At The Edge Of Space (Hanan Rebellion) (77 page)

THE IDUVE LANGUAGE: differs from both kalliran and human speech to such a degree that translation cannot be made literally if it is to be understandable. Paraphrase is the best that can be done.

First, there is no clear distinction between the concepts of noun and verb, between solid and action. Reality consists instead of the situational combination of Tangibles and Ethicals; but an Ethical may be converted to a Tangible and vice versa. Most ideas are grammatically complete in two words: an Ethical is affixed to the Tangible. Meanings may be altered or augmented by Prefix, Infix, or Suffix upon either Ethical or Tangible. The nature of these added particles may be: Negative, Intensitive, Honorific, Hypothetical, Interrogative, Imperative, Directional, Futuritive or Historical, Relational or Descriptive.

Second: the language has only scant designation of gender. It is impossible to distinguish sex save by adding the male Honorific
-toj
or the female Honorific
-tak
to the word in question. Concepts which would seem to make gender distinction inevitable (man, woman, mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife) exist only as artificial constructs in the iduve language.

In the pronunciations given below, an asterisk (*) indicates a guttural sibilant produced by -kk or -kh-: a throat-sounded hiss resembling a soft
kh.

THE AMAUT LANGUAGE: similar to kalliran speech in structure, with many kalliran words appropriated into the language, and showing much tendency to imitate the elaborate politeness styles of the iduve. The alphabet is native, but literature as such dates from first contact with the iduve.

DAW Titles by
C.J. CHERRYH

THE FOREIGNER UNIVERSE

FOREIGNER
INVADER
INHERITOR

PRECURSOR
DEFENDER
EXPLORER

THE ALLIANCE-UNION UNIVERSE
DOWNBELOW STATION
MERCHANTER’S LUCK
FORTY THOUSAND IN GEHENNA
SERPENT’S REACH
BROTHERS OF EARTH
HUNTER OF WORLDS
THE FADED SUN Omnibus:
Kesrith
|
Shon’jir
|
Kutath

The Chanur Novels
THE CHANUR SAGA Omnibus:
The Pride Of Chanur
|
Chanur’s Venture
|
The Kif Strike Back
CHANUR’S HOMECOMING
CHANUR’S LEGACY

THE MORGAINE CYCLE
THE MORGAINE SAGA Omnibus:
Gate of Ivrel
|
Well of Shiuan
|
Fires of Azeroth
EXILE’S GATE

OTHER WORKS:
THE DREAMING TREE Omnibus:
The Tree of Swords and Jewels
|
The Dreamstone
ALTERNATE REALITIES Omnibus:
Port Eternity
|
Wave Without a Shore
|
Voyager in Night

ANGEL WITH THE SWORD
CUCKOO’S EGG

VISIBLE LIGHT
SUNFALL