Glossary

 

The following is a glossary of the Faen words and phrases found in Hard as Stone, Gale Force, Deep Plunge, Firestorm, Blowing Smoke, Mantled in Mist, Undertow, Stone Cold and Back Door into Purgatory. The reader should be advised that, as in the Celtic languages descended from it, spelling in Faen is as highly eccentric as the one doing the spelling.

(A few quick pronunciation rules – bearing in mind that most Fae detest rules—single vowels are generally ‘pure’, as in ah, ey, ee, oh, oo for a, e, i, o, u. An accent over a vowel means that vowel is held a little longer than its unaccented cousins. “ao” is generally “ee,” but otherwise diphthongs are pretty much what you’d expect. Consonants are a pain. “ch” is hard, as in the modern Scottish “loch.” “S,” if preceded by “i” or “a,” is usually “sh.” “F” is usually silent, unless it’s the first letter in a word, and if the word starts with “fh,” then the “f” and the “h” are both silent. “Th” is likewise usually silent, as is “dh,” although if “dh” is at the beginning of a word, it tries to choke on itself and ends up sounding something like a “strangled” French “r.” Oh, and “mh” is “v,” “bh” is “w,” “c” is always hard, and don’t forget to roll your “r”s!)

 

a’bhei’lár lit. “to be the center”; an extremely charismatic person

ach but

adhmacomh wood-bodied. An insult.

adhmam admit, confess

a’gár’doltas vendetta (lit. “smiling-murder”)

agean ocean

agla fear(n.)

agór wrongness, dislocation

állacht beautiful. Can be used to describe persons of any gender.

m’állacht my beauty. Fiachra’s pillow-name for Peri.

amad’n fool, idiot

amaic away; away from

anam soul

m’anam my soul. Fae endearment.

n’anamacha their souls

aon-arc unicorn

asiomú ‘reversal-vengeance’. The act of making oneself crave whatever is being done to one as a punishment, thereby turning one’s punisher into one’s procurer.

asling dream

át spot

át mil (pl. átenna milis) sweet spot

atráth postponement. As close as Faen gets to a word for ‘truce.’

batagar arrow

beag little, slight

bi’scaol’e “be unbound” (v. imp, antiquated)

blas taste (v. imp.)

bod penis (vulgar)

bod-snadhm dick-knot. An unpleasant situation.

bodlag limp dick (much greater insult than a human might suppose)

bragan toy

breathea judge

briste broken

buchal alann beautiful boy

cac excrement

ca’ain when

ca’fuil where

cairtas-óntais surprising/unexpected/improvised justice. In a word, revenge, Fae style.

callte hidden

caomhnór guardian

carn pile

ceangal (1) chains

ceangal (2) Royal soul-bonding ceremony in the Realm (common alt. spelling ceangail)

cein fa? Why?

céle general way of referring to two people

le céle together (alt. form le chéle)

a céle one another, each other

chara friend

cheanglá (masc. form ceangell) beloved one, consort. From the alternate Fae timeline.

cho’halan so beautiful

chort-gruag “bark-hair”. Derogatory way of referring to a dark-haired Fae

Clo’che living Stone

cnasaigh heal (v. imp.)

coladh sleep

comart’ symbol

comhrac-scátha mirror-foe; a magickal duplicate of the bearer whose only purpose is to fight to death or dismissal

cónai live

coromór equalizer

co’salach lit. “dirty feet.” Implies feet growing in the dirt, like tree roots.

crangaol tree-kin

crann tree

a’chrann a tree

craobód twig-dick. Insult, occasionally lethal.

crocnath completion

m’crocnath my completion. One of Cuinn’s pillow-names for Rian

croí heart

Croí na Dóthan Heart of Flame, the signet of the Royal house of the Demesne of Fire

Cruan’ba The Drowner. Name given to the Marfach by the Fae of the Demesne of Water.

Cu droc! Bad dog!

cugat to you

cúna aid, assistance

cúpál-macnas mate-lust

dalle blindness; verbal component of an Air mage’s blinding channeling

danamhris Lit. “to be done unto.” One of the darkest words as’Faein for torture.

daoir 1. beloved; 2. expensive

d’aos’Faen Old Faen, the old form of the Fae language. Currently survives only in written form, with a very few exceptions.

dara-láiv lit. “second-hand”. Euphemism for masturbation.

dar’cion brilliantly colored. Conall’s pillow-name for Josh.

dearmad forgotten

deich ten

deich meloi ten thousand

derea end

desúcan fix, repair

dhábh-archann lit. “two-become-one.” Rare Fae euphemism for sex.

dhó-súil fire-eyes. One of Cuinn’s pillow-names for Rian.

dóchais hope (n.) (alt. spelling dócas)

dolmain hollow hill, a place of refuge

domhnacht depths

Domhnacht Rúnda the Secret Depths, Rhoann’s refuge in the Realm

doran stranger, exile

d’orant impossible. Josh’s pillow-name for Conall.

draoctagh magick

m’dhraoctagh my magick. Rhoann’s pillow name for Mac.

