Romulan language

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Dialects

Low Rihan (TOS novel: Dwellers in the Crucible)

High Rihan (also known as High Rihannsu) (TOS novel: Dwellers in the Crucible, ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Glossary

aefvadh: "Be welcome!" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

aehallh

A monster or ghost. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)
An illusory creature, cognate to "nightmare" in Terran tradition that "rides" the dreamer to its perdition.
The image or illusion that one being has of another, as opposed to the true nature of the person in question.

aehkhifv: "Eradication" (TTN novel: Taking Wing)

aehf: Possibly "backside". Admiral Valdore told Khazara once that he "needn't continue to kiss [his] aehf any more", but Khazara countered saying he would "kick it" instead. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

ael: "Winged" in Rihannsu. A proper Romulan name, fairly common on ch'Havran. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

afw'ein: "Reason", as in use of one's faculties, in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

aidoann: "Moon" in Rihannsu, rarely used as a proper name. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

aihai: "Plains" or "prairie" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

aihr: Noun prefix meaning "this is" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

Andorsu: Andorians. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Areinnye: Mythological location Rihannsu were said to be damned to. (see: Erebus or Hell) (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

arrenhe'hwiua: A Romulan name for their telecapture weapon. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

arrhe: "Worth in cash" in Rihannsu. Originally used in the derogatory for a servant who performed the duties of lower-rank slaves, it was later modified to be "a servant more worthy of higher position than those awarded it". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ath'rel'ithar: A phenomena that occurs on Romulus, translating from the Romulan language to mean "winds of frozen tears." This comes from the icy tundra fields from Brel'kar which come down from the polar ice caps over the treeless plains before impacting on the T'aresh Mountains. (Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of D'era: The Romulan Star Empire)

auethn: "Advise me" or "answer the query" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

au'e: "Oh, yes," in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

auroto: Romulan word for a living-dead monster, roughly translated as "zombie" or "ghost". (TOS novel: The Return)

avaihh lli vastam: Name of the Romulans' warp seven project. (ENT novels: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

ch'Rihanturn: Notation of time. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

D'caernu'mneani: "great eye of red" in ancient High Rihannsu. Romulans named this an annexed system, which contained Berengaria VII. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

daise: Prefix meaning "chief", "principal", "senior", "foremost" (etc.)" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

daisemi'in: "Chief among several" (choices or candidates) in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

dathe'anofv-sen: Honor Blade, a personal weapon. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

deihu: "elder" in Rihannsu; title held by a member of the Romulan Senate; regarded as an equivalent to the Terran "senator". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

deletham: "defender" (see: ChR Deletham, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

dierha: Notation of time. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Dray'laxu: Draylaxians. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: To Brave the Storm)

eisae: Notation of time, possibly hours or seconds. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Ejhoi Ormiin: A Romulan dissident movement. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

enarrain: "senior centurion" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

erein: "ante-centurion" or "sub-centurion" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

erei'riov: "subcommander" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

et'Khior: The name of a month, following K'ri'lior and preceding T'ke'Tas. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

etrehh: "machine" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

fvheisn: One Romulan day, taken from "Eisn", the sun around which orbits Romulus and Remus. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

fvillha: "praetor" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

galae: "fleet"; most specifically, "space fleet" in Rihannsu. This word originates from an enthusiastic adoption of massed airpower in Romulan history. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

haerh or haerht: "cargo hold" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hatham: "predator" (see: ChR Hatham, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

haud: "writing" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

haudet': "computer printout" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hevam: Humans. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

hfai, hfehan: "bond-servant", or one who is paid but cannot choose to change employers. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hfihar, hfihrnn: "noble family". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hna'h: an imperative suffix for such commands as "fire", "go", or "energize". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hnafirh: "see". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hnafiv: "hear". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hnhaudr: "data transfer" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

hnoiyika: A predatory Romulan animal. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way, ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

iaehh: translated to mean Intellivore. (TNG novel: Intellivore)

in'hhui'lasendt: "Millennia-extinct Apnex Sea leviathans whose glandular sections had served the First Rihannsu as a cheap source of power." (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

K'ri'lior: The name of a month, following Khuti and preceding et'Khior. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

kalabam: "tempest" (see: ChR Kalabam, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

khaidoa: Notation of time, possibly months. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

khre'rior: A vice admiral. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: To Brave the Storm)

khre'riov: "commander-general" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

Khuti: The name of a month, preceding K'ri'lior. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

kreldanni: a "colorful" intensifier for a pronoun. (Data: "Geordi, you are a kreldanni genius!") (ST novel: The Return)

