The Official Tashokian-English Dictionary

A Comprehensive Guide to the Ancient Language of Tashokia

A Companion to "The Pipe" by David Kuziara

Introduction to Tashokian

Tashokian is an ancient language spoken by the people of Tashokia, a land rich in tradition and mystery. This dictionary serves as your guide to understanding this beautiful and complex language.

Pronunciation Guide

Tashokian is characterized by its flowing sounds and rhythmic structure. Most words end with "eh" or "ah" sounds, giving the language its distinctive musical quality.

The "zh" ending (pronounced like the Je in the French "Je Suis") indicates a plural form, though there are a small number of notable exceptions highlighted throughout this guide.

The sylables are fairly evenly balanced, with a slight push on the first sylable. Example Tovah is pronounced TOE-vah. Leneyeh is pronounced LEN-eh-yeh.

S's are proounced with a lisp on account of the Tashokian pointy teeth. So Sorleh (to drink) is almost pronounced "THOR-leh"

R's at the the begining of a word are slightly trilled. Rezh! pronounced "RRREH-zh!"

People and Relationships

Singular Plural English Notes
A Azhezh I/Me, We/Us
Aneh - She
Anoh - He
Azheh Azhezh Mine, Ours
Balteh Baltezh Brother, Brothers
Boboh - Bob (name) From English
- Dazhan They/Those Others Plural form (unusually doesn't have zh ending)
Kedeh Kedezh Son/Boy, Boys
Kemedeh Kemedezh Baby/Child, Children
Lanyoh - Loved one Can be a Tashokian name
Lonteh Lontezh Teacher, Teachers
Medeh Medezh Daughter/Girl, Girls
- Naleh All/Everyone Plural form (unusually doesn't have zh ending)
Nehnaleh - Nobody
Poh - Paul (name) From English
Selteh Seltezh Sister, Sisters
Shehreh - Sarah (name) From English
Tovah - King/Male ruler
- Tovazh King-Queen unit/Rulers
Toveh - Queen/Female ruler
Toveneh Toveneh Princess/Queens guards Can be plural or singular
Tovreleh Tovreleh Prince From Tovah (king) + releh (small). Can be plural or singular
Voleteh Volezh Family, Families
Zhen Zhezh You, You (all) Kazh'zhen would be a contraction of Kazho and Zhen – meaning Kazho and Zhenah as a single entity
Zhenzheh Zhenzhezh Yours, Yours (plural)
Zonteh Zontezh Friend, Friends

Common Verbs

Verb Negation Rules

All verbs except for 'stand' and 'sit' can be negated by replacing final 'eh' or 'ah' with 'nah'.

Example: Fereh (To do) negated is Fernah (To not do).

Past tense negation, use 'noh'. So Fernoh means 'Did not'.

Negation can also be done by putting 'Neh' at the beginning. Nehfareh (Don't), Nehferoh (Didn't). This is more common.

Putting 'nah' or 'noh' at the end is more formal "Do not/did not".

Putting 'Neh' at the start is more informal like the contracted "don't/didn't" in English.

For Stand and Sit, 'Bah' means 'stand' and 'Nehbah' means 'sit' (literally 'not stand').

Verb Plural Form

For verb plural (as in 'We see'), replace the final 'h' with 'zh'. So 'To see' is Vedeh, therefore 'We see' is Vedezh.

