir: to exist, be)
• Projor: next

Joha: language

• Johayc: spoken, pronounced

Jahaatir: to tell lies, deceive (jehaat: lie, untruth)

Sirbur: to say

Chayaikir: to tease, heckle, make fun of (not as hostile as mock)

Oritsir: to curse, swear, bellow

Laaran: singing

• Laararir: to sing

Nuhun: a joke

• Nuhur: good times, laughter, fun
• Nuhun'la; Nuh'la: funny, amusing
• Nuhunar: to laugh

Miit: word, saying

• Miit’gaanar: to write (gaan: hand)
• naumiit: signal (nau: light, laser)

Mando’a: the Mandalorian language 

Tion: interrogative prefix, used for a closed question (yes/no/maybe, true/false, right/wrong)

• Tionas: a question, a puzzle
• Tionir: to question, interrogate

Open Question Words

• Tion’ad: who?
• Tion’cuy: who’s there? Halt, who goes there?
• Tion’jur: why?
• Tion’meh: what if?
• Tion’solet: how many?
• Tion’tuur: when? Which day?
• Me’bana: what’s happening? What happened?
• Me’copanni: what would you like? What do you want?
• Me’vaar: what’s new? What news?
• Me’ven: huh? What? Expression of bewilderment or disbelief

Vaii: where

Meg/megin: relative pronoun which, what, that, who

(Megin is used before a vowel. Meg may not be a question word - an interrogative as well as relative pronoun - as we only see it in questions in the set phrases above. Vaii is also arguable.)

PHRASES 

Kaysh meg miit'gaana, oyacyi: The one who writes, lives on. (oyacyir: to live)

Me'vaar ti gar?: How are you?, lit. ‘What's new with you?’; military What’s the situation? Sitrep?

• Naas (in response to above): I'm fine, thanks; military Nothing to report.

Tion gar gai?: What’s your name?

Tion'ad hukaat'kama?: Who’s watching your back?

Haat o'r an nuhune: “Truth in all jokes”; many a true word is spoken in jest.

Kai’tome/Food

See also ch. 4 Helmet of Ale for words related to drinking

Loras: poetic meat, flesh, substance 

Skraan: slang food, a meal, 'eats'; lower-quality grub

Ori’skraan: 1. a delicacy, a real treat in terms of food; 2. slang a blow-out meal, a feast, ‘big eats’

Skraan'ikase: lit. "small eats"; a long celebratory meal of small platters: variously prepared nuts, fruits, vegetables, breads and pastries; dips, cheeses, sauced and grilled meats; and other finger foods, skewers, and bite-sized dishes. Because it can take hours to eat, and the dishes are often fiddly, it is a contrast to the easy-to-eat, quick meals necessary in the field.

Or'ilor: the midday meal

Sha'kajir: over a meal, at the dinner table, the breaking of bread together as equals; a cease-fire, truce, talking terms at table

Kai'tome: a meal, food; literally, something like 'nourishment together' (tome: together)

Je'kai: bait (jehaat: lie)

Gaid: plate, dish; plate of armor. When camping and cooking over an open fire, plates of armor may be used as cooking plates.

• Gai’ka: cup (little dish)
• Ya’gaid: bowl (yai: belly, womb)

Buyca: pail, bucket

• Buyc’ika: glass

Buy’ce (gal/tal): ‘helmetful’ (of beer/blood/etc); a standard large ale, like a pint, but closer to a growler in size; a liquid measure around 1/2 gallon

Hoshap: spoon

Kalikir: to skewer, to stab with a narrow blade

Epar: to eat

• Epar'yaim: restaurant, canteen, 'food home'
• Mirshepar'la: boring, 'brain eating'

Eparavur: to feast, to devour

• Eparavur takisit: to apologize, to be sorry, to 'eat insult'

Edeemir: to bite (edee: jaws, teeth)

Pehir: to spit

Isirir: to taste

• Jatisyc: delicious, 'good tasting'

Emuurir: to like, enjoy; used of food, activities, and so on

• Jatne emuurir: to prefer, to best like (jatne: best)

Guuror: to be fond of, to have affection for, to like

• Paguur: to dislike, to find distasteful
• Or'paguur: to hate (in source as "or'parguur") see also skanah below

Jahaal'got: health-giving, nutritious, good for you, 'good-breath-making'

Yai: belly, womb

• Yaihi'l: full
• Ba’yair: to chew (bah: to)

