In a previous post someone mentioned that a thread about the Romulans might be interesting. So, I figured that I might give it the old college try. The only problem is that over the last few days I have been unable to think of a starting discussion, so I thought that I might let this grow organically by having anyone who is interested to post his thoughts. Be it about the TOS Romulans or TNG or the Rihannsu, whatever. And if it goes over like a lead balloon then I will have to regroup and try another approach at a later date.
Hmmm...the Romulans...one of the least explored major threats in Star Trek...if only they had been as developed as the Klingons or even the Dominion...sigh...
Well I am in favour of them being a mix of all the resources available from TOS, TNG, DS9, LUG, FASA, and the Star Trek novels...
I thinkall have good ideas but the complete picture needs to be a mix of the lot.
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Aslan Collas
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Star Trek:Strange New Worlds;
http://www.geocities.com/aslan_collas/
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Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #76: Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.
Okay y'all, remember my promise to be long winded on this subject. Well, here goes...
While exploring this very website, I followed the link to the Vulcan Language Institute. It is distinctly interesting website, though it does suffer from the classic Star Trek fatal flaw of Taking Itself Way Too Seriously.
Anyway, I had always wanted to use some Romulan Language terms for some of the LUG Trek Romulan material, but, of course, very little LUG Trek Romulan language exists. Well, it seemed like a match made in Vorta Vor, so I began looking up Golic Vulcan words on the VLI page, and then "Romulanizing" them.
After thinking about it a little bit, I decided to put my Romulan words through about half a sound shift. The vowels tend to broaden a bit, "i" becoming "e", "e" becoming "a" and so on. Consonents tend to become more fricative or to aspirate, "k" becoming "kh", "b" becoming "v", "v" becoming "vh" or "w", and so forth.
It also tends to follow Aed Rua's special rule: if it sounds cool, ignore the rules!
The result is a swift, fierce sounding language which relates to Golic Vulcan much as Afrikaans relates to modern Dutch. It is a direct, frontier speech, with a few archaic elements preserved also.
I liked it so much, that I started translating a few terms already found in "The Way of D'era" into it also. My only excuse for doing this was for fun, and my justification is Narrator's privilege....
As promised, here is my Romulan lexicon. I want to very clear that none of this is a criticism in any way of the terms in "The Way of D'era". It is just a matter of my creativity working overtime, that's all:
Vatakhsu(lar)......"Romulan(s)", literally means "traditionalists", from Vulcan
ba-tak'su.
Avokhaya t'yallar t'Vatakhsu......"Romulan Star Empire",literally "rule/power/authority over the stars of the traditionalists".
Rom'lashan.......Romulus, translates as "Good Arrival".
Shakhai........Remus, translates as "brother".
To-D'era......"The Way of D'era"
Govham........"Duty", a virtue I figure the Romulans had to have.
Vhonnash......"Loyalty"
Yahtash......."Truth, allegiance"
Nahr........."Discipline"
Larah'ash....."Hardness, fortitude"
Dor..........."Honor, face"
Khaya........."Power, authority, rule, sovereignty", a central concept in Romulan culture.
Vhankhallar........."Ceremonies, rituals", in place of Praxani.
Ahwtor.............."Naming", in place of Nimaz.
Khashan............"Initiation", in place of Pylanzi, and taken from Vulcan Kahs-wan.
Ahkhsutor.........."Warriorship", in place of Serona.
Khonot-sholek........"Betrothal", it just figures that the Romulans would keep an old custom like arranged marriages.
Khonol............."Marriage", in place of So'rdaz, from Vulcan Kun-ul.
Wehro-telkho........."Funeral, wake", in place of Charrozah.
I really should give credit where it is due. The deities were all created by the people who wrote "Way of Kolinahr". The language is modified from Traditional Golic Vulcan, as found on the Vulcan Language Institute website.
All I did was take other people's ideas and run with them.
This has nothing to do with the thread, but I just have to ask what does Aedh Rua and Slan Agat mean? Obviously, from one of your previous posts, it is Irish but what is the significance?
Aedh Rua is pronounced AY-uh ROO-uh, and means something like "Red Fire". Slan agat means "good health at you", and is the traditional way of saying "bye".
Outstanding! Really like what you have done. One question, where did you get the names for the dieities ie.Alep-Tel, of course I am assuming they are dieties never heard of them before if they are not what are they? I would like to know it sounds interesting.
Figured I'd add my voice to the others. Very nice work. I like the sounds of the words. It'll help a lot if my technically romulan character in a friends game ever meets his people.
Tal Shiar...............We all know what that is. I had to create my own meaning though. The VLI glossary lists Tal Shaya as coming from Talu-shaya, "Neck Breaking". Well this just won't do as a name for the secret police. I made up Tal as meaning roughly "Perfect, flawless". Tal Shaya therefore means "Perfect Breaking". "Shiar" is not related to "Shaya", but rather to "Shar", "security" in Vulcan, which means that Tal Shiar means something like "Perfect security".
Yon..........Fire
Khavh........Blood
Vo...........Me/I
Do...........You
Isha.........He/him
Ikho.........She/her
Ifah.........It
Atakh........We
Dolar........Y'all
Au...........They/them
Yon t'khavh t'vo........."Fire of my blood", a Romulan endearment
Khlen'gansu...........Klingons, I know that one was hard!
T'khase'su...........Vulcans, from T'khasi, another name for the planet Vulcan. I assume that Ti-Vulkain, the LUG name is the current name for Vulcan, and that T'khasi is simply another old name, like Terra for Earth.
The Romulans
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