Present Past Future English Notes
Bah Badoh Vabadeh Stand, Stood, Will stand
Donteh Dontoh Vadonteh Find, Found, Will find
Dorteh Dortoh Vadorteh Sleep, Slept, Will sleep
Fereh Feroh Vafereh Make/Create/Do, Made/Created/Did, Will make/create/do
Hahzeh Hahzoh Vahahzeh Help, Helped, Will help
Hareh Haroh Vahareh Listen, Listened, Will listen
Karesh Karoh Vakaresh Run, Ran, Will run
Lemeh Lemoh Valemeh Must/Have-to, Had-to, Will have-to
Leneh Lenoh Valeneh Want, Wanted, Will want
Leneyeh Leneyoh Valeneyeh Eat/Consume, Ate, Will eat
Menteh Mentoh Vamenteh Feel, Felt, Will feel
Menseh Mensoh Vamenseh Know/Think/Understand, Knew/Thought/Understood, Will know
Nehbah Neboh Vanehbah Sit, Sat, Will sit
Paleh Paloh Vapaleh Speak/Talk, Spoke/Talked, Will speak
Ponteh Pontoh Vaponteh Answer, Answered, Will answer
Ren - - Come together (or meet up)
Reneh Renoh Vareneh Come, Came, Will come
Rezh Rezoh Varezh Let's Go/We go, Went, Will go
Shonteh Shontoh Vashonteh Walk, Walked, Will walk
Solzeh Solzoh Vasolzeh Ask, Asked, Will ask
Sorleh Sorloh Vasorleh Drink, Drank, Will drink
Tamvaleh Tamvaloh Vatamvaleh Stay, Stayed, Will stay From 'tam' (here)
Teneh Tenoh Vateneh Take, Took, Will take
Val Valoh - Are/Am/Be/Is/Will be, Was/Were Val also expresses Will be
Vedeh Vedoh Vavedeh See/Look, Saw/Looked, Will see/look
Zoneh Zonoh Vazoneh Give, Gave, Will give

Emotions and States

Form Adjective Form English Notes
- Dortih Tired Related to dorteh (sleep)
Lanyah - Love (verb)
Lanyeh Lanyih Love (noun), Lovely (beautiful) Related to lanyah (to love)
Netleh Netlih Sick, Sickly
- Nehzakih Sad/Unhappy/Dislike With negation
Nehvolzeh Nehvolzih Weak, Weakness
Trezeh Trezih Fear, Afraid
Vohteh Vohtih Anger, Angry
Volzeh Volzih Strong, Strength
Zakih - Happy/To like
Zakihda - Happy-that…/To like it that…
Zakneteh - Healthy From zakah (good) + neteh (health)
Zenteh - Calm
Zentezh - Peace (calms) As plural

Nature and Environment

Singular Plural English Notes
Bashen Bashezh Bull-like creature with large teeth Black fur with cobalt blue eyes
Beneh Benezh Water, Waters
Bentareh Bentarezh River, Rivers From beneh (water) + tareh (land)
Benzeleh Benzelezh Lake, Lakes From beneh (water) + releh (container)
Deteh Detezh Stone/Rock, Stones/Rocks
Detneh Detnezh Mountain, Mountains Related to deteh (stone)
Kateh Katezh Vegetable, Vegetables/Vegetation
Loreh Lorezh Grass (tall yellow), Grasses (tall yellow) The tall yellow grasses of East Tashokia
Meneh Menezh Grass (short green), Grasses (short green)
Tareh Tarezh Land/Earth/Ground, Lands
Tishen Tishezh A type of sabre-toothed tiger Beige in colour with cobalt blue eyes
Vihdah - Sky Related to vihdah (light)
Weleh - Air/Wind
Zehteh Zehtezh Seed, Seeds

Objects and Items

Singular Plural English Notes
Biyedeh - Beard From English
Domeh Domezh Home, Homes
Domteh Domtezh Tent, Tents Related to domeh (home)
Feneh - Door/Portal
Ferleh Ferlezh Tool, Tools From fereh (make)
Gitareh - Guitar Borrowed from English
Medzeh - Cloth/Clothing
Musikeh - Music From English
- Nahdazh Magic (darks)
Netreh Netrezh Food Related to neteh (eat)
Ropeh Ropezh Rope, Ropes
Tenleh Tenlezh Bag/Pouch, Bags/Pouches From teneh (take)
Trezleh Trezlezh Spear, Spears
Zhanseh Zhansezh Name/Called, Names
Zonleh Zonlezh Bowl, Bowls