Yai'yai: 'richly nourishing'; dense, high-calorie food, of great importance when dependent on highly portable field rations

• Yaiyai'yc: bloated, satisfied

Janad: spicy

Hetikles: 'noseburn', the prized burning sensation in the sinuses brought about by specific spices (hettir: to burn, kles: nose)

• Hetikleyc: spicy, as in makes the sinuses burn (a sensation like eating horseradish or wasabi)

Heturam: 'mouthburn', a sought-after state of intense burning in the mouth brought about by very spicy food (uram: mouth)

Draluram: of food vivid, lit. 'bright mouth', a strong, distinct flavor; one of the four essentials of Mandalorian cooking (dral: strong, bright)

"Soldiers and nomads both need their food to be portable, nourishing and preferably to require little cooking. Mandalorians ... have a few distinctive dishes that are, at best, an acquired taste but that fit the need for food that’s more like field rations." Spiced leathermeat, a jerky sold in stalls, is an example of this kind of foodstuff.

Gihaal: a calorie-dense mix of dried fishmeal and fat, and sometimes with dried berries or cornmeal; lit. 'fish breath', for its pungent, clinging aroma. Stored in rawhide or tin, it lasts 1-5 years without refrigeration, and up to a decade when kept cool. It can be eaten as is, and campaigners will carve slices of it to snack on; but is more commonly used to make stock, stewed with water, flour, and root vegetables, or fried with onions and potatoes. (haal: breath)

• Gi: fish
• Ast'ehut: fat
• Shuner: flour, meal (shun: bread)
• Pirun: water

Tiingilar: a blisteringly spicy casserole of coarsely chopped meat and vegetables; the hot spices help preserve the food as well as provide flavor in this one-dish baked staple. 

• Tiin'la: coarse
• Paak: salt
• Amber-root (loan-word): a root vegetable used in Mando cooking

Haashun: parchment bread, dehydrated bread, lit. 'see-bread'; a sheet of bread, dried and thin enough almost to read through; it can be reconstituted with water or other liquid and toasted, crumbled dry over soups and stews, or used to thicken and help rehydrate meat or fruit. A ration-pack staple. (haa'taylir: to see)

• Shun: bread (in source as 'shuner', but with 'shoon' pronunciation) 
• Haast: dry

Uj'alayi: uj cake, fruit bread; a dense, travel-friendly cake, flat and very sweet; made of ground and crushed nuts, pureed dried fruit, uj'ayl syrup, and spices. Seeds, candied zest, liquor, and chopped dried fruits can be used. When wrapped in liquor-soaked linen, it can last for several years.

• Papurgaat: fruit 
• Varos: a velvety, tropical fruit native to Manda'yaim
• Uj'ayl/uj'jayl: a thick, scented syrup used in cooking; sugar of any kind may be boiled with water and citric acid until amber-colored, then flavored with flowers or herbs such as behot
• Shuk’la gett’se: ‘crushed nuts’, ground nuts, which may be used as a topping or ingredient for uj

Shig: any herbs or spices infused in hot water, but often made from behot and therefore amber in color. Sometimes spiked with tihaar

• Behot: a quick-growing citrus-flavored herb, a mild stimulant with some antiseptic properties commonly used in beverages
• *Cassius: a tea made from cassius florets (2013)

Gal: ale, alcohol, booze

• Net'ra gal: black ale; a sweet, almost spicy beer with a creamy texture, made of barley, hops, and milk sugar. One of the most popular alcohols among Mando'ade
• *Kri'gee: a bitter Mando ale with a high alcoholic content, infamous for being cheap and producing hangovers (2011)
• Papuur'gal: wine, 'fruit-alcohol'
• Tihaar: a strong clear spirit distilled from any available fruit; varos and jewel-fruit are some named varieties. It is sometimes used as a sleeping aid or painkiller.
• Mandallian Narcolethe (loan word): a potent liquor, is the most famous alcoholic export from Mandalorian space, although it originated with the reptilian Mandallian Giants.)   

Neral: grain

• Bas neral: coarse grain for animal fodder and brewing; thought unfit to eat
• Shuner: flour, meal; lit. ‘Crushed grain’; boiled mealgrain is a cheap and filling dish often served at firstmeal (shuk’la: crushed)
• Shun: bread

Gett: a nut

• Gett’se: plural 1) nuts; 2) ‘guts’, courage; 3) see under insults
• Warra’se: plural Warra nuts, a green nut, often seasoned, and served in bars around the galaxy. Hot ‘n’ spicy and salt ‘n’ sour are two popular varieties.

