Native Tongue

Appendix

From: A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan

As is true in the translation from any language into another, many words of Láadan cannot be translated into English except by lengthy definitions. A miscellaneous sampling is given here to illustrate the situation; it consists mainly of samples from the “ra-” prefixing forms of the language.

doóledosh: pain or loss which comes as a relief by virtue of ending the anticipation of its coming

doroledim: This word has no English equivalent whatsoever. Say you have an average woman. She has no control over her life. She has little or nothing in the way of a resource for being good to herself, even when it is necessary. She has family and animals and friends and associates that depend on her for sustenance of all kinds. She rarely has adequate sleep or rest; she has no time for herself, no space of her own, little or no money to buy things for herself, no opportunity to consider her own emotional needs. She is at the beck and call of others, because she has these responsibilities and obligations and does not choose to (or cannot) abandon them. For such a woman, the one and only thing she is likely to have a little control over for indulging her own self is FOOD. When such a woman overeats, the verb for that is “doroledim”. (And then she feels guilty, because there are women whose children are starving and who do not have even THAT option for self-indulgence…)

lowitheláad: to feel, as if directly, another’s pain/grief/surprise/joy/anger

núháam: to feel oneself cherished, cared for, nurtured by someone; to feel loving-kindness

óothanúthul: spiritual orphanhood; being utterly without a spiritual community or family

ráahedethi: to be unable to feel lowitheláad, above; to be empathically impaired

ráahedethilh: 1) to be unwilling to feel lowitheláad, above; to be empathically impaired 2) to be musically or euphonically deprived

radama: to non-touch, to actively refrain from touching

radamalh: to non-touch with evil intent

radéela: non-garden, a place that has much flash and glitter and ornament, but no beauty

radíidin: non-holiday, a time allegedly a holiday but actually so much a burden because of work and preparations that it is a dreaded occasion; especially when there are too many guests and none of them help

radodelh: non-interface, a situation which has not one single point in common on which to base interaction, often used of personal relationships

raduth: to non-use, to deliberately deprive someone of any useful function in the world, as in enforced retirement or when a human being is kept as a plaything or pet

rahéena: non-heart-sibling, one so entirely incompatible with another that there is no hope of ever achieving any kind of understanding or anything more than a truce, and no hope of ever making such a one understand why… does not mean “enemy”

rahobeth: non-neighbor, one who lives nearby but does not fulfill a neighbor’s role; not necessarily pejorative

rahom: to non-teach, to deliberately fill students’ minds with empty data or false information; can be used only of persons in a teacher/student relationship

ralaheb: something utterly spiceless, “like warm spit,” repulsively bland and blah

ralée-: non-meta (a prefix), something absurdly or dangerously narrow in scope or range

ralith: to deliberately refrain from thinking about something, to wall it off in one’s mind by deliberate act

ralorolo: non-thunder, much talk and commotion from one (or more) with no real knowledge of what they’re talking about or trying to do, something like “hot air” but more so

ramime: to refrain from asking, out of courtesy or kindness

ramimelh: to refrain from asking, with evil intent; especially when it is clear that someone badly wants the other to ask

ranem: non-pearl, an ugly thing one builds layer by layer as an oyster does a pearl, such as a festering hatred to which one pays attention

rani: non-cup, a hollow accomplishment, something one acquires or receives or accomplishes but empty of all satisfaction

rarilh: to deliberately refrain from recording; for example, the failure throughout history to record the accomplishments of women.

rarulh: non-synergy, that which when combined only makes things worse, less efficient, etc.

rashida: non-game, a cruel “playing” that is a game only for the dominant “players” with the power to force others to participate

rathom: non-pillow, one who lures another to trust and rely on them but has no intention of following through, a “lean on me so I can step aside and let you fall” person

rathóo: non-guest, someone who comes to visit knowing perfectly well that they are intruding and causing difficulty

raweshalh: non-gestalt, a collection of parts with no relationship other than coincidence, a perverse choice of items to call a set; especially when used as “evidence”

sháadehul: growth through transcendence, either of a person, a non-human, or thing (for example, an organization, or a city, or a sect)

wohosheni: a word meaning the opposite of alienation; to feel joined to, part of someone or something without reservations or barriers

wonewith: to be socially dyslexic; uncomprehending of the social signals of others

zhaláad: the act of relinquishing a cherished/comforting/familiar illusion or frame of perception

A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan is published by the Society for the Furtherance and Study of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Inc. For further information send SASE to Láadan, P.O. Box 1137, Huntsville, AR 72740-1137.