The Or'zet Codex

Information on the Orkish language, along with its words and phrases, which are distributed throughout Shadowrun and Earthdawn sourcebooks.

Grammar

The original, shorter words of or'zat have been replaced by the longer words of Throalic-influenced or'zet. Or'zat is characterized by mostly one- or two-syllable words, while or'zet has a more complex grammar and longer words. Or'zat was best suited to pronounciation from someone with tusks, but the pronounciation of or'zat changed so that ujnorts could better speak it, resulting in innumerable mistranslation and mispronounciations (Cara Fard instead of Cara Fahd, for example). The "f" sound, when pronounced with tusks and the deep ork vocal cords, places the top lip on the bottom teeth. Taking the example word 'Fahd' from before, the proper pronounciation sounds something closer to 'Faauud,' rolling the sound.

The translated orkish from Page's Or'zet Codex possesses the same pronounciation as or'zet, and again the pronounciation has been shifted back to something that can be properly pronounced with tusks.

Glossary
adj. = adjective
adv. = adverb
conj. = conjunction
( class=GramE>inf) = informal
(ins) = insulting
interj. = interjection
mod. = modifier
n. = noun
prep. = preposition
v. = verb

Dictionary

ah

conj.

Of. Usually omitted in favor of simply connecting the two words with an apostrophe.

bat

n.

Daughter. Usually seen as Bat', "daughters of-."

bot

n.

Son. Usually seen as Bot', "sons of-."

Blork

n.

The Passion Lochost. Also used in his honor as an expletive.

buunda

interj.

Expletive, often accompanied by an obscene gesture to show contempt for the recipient. "She gave us the buunda!"

Cara Fahd

n.

The Name of the ork kingdom, literally "Heroic Sacrifice."

cerri

n.

1. The training groups and small fighting units of the Thunderer's cavalry. Literally, "Battle Siblings." Or'zet has no seperate words to distinguish brother and sister.
2. Sixth World Slang: A chummer, especially an ork or troll gang member.

djoto

n.

1. The code of honor followed by the Metal Fist scorcher tribe. Literally, "The way of life."
2. Sixth World Slang: SINless, a life of crime.

dramar

n.

The new mate of an ork's mother or father, to whom a child shows respect and obedience, and from whom she can expect advice and guidance.

drundeah

n.

1. "Execution." A game in which the participants spear wild pigs or war hostages. Children play a tag-game version.
2. Sixth World Slang: To murder someone.

egrand

n.

1. Protector. Seen most commonly in the phrase Egrandu ah Cara Fahd, the official or'zat title for the Protectors of Cara Fahd and wielders of the Blades.
2. Sixth World Sland: Crime lord, gang boss.

egrand'rohodo

n.

Sixth World Slang: A pimp or a girlfriend's parents.

Emdachot

n.

The elite miliatry group of ancient Cara Fahd. Literally, "Steadfast."

ereth

n.

Home.

ereth'cerri

n.

Sixth World Slang: Ghetto or turf.

eunabo

n./adj.

1. Broken Fang ritual in which a horse chooses his cavalryman. Literally, "The choice of the herd."
2. Best pick of the lot. Sixth World Slang: Sexually desirable.

fahd

n.

Sacrifice. Sixth World Slang: A personal sacrifice for a chummer.

gahad

n.

Impulses on which an ork must actor suffer loss of concentration and physical discomfort. Refusing to follow gahad often leads to what is known as a " gahad hangover."

glok

n.

Runner. Sixth World Slang: Shadowrunner.

greeah

n.

Silent twitching to take the edge off of imminent gahad.

Greeb

n.

The Passion Jaspree.

Grenkaklank

n.

The Passion Chorrolis.

grumog-agu

n.

An unarmed wrestling match in imitation of the fighting of slaves.

grumoge

v.

1. To wrestle.
2. To fight. Sixth World Slang: A brawl. Usually screamed before punching someone's face or kicking him in the family jewels.

havuut

n.

Someone who clings to tradition for no reason. Literally, "Blind Man."

hez

n.

1. Fang.
2. Tusk. Sixth World Slang: An ork's courage, nerve and sexual prowess.

Hez'Blork

n.

An order of liberators who free slaves and spy for Cara Fahd's government. Literally, "Fangs of Lochost."

hua

n.

A relay race where the participants are tied together at the wrist and throw their partners over their shoulders.

hurlg

n.

1. Alcoholic beverage made from fermented rye mixed with animal fat. The type of fat used determines its quality, from low-grade cat fat to celebratory thundra fat.
2. Alcohol. Sixth World Slang: Booze.

Jrikjrik

n.

Tower.

Jrikjrikjrik

n.

The Passion Upandal

Kawjujwak

n.

The Passion Dis

kart

n.

Young boy.

karvusta

n.

The Cara Fahd government corps of spies. Literally, "Silent Eyes."

ken

n.

Young girl.

kukra

n.

A dance involving rapid and elaborate foot movements and a strong drumbeat.

lelkrarg

n.

The child of an ork's former mate or the child of a present mate by another ork.

lukro

n.

A fertility dance dedicated to Jaspree that involves a lot of touching and swaying movements.

magnun

n.