'lai: Romulan term which was applied when speaking in a "rural dialect" to an elder female. While undercover on Romulus in 2379, Commander Tuvok used this term whilst conversing with an elderly woman in Ki Baratan. (TTN novel: Taking Wing) Most likely this term is a version of the word "llhei", which means "madam". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way) (TOS novel: Swordhunt)

'Latasam Stelai Rom'lnz: "Star Road of the People" (FASA RPG module: The Romulan Way: Game Operations Manual)

latrunculo: A board game. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

lhiet: (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

Llei'hmne: "Empress" (TOS novel: The Empty Chair)

lloann'mhrahel: literally, "them, from there." Usually used to refer to individuals from the Federation. (ST novel: A Singular Destiny)

llhusra: A curse word. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

ma'l arik: Modern street language term in Romulan that meant "murder". Romulan use of this can be traced in origin to the archaic Vulcan language term Manil Arek. (TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel: Epiphany)

mandukar: "vigilant" (see: ChR Mandukar, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

mat'drih: Notation of speed. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

mnha'lli: An attack formation. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

mnhei'sahe: The Romulan concept of honor. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

meminda: "talon". (TOS novels: The Romulan Way, Honor Blade)

nei'rrh: A venomous Romulan animal. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

neth… nah'lai: "either...or". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

nuhirrien: "look toward", a Romulan version of charisma. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

n'ventnar: "bared fang" (see: IRW N'ventnar, TNG novel: The Romulan Stratagem)

oal'lhlih: to announce the arrival of someone. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

oallea: A bug. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

oira: "battle-control" (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

qiuu: "everything". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ra'kholh: "avenger." (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ralaaram ocala: "sky-fire" (see: Ralaaram Ocala-class, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

regghai: "sir". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

rha or rh'e: "indeed". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

rh'iov: "commander" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Lost Years)

rihanh: "declared" in Rihannsu. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

roan: "accomplishment" in Rihannsu. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: To Brave the Storm)

rrh-thanai: the Romulan tradition of hostage fostering. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

saavik: Diminutive term for a feline lifeform, literally "little cat". Achernar recognized this translation of Saavik's name when he met her in 2281. (TOS novel: The Pandora Principle)

seikkea kllhe: a form of curse. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: To Brave the Storm)

siuren/siure: a Romulan minute (50.5 seconds). (TOS novel: The Romulan Way, ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing))

sseikea: a sort of Romulan animal akin to a Terran hyena. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ssuaf-ha: "I understand!" (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ssuej-d'ifv: "Do you understand?" (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

s'ten: "gallant" (see: S'ten)

s'ten vastam: "gallant wing" (see: S'ten Vastam-class, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

sthea'hwill: "I request..." (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

T'ke'Tas: The name of a month, preceded by et'Khior. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

ta krenn: "check it out". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ta'khoi: "Screen off." (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

ta'rhae: "Screen on." (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

talla: "duty" (see: ChR Talla, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

Tellarsu: Tellarites. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

th'ann: "prisoner". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

Thaessu: Vulcans. (ENT novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)

thieurrull: In Rihannsu, "Hellguard". (see: Thieurrull; TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

thrai or thraiin: a sort of Romulan predator. (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

tlhei: "my word" or "my command". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

tremar vastaram: "night flier" (see: Tremar Vastaram-class, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

talas mosarum: "wind carrier" (see: Talas Mosarum-class, FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)

urru: "go to..." (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

vaed'rae: "You will listen to me!" (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

vadi: Romulan language term that means "uncle". Savel used the term towards Taryn as a term of endearment. (TOS novel: Sarek)

vadia-lya: Romulan term that means "little niece". After seeing Savel seemingly disturbed, Taryn used the term for the first time after years. (TOS novel: Sarek)

vah-udt: "What rank?", as in "Just who do you think you are?" (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

vriha: "highest". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

yhfi-ss'ue: "travel tubes". (TOS novel: The Romulan Way)

Phrases

“Ihir ul hfihar rel ch’Rihan. Ihir ul Ortikant. Ihir dren v’talla’tor, plek Rihannsu r’talla’tor.”: "We are the noble clan of Romulus. We are the Ortikant. We meet to live, so that Romulans will live". (DS9 novel: Rough Beasts of Empire)

Background

The Romulan alphabet developed from an alphabet called Kzhad created in about 1988 by Monte Thrasher, a designer and illustrator in Los Angeles, who also designed the Romulan Star Empire insignia seen in TNG. Monte based Kzhad on the shapes of LED displays. ^{[citation needed]}

The Rihannsu Romulan language was created by Diane Duane for use in her novels.

Connection

Romulan nomenclature

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