Spiraod n’Draoctagh Spirit of Magick. Ancient Fae oath. Or expletive. Sometimes both.

draoi teacher

dre’fiur beloved sister

dre’thair beloved brother

dre’thair dtuismiorí beloved brother of my parents (beloved to the speaker, in this instance, not necessarily to the parents)

dubh black, dark

dúrt me I said

dúsi Wake up (imp.)

ecáil will see

a’ecáil I will see

eiscréid shit

Elirei Prince Royal

fada long (can reference time or distance)

Faen the Fae language. Laurm Faen – I speak Fae

as’Faein in the Fae language. Laur lom as’Faein – I speak in the Fae language.

Fai’mhal feral Fae, also called Wyld-Fae. Legendary Fae who supposedly survived the Sundering without being sheltered and changed by the Loremasters.

fan wait (imp.)

fánadh wanderer

farthor sentry

fedair a may/must/can be (comp. v.) Almost impossible to translate accurately; it can mean that a thing is permitted, required, or possible, depending on context.

féin-dúltú self-denial

feol’marh dead meat

fiáin wild

fiánn living magick

fiánn sachant! magick forbid (it)!

fior true

fiur-mhac nephew (lit. “sister’s son”; see thair-mhac)

flua wet

fola wounded, injured

folabodan Fae sex toy. Derived from fola, injured, and bod, penis

fola’magairl bloody testicles. A common epithet.

folath bleed

folathóin bloody asses. Anyone sensing a pattern here gets a gold star.

fonn keen, sharp

fracun whore, Comes from an ancient Fae word meaning “use-value”–in other words, a person whose value is measured solely by what others can get from him or her.

ful-claov blood-sword; a magickal weapon usually formed from the channeler’s own blood

gallaim I promise

galtanas promise (n., archaic)

gan general negative – no, not, without, less

gan derea without end, eternal

gaoirn wolves

gastiór binder, The One Who Binds

g’demin true, real

g’deo forever

geal bright, brilliant

cho’geal as bright

geal’le’mac almost-son, as dear as a son

g’féalaidh may you (pl.) live (see phrases)

g’fua hate (v.)

glanadorh cleanser, The One Who Cleanses

g’mall slowly

grafain wild love, wild one. Lochlann’s pillow name for Garrett.

gran sun

an’ghran the sun

grasán a master-hunter’s net, truesilver with a binding channeling woven in

halan beautiful

haricín hurricane; a form, or style, of Fae swordplay

iasc fish (n.)

iasc’in little fish. Rhoann’s mother’s pet name for him.

impi I beg

inní-cnotálte lit. “knitted-guts.” An intestinal disturbance brought on by nerves.

laba bed

as a’laba! (Get) off the bed!

lae day

laghda debasement, groveling

lámagh hot (v., p.t.)

lán’ghrásta graceful, implying flight.

lanan lover. Tiernan’s pillow name for Kevin, and vice versa

lanh son

laoc warrior

laród-scatha mirror-trap. Essentially a magickal ball with no exterior, only a mirrored interior. And the sweet revenge of all of us who failed solid geometry in high school.

lasihoir healer

Lath-Ríoga Half-Royal. A name for Rhoann.

laurha spoken (see phrases)

related words – laurm, I speak; laur lom, I am speaking, I speak (in) a language

lobadh decayed, rotten

lofa rotten

mac son, son of

mac’fracun son of a whore

macánta honesty

machtar desperation; root word of macánta

madra dog

magarl testicles (alt. spelling magairl)

ma’nach mine

Marfach, the the Slow Death. Deadliest foe of the Fae race.

marh dead

martola beef

marú kill

Mastragna Master of Wisdom. Ancient Fae title for the Loremasters.

milat feel, sense

minn oath

mo mhinn my oath

misnach courage

nach general negative; not, never

nachangalte unbound

nartú strength

né not, is not

ngarradh sundered, The Sundered

nidantór unmaker, The Unmaker

n-oí night

‘nois now

ollúnta solemn

onfatath infected

orm at me

osclór opener, The One Who Opens

pian pain

pracháin crows

prasach’te hot mess. Means almost exactly the same thing to a Fae as it does to a human.

rachtanai addicted (specifically, to sexual teasing)

réaltaí star (pl. réaltaí)