Descriptors and Qualifiers

Form Negative Form English Notes
Benzeh Nehbenzeh Wet, Dry From beneh (water)
Da - This/That
Danereh Nehdanereh Something, Nothing
Denleh Nehdenleh Tall, Short Height
Denzeleh Nehdenzeleh Long, Short Length
Dteh - With
Dzhah - Yes
Leneteh - Hot
Na - The/Of/From/In
Nah - Negation of a verb By concatenation
Nahneteh - Cold
- Nehdazhan Alone/Only Literally: not others
Nereh - Thing
Releh - Small
Teh - And
Toh - Or
Va Vanah Will, Will not A prefix for future tense. Vamenseh = Will think
Valvareh Nehvalvareh Can-be/Maybe/Possibly/Possible, Impossible
Vareh Nehvareh Can/Able to, Can not/Unable
Vardah Nehvardah Correct/True, Incorrect/False
Veh - So (So much)
Veleh - Big/Large
Veldeh Nehveldeh Old, Young
Vetzeh Nehvetzeh Hard, Soft
Zakah Nehzakah Good, Bad
Zentazeh - New
Zenteh Nehzenteh Quick/Fast, Slow
Zhan - Centrality/The context/Target/Focal point/Desired thing
Zorlih Nehzorlih Warm, Cool

Colors

Tashokian English Notes
Vidahzeh Orange From vidah (sky)
Lorzeh Yellow From loreh (tall grass)
Menehzeh Green From meneh (grass)
Nahdazeh Black From nahdah (dark)
Benehzeh Blue From beneh (water)
Vihdazeh White From vihdah (light)
Benvidzeh Red from beneh (water) and vidah (sky) - the reflection of sky at dusk looks red on the lakes

Time and Direction

Form English Notes
Daleh Far
Dentareh North
Denteh Up
Denzen Later
Ktehleh There
Lortareh East From loreh (tall grass) + tareh (land)
Nahdah Night/Dark
Nahdah-vihdah Dark-light A time on the Tashokian calendar when the large moon makes its only appearance. It signifies hope to Tashokians as "a light in a dark place".
Nahtareh West From nahdah (dark) + tareh (land)
Nehdenteh Down Negation of up
Nentareh South
Neteh Right
Renvihdah Yesterday From renoh (came) + vihdah (day)
Tam Here/Near
Tamvihdah Today From tam (here) + vihdah (day)
Tamzeh Now From tam (here) applied to time
Var Soon/Will soon be
Vavihdah Tomorrow From va (will) + vihdah (day)
Vihdah Day/Light
Zenteh Left
Zu To/Towards/Bring/Brought

Numbers

Tashokian English
Neh Zero
Saleh One
Donleh Two
Benleh Three
Voleh Four
Zenleh Five
Netleh Six
Botleh Seven
Morleh Eight
Tohleh Nine
Saleneh Ten
Salenehsaleh Eleven
Salenehdonleh Twelve
Doneneh Twenty
Beneneh Thirty
Rehsaleh Many
Reh Again/And-yet/But/Once-more/Repeat/So…/Then…/Because/Hello
Relnah Few

Questions

Tashokian English Notes
Ktah Who
Kteh Where
Ktih Which
Neh What/Not/No/Wait/Stop/Zero Usually an expression of surprise. Neh?! Also used for negation or absence in front of a word – example: nehdazhan = no others (alone)
Nehmah Why
Nehlah When
Nehtah How

Example Phrases in Tashokian

A lanyah veh zhen

I love you so

Literally: I love so you

Kteh valnah zhen

Where are you

Literally: Where 'are not' you? (polite form)

Zhan zu tam, reh Kazh neh

My desire is brought near – yet not I (I cannot take/quite reach)

Expresses the frustration of not being able to take what is right in front of you. Here Kazh is a concatenation of Kazho (who in this case is speaking). In Tashokian you can use your own name in place of 'I'.