Pirkaak: broth, soup, lit. 'salted water'; gi dumpling and red gourd are two named varieties.

Oya’karir: to hunt, track

Striil: strill; a semi-sentient yard-long mammal native to the cold north of Manda’yaim; with gold eyes, grey tongues, gold or tan-grey fur, and a whip-like tail. Striil are trackers and aerial hunters, with claws capable of scaling trees and buildings, and loose, leathery skin serving as a wing membrane between its six legs for gliding flights. They can carry significant weight, and live around 250-350 years. A striil can both sire and bear litters of pups, with a protective nesting instinct that extends to humanoid infants and pregnant women. When domesticated, striile are fiercely loyal. Male humanoids find their scent acrid.

• Striilir: to hunt

Shatual: a large creature native to the veshok forests of Manda'yaim, hunted sometimes with the help of striil, and often fire-roasted. The does and bucks are known for their mating calls.

• Talyc: bloody; of meat cooked rare

Bevii’ragir: a sturdy hunting spear with a removable counterbalance to its weight; a harpoon (beviin: lance)

• Beviiragir: to fish; it literally means something like ‘to spear a fish’, but in modern Mando’a applies to any method of catching fish (gi: fish)

PHRASES

Kaysh guur' skraan: 'he loves his food', lit. "S/he is fond of food"

Chaavla sa shebs be'striili: “rough as a strill's backside” - a set phrase describing 1) a shabby, sleazy establishment, a dive bar; 2) someone rough and uncultured even by Mando standards; 3) a very violent, dangerous neighborhood

Takisit/Insult

Dar'manda: the state of someone who has lost or is ignorant of Mandalorian heritage, and so is divorced from identity and soul; lit. 'gone soul'; a fate of eternal death, even while still walking - regarded with absolute dread by most traditional-minded Mando'ade. This word is tragic, not a slur or accusation; to insult someone by saying they are not truly Mando'ad, use 'aruetti' or 'hut'uun' 

Aru'e: an enemy

• Aru'ela: hostile, of the enemy
• Aruetii: 1) traitor; 2) foreigner, outsider
• Aruetyc: traitorous 

Demagolka: someone who commits atrocities, a real-life monster, a war criminal; lit. 'like Demagol, like the Flesh Carver'; Demagol was the by-name of a Mandalorian scientist in the age of the Old Republic, notorious for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche (demar: to carve; agol: flesh)

Skanah: much-hated thing or person see also or'paguur and related words above

Dush, dush’shya/doshishya, dushne: bad, worse, worst

• Ori’dush: evil
• Dawoor: bad smell (woor: wind)
• Daworir: to stink, reek

Duse: rubbish, garbage, waste; unclean things

Slaat: mud

Arasuum: stagnation

• Arasuumir: to stagnate, remain the same
• Arasuum'la: unchanging, stagnant

Mirshepar'la: boring, lit. 'brain-eating'

Kyramud: killer, assassin

• Mirsh'kyramud: boring person, lit. 'brain assassin'
• Kyr'ad: corpse
• Kyrayc: dead
• Kyr'yc: last

Teroch: pitiless

Naast: destroyer

• Naastar: to destroy

Jariler: to lay waste, wreck

• Jari'eyc: ugly, ruined; wrecked

Besom: ill-mannered lout, unhygienic person, someone with no Mando manners

Kadala: wounded, hurt; ‘sword feel’

Laandur: 1) delicate, fragile; 2) fragile in the sense of weak, pathetic

Layari: overconfident, swaggering

Ori'jagyc: bullying; swaggering big-mouthed; although the literal meaning is something like a sarcastic 'big man' or 'very macho', it is applied equally to men and women

Burc'ya: a friend; can be used ironically to belittle or threaten - ‘pal’ (vod in the same way)

Buruk: danger

• Burk'yc: dangerous 

Jaro: a death wish, an insane act of reckless stupidity

• Jare'la: stupidly oblivious of danger, asking for it

Dinii: lunatic

• Dini'la: insane, crazy
• Gedin'la: 1) eccentric; 2) cranky, in a mood; lit. 'almost insane'
• Or'dinii: moron, fool

Utreekov: fool, idiot, 'empty-head' (utrel'a: clear, empty; kovid: head)

Di'kut: idiot, useless individual, waste of space; literally referring to someone who forgets to put their pants on, ‘knickerless’ (digur: to forget; kute: underwear, bodysuit)