Ridiabhal lit. “king of the devils”, Satan. A borrowed word, as Fae have neither gods nor devils.

rílacha (it) rules

rinc dance

rin’gcatha gríobhan “labyrinthine dance.” A euphemism for Fae sexuality

rinc-daonna “human dance”, a game of teasing and sexually overloading humans

Rinc’faring the Great Dance, an annual gathering of hundreds of Fae light-dancers

rinc’marh “dance of death,” a blade-master’s footwork

rinc’lú little dance

rochar harm (n.)

rúnda secret

sallacht extremely stubborn

saor free

sasann we stand

savac-dui black-headed hawk, Conall’s House-guardian

scair’anam SoulShare (pl. scair-anaim)

m’anam-sciar my SoulShare

scair’aine’e the act of SoulSharing

scair’ainm’en SoulShared (adj.)

scian knife

scian’a’schian blade to blade; a duel

scian-damsai knife-dances. An extremely lethal type of formalized combat.

scian-omprór blade-bearer

sciana-Clo’che knives of living Stone

scílim I think, I believe

scol-agna lit. “school of wisdom”, school for children with high magickal potential

selbh possession

sibh you (pl.)

síofra changeling

slántai health, tranquility

slántai a’váil “Peace go with you”. A mournful farewell.

snadhm knot

s’náthe strand, necklace

s’ocan peace, be at peace

soladán channel

sol’fiáin (v.) complete, make complete

spára spare

spára’se spare him

spiraod spirit

suait turbulent

súil eyes

sule-d’ainmi lit. “animal-eyes,” dark brown eyes

sule-speír lit. “sky-eyes,” blue eyes. Méalla’s pillow-name for Suan

sumiúl fascinating, beguiling. Lasair’s pillow-name for Bryce

sus up

s’vra lom I love (lit. “I have love on me”)

taobhan diversion, plaything. Term for a non-Royal Fae who occupies the bed of a Royal before the Royal is pair-bonded

ta’sair I’m free (exclam.)

tástimhór ‘great test;’ a cross between a vision quest and a final exam

tátha bound; verbal component of an Air mage’s binding channeling

téighras go home (v. imp.)

thair-mhac nephew (lit. “brother’s son”; see fiur-mhac)

thar come (imp.)

Thar amaic. Come away.

Thar lom. Come with me.

thogarm’sta answer (imp.)

Tiar’na’Slete lit. “Mountain Lords”; a mountain range usually in the far south of the Realm

tobar wellspring (archaic)

toghairm summoned, called

Tirr Brai Folk of Life, or Folk of Power. Living beings with magickal essence.

t’mé I’m

tón ass (not the long-eared animal)

tón-grabrog ass-crumb (of the clinging variety)

torq boar

tráll slave

tragód’mhan Fae dramatic form, relating in often lurid detail the consequences of lust unfortuitously expressed.

tre three

Tre… dó… h’on… Three…. two… one…

tréan-cú strong hound. Lasair’s nickname for Setanta, his blind runt Fade-hound puppy

tróhi fight (imp.)

trora the V of muscle over the hips of a Fae or human male. A noted aphrodisiac.

trych an unspecified eyeless creature

tseo this, this is (see phrases)

turran’agne mind-shock, the effect on a Fae of magickal overload

uisca water

uiscebai strong liquor found in the Realm, similar to whiskey

veissin knockout drug found in the Realm, causes headaches

viant desired one. A Fae endearment.

 

 

Useful phrases:

 

…tseo mo mhinn ollúnta. This is my solemn oath.

G’féalaidh sibh i do cónai fada le céle, gan a marú a céle. “May you live long together, and not kill one another.” A Fae blessing, sometimes bestowed upon those Fae foolhardy enough to undertake some form of exclusive relationship. Definite “uh huh, good luck with that” overtones.

bragan a lae “toy of the day.” The plaything of a highly distractable Fae.

Fai dara tú pian beag. Ach tú a sabail dom ó pian I bhad nís mo. You cause a slight pain. But you are the healing of more.

Cein fa buil tu ag’eachan’ orm ar-seo? Why do you look at me this way?

Dóchais laurha, dóchais briste. Hope spoken is hope broken.

Bod lofa dubh. Lit. “black rotted dick”. Not a polite phrase.

Scílim g’fua lom tú. I think I hate you.

S’vra lom tú. I love you.

Sus do thón. Up your ass.

D’súil do na pracháin, d’croí do na gaoirn, d’anam do n-oí gan derea. “Your eyes for the crows, your heart for the wolves, your soul for the eternal night.” There is only one stronger vow of enmity in the Fae language, and trust me, you don’t want to hear that one.