Volunteer. Plural is magnu.

Mahuta

n.

The Chosen of the Passions. Orks across Barsaive passed down the legend of the [b]Mahuta[/b] who would reappear among their race in the orks' greatest time of need. By the time Krathis Gron was born, few rememebered this legend.

Mera-a-a-arg

n.

The Passion Astendar. To pronounce properly, the "a" sound must be rolled like a purr in the back of the throat. Literally, "She Who Is He" or "He Who Is She."

Mikbruug

n.

The Passion Mynbruje.

Muvuul

n.

The Passion Garlen.

Namdroth

n.

A mysterious tribe/kaer/order of warriors who claim to live in the uncorrupted manner of old Cara Fahd. Literally, "strength preservers."

ni-basaal-cutcro

n.

The rite of passage into adulthood for members of Rejruk's Foxes. Literally, "Stealing passage from the Passions."

Nko-Gu

n.

Metal Fist.

norgoz

n.

Weapon. Sixth World Slang: Gun.

nroto

n.

Horror-stalker. Also an order of Horror-stalkers maintained by Krathis to guard against corruption.

or'zat

n.

Ancient ork language.

or'zet

n.

"Traveller's Orkish." The modern ork language influenced by Throalic.

Prakarool

n.

The Passion Floranuus.

quaalz

n.

1. Type of kidney bean, staple of the ork diet. Also used to indicate idiocy, as "Full of quaalz."
2. Idiocy, as in "full of quaalz." Sixth World Slang: The police.

Raggok

n.

The Mad Passion's name is an or'zet word.

rek

n.

School

rekart

n.

Metal Fist training for boys.

reken

n.

Metal Fist training for girls.

Rohodo

n.

1. Fertility festival involving lukro, drumming, and "private celebration."
2. Sex

rutra

n.

A martial sport developed from ork boxing. It includes kicks and can quickly become deadly.

shpita

n.

Gahad-baiting contests in which contestants taunt and slap each other to see who loses her temper first. Literally, "slaps."

skraa

interj.

Greeting shout.

skraacha

n.

"Scorcher," though it connotes living every day with passion, amazing deeds and extreme measures, uncompromising even in death.

tharon

adj.

Dead. Sixth World Slang: Corporate.

Tranko

n.

The Passion Thystonius.

turgma

(ins) n.

1. A deviant ork; one who engages in acts of slavery, fails to seek out grand deeds, engages in blood betrayal and so on.
2. Traitor. Sixth World Slang: Snitch.

turgan

n.

City ork.

tussdi

n.

A sport similar to lacrosse, jousting, and frenzied mob stomping.

ujnort

n.

Non-orks; literally, "They who do not understand."

uyataa

n.

An extremely hot green pepper. Means "Green Agony" in or'zat and "Scorned Woman" in or'zet.

vravraka

n.

The dream of a pregnant woman in which the unborn child specifies her own Naming ritual.

vrukart

n. Earthdawn: (ins) Shadowrun: (inf)

Boyfriend. Literally "Mate-boy."

vruken

n. Earthdawn: (ins) Shadowrun: (inf)

Girlfriend. Literally "Mate-girl."

vut

n. Shadowrun: (vul)

1. Dung. Used as an expletive.
2. Drek. Used as an expletive.

Wejoto

n.

1. The mine in the Tylon Mountains where Krathis Gron was born. Named by the Metal Fist, it means "Against the Way."
2. "Against the way." Sixth World Slang: An ork rights activist.

Wurchaz

n.

The fortress at Claw Ridge. Literally, "Claw Ridge."

Yelubo

n.

The Passion Vestrial.

yerz

n.

Money. Sixth World Slang: Someone's bribe or cut.

yerz'eth

n.

The fund from which any ork in Cara Fahd can request supplies. Literally, "Nest money."

zakhan

n.

An enemy.

History and Related Tongues

Or'zat was the original language of the ork nation of Cara Fahd that existed in the centuries before the Orichalcum Wars during the Age of Legend. After the fall of Cara Fahd, the ork nation split, some becoming nomadic raiders and others joining the cities of other races, such as the dwarven nation of Throal. So it was that during the Theran Occupation, as Throalic became the common tongue of Barsaive, or'zat became influenced by the dwarves and became or'zet, the common tongue of orks throughout Barsaive.

In 2057, Robert Page received as a bequest from Dunkelzahn an ancient tome with metal pages, on which was written two languages: one Sperethiel, the other presumably the ancient tongue of the orks. Together with a crack team of linguistic experts and fluent readers of Sperethiel, Page completed a basic dictionary and grammar of the ork language, which was termed the Or'zet Codex. Young orks immediately clamped on to the language and began twisting it with slang, street terms, and rap. Robert Page and the Codex dissapeared around the time Saito raided the research project and burned all the work he could find.

The origins of or'zat are unclear, but Sixth World or'zet possesses some words similar to Sperethiel-either loan words from the translation or the influence of Throalic, or hold-overs from some precursor language to both or'zat and Sperethiel.

The only other known ork language is a dialect called Gruthrump, spoken by an odd Vasgothian ork variant of the same name, derogatively known as "toads."

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