• Di'kutla: useless, stupid, worthless

Hodar: to deceive, to fool (hodayc: cunning)

Ne'waadas: poverty, need, 'without wealth'

Boyacyk: penniless, broke; lit. 'between jobs' (bora: job) not necessarily insulting

Shuk'yc: not working, no use, useless, broken down, out of order - usually said of machinery

Chakur: to steal, rob

• Chakaar: corpse robber, thief, petty criminal - general term of abuse (see also ge'hutuun)
• Chakaaryc: rotten, low-life, - generic adjective to describe an undesirable person of dubious ethics

Chekar: to shiv, to stab with a small blade

Kakovidir: to cower; ‘to cover the head in fear’

Despite Huttese traditionally being as common as Basic among Mando’ade, the only significant loanword is ‘Hutt’, as a root in several terms of abuse. The ancient kadjidic practice of hiring others to do their fighting for them is the root of this disgust.

Hut’uun: coward; the antithesis of mando virtue; the lowest and worst of insults (hoo-TOON)

• Ge'hutuun: 1) a petty crook, a small-time villain; 2) a serious criminal you have no respect for (ge: almost)
• Nehutyc: feisty, gutsy; ‘not-Hutt-like’

Utyc: slimy

Ast'ehut: fat; lit. ‘the Hutt itself’ (ast: itself)

Chayaikir: to tease, heckle

Takisir: to insult

• Takisit: an insult

Vulgar language: many Mando’ade swear like spacers, and their vulgarity is not meant as particularly hostile in most contexts. However, shabuir and usen’ye can be seriously offensive when used aggressively, and shab’rudur is foul enough to provoke violence.

Haran: expletive hell; literally, destruction, cosmic annihilation

Shebs: backside, buttocks; rear (also rear of building etc); not inherently vulgar, but can have crude implications in context

• Shebika: bum, botty, tush; kid’s word but sometimes used ironically or in humor
• Mir’sheb: ‘smart-aleck’; someone obnoxious about their cleverness (mirdala: clever)
• Sheb’urcyin: vulgar sycophant, toady, 'butt-kisser'
• Nar'sheb: contemptuous, vulgar a harsh 'shove it' (naritir: to insert, place) 

Pirimpir: urine

• Slana'pir!: vulgar Get out! get lost! (slanar: to go)

Osik: vulgar, expletive dung, crap, feces

• Osik’la: messed up, horrible, crappy 
• Osi'kyr: ‘dung-death’; a strong exclamation of surprise or dismay
• Osi’yaim: a useless, despicable person, lit. something like ‘dung-dweller’

Oshokita: latrine, fresher, not considered vulgar (shokita: shelf)

Usen'ye: vulgar the crudest way to tell someone to 'go away' in Mando'a - from same root as osik

Shab: vulgar, expletive an explicit word for sex; used as an intensifier or exclamation 

• Shab’ika: an affectionate vulgar insult; plural shab’ikase
• Shab’la/shabla: screwed up
• Shabiir: to screw up
• Shabuir: tones both of mf*r and deadbeat shabla parent; taken literally its an extreme insult, but can be used as ribald humor 
• Shab’rudur: (very extreme language) to mess with; possibly, to screw with someone’s spouse -compare with jurkadir in Helmet of Ale. (From riduur: spouse or rud:around)

Bev’ika: ‘little needle’; vulgar slang penis (bev: needle, spike) 

Gett’se: plural 1) nuts; 2) ‘guts’, courage; 3) vulgar slang a man’s testicles

Dalab: sheath; vulgar slang vagina (dala: woman)

• Kal’gam**: ‘blade shell’ is an alternative word for sheath that avoids this connotation 

PHRASES

Kaysh mirsh solus: He's an idiot; lit. 'his brain cell (is) lonely'

Kaysh mirsh'kyramud: He's boring me senseless; lit: 'he's a brain assassin'

Bic ni skana'din: 'That really ticks me off;' 'it gives me the scunners,' 'it fills me with disgust' (from dinuir: to give)

Haar'chak!: expletive Damn it! The literal meaning may be 'annihilation steal it!' 

Kote lo’shebs’ul narit: contemptuous, vulgar You can keep your glory; “put (your) glory up (a) donkey’s rear.” (lo:into; ulik: mount, pack animal)

Ne shab'rud'ni: vulgar, an extremely strong warning, generally proceeding violence: Don’t mess with me; lit. something like "(You'd better) not screw around with me"