Lámagh tú an batagar; ‘se seo torq a’gur fola d’fach. “You shot the arrow; this wounded boar is yours.” The equivalent as’Faein of “You broke it; you buy it.” Often used in its shortened form, “Lámagh tú an batagar.” (or “Lámagh sádh an batagar” for “they shot”. It’s probably only a matter of time before some Fae in the human world, taking his cue from “NMP” for “not my problem,” comes up with “LTB.”

Tá dócas le scian inas fonn, nach milat g’matann an garta dí g’meidh tú folath. Fae proverb: Hope is a knife so keen, you don’t feel the cut until you bleed.

G’ra ma agadh. Thank you.

Tam g’fuil aon-arc desúcan an lanhuil damast I d’asal. G’mall. “May a unicorn repair your hemorrhoids. Slowly.” One can only imagine….

Magairl a’Ridiabhal. Satan’s balls.

Se an’agean flua, a’deir n’abhann. The ocean is wet, says the river. The pot calling the kettle black.

galtanas deich meloi “promise of ten thousand”. A promise given by a Fae, to give ten thousand of something to another, usually something that can only be given over time. Considered an extravagant, even irrational showing of devotion.

Támid faoi ceangal ag a’slabra ceant. We are bound by the same chains.

Né seo a’manach. This isn’t for me.

mo phan s’darr lear sa masa my favorite pain in the ass

Dúrt me lath mars’n I told you so

Bual g’mai, aris. Well met, again.

An’Faei a ngaill, ta’Fhaei an tráll. The Fae who needs, (that Fae) is a slave.

lasr, s’oc as fola Flame, frost and blood. A Fae oath, a little milder than the ones involving hearts and eyes and wolves and suchlike.

Do dalat-serbhisach. “Your saddle-servant.” The equivalent of “at your service”. Usually sarcastic.

Fan lel’om. Bh’uil tú ag’eistac lom? Stay with me. Do you hear me?

An-bfuil tuillt aige a’hartáil? Nó an-bfuil sé a’fracuin? Is he worth saving? Or does he only have use-worth?

Sé ar’chann de dúnn. He is one of us.

Ca’ atá tú a’rá? What are you saying?

Ní fed’r lom an’uscin lat. I can’t understand you.

Tá cúna saor in asc is’daoir. Free aid is the dearest.

A’buil gnas le lom ar-gúl. Fuck me backwards.

A’buil gnas le leat a’s a’madra dúsigh tu suas leis. Fuck you and the dog you woke up with.

Blas mo thón. Taste my ass.

Sasann muid le chéle. We stand together. Unofficial motto of the Demesne of Purgatory.

Tá’siad marh. They’re dead.

draoi ríoga royal wizard (actually Irish, rather than Faen, Rian’s title for his court mage)

Bei mé tú a’ecáil g’deo. I will see you forever.

Tá thú toghairm. Thou art summoned. (very formal)

Cac’iasc i’uisca suait. Fish-shit in turbulent water. An expression of frustration.

Tá tú cho’geal an ghran a crocta’s’náthe de réaltaí. As brilliant as the sun on a strand (necklace) of stars. Heavily sarcastic.

Bain trall ascomath chu’garradh a’chrann. As well try to un-cut a tree.

Cnasaigh croí le m’anam-scair. Heal (the one who is) the heart of my SoulShare.

Cadagh dom a tacht ar’shúl ó anseo le... Allow me to come away with...

Ta’bhar mé fhéin le... Take me with....

in loco scintillans braccis Latin. “In place of [the one with] twinkling trousers.”

Magairl snáthith ar’srang! Testicles threaded on a wire!

mac’fracun fola’the Bloody-assed son of a whore. And yes, Conall did kiss his mother with that mouth.

Gafa id’r cú-cémne a’s tine. Caught between (the) Fade-hound and (the) fire. An unenviable position.

Céd d’chacairt tabh i’r den chosa, a’s ná iarr orth sluasad a’fál ar isacht. Pull your shit-cart around back of the stable, and don’t (bother to) ask to borrow a shovel. A common Fae response when asked for a less than convenient favor.

Básagh gan’anma! Die nameless!

Slán abhaile, agus Dia a bheith in éineacht bheirt agaibh. Irish, rather than Faen; Go safely home, and God go with you both.

Gan cé g’vratheann m’croí. Not while my heart beats.

Ní fed’r le dhá rud a léiv: dilan bragan ’s’intinn di’cat. Two things may/must/can never be read: the diary of a courtesan and the mind of a cat. (The Faen compound verb fedair a is extremely ambiguous in this context; death sentences have been imposed—or commuted—depending on the particular shade of meaning applied.)

Slán’abhonn, slán’aslán, slán’abhal. Safe met, safe parted, safe home.