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JRRT

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  1. JRRT

    CHIKTCHIKTCHIKT

    By JRRT,

    [it must be cleaned]
     
    The Bohrok have remained shrouded in mystery since the earliest stages of Matoran history, their origin and purpose the subject of much superstition. The first Bohrok nests were discovered by Onu-Matoran mining beneath the city of Metru Nui in the period shortly after the Coming of Mata Nui . The nests were already quite ancient and were at first assumed to be the tombs of the original founders of the City of Legends (It would be another hundred thousand years before this initial hypothesis was shown to be much closer to the truth than anyone suspected).
     
    During the initial phases of exploration, the nests were mapped extensively and a wealth of archaeological information was recovered, including the distinctions between the six Bohrok-types and various revealing inscriptions, such as the original engraving b-h-r-k (reconstructed variously as as bo-ha-ro-k or ba-ha-ro-k "unit of system-normality of life/balance", construed by historical linguists as "life-cleansing unit" or "unit of restoring balance”.
     
    Investigation of the nests continued for several centuries, until the discovery of even deeper vaults containing what appeared to be purely organic protodermic organisms, all held in stasis. The revelation that organic protodermic life could exist independent of a mechanical component changed the Matoran understanding of biology significantly, and the similarity that the organisms bore to Kanohi masks generated questions about the origins of these creatures, especially in light of the inscriptions which labelled the stasis chambers: k-r-n-h, reconstructed as ka-r-no-hu "hidden/internal application of power", construed as "internal controller; brain" (later kranohu > kranau > krana), paralleling the oldest inscribed forms of the word kanohi itself, (k-n-h).
     
    Researchers managed to successfully exhume many of the Bohrok-units from their pods, and they made similar progress with freeing Krana from stasis. Unfortunately, in the ensuing period of experimentation, a series of incidents occurred which eventually led to the nests being declared off-limits and sealed by the authorities of Metru Nui. Among these incidents were several occasions where artificially-powered Bohrok were united with Krana and responded with violent and erratic behavior, some reacting by flinging their Krana at nearby researchers. In two cases, the Bohrok managed to dislodge a researcher’s Kanohi and replace it with a Krana. In these instances, before the Krana could be removed, the victims became completely unresponsive and instead began to compulsively repeat a distinctive set of phrases: "ta-hya. Hya-ta." The phrases were clearly archaic, but could be translated as "clean (the) essence (of smthg.)" (ta hya) and "make (it) clean" (hya-ta).
     
    Afterward, the victims suffered debilitating psychological effects and obsessive behavior, many times carving the phrase ta-hya hya-ta into walls and surfaces. It was for these and other reasons that active experimentation on Bohrok and Krana was shut down and the nests were sealed off. Nevertheless, some researchers persisted. Most notably, a Ce-Matoran linguist named Roaku became interested in studying the vocal systems of the Bohrok-specimens that had since been transferred to the Onu-Metru Archives. Roaku noted that, when active, Bohrok made a particular repetitive utterance, which was originally thought to be simply a meaningless mechanical reflex (transcribed as chikt or chkt in the literature).
     
    She hypothesized, however, that this utterance might in fact bear meaning and also that there might be a connection between this repetitive Bohrok-utterance and the utterances made by Matoran under the influence of Krana. After extensive study of Bohrok anatomy, she concluded that the Bohrok vocal tract reflected a design similar to that of the Matoran, but with a much smaller articulatory range.
     
    Roaku then performed a series of experiments: She meticulously replicated Bohrok vocal organs and fed streams of recorded Matoran speech through the fabricated system. Results were inconclusive initially, until Roaku finally perfected the design. The culminating experiment occurred when Roaku fed the original utterance made by Krana-controlled Matoran – ta-hya hya-ta – through the system. The result astounded her: The translation through the Bohrok vocal-tract had the effect of applying a series of phonological reduction-rules whereby the input speech was heavily (but systematically) modified and truncated. The input and output speech is represented informally as follows:
     
    Input: ta-hya hya-ta
    Reduction: tahyahyata > tǝhyǝhyǝt > tǝkshǝkshǝt > t'kshǝksh't > tshǝkt
    Output: chikt, chkt
     
    Roaku formalized the following set of rules to describe the phonological reduction from Matoran to Bohrok:
     
    Original Matoran: ta-hya hya-ta
    Phonetic transcription: [ta.hya.hya.ta]*
    Rule 1: Vowel reduction of [a] > [ǝ] and final vowel deletion: [ta.hya.hya.ta] > [tǝ.hyǝ.hyǝt]
    Rule 2: Frication/phonetic reinforcement of [hy] to [kS]**: [tǝ.hyǝ.hyǝt] > [tǝ.kSǝ.kSǝt]
    Rule 3: Deletion of unstressed vowels: [tǝ.'kSǝ.kSǝt] > [tkSǝkSt]
    Rule 4a: Reduction of [kS] to after [t]: [tkSǝkSt] > [tSǝkSt]
    Rule 4b: Reduction of [kS] to [k] before [t]: [tSǝkSt] > [tSǝkt]
    Spelling: [tS] = <ch>, [ǝ] = <i>
    Final form: chikt, ch'kt/chkt
     
    *[y] here signifies the equivalent of [j], i.e. a palatal glide or approximant in human articulatory terms.
    ** signifies the equivalent of a palatal fricative in human articulatory terms, while [tS] is the equivalent of an alveopalatal affricate.
     
    Roaku brought her results before the leading council of Metru Nui: the Bohrok were somehow connected to the Matoran, not only anatomically, but also in that the Krana which served as the minds of the Bohrok were clearly imbued with some communicative ability, in particular an ancient form of the Matoran Language which was conveyed (though imperfectly) through Bohrok vocalizations.
     
    She implored the council to lift the ban on further archaeological research, arguing that the Bohrok might shed light on areas of Matoran history that had long been forgotten, including the origins of Matoran prior to the Coming of Mata Nui. Sadly, the council rejected Roaku's request, and much of her work was deemed classified.
     
    However, one quote remains from Roaku’s initial public appeal to the council, in which she condemned plans that had been put forward by others to destroy or otherwise interfere with the Bohrok nests. After denouncing these intentions as immoral, she concluded her speech with the following phrase:
     
    Ai ro'o-pa . . . no o akai zakihukya-su-rhu ki o akai urhaya!
     
    Translated: “They are our brothers (ro’o, lit. ‘our comrades/sisters/brothers’) . . . and we dare not oppose them! (akai urhaya (> Modern raya), lit. ‘cause them system-abnormality’)”
     
    Although her primary appeal to the council was rejected, Roaku’s initial condemnation of any destructive interference with the Bohrok was instrumental in the council’s decision to reject such plans. Instead, the nests were simply sealed off to the public, and information about them was restricted.
     
    Little did Roaku know that her words would echo the sentiments expressed by the Bahrag Queens themselves nearly 70 millenia later in their initial battle with the Toa Mata (as recounted by Toa Gali):
     
    Bahrag: Ou akai zakihukya-nu ki ou ro'ou urhaya!
     
    Translated:
     

    “You dared to oppose your brothers!”


  2. JRRT

    ya for verbs

    By JRRT,

    [and tumblr too]
     
    This post, we're taking a brief detour from other projects to talk about something slightly more mundane: Is there something in the Matoran Language that marks verbs as verbs and distinguishes them from non-verbs? I would like to propose that there is at least one verb-marker expressed as a suffix (or "derivative particle") -ya.
     
    What's the evidence? Admittedly, there is only one canon piece of evidence, since we have only one confirmed verb in Matoran: zya "to attack". This verb occurs in the phrase Manas zya! "Attack the monster!" The verb is technically in the imperative (command) form, and so one might argue that it is a special form and shouldn’t be representative of what verbs in Matoran look like overall. However, making use of some insights from human language, this argument may be countered:
     
    Imperative verb-forms frequently represent the basic, unmodified state of verbal-morphology (witness English "Go!" same as present tense "They go" and infinitival "to go"). It stands to reason that the Matoran Language could follow the same pattern for purely functional reasons (e.g. commands must be transmitted quickly and efficiently). For this reason, I will assume that zya does in fact reflect the basic form of the Matoran verb.
     
    Back to the proposal: How can we apply the postulated verb-marker -ya elsewhere? Does it provide us with any insights? Enter voya:
     
    voya "journey" (cf. Voya Nui "Great Journey")
     
    This word is presented as a noun; however, it isn't unreasonable to allow the possibility that voya could be a deverbal noun derived from an older verb vo-ya. This is indeed what I propose, as exemplified by the following entries from the Matoran Dictionary:
     
    vo-ya |v.| to conduct energy, flow (along); to journey [From vo “elemental lightning” and the verb-marker -ya]
    voya-nui |n.| great journey [From voya “journey, current” (nominalized from the verbal complex vo-ya) and nui “great, significant”]
     
    So, the application of -ya in this case has provided us with some interesting insights into the history of voya (notice the fortuitous incorporation of the elemental stem vo "elemental lightning/electricity"). Where else can we go with this? For the purposes of this post, I will simply list several sets of words that might provide further support for the -ya proposal, with comments:
     
    amaya (a Ga-Matoran)
    maglya (a Ta-Matoran)
    zemya (an Onu-Matoran)
     
    Based on the proposal, all of these words could also be analyzed as verbs (or deverbal nouns derived from older verbs). Check out their respective dictionary entries for some possible etymologies.
     
    The words in the next set do not directly exhibit -ya, but could potentially contain a spelling variant -ia (once again, see corresponding dictionary entries for proposals):
     
    pelagia (a Ga-Matoran)
    zaria (a Toa of Iron)
    xia (a placename for the island inhabited by the Vortixx species)
    daxia (a placename for the island where the Order of Mata Nui has its primary base)
     
    The words in this final set all contain ia word-internally (either in stressed or unstressed position), but because of other factors the possibility that this is an example of -ya is even more remote. Hopefully they are helpful as reference:
     
    radiak (a Shadow Matoran, formerly Av-Matoran)
    spiriah (a Makuta)
    varian (a Toa of Psionics)
    chiara (a Toa of Lightning)
    niazesk (an swarming insect-Rahi)
    piatra (a Po-Matoran)
     
  3. JRRT

    Mask Maker

    By JRRT,

    As a final act in 2016, I've posted an epic entitled Mask Maker. It's a final take on the Bionicle G1 storyline that has been taking shape for a few years now. Here's the main topic and the review topic if you're interested in reading and/or commenting. It'll also be on my tumblr blog. See ya '16.
     
    Updates:
     
    CH 1 Labor
    CH 2 Deadline
    CH 3 Last
    CH 4 Embrace
    CH 5 All Wrong
    CH 6 Ages
    CH 7 Invert
    CH 8 No
    CH 9 Door
    CH 10 Goodbye
    CH 11 Mask Maker (Final)
  4. JRRT

    Survivors of the Red Star

    By JRRT,

    A while back (almost a year, actually) I posted a series of Bionicle short-fiction snippets over on this blog. Each post was an entry into a larger story, which was intended as an expansion of the Bionicle G1 storyline related to the nature of the Red Star (specifically, what if the Red Star fell out of orbit? Who might survive, and what would they do?)
     
    I got through five posts (and a sixth was in the works) before burning out, as happens, and they never generated much interest, so I let it rest. Lately though, I’ve been feeling nostalgic, so I thought I’d give it another plug.
    Here are links to each post, in order:

    1. When the Red World fell at last, there were few survivors…
    2. We continued our journey away from the great wreck the next day.
    3. How Yi Resolved to Reach the Sky
    4. Muru continued with his tale:
    5. How Yi Struggled Against the Red Below and the Dark Above
     
    JRRT
  5. JRRT

    Nameless Masks

    By JRRT,

    What do you know: looks like I’m still on a Matoran Language streak these days, despite another interstate relocation (back to my natural habitat in the dry-bare-sandy southwest US...it’s good to be home). This time though, I’m taking a break from those pretentious Lessons in order to play around with a tangent on nameless Kanohi masks, i.e. official (and some unofficial) Kanohi masks that never received official (or unofficial) Matoran names. With a universe as sprawling as that of Bionicle, you can be sure that there are quite a few. Here are some musings on what some of those masks might have been called if they had only been important enough:
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Vaamaku, n.cmpd. “Mask of Psychometry; allows the wearer to see the history of an object/place through physical contact” [variant vāmaku]
     

    Etymology:


     
    vā, stm. “time (absract)”
    -amu, p. “through, during (transitional-instrumental particle)”
    aku, n. “sight”
     
    The element vā-amu translates straightforwardly to “through/across time”, with the application of the transitional-instrumental particle (see Lesson 8, section IIf.). This is combined with aku “sight” to yield the historical compound vā-amu-aku “through/across-time sight”, modern form vaamaku.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Amana, n.cmpd. “Mask of Healing; allows the wearer to heal visible/known physical injuries” [variant form mana]
     

    Etymology:


     
    amana, n. “(re)forming, (re)making; healing”
     
    The element amana is of uncertain etymology. It is almost certainly related to (or even directly derived from) the ancient stem ma(t), denoting “control, mastery, use, etc.”, with a variant meaning of “form, shape, create”. See dictionary entries <mat> and <manta>.
     
    One possible solution involves an etymology patterned after the name Mata (lit. All-Master: cf. Mata Nui “the Great Spirit”), which derives from the ancient stem mat combined with a (generally intensive) particle ā. Application of such a particle to a hypothetical stem ?man could yield a form ?man-ā, with displacement of the particle (“variable placement”*) resulting in a further form a-man-a, dividing the particle ā (literally aa) into two units: a and a. This would be in accord with the variant form mana (see variant form above) and with the attested dialectal variants of the Mata-name, namely Amata, as well as with the obscure title Amana Nui, which, in Matoran cosmology, may in fact be a further pseudonym for Mata Nui himself, with a meaning roughly analogous to “Great Healer”, “Great (Re)Former”, or (post-Bara Magna) “Great Melder”.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Onweku, n.cmpd. “Mask of Intangibility; allows the wearer to become intangible (non-solid)”
     

    Etymology:


     
    onwe, adj. “solid, stable”
    -ku, p. “non-, un- (negative particle)”
     
    The element onwe derives from the metaphoric meaning of the elemental stem onu “earth”, with application of the (relatively rare) adjectival particle -ee (onu-ee > onwe). This is combined with the general negative particle ku, yielding the compound onwe-ku “non-solid; intangible”.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Isima, n.cmpd. “Mask of Possibilities; allows the wearer to subtly alter fields of probability”
     

    Etymology:


     
    isi, n. “possibility”
    ma(t), stm. “mastery, control”
     
    The element isi combines straightforwardly with the element ma(t), yielding the compound isi-ma(t) “control of possibility”, modern form isima.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Awai, n.cmpd. “Mask of Growth; allows the wearer to increase in physical size” [variant forms waia, waya, waaya]
     

    Etymology:


     
    wā, stm. “great, large, broad; large size”
    ya p. “verbal particle”
     
    The original stem wā denotes “great, large, broad; large size”. This stem is verbalized by the addition of the verbal particle ya, yielding a compound wā-ya roughly with the meaning of “become large”. The particle ya exhibits “variable placement”*. It can be “split” into two separate units i and a, with the latter unit being displaced before the stem to which the particle is applied. In this case, this yields the form a-wā-i, modern form awai. This basic verbalization of a stem with displacement of the verbal particle is frequently used to denote a generalized (nounal) event, equivalent to a gerund (or possibly infinitive) in English: “becoming large, increasing, growing”. Variants of this mask-name do appear without the displaced particle (see variant forms above), but they are dialectically very restricted.
     
    -----------
     
    Kanohi Mautru, n.cmpd. “Mask of Mutation; allows the wearer to mutate organisms”
     

    Etymology:


     
    mautru, n. “change, mutation”
     
    The original stem maut denotes “change, differentiation”. Application of the (relatively rare) nounal particle -rū, denoting an object or place embodying a concept, yields the compound maut-rū, modern form mautru.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Mutuku, n.cmpd. “Mask of Emulation; allows the wearer to analyze and replicate the powers of other beings temporarily”
     

    Etymology:


     
    mutu, adj. “different, unlike”
    -ku, p. “non-, un- (negative particle)”
     
    The element mutu derives from the older stem maut “change, differentiation”, with application of the adjectival particle -u (maut-u > mut-u). This is combined with the general negative particle ku, yielding the compound maut-u-ku “not-different, not-unlike”, modern form mutuku.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Mautatu, n.cmpd. “Mask of Charisma; allows the wearer to convince others to agree with the wearer’s perspective/will by subtly altering their perception of the world”
     

    Etymology:


     
    maut, stm. “change, differentiation”
    atu, n. “mind, will”
     
    The original stem maut denotes “change, differentiation”. In combination with atu, this yields the compound maut-atu “lit. change-mind/will; changing/altering the mind or will”.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Eyi, n.cmpd. “Mask of Fusion; allows the wearer to forcibly fuse with one or more beings to form a single, larger being”
     

    Etymology:


     
    e-, p. “make/cause X (causative particle)”
    yi, adj/adv. “together”
     
    The adjectival element yi is combined with the causative (verbal) particle e-, yielding a semi-verbal compound e-yi “make together; cause-to-be-together”.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Konomau, n.cmpd. “Mask of Biomechanics; allows the wearer to interface with and assume mental control over (bio)mechanical systems” [variant form konomatu, konoimau, konoimatu; noimatuko, noimauko]





    Etymology:


     
    uko, p. “outside, external (locative particle)”
    noi, n. “(physical protodermic) body”
    ma(t), stm. “control, mastery”
     
    The elements noi and ma(t) combine to form the compound noi-ma(t) “body-control”. The element noi is used in reference to the (bio)mechanical nature of the Matoran body. The particle uko exhibits “variable placement” (see Lesson 7 IIId., Lesson 8 Ia.). It can be “split” into two separate units u and ko, with the latter unit being displaced before the stem to which the particle is applied. In this case, the particle uko is applied to the compound noi-ma(t), yielding the form ko-noi-ma(t)-u “external body-control; body-control from outside“, modern forms konomau (-noi- > -no-) and konomatu. Variants of this mask-name also exist using the unsplit form of the particle (see variant forms above).
     
    ----------
     
    [Note: the following masks are not officially confirmed Kanohi powers, but they are powers that (I think) could be exhibited by Kanohi (e.g. Makuta/Rahkshi powers)]
     
    Kanohi Koramau, n.cmpd. “Mask of Rahi Control; allows the wearer to exert control over various species of Rahi” [variant forms korahimau, korahimatu; rahimat-uko, rahima-uko]
     

    Etymology:


     
    uko, p. “outside, external (locative particle)”
    rahi, n. “Rahi, animals, fauna (general term)”
    ma(t), stm. “control, mastery”
     
    The elements rahi and ma(t) combine to form the compound rahi-ma(t) “rahi-control”. The particle uko exhibits “variable placement”*. It can be “split” into two separate units u and ko, with the latter unit being displaced before the stem to which the particle is applied. In this case, the particle uko is applied to the compound rahi-ma(t), yielding the form ko-rahi-ma(t)-u “external rahi-control; rahi-control from outside“, modern forms koramau (-rahi- > -ra-) and koramatu. Several variants of this mask-name did exist early on using the unsplit form of the particle (see variant forms above) but these were dialectically very restricted.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Kokrimau, n.cmpd. “Mask of Insect Control; allows the wearer to exert control over various species of Insect Rahi” [variant forms kokirimau, kokirimatu; kirimat-uko, kirima-uko]
     

    Etymology:


     
    uko, p. “outside, external (locative particle)”
    kiri, n. “insects (general term)”
    ma(t), stm. “control, mastery”
     
    The elements kiri and ma(t) combine to form the compound kiri-ma(t) “insect-control”. The particle uko exhibits “variable placement” (see Lesson 7 IIId., Lesson 8 Ia.). It can be “split” into two separate units u and ko, with the latter unit being displaced before the stem to which the particle is applied. In this case, the particle uko is applied to the compound kiri-ma(t), yielding the form ko-kiri-ma(t)-u “external insect-control; insect-control from outside“, modern forms kokrimau (-kiri- > -kri-) and kokrimatu. Several variants of this mask-name did exist early on using the unsplit form of the particle (see variant forms above) but these were dialectically very restricted.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Akataiku, “Mask of Heat Vision; allows the wearer to project beams of heat along the wearer’s line of sight” [variant forms akataku, akatāku, akataiaku]
     

    Etymology:


     
    aka, n. “power, ability” [independent augmented form of ka, see dictionary entries <aka>, <ka>]
    taiaku, n.cmpd. “heat-vision” [from ancient compound tae-aku; also tāku]
     
    The element aka combines straightforwardly with the element taiaku, yielding the compound aka-taiaku “power of heat-vision”, modern form akataiku (also see variants above).
     
    ----------
     
    [Note: the following masks are not actually nameless. They have official names, but no official etymologies. Here are unofficial etymologies for them.]
     
    Kanohi Komau, n.cmpd. “Mask of Mind Control; allows the wearer to exert mental control over a target” [variant forms komatu, matuko, mauko]
     

    Etymology:


     
    uko, p. “outside, external (locative particle)”
    ma(t), stm. “control, mastery”
     
    The particle uko exhibits “variable placement”*. It can be “split” into two separate units u and ko, with the latter unit being displaced before the stem to which the particle is applied. In this case, the particle uko is applied to the stem ma(t), yielding the form ko-ma(t)-u “external control; control from outside“, modern forms komau (more frequent) and komatu. Variants of this mask-name did exist early on using the unsplit form of the particle--mat-uko and ma-uko—but these were dialectically very restricted.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Suletu, n.cmpd. “Mask of Telepathy; allows the wearer to communicate with others telepathically, along with a range of other telepathic abilities” [variant form selatu]
     

    Etymology:


     
    seu(l), stm. “elemental Psionics” (modified form of elemental prefix se-, ce-)
    atu, n. “mind, will”
     
    The element seu(l) is an elaboration of the elemental Psionics prefix se- (also spelled ce-) modified along a similar pattern as, e.g. ga > (a)gal- (see dictionary entries <gah>, <ehel>, <galnu>). This is combined with atu (from older *aetu) to yield a compound seul-aetu “psionic will; mental will”, modern forms suletu (more frequent), selatu.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Mahiki, n.cmpd. “Mask of Illusion; allows the wearer to create and manipulate visual illusions”
     

    Etymology:


     
    ma(t), stm. “control, mastery”
    hiki, n. “deception, trickery”
     
    The ancient stem ma(t) combines with the element hiki to form the compound ma-hiki “control of deception/trickery”. The etymology of hiki is somewhat interesting to note. The concept of deception or trickery in the emergent Matoran culture appears to have been associated with “incompleteness”, “part of a whole”, or “something held back”. The composition of hiki reflects this association: the element ki denotes “(a) part, piece”, while hī denotes “(a) thing, place”, with the original meaning of hiki being “part of a thing”.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Akaku, n.cmpd. “Mask of (X-Ray) Vision; allows the wearer to see with enhanced vision, even through solid matter”
     

    Etymology:


     
    aka, n. “power, ability” [independent augmented form of ka, see dictionary entries <aka>, <ka>]
    aku, n. “sight, vision”
     
    The element aka combines straightforwardly with the element aku, yielding the compound aka-aku “power of vision”, modern form akaku.
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Kakama, n.cmpd. “Mask of Speed; allows the wearer to move at extremely high speeds” [variant form kamaka]
     

    Etymology:


     
    ka, n. “power, energy”
    ka-ma, v. “to move”
     
    The element ka combines with the verbal complex ka-ma to form the compound ka-kama “power of moving/movement”. In order to express the generalized (nounal) event of “moving, movement” intended here, the verbal particle is also sometimes displaced (“variable placement”*), yielding the variant verbal complex ma-ka (and the variant form kamaka, see variant form above).
     
    ----------
     
    Kanohi Vahi, n.cmpd. “Mask of Time; allows the wearer to control the flow of time itself”
     
    vā, stm. “time (abstract)”
    hī, stm. “thing, place”
     
    The elements vā and hī combine straightforwardly to yield the compound vā-hī, literally meaning “time-thing”, modern form vahi.
     
    [*see Lesson 6 I., Lesson 7 IIId., Lesson 8 Ia. for more information on “splitting” particles and “variable placement”]
  6. JRRT
    A Matoran Dictionary



    2nd Edition







    VOLUME VIII :: V-Z


     
    -V-
     
    vā |stm.| 1. (abstract) time; 2. timeline, progression, advance, headway [Variant forms: vō (ā > ō / __#), vah-]
    vahi |n.| (Kanohi) lit. “time-thing” [vahi < vā-hī, from vā “(abstract) time” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    vahki |n.| judge, law-keeper; lit. “measurer of limits” [vahki < fā-hiki, from fā(n) “limit, barrier, restriction; roof/ceiling, sky” and hiki¹ “measurement, extent” (see entry) - FD: MN#3]
    vakama |n.cmpd.| (the) future; lit. “movement of time” [vakama < vā-kama, from vā “time” and ka-ma “to move”]
    vako |n.| species of Rahi-bull; lit. “part of stampede/charge” [vako < va-kī-ō, from vā “time; timeline, progression, advance, headway”, the particle kī “part, piece, portion of” and the nounal particle ō. The term is applied in reference to the behavior of vako herds]
    valma |vn.| awaiting; lit. “seeking (a particular) time” [valma < vā-elma, from vā “time” and el-ma “to seek, search”]
    valmai |n.| (archaic) place of awaiting; cursed place [valmai < valma-hī, from valma “awaiting” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    vamprah |n.cmpd.| always feeding/devouring; lit. “continuously made strong/satiated thing” [vamprah < vamu-pra-hī, from vamu “always, continuously”, the stem pra “strengthened, made strong” (variant of par, see entry), and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    vamu |adv.| always, continuously [vamu < vā-amu, an adverb grammaticalized from the nounal complex vā-amu, from vā “time; progression, advance” and the particle amu “through, by (transitional-instrumental)”]
    varian |n.| 1. time-struggler; lit. “one who strives against time”; 2. prisoner; lit. “one who strives against bonds/limits” [mult. potential etymologies; one proposed etymology is varian < vā-ari-ān, from vā “time”, ari “striving, struggling; climbing” (variant of rī, see entry), and ān “being, individual”; another proposed etymology is varian < fā-ari-ān, from fā(n) “limit, barrier, restriction; roof/ceiling”, ari “striving, struggling; climbing” (variant of rī see entry), and ān “being, individual”]
    vatuka |n.| (Rahi-) limited will-power [vatuka < fa-atu-ka, from fā(n) “limit, barrier, restriction; roof/ceiling”, atu “mind, will”, and ka “power, force, ability”. Applied to the elemental vatuka rock-creatures, in reference to their apparently half-sentient nature]
    veli 1. |vn./adj.| (archaic) awaiting, abiding; 2. |n.| (modern) riddle, secret knowledge [veli < vel-ī, from vel-, a contraction of earlier valma “awaiting” (vel- < vā-el- < vā-el-ma) and the nounal particle ī]
    velika |n.cmpd.| 1. powerful abiding/awaiting one; 2. riddler, keeper of secret knowledge [velika < veli-ka, from veli “awaiting, abiding; riddle, secret knowledge” and ka “power(ful), force, ability”]
    vezo |n./adj.| double, twofold [etymology uncertain]
    vezok |n.| duplicity, treachery; lit. “very two-faced” [vezok < vezo-ak, from vezo “double, twofold” and the intensive particle -ak]
    vezon |n.| double, twin, doppleganger [vezon < vezo-ān, from vezo “double, twofold” and ān “being, individual”]
    vhiso |n.| scholar; lit. “desiring subtle-things/facts” [vhiso < fi-hī-sā, from fi “subtle, fine, cunning; web”, the particle hī “thing, object, place”, and the primeval stem sā “hungering, desiring”]
    vhisola |n.cmpd.| excellent scholar [vhisola < vhiso-la, from vhiso “scholar” and the modifying particle -la “good, excellent”]
    vika |n.cmpd.| cunning power/ability [vika < fi-ka, from the stem fi “subtle, fine, cunning; web” and ka “power, force, ability”. Variant form: vica]
    vikan |n.cmpd.| one with cunning ability [vican < vika-ān, from vika “cunning power/ability” and ān “being, individual”. Variant form: vican]
    vira |n.| 1. wildly cunning; 2. sprawling web [vira < fi-ra, from fi ”subtle, fine, cunning; web” and ra “wild(ness), untamed”]
    vis |n.| Rahi-spider; lit. “web-creature” [vis < fi-s, from fi “subtle, fine, cunning; web” and the Rahi-designation affix -s]
    viso |n.| poison; lit. “spider-substance” [viso < vis-ō, from vis “spider” and the nounal particle ō]
    visorak |n.cmpd.| poisonous scourge, menace [visorak < visou-rak, from visou “poisonous” and rak “extreme wildness, lawlessness, violence; menace, scourge”]
    visou |adj.| poisonous [visou < viso-u, from viso “poison” and the adjectival particle u]
    vo |n./stm.| elemental lightning [vo < vō, from the primeval elemental stem vō “elemental lightning”. Variant forms: vo-, vol (l-modified)]
    vohi |n.| spark; discharge [vohi < vo-hī, from vo “elemental lightning” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    voho |n.| static, static charge [voho < vohi-ō, from vohi “spark; discharge” and the nounal particle ō]
    vohon |n.| static/charged being [vohon < voho-ān, from voho “static, static charge” and ān “being, individual”]
    vohta |n.| discharging/aggressive/volatile spirit [vohta < vohi-ta, from vohi “spark; discharge” and ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence”]
    vohtarak |n.cmpd.| lit. “volatile/aggressive menace” [vohtarak < vohta-rak, from vohta “discharging/aggressive/volatile spirit” and rak “menace, scourge”]
    voli |adj.| flickering, flashing, wavering [voli < vo-li, from vo “elemental lightning” and the primeval modifying particle li]
    volitak |n.cmpd.| (Kanohi-) stealth; lit, “flickering/wavering spirit” [volitak < voli-ta-ak, from voli “flickering, flashing, wavering”, ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence”, and the intensive particle -ak]
    volo |n.| vitality, energy (substance) [volo < vol-ō, from the l-modified elemental stem vol “elemental lightning” and the nounal particle ō]
    vopo |n.| time-passing, age, erosion, entropy [vopo < vapo < vā-pā, from vā “time” and pā “elemental stone” (with final ā > ō vowel shift), yielding a sense of “time’s effect on stone; erosion”]
    voporak |n.cmpd.| lit. “scourge of time/entropy” [voporak < vopo-rak, from vopo “time-passing, age, erosion, entropy” and rak “menace, scourge”]
    vor |n.| hunger, energy-draining [vor < vō-ūr, from vo “elemental lightning” and the particle ūr(u) “un-, negative, not” - FD: MN#1]
    vorahk |n.cmpd.| lit. “devouring wild thing; devourer” [vorahk < vor-rahk, from vor “hunger, energy-draining” and rahk “wild/untamable thing” - FD: MN#1]
    voriki |n.cmpd.| (a) lightning bolt, shaft of lightning [voriki < vo-rī-kī, from vo “elemental lightning”, rī “wild, uncontrolled, violent”, and kī “part, piece, portion of”]
    vorzakh |n.cmpd.| lit. “great restricting judge/law-keeper” [vorzakh < vor-zatahki-ak, from vor (< fā-oro, a compound of fā(n) “limit, barrier, restriction” and oro “word, unit of communication” in imitation of boh-oro, see entry bohrok), zatahki “judge, law-keeper” (an earlier form of dahki, see entry), and the intensive particle -ak - FD: MN#3]
    vo-ya |v.| to conduct energy, flow (along), journey [From vo “elemental lightning” and the verbal particle ya]
    voya-nui |n.cmpd.| great journey [From voya “journey, current” (nominalized from the verbal complex vo-ya) and nui “great, significant”]
    vua |n.| great energy; power-reservoir [vua < vo-wa, from vo “elemental lightning” and wa “wide, great, large”]
    vuata |n.| power source; lit. “essence of great energy” [vuata < vua-ta, from vua “great energy” and ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence”]
    vuata-maca |n.cmpd.| power source and power distributor [From vuata “power source” and maca “power distributor”]
    vultraz |n.cmpd.| bird of prey; lit. “predatory sky-wing” [vultraz < fultriazi < faol-tiri-azi, from the stem faol “sky, ceiling” (u/l-modified from fā(n)), tiri “wing, flat appendage”, and azi “violence, predatory” (variant of zī, see entry)]
     
    -W-
     
    wa |adj./stm.| wide, great, large
    wahi |n.| region, place [wahi < wa-hī, from wa “wide, great, large” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    wai- |p.| possessive particle [wai < *uai, originally denoting an object as being possessed (by something). Variant form: -ui (see entry) - FD: MN#7]
    waikiru |n.| (Rahi) possessing tusks [waikiru < wai-kiru, from the possessive particle wai (originally denoting possession of the object) and kiru “tusk, tooth”]
    wairuha |n.| possessing wisdom [wairuha < wai-ruha, from the possessive particle wai (originally denoting possession of the object) and ruha “contemplation, stillness; wisdom” (variant of rua, see entry)]
    whe |n.| underground [whe < uw-hī, from uw “under, lower, below” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    whenua |n.cmpd.| hidden/secret underground [whenua < whe-nua, from whe “underground” and nua “hidden, unseen, secret”]
     
    -Y-
     
    -ya |p.| verbal particle [Variant forms: i...a, a...i (splitting+displacement)]
    yi |adv./stm.| together, combined
    yi-ya |v.| to collect, gather, bring together [From the stem yi “together, combined” and the verbal particle ya]
     
    -Z-
     
    za |n./stm.| planning, tactic [etymology uncertain; undoubtedly related to the set of stem-forms zī, zē, zai “strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory” (see entry zī). Variant form: xa]
    zadakh |n.cmpd.| lit. “great judge/law-keeper” [zadakh < zatahki-ak, from zatahki “judge, law-keeper” (an earlier form of dahki, see entry) and the intensive particle -ak - FD: MN#3]
    zahi |n.| plan, schematic, strategy [zahi < za-hī, za “planning, tactics” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    zakaz |n.| war-zone, extreme violence; lit. “violence of violence” [zakaz < zai-ak-azi, from zai “violence” (variant of zī, see entry), the intensive particle -ak, and azi “violence, predatory” (variant of zī, see entry)]
    zakta |n.| very cunning spirit; lit. “spirit of great strategy/tactics” [zakta < za-ak-ta, from za “planning, tactic”, the intensive particle -ak, and ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence”]
    zaktan |n.| lit. “one with a very sly/cunning spirit” [zaktan < zakta-ān, from zakta “very cunning spirit” and ān “being, individual”]
    zali |n.| foreboding, premonition, sense of danger [zali < zai-el-ī, from zai “strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory” (variant of zī, see entry), the stem el “seeking/searching; detection, sense”, and the nounal particle ī]
    zamor |n.| sphere [etymology uncertain; one proposed etymology attributes the development of zamor to a rarely-attested primeval form sferu (sferu > sefur > zevor > zamor), frequently appearing as part of a compound sferu-makna. The meaning of this term is uncertain, although it is found exclusively in texts related to the Great Beings. It does not appear to be Matoran in origin]
    zaria |vn.| retaliation; counterattacking, counter-strategy [From the verbal complex zari-ya “to retaliate, counterattack”]
    zari-ya |v.| to retaliate, counterattack [zari-ya < za-ari-ya, from za “planning, tactics”, ari “striving, struggling; climbing” (variant of rī, see entry), and the verbal particle ya]
    zatth |n.cmpd.| (Kanohi-) summoning; lit “mind/will of authority” [zatth < zata-ath, from a primeval compound za-ta (later da) “authority, order” and ath, a heavily reduced form of atu “mind, will”]
    ze |adj./stm.| empty, emptied out, drained [Variant forms: zi, se]
    zemi |n.| absence, excavation; lit. “increasing emptiness” [zemi < ze-mi, from ze “empty, emptied out, drained” and mi “up, upward, rising”]
    zem-ya |v.| to excavate, empty/hollow out [zem-ya < zemi-ya, from zemi “absence, excavation” and the verbal particle ya]
    zī |n./stm.| strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory [Variant forms: zai, zē, zy, xi, azi]
    zia |vn.| planning, schematic, engineering [From the verbal complex zī-ya “to strategize”. Variant form: xia]
    zivon |n.| creature of violent energy [zivon < zī-vo-ān, from zī “strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory”, vo “elemental lightning; energy”, and ān “being, individual”]
    zu |adj.| tactical [zu < za-u, from za “planning, tactics” and the adjectival particle u]
    zya |v.| (archaic) to strategize, attack [zya < zī-ya, from zī “strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory” and the verbal particle ya]
    zyglak |n.cmpd.| lit. “extremely treacherous/traitorous power” [zyglak < zy-kal-ak, from zy “strategy, planning, scheming; violence; predatory” (a variant of zī, see entry), the modified stem kal “power, force, ability”, and the intensive particle -ak]
     
    --------------------
     
    Key:
    |adj.| - Adjective
    |adj.cmpd.| - Adjective Compound
    |adv.| - Adverb
    |aff.| - Affix
    |n.| - Noun
    |n.cmpd.| - Noun Compound
    |p.| - Particle
    |p.cmpd.| - Particle Compound
    |pro.| - Pronoun
    |stm.| - Stem
    |v.| - Verb
    |vn.| - Verbal Noun
    |vn.cmpd.| - Verbal Noun Compound
     
    Some entries are marked with FD “Further Discussion”, followed by a reference to a blog entry containing more explanatory content related to that etymology. The references are as follows:
     
    NM - “Nameless Masks”
    MN#1-X... - “Meaningless Names #1-X...”
    LM#1-X - “Learning Matoran, Lesson 1-X...”
     
  7. JRRT
    [cross-post]
     
    Another year, another birthday, and today’s mine. Seems like a good occasion for gift-giving, so here’s one for you all.
     
    Several months ago, I posted a link on tumblr to an unfinished Matoran Language translation of the script of Bionicle: Mask of Light. At the time, it was only about 25% complete. Well, some time (and procrastination) has passed since then...and now it’s 100% complete.
     
    Link to the document
     
    There’s the link to the Google doc, with comments enabled. And just to give you a taste of what the document contains, I'll conclude with a few short snippets. Enjoy!
     
    ==========
     
    JALLER
     
    ENG: Toa Tahu, Takua? He didn’t…? You’re alive! Kohli-head! You could’ve been lava bones!
     
    MAT: Toa Tahu, Takua? Ai-rhu...? Ou ikau-pa! Kohlii-meki! Ou tanuzaki-nuse!
     
    TAKUA
     
    ENG: Could’ve been, but I’m not.
     
    MAT: O hi-nuse, fa o-rhu.
     
    ==========
     
    POHATU
     
    ENG: Always a pleasure Gali. You two still so ill-at-ease? Put your petty differences aside, rejoice!
     
    MAT: Ta o hiki-po! Avamu rukhapo, Gali. Ou-anga ihua uluraiwa-po? Kofo-khuhi’u ihiki kya, ladeya!
     
    GALI
     
    ENG: Ha, I think my brother is afraid of having his fire extinguished.
     
    MAT: Ha, o ge seyaga ge ro'o ge turyaga ge tahai gamayago.
     
    TAHU
     
    ENG: Hahaha! Sister, against me you’d be nothing but steam. Hot air as they say.
     
    MAT: Hahaha! Ro'o, o'i ou igalorhu-se. Lo-taui, ke ai rokha.
     
    ==========
     
    MAKUTA
     
    ENG: The earth shudders my brother. The seventh Toa has begun its approach. Again the prophecies of the Matoran oppose my will. Must I release those who should never see the light of day? I must preserve your slumber. Their Unity will be poisoned. Their Duty will be broken. Their Destiny I must shatter. Go my sons, use the shadows and keep my brother asleep.
     
    MAT: Onu voya, ro’o. Toa-Nanga hiki'i voyata. Anga imatoran-vakamaja atu'o rakha. O akai ki rhui avahi akuyasu ikuakaryasuka? O voko'u mayasu. Kaita'ai lerayako. Maita'ai guurayako. O vaita'ai panrayasu. Shi'o voya. Krahi maya. Ivoko'a ro'o maya.
     
    ==========
     
    LEWA
     
    ENG: Walk? Ha, not-never! If you ride with me, there be no foot-walking, just air-flying. Ever wind-fly a Gukko-bird?
     
    MAT: Odai? Eke, ru-ru! Oi usai-sa, odi-dai-koru, nga le-mirai. Vai Goko leki-mirai?
     
    TAKUA
     
    ENG: I’ve been a second, but I’ve never flown one myself. (MNOG ref ftw)
     
    MAT: O khanga-nu, fa o nga mirukhanu-rhui.
     
    LEWA
     
    ENG: Then today is for quick-learning. Stay sharp and follow well.
     
    MAT: Le iki-aku. Kee no yai-yai.
  8. JRRT

    Learning Matoran: Lesson 6

    By JRRT,

    LEARNING MATORAN



    - LESSON 6 -


     
    Well, it’s been a long time. Time makes for changes. Change is scary. But after a long hiatus, I’ve worked up the motivation to post another installment of this project. Recently, I have actually been surprised to see some interest in the continuation of this endeavor, and for that I am grateful.
     
    I’m afraid the changes to this conception of the Matoran Language have been significant--enough so that some of the previous lessons are now a bit outdated. This installment will deal with a more in-depth description of verbs in Matoran. Luckily, I never delved too deeply into the verbal system in previous lessons, so the changes won’t really be apparent. The pronominal system is largely intact, so check out Lesson 5 if you need a refresher. Nouns won’t make an appearance at all, so you don’t have to worry about them. One extremely minor change: I have been using the macron diacritic over a vowel to indicate a long vowel (ā, ē, ō, etc.), mainly as a space-saving convention. A double vowel is technically more in line with the orthography of Bionicle names, and it can still be used.
     
    One final note: the tone of this “revised” lesson may be slightly less user-friendly than the tone of prior lessons. I’m afraid that that is an unfortunate result of the more in-depth nature of the topics discussed here. If you are really interested in learning more about some particular facet of this version of the Matoran Language, but find that the discussion here is worded obtusely or in a confusing manner, or if you have any general questions at all, feel free to leave a comment and let me know or send me a PM. Otherwise, have fun.
     
    I. Verbs: Overview.
     
    Verbs in Matoran are different from the typical English verb. They are made up of a stem and a verbal particle. There are three major verbal particles that will be mentioned here: ha, ya, and ma. These particles basically serve to indicate that the stem with which they are paired is of the category “verb” (rather than another category, such as “noun” or “adjective”). Some examples of common verbs are ka ma “to move”, ora ha “to speak”, and mat ya “to use/master”.
     
    The combination of stem+particle will be referred to as the verbal complex. This complex does not always form a rigid unit, since the particle can be separated from the stem in many cases. A few examples will illustrate (recall that the first person subject pronoun is o “I”):
     
    1) a. o ka ma “I move.”
    b. o ma ka “I do move.”
    c. o ora ha “I speak.”
    d. o ha ora “I do speak.”
     
    (1a) compared to (1b) and (1c) compared to (1d) show one particular difference in the positioning of the particle with respect to the stem. If the particle is placed before the stem, it serves to emphasize the “reality” of the event described, much as in English. Placing the particle after the verb is the more standard procedure, however. Note that, in both cases, the subject (o “I”) precedes the entire verbal complex (stem+particle). It is a general rule for subjects to precede the verbal complex (especially when they are pronominal).
     
    The particle ya is slightly irregular compared to ha and ma. When it is positioned before the stem, it is essentially “split”, leaving behind a vowel i, while a is displaced before the stem as usual (mat ya > a mat i).
     
    In writing, the stem and particle can be written either as separate units (as above), as a single unit (i.e., kama, maka), or as separate units joined by a dash (ka-ma, ma-ka). It is usually standard procedure to write the stem and particle as a single unit when the particle follows the stem (kama), but as separate units (joined by a dash or not) when the particle precedes the stem (ma ka, ma-ka, but not usually maka). These are not hard-and-fast rules, but I will follow them in most cases for the sake of clarity in the discussions that follow.
     
    II. Verbs: Inflection.
     
    Verbs in Matoran are inflected for Tense and Aspect. Tense takes the form of Present Tense, Past Tense, and Future Tense. Aspect takes the form of Imperfective Aspect (non-completed action) and Perfective Aspect (completed action).
     
    IIa. Tense.
     
    Tense is encoded on the verbal particle by modification of the basic form of the particle.
     
    Present Tense is the simplest, with no change to the particle:
     
    2) a. oraha > o oraha “I speak.”
    b. matya > o matya “I use (smthg.)”
    c. kama > o kama “I move/go.”
     
    Past Tense changes the vowel of the particle to -ō (can be written -oo or just -o in shorthand; -ō develops from earlier -ā, showing that the formation of the past tense was originally just lengthening of the particle vowel a > ā):
     
    3) a. ora ha > o orahō “I spoke.”
    b. mat ya > o matyō “I used (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamō “I moved/went.”
     
    Future Tense changes the vowel of the particle to -ē (can be written -ee or just -e in shorthand; -ē develops from an earlier diphthong -ae, showing that the formation of the future tense was originally the addition of a vowel -e to the particle vowel -a > -ae).
     
    4) a. ora ha > o orahē “I will speak.”
    b. mat ya > o matyē “I will use (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamē “I will move/go.”
     
    Tense inflection can also occur with the reversed particle+stem configuration, in which case the tense-marked particle is simply displaced before the stem (e.g., orahō > hō-ora, matyē > ē-mati, etc.).
     
    IIb. Aspect.
     
    Aspect is encoded by the addition of an aspectual particle to the verbal complex. If no aspectual particle is added, the interpretation is ambiguous between the different types of aspect (e.g., imperfective, perfective, etc.). Aspectual particles always follow the verbal complex, regardless of whether or not the complex is stem+particle (e.g., ora ha) or particle+stem (ha ora):
     
    Imperfective Aspect is equivalent in meaning to the progressive construction in English (be+...-ing: "I am/was/will be playing with Legos."). It is indicated by the addition of the particle ana to the verbal complex. This particle frequently merges with the stem or particle preceding it, taking on the form of a suffix more than an independent particle. In such cases, it can be written either as -na or -‘na. The imperfective particle can be used with all tenses: present, past, and future:
     
    5) With present tense:
    a. ora ha > o oraha ana > o orahana OR o oraha’na “I am speaking.”
    b. mat ya > o matya ana > o matyana OR o matya’na “I am using (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kama ana > o kamana OR o kama’na “I am moving/going.”
     
    6) With past tense:
    a. ora ha > o orahō ana > o orahōna OR o orahō’na “I was speaking.”
    b. mat ya > o matyō ana > o matyōna OR o matyō’na “I was using (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamō ana > o kamōna OR o kamō’na “I was moving/going.”
     
    7) With future tense:
    a. ora ha > o orahē ana > o orahēna OR o orahē’na “I will be speaking.”
    b. mat ya > o matyē ana > o matyēna OR o matyē’na “I will be using (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamē ana > o kamēna OR o kamē’na “I will be moving/going.”
     
    These tense/aspect combinations can also occur with the reversed particle+stem configuration, in which case the aspectual particle still follows the verbal complex and instead attaches to the stem itself (rather than the particle):
     
    8) With present tense:
    a. ha-ora > o ha-ora ana > o ha-orana OR o ha-ora’na “I am speaking.”
    b. a-mati > o a-mati ana > o a-matyana “I am using (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o ma-ka ana > o ma-kana OR o ma-ka’na “I am moving/going.”
     
    9) With past tense:
    a. ha-ora > o hō-ora ana > o hō-orana OR o hō-ora’na “I was speaking.”
    b. a-mati > o ō-mati ana > o ō-matyana “I was using (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o mō-ka ana > o mō-kana OR o mō-ka’na “I was moving/going.”
     
    10) With future tense:
    a. ha-ora > o hē-ora ana > o hē-orana OR o hē-ora’na “I will be speaking.”
    b. a-mati > o ē-mati ana > o ē-matyana “I will be using (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o mē-ka ana > o mē-kana OR o mē-ka’na “I will be moving/going.”
     
    Perfective Aspect is equivalent in meaning to the perfect construction in English (have+...-ed: "I have/had/will have played with Legos."). It is indicated by the addition of the particle anga to the verbal complex. This particle frequently merges with the stem or particle preceding it, taking on the form of a suffix more than an independent particle. In such cases, it can be written either as -nga or -‘nga. The perfective particle can also be used with all tenses: present, past, and future:
     
    11) With present tense:
    a. ora ha > o oraha anga > o orahanga OR o oraha’nga “I have spoken.”
    b. mat ya > o matya anga > o matyanga OR o matya’nga “I have used (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kama anga > o kamanga OR o kama’nga “I have moved/gone.”
     
    12) With past tense:
    a. ora ha > o orahō anga > o orahōnga OR o orahō’nga “I had spoken.”
    b. mat ya > o matyō anga > o matyōnga OR o matyō’nga “I had used (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamō anga > o kamōnga OR o kamō’nga “I had moved/gone.”
     
    13) With future tense:
    a. ora ha > o orahē anga > o orahēnga OR o orahē’nga “I will have spoken.”
    b. mat ya > o matyē anga > o matyēnga OR o matyē’nga “I will have used (smthg.)”
    c. ka ma > o kamē anga > o kamēnga OR o kamē’nga “I will have moved/gone.”
     
    These tense/aspect combinations can also occur with the reversed particle+stem configuration, in which case the aspectual particle still follows the verbal complex and instead attaches to the stem itself (rather than the particle):
     
    14) With present tense:
    a. ha-ora > o ha-ora anga > o ha-oranga OR o ha-ora’nga “I have spoken.”
    b. a-mati > o a-mati anga > o a-matyanga “I have used (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o ma-ka anga > o ma-kanga OR o ma-ka’nga “I have moved/gone.”
     
    15) With past tense:
    a. ha-ora > o hō-ora anga > o hō-oranga OR o hō-ora’nga “I had spoken.”
    b. a-mati > o ō-mati anga > o ō-matyanga “I had used (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o mō-ka anga > o mō-kanga OR o mō-ka’nga “I had moved/gone.”
     
    16) With future tense:
    a. ha-ora > o hē-ora anga > o hē-oranga OR o hē-ora’nga “I will have spoken.”
    b. a-mati > o ē-mati anga > o ē-matyanga “I will have used (smthg.)”
    c. ma-ka > o mē-ka anga > o mē-kanga OR o mē-ka’nga “I will have moved/gone.”
     
    IIc. Stem changes and irregularities.
     
    Oh dear! You thought you were going to get off easy, didn’t you? Well, don’t be too nervous: most of these “irregularities” are pretty straightforward:
     
    - Verbal complexes containing the particle ha exhibit a strengthening of h to kh when it occurs between vowels. Thus:
     
    17) a. ora ha > orakha (basic present tense)
    b. ha ora > ha-ora (basic present tense, particle+stem order, no strengthening)
    c. ora ha ana > orakhana (present imperfective)
    d. ha-ora ana > ha-orana (present imperf., particle+stem order, no strengthening)
     
    - Verbal complexes containing the particle ma in which the stem ends in a vowel (e.g., ka ma “to move/go” but not jut ma “to decay”) exhibit an assimilation of m to n in the presence of the imperfective particle ana, along with an overall reduction of the verbal complex itself. This only occurs in the present tense:
     
    18) a. ka ma ana > kamana > kanna (present imperf.)
    b. ka mō ana > kamōna (past imperf., no assimilation/reduction)
    c. jut ma ana > jutmana (present imperf., no assimilation/reduction)
     
    [Does (17a) look familiar? How about (18a)? If you’re familiar with the previous Lessons (Lesson 3, to be precise), you may recognize that these “irregularities” are essentially the same as the “stem gradation” of older versions of the Matoran Language. The end result is very similar, but the original system of “stem gradation” had no real etymological basis, so it was significantly revised. Is it a blast from the past, or just a horrible over-complication? I don’t know!*]
     
    *I don’t care!
  9. JRRT

    Learning Matoran: Lesson 2

    By JRRT,

    Oe a gauru ur a terenye.
    Vemo Mata Nui na lhihke lhia,
    K’a kaihe a karnye a terevua.
    Oe lhe na veta ovemo.

    We were separate, and without purpose
    So the Great Spirit gave us the Three Virtues:
    Unity, Duty, and Destiny.
    And these gifts we embraced.

    --from “The Legend of Mata Nui”

    =l Intro to Nouns l=
    At the most basic level, Matoran and English nouns are, well, nouns. They represent persons, places, things, ideas, etc. Grammatically, however, Matoran nouns exhibit some features that are quite different from those in English.

    The most pervasive feature of Matoran nouns is the system of grammatical particles by which the roles of different nouns are defined. Particles are function words which can indicate the grammatical roles of nouns, verbs, and/or adjectives in a sentence. In English, some prepositions actually approach the category of “particle” in some verbal constructions.

    There are 9 particles in all, split into 3 distinct groups: Case, Motion, and Time/Location. The first group—Case particles—is the most vital to understand and will be discussed first.

    [Although the other two categories of Motion and Time/Location should technically also be considered cases, I will separate them here because of the fact that they have much in common with adverbial elements.]

    Case Particles:
    First, it would be appropriate to explain the concept of Case. If you know or have taken a language like German, Dutch, or even Latin, you’ll know exactly what case is: the role that a noun plays within the structure of a sentence.

    In English grammar, the roles of Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object, Possessive, etc. are all functions of case. These roles are primarily indicated in English grammar by “word-order”: the placement of a noun in a sentence.

    For example, the subject of a sentence is usually placed before the verb, while a direct or indirect object normally follows the verb. In many other languages, these roles can be indicated in a variety of different ways (inflection, for example), and word order is not emphasized as much.

    This is the situation in Matoran, with different cases being indicated by particles, rather than word-order or inflection (suffixes, prefixes, etc.). As mentioned above, there are three particles to indicate case: subject, object, and possessive.

    Subject (Nominative) Case
    The Subject (or Nominative) Case, as evidenced by its name, marks the Subject of a sentence—the noun which performs the action of the verb.

    It can be indicated by the particle word i, but this is not actually required and can frequently be dropped. Therefore:

    matoran “Matoran”
    (i) matoran “Matoran (as subject of sentence)" << Parentheses indicate that the particle is optional.

    As can be seen, this particle is always placed before the noun. There is also a plural form of the particle: ne (also placed before the noun):

    ne matoran “Matoran (pl., as subject of sentence)”

    Object (Objective) Case
    The Object (or Objective) Case marks a noun as the Direct or Indirect Object of a sentence—the noun which receives the action of the verb or to/for whom the action is done.

    It is indicated by the particle a or ea (both are interchangeable). Like the Subject Particle, these are also placed before the noun. The plural forms of the Object Particle are na or nea. Examples:

    a/ea matoran “Matoran (as direct or indirect object of verb)”
    na/nea matoran “Matoran (pl.)”

    Distinguishing whether or not the Objective Case is used as a direct or indirect object is a topic that will be discussed in a later lesson.

    Possessive (Genitive) Case
    The Possessive (or Genitive) Case indicates the possessor of an object—a noun which possesses another noun.

    It takes the particle ui or wa (also interchangeable), which differ from the other two case particles in that they can be placed before or after the noun, depending on the sentence. The plural forms of the Possessive Particle are mi or ma. Examples:

    rahi ui/wa matoran – “Matoran’s Rahi” (Matoran = possessor)
    rahi matoran ui/wa – “Matoran’s Rahi”
    rahi mi/ma matoran – (pl.)
    rahi matoran mi/ma – (pl.)

    Although the particle can be placed before or after the noun, it should be noted that the possessor-noun (here matoran) always follows the noun which is possessed (rahi).

    Etymologically, the origin of the two distinct particle forms for the Genitive Case can be traced to a much earlier stage of the Matoran Language when ui and wa indicated, respectively, possessor and possessed. In time, the role of wa was decreased, and eventually it came to be used simply as a variant of ui.

    -------

    Now that we have these three basic cases, we are one step closer to being able to compose simple sentences. The only thing lacking is Verbs, and these will be covered (somewhat) in the next lesson: Lesson 3—Intro to Verbs. Stay tuned.

    JRRT
  10. JRRT

    Learning Matoran: Lesson 1

    By JRRT,

    Ke ovahi o kii vahi,
    Mata Nui uamo.
    inihe ka usmo ia ngie,
    ke orna hu Matoran,
    lhe ii arta.
     
    In the time before time
    The Great Spirit descended
    Out of the Heavens carrying we,
    The ones called the Matoran
    To this paradise.
     
    --First lines of "The Legend of Mata Nui"
     
    =l Preface l=


    First, I must make a confession. For the past ten (or so) years, my primary hobby has been an obsession with constructing languages: "conlanging". In the words of J.R.R himself, it is the "secret vice". And, as might be expected, I have not been able to keep it from spilling over into my interest of Bionicle. This is the result: an attempt to formulate a grammar of the Matoran Language (using the basis of the dictionary already posted elsewhere in the blog).
     
    As a basic principle, I have attempted to imitate some grammatical structures common to Polynesian languages such as Hawaiian, Māori, and Samoa. Ultimately, however, the majority of the grammar is more or less arbitrary (or "a-priori"). And, of course, this means that (almost) the entirety of the grammar presented here is non-canon.
     
    But now to the point! This grammar will be posted in a series of lessons designed specifically for "beginners" (or, at least, "people who aren't hard-core linguistics-people"). A good general knowledge of "grammar" and "phonetics" will be an advantage to any reader here, but I will aim to present linguistic concepts in the least jargon-heavy manner I can come up with (no promises ). I'll be starting out with a discussion of phonology in this post, followed by posts on Nouns, Verbs, the Matoran Alphabet itself, Adjectives, Syntax (Sentence Structure), etc.
     
    Enjoy, if you will.
     
    Or as the Matoran say:
     
    A kanga ri o'atukhe.
     

    =l Lesson 1 l=


    Basic Pronunciation
     
    First, it's best to establish that, while Matoran obviously don't have the same vocal organs as humans (teeth? tongues? what?!), they are capable of producing a similar array of sounds; or, at least, similar enough that we humans can come pretty close.
     
    With that said, here's a basic list of the principal sounds of Matoran with English equivalents where necessary. Unless otherwise specified, all sounds are pronounced as in English:
     
    -Consonants:
     
    b
    c – as <k>, except at the beginning of some words, where it is pronounced as <s> (an unfortunate hold-over from English orthography...>.<)
    ch – always <k>
    d
    f – also spelled <ph> (a more archaic orthographic convention in Matoran)
    g – always as in "dog"
    h
    kh –like the German <ch>, harsher than English <h> (would be called a "velar fricative")
    j – optionally pronounced as in "jar" or "yard" (like <y>)
    k
    l
    m
    n
    ng – as in "sing" at the beginning of a word; as in "finger" in all other positions
    p
    r – trilled, as Spanish <r>
    rh – not trilled, more like English <r>
    s
    sh
    t
    th – as in "think" (very rare)
    v
    w
    y
    z
     
    -Vowels:
     
    a – as in "all"
    e – as in "rate"
    i – as in "machine"
    o – as in "go"
    u – as in "loose"
    y – as German <ü> (rare sound). Pronouncing <i> ("machine") while rounding the lips like <u> ("loose") gives a close approximation.
     
    All vowels can be either short or long. Long vowels are written simply by doubling the letter (aa, ee, oo, etc.) and are held twice as long as short vowels.
     
    If you haven't dealt with spelling systems other than English before, the most important thing to remember is that every letter represents a sound—every letter is pronounced. There are no "silent letters" in Matoran, and there are only a few "digraphs" (two consonants with one sound: th, ch, etc.).
     
    -----
     
    And that concludes Lesson 1. Thanks for reading if you got this far. Next up: Lesson 2--Intro to Nouns, which will hopefully be a little more interesting.
     
    JRRT
  11. JRRT

    TLoO: Chapter 2

    By JRRT,

    The Language of Okoto


     
    Chapter 2
     
    [crosspost]
     
    (Note that the material in this post is basically a culled-down/revised version of this post.)
     
    Now that we’ve collected a dataset, the next step in the project to construct an Okotoan Language is to take a part of that dataset and attempt to break it down into smaller units. The best way to do this is to assign some reasonable meanings to a few of the terms available and then use a bit of comparative methodology and some etymological know-how to decompose the words.
     
    Ekimu is referred to by the title of “Mask Maker”, while Makuta is referred to by the title of “Mask Hoarder”. As suggested in the original topic, these titles could work well as the meanings of the names Ekimu and Makuta, and I will adopt this idea in order to proceed:
     
    Assumption: The names Ekimu and Makuta translate, respectively, to “Mask Maker” and “Mask Hoarder”.
     
    The advantage to this assumption is that it provides us with a basis for comparing the names. Both titles contain a meaning-element (or “morpheme”) signifying “mask”, so by comparing the two Okotoan names, we should be able to identify and isolate the common element.
     
    Observations: There is a common sequence /m+vowel/ in both names, /eki-mu/ and /ma-kuta/. Both names also contain a sequence of /k/ between vowels, /eki-mu/ in the first case and /m-aku-ta/ in the second.
     
    Both of these options could work, although they both come with a different set of assumptions/consequences. In the first case, we’d have to postulate that the sequences /-mu/ and /ma-/ both map to the morpheme “mask”, and the remaining portions of these words—/eki-/ and /-kuta/—map to the meanings “maker” and “hoarder”, respectively. In the second case, “mask” would be signified by the sequences /eki-/ and /-aku-/, with the morphemes for “maker” and “hoarder” represented by the sequences /-mu/ and /m-...-ta/.
     
    I believe the first option is preferable on the following grounds:
     
    First, splitting the names into /eki-mu/ and /ma-kuta/ is, in general, more uniform than splitting them into /eki-mu/ and /m-aku-ta/, because it results in both names being reduced to two clear morphemic elements (/eki+mu/ and /ma+kuta/), matching the assumed English translations (“mask+maker” and “mask+hoarder”) in a straightforward manner. This contrasts with the second option, which would reduce one name to two morphemic units (/eki+mu/), but the second name to (at least) three (/m+aku+ta/), unless we make some further hypotheses about the composition of these names (e.g. /ekimu/ should be divided into /eki+m+u/ to mirror /m+aku+ta/). On grounds of parsimony (i.e. simplicity), therefore, I believe the first option is better.
     
    Second, assuming that the sequences /mu/ and /ma/ are connected requires only one unified phonological rule affecting a single vowel, such that the vowels /u/ (in /mu/) and /a/ (in /ma/) both originate from a common source. In contrast, assuming that /eki/ and /aku/ are etymologically connected requires at least two rules, since two vowels are involved: /e/ and /a/ must trace back to one common source, and /i/ and /u/ trace back to another. Therefore, I believe that the first option wins out once again on grounds of parsimony (i.e. wanting to assume the minimum number of rules).
     
    With that said, here is how the first option would play out:
     
    Proposal 1: The sequence /mu/ in /ekimu/ and the sequence /ma/ in /makuta/ can both be traced back to an older common form *mau “mask” (the asterisk denotes a reconstructed form). Furthermore, the vowel-sequence /au/ is affected by the following phonological rule, which has two subparts:
     
    Phonological Rule 1:
    Subpart 1a: /au/ becomes /u/ at the ends of words (“word-finally”). Example: /ekimau/ > /ekimu/.
    Subpart 1b: /au/ becomes /a/ everywhere else (“elsewhere”). Example: /maukuta/ > /makuta/.
     
    Now that we’ve accounted for the phonological differences between the manifestations of the morpheme *mau “mask” in the two names, one task remains: explaining the syntactic difference between the combination of elements in each name. In the case of /ekimu/, the element *mau is placed second (/eki-mau/), while in the case of /makuta/, *mau is placed first (/mau-kuta/). Why is this? Does it matter? Ideally, I think we should have an explanation available, and towards that end, I’ll put forward a proposal inspired in part by the rules which apply to how adjectives modify nouns in the Matoran Language. First, the proposal; then, an explanation:
     
    Proposal 2: A modifying element placed before the element it modifies receives an indirect/abstract/non-physical interpretation, while a modifying element placed after another element receives a direct/concrete/physical interpretation.
     
    Note that, while this rule of syntactic/semantic composition matches the rules of the Matoran Language in principle (i.e. in that the syntactic position of modifiers influences their interpretation), in application it’s actually the opposite! In Matoran, adjectives received concrete interpretations when placed before nouns and abstract interpretations when placed after. In Okotoan, the situation is reversed: before = abstract, after = concrete. Don’t worry: this decision wasn’t made on a whim, luckily. It was the result of some intense thought as to the appropriate characterization of the meanings of the names Ekimu and Makuta, as well as a few other names/terms (which will be discussed in later posts). Furthermore, this proposal is a reversal of the proposal I made in the original post, which matched up with Matoran exactly. Ideas change. Pay it no mind! =P And anyways, it feels a bit more appropriate to have a distinct difference between Okotoan and Matoran, rather than having Okotoan be an exact replica.
     
    Now, let’s see how these ideas apply to the composition of our two names:
     
    First of all, we need to determine for both names what is the modifying element and what is the “primary” element (the “head”) in order to determine the interpretation (indirect/abstract vs. direct/concrete). In both cases, the elements representing “maker” (eki) and “hoarder” (kuta) are clearly the primary elements, meaning that the element *mau “mask” is the modifier for both terms. Here’s how this plays out:
     
    eki-mau = “maker with concrete/direct relation to masks” (the modifier *mau is placed after the primary element eki)
     
    mau-kuta = “hoarder with abstract/indirect relation to masks” (the modifier *mau is placed before the primary element kuta)
     
    Recap:
     
    - We have assumed that the names Ekimu and Makuta translate to “Mask Maker” and “Mask Hoarder”, respectively.
    - We have decomposed the names Ekimu and Makuta into the elements eki “maker” and kuta “hoarder”, both modified by the reconstructed element *mau “mask”.
    - Along the way, we’ve derived one phonological rule affecting the vowel-sequence /au/ (> /u/ word-finally, /a/ elsewhere), as well as a rule of syntactic/semantic composition (modifiers are interpreted as indirect/abstract when placed before the thing they modify, direct/concrete when placed after).
     
    Current Glossary:
     
    eki “maker”
    ekimu “mask maker”
    kuta “hoarder”
    makuta “mask hoarder”
    *mau “mask” (would become mu in the modern form of Okotoan)
  12. JRRT

    The Glyphs of Okoto

    By JRRT,

    Since the release of the Bionicle 2015 media, various people have taken note of the system of symbols or glyphs that consistently appear throughout the island of Okoto. They show up in nearly every one of the story animations--on ruins, statues, the Temple of Time...even the Mask of Creation is covered in them. This has, unsurprisingly, generated questions about whether or not these symbols are purely decorative or if they in fact constitute a functioning writing system, along the lines of the G1 Matoran Alphabet. After a good deal of discussion, however, the consensus (which I agree with) appears to be that these symbols are purely aesthetic and do not carry any linguistic significance.
     
    But even so, using a bit of creativity, it may still be possible to derive something meaningful from these symbols for use by Bionicle fans. My goal here is not to construct a complete "Okotoan Alphabet", but instead to simply take a first step in that direction and see where it leads; hopefully inspiring the creativity of others along the way. With that said, let's begin:
     
    There are two main sources from which I will draw examples of the relevant symbols: those found on the Mask of Creation and those found in the Temple of Time. This is because these sources provide very clear and consistent examples of the glyphs, without heavy modification due to, e.g. the simplified style of the animations, and also because the primary string of symbols that can be derived from these sources shows up only in bits and pieces elsewhere (sometimes partly obscured), rather than being attested in full, as it is in these two contexts.
     
    So, first, here is a facsimile of the symbols found on the Mask of Creation (click here for a hi-res version of the original picture).
     
    1.

     
    Next, a facsimile of the block of symbols found on the interior of the Temple of Time (see this image--specifically the symbols on the left side of the temple, middle row, far right column). The lefthand vertical column of this block is a full 180-degree rotation of the righthand vertical column, and the righthand column partially matches the central vertical crest on the MoCr.
     
    2.

     
    It’s pretty clear at this point that there is actually only one string of symbols involved in both cases. This string is modified/truncated/mirrored/rotated in various ways to fit whatever space is required. Here is the primary string in isolation (basically identical to the righthand column of the Temple of Time version, but mirrored horizontally to match that on the MoCr):
     
    3.

     
    Next, let’s focus on how this string is implemented on the Mask of Creation, since the MoCr provides good examples of repetition of specific sequences of glyphs and truncation of the primary sequence. My goal is to use whatever patterns of repetition/omition that can be found in order to decompose the primary string into individual units, which might then serve as independent “letters” (or graphemes). Here we go:
     
    - The central vertical crest exhibits the full primary string, plus a partial repetition. I have coded the repeated segment in blue, the non-repeated segment in green:
     
    4.

     
    - The two lesser vertical crests exhibit a non-repeating version of the full string which is nevertheless truncated via removal of the largest symbol (marked in red on the original string). Note that the left crest is oriented identically to the central crest, and the right crest is a horizontal mirror of the left.
     
    5.

     
    - The two internal vertical sequences on the “forehead” of the mask include the entire segment that is repeated twice on the central vertical crest, plus one additional symbol. I have preserved the blue-green coloring from (4) to illustrate this.
     
    6.

     
    - The four horizontal crests on the lower edges of the mask all make use of the primary sequence rotated 90 degrees, but with nearly half the sequence omitted. The upper horizontal crests have one glyph more than the lower horizontal crests, which are also flipped vertically. Once again, I have preserved the blue-green color-coding to better illustrate the extent to which certain sequences are preserved and/or omitted.
     
    7.

     
    With these observations in place, here is an updated version of the full schematic of the MoCr with blue-green color-coding.
     
    8.

     
    Now, as stated previously, my goal here is to figure out which symbols are independent and separable and which symbols form “blocks” with each other in order to dissolve the primary string into its constituent units. The patterns of omition on the MoCr give some good clues about this. For example, the fact that a symbol can be omitted from the primary string on the lesser vertical crests (the symbol marked red in (5) above) shows that this symbol is a separable glyph. Likewise, the individual glyphs that are added to fill space on the internal vertical crests (see (6)) and the horizontal crests (see (7)) show that these specific glyphs are also independent and separable. All of these observations lead to the following:
     
    9.

     
    And now, to bring us full circle, we can apply the color-coding to the primary string only, as follows:
     
    10.

     
    As can be seen, my assumption here is that the glyphs that are colored identically form a unit with one another, and based on this assumption, I have broken up the primary string into 8 separate units. Note that the decision to separate 1 and 2 was my own, since, if these symbols had been combined, it would make for a very complex symbol indeed. In addition, the decision to include the single horizontal line as a part of symbol 2, rather than a separate symbol, was made based on the observation that (1) these two components are never separated, and (2) that the two components are clearly printed as a single unit on the lesser vertical crests of the MoCr.
     
    Now the question is, where to go from here? I don’t really know. As a fun creative exercise, we could, of course, assign an alphabetic value to each of the eight “letters” represented here—preferably values that together form some significant eight-letter word without any repeating letters (assuming that this is an alphabetic writing system, similar to the G1 Matoran alphabet). A couple of ideas occur to me:
     
    First, there is the word CREATION. It has eight letters, non-repeating. If we do the value-assignment as suggested, that would make our primary string spell out as follows (Note that, because we have no indications as to which way to read the glyphs (upwards or downwards), either way could work, and so I have provided both up-down and down-up value-assignments):
     
    11.

     
    Secondly—and perhaps more interestingly—there is the word BIONICLE, which is also eight letters, but has a repetition of the letter <i>, which makes it not quite as practical if we want to maximize the number of letters we have at our disposal. However, this problem can be partly resolved by the following observation: The word does have a repetition of the letter <i>, but both occurences have completely different phonetic values, i.e. the first <i> is the sound in “bite”, while the second is the sound in “bit”. If we can withstand this slight complication, this version might very well work.
     
    12.

     
    I will leave it at that. I hope you enjoyed this detour into possible Okotoan orthography, and I also hope that the ideas sketched out here--legitimate or not--serve to generate further creativity on the subject. Have fun.
     
    JRRT
  13. JRRT

    Auld Lang Syne / Ivaha Vahai

    By JRRT,

    [
    don't forget]

     

    I wanted to do one final Matoran Language translation for the year, and what better text to translate than
    "Auld Lang Syne"? In fact, the theme of the song feels doubly appropriate for the Bionicle fandom this year, with the final closure of the original line and the exciting rise of the new generation of sets and story. With that in mind, I decided to translate the titular Scots refrain Auld Lang Syne "Days of Long Ago" using the familiar Matoran phrase Ivaha Vahai "In the Time Before Time".


    May it always be remembered.


     
     

    “Auld Lang Syne” / “Ivaha Vahai”


     

    =====


     

    Should auld acquaintance be forgot,


     

    and never brought to mind?


     

    Should auld acquaintance be forgot,


     

    and auld lang syne?


     
     

    o vau-aiye inuuryaska,


     

    avarumu-sehai?


     

    o vau-aiye inuuryaska,


     

    no ivaha vahai?


     

    =====


     

    For auld lang syne, my jo,


     

    for auld lang syne,


     

    we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,


     

    for auld lang syne.


     
     

    ta ivaha vahai, ro'o,


     

    ta ivaha vahai,


     

    o ilahi-vano kyako,


     

    ta ivaha vahai.


     

    =====


     

    And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup!


     

    and surely I’ll be mine!


     

    And we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,


     

    for auld lang syne.


     
     

    ou vano'u wijeyako


     

    no o anga rodai!


     

    no o ilahi-vano kyako,


     

    ta ivaha vahai.


     

    =====


     

    We twa hae run about the braes,


     

    and pou’d the gowans fine;


     

    But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,


     

    sin' auld lang syne.


     
     

    o-anga numu aodyanu,


     

    no boki kyanu-lai


     

    va jaui-odhi-na vyanu,


     

    nu ivaha vahai.


     

    =====


     

    We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,


     

    frae morning sun till dine;


     

    But seas between us braid hae roar’d


     

    sin' auld lang syne.


     
     

    o-anga igava vyanu


     

    avahi kravahai;


     

    va mahri omu dekyanu


     

    nu ivaha vahai.


     

    =======


     

    And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!


     

    and gie's a hand o’ thine!


     

    And we’ll tak' a right gude-willie waught,


     

    for auld lang syne.


     
     

    hiki maki'o, pauhi'o


     

    ouhi 'ko kya-angai!


     

    o gahi-laui voryako,


     

    ta ivaha vahai.


  14. JRRT
    Nuparu and the Dakhi-Na Vahki / The Six Commandments of the Law


     

    [
    also there]

     
    The Onu-Matoran engineer-inventor Nuparu is well-known as the creator of the last generation of law-enforcement automatons to be implemented in the city of Metru Nui prior to the Great Cataclysm. This was the culmination of a series of attempts to control crime-rates and unrest spanning the period after the tragic events of the Matoran Civil War.
     
    While it is true that Nuparu was primarily responsible for the conception and mechanical design of these automatons, he also played a role in articulating the socio-political philosophy behind their implementation. In the aftermath of the Civil War, many leaders sought to implement safeguards to prevent any future uprisings in the city—not simply because they desired to control the population, but because they also wished to prevent the reoccurrence of a state of affairs where the bloody intervention of the Makuta once again was threatened.
     
    Various schools of thought arose, all centered around the concept of Vahki – "the Law" – and its application. Accordingly, Nuparu named his creations the Vahki. Furthermore, he consulted the Ko-Matoran Scholar and Historian Ihu about the history of Matoran legal systems. The oldest codified set of laws, said to have been transmitted directly from Mata Nui, was the Dakhi-Na Vahki "Six Commandments of the Law" (dakhi "(a) law, rule, commandment"), which articulated many of the basic principles of Matoran ethics.
     
    vahki |n.| (the) Law; lit. "measurement of limitations" [vahki < vahiki < vdahiki < fata-hiki, from fata "restriction, limitation " and hiki "measurement"]
    dakhi |n.| (a) law, rule, commandment; lit. "component of order" [dakhi < dakihi < zdakihi < zata-kihi, from zata "order" (see entry da) and kihi "part, component"]
     
    Each of the six individual laws was eventually characterized by a single lexical compound, which stood as the "name" of the law. Drawing upon this historical material, Nuparu created six variations on the original Vahki-design, each specifically tailored to the enforcement of one of the Dakhi-Na and equipped with corresponding abilities. The laws are as follows:
     
    I - Zadakh: "Thou shalt follow the plan."
    zadakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law of schematic [zadakh < zadakhi < za-zatakhi, from za "schematic, structure, plan" and zatakhi "(a) law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    II - Bordakh: "Thou shalt not betray life-integrity."
    bordakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law against decay/failure/betrayal/disloyalty [bordakh < bordakhi < borzdakhi < bor-zatakhi, from bor "decay, failure; lit. 'opposite of growing/living/remaining'" (< bo-ur) and zatakhi "(a) law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    III - Vorzakh: "Thou shalt not obstruct movement/vital-energy."
    vorzakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law against obstruction of movement/energy [vorzakh < vorzakhi < vorzdakhi < vor-zatakhi, from vor "obstruction (of movement/energy); lit. 'opposite of movement/transmission'" (< vo-ur) and zatakhi "law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    IV - Rorzakh: "Thou shalt not be idle/cease communication."
    rorzakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law against idleness/non-communication [rorzakh < rorzakhi < rorzdakhi < ror-zatakhi, from ror "idleness, non-communication; lit. 'opposite of unit/word'" (< ro-ur) and zatakhi "law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    V - Keerakh: "Thou shalt not injure/disassemble."
    keerakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law against injury/disassembly [keerakh < keerzdakhi < keer-zatakhi, from keer "injury, disassembly; lit. 'opposite of unity-of-parts'" (< kee-ur) and zatakhi "law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    VI - Nuurakh: "Thou shalt not forget."
    nuurakh |n.cmpd.| (the) law against forgetfulness [nuurakh < nuurzdakhi < nuur-zatakhi, from nuur "forgetfulness; lit. 'opposite of memory'" (< nu-ur) and zatakhi "law, rule, commandment" (see entry dakhi)]
     
    In addition to the choice of name for each Vahki, Nuparu also equipped each Vahki-type with abilities appropriate for the enforcement of the individual laws they represented:
     
    - The Zadakh were equipped with Staffs of Suggestion, allowing them to enforce the commandment that Matoran should follow the plan or programming provided.
     
    - The Bordakh were equipped with Staffs of Loyalty, enforcing the commandment against decay, failure, or betrayal by generating a strong sense of loyalty in the target.
     
    - The Vorzakh were equipped with Staffs of Erasing, which inhibited higher mental function, enforcing the commandment against the obstruction of movement or transmission of energy by causing Matoran-units to revert to base-programming.
     
    - The Rorzakh were equipