Through Alien Eyes

Glossary

Allu n. Fleshy red spurs located on the inside of the forearm and their associated organs, used by the Tendu for allu-a.

Allu-a n. vb. The communion between two or more Tendu that involves a deep sharing of physiological state.

Ang-ar-gora n. vb. The art of stealth, of listening without being seen. Usually practiced exclusively by the enkar.

Atwa n. The ecological grouping that comes under the care of a Tendu elder.

Bai n. Diminutive-informal form of bami, usually used by a sitik to his or her bami.

Bami n. A sub-adult who is apprenticed/parented by an elder Tendu. They have the capacity to speak.

Enkar n. A class of Tendu who travel from village to village giving advice and settling disputes.

Ganuna n. A small lizard with a venomous but rarely fatal bite. It warns off attackers with a loud hissing sound.

Gauware n. A rain forest fruit tree.

Girra n. A vine bearing extremely fragrant, night-blooming flowers, and edible fruit.

Gudda n. An arborial, marsupial lizard, about the size of a medium-sized dog. It is very prolific.

Koirah n. Large raptor that preys on animals in the uppermost canopy. One of the most dreaded predators of the Tendu.

Lyali-Tendu n. Sea Tendu. Those Tendu who live year-round in coastal waters.

Mitamit n. A large predatory insect. The female builds intricately layered webs in which to trap males in order to mate with them. She then lays her eggs inside the male, and the developing young feed’on their father.

Na tree n. The giant hollow trees that are the preferred living quarters for land dwelling Tendu.

Pika n. A starchy fermented dough made from the root of a water plant. It is often flattened and used to wrap around other foods.

Pooo-eet n. A fishing bird that lives near the river. During their mating season (also known as the month or “pida” of Pooo-eet) the canopy echoes with their “poooeet” calls, prompting many Tendu to go hunting for a little peace and quiet.

Purra n. A mollusc with a thick, hard, difficult-to-open shell. It is prized as a delicacy by the Lyali-Tendu.

Qu arbirri n. vb. Traditional Tendu dance/narrative art form, involving music, dance, and skin speech.

Ruwar-a n. A system or process in which the elements work together synergetically so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Considered auspicious and harmonious.

Siti n. Informal, intimate form of sitik, usually used by a bami to his or her sitik.

Sitik n. An elder Tendu who is the mentor/parent of a sub-adult bami.

Tinka n. Juvenile form of Tendu, imprinted on a village. Usually six years and older. A tinka can live as long as fifty years before beginning to age and die.

Weedah n. A bird that builds a tangled, tightly woven nest. Old nests are often disassembled by the Tendu for the fiber they contain.

Yetilye n. A burrowing orange worm roughly equivalent to a Terran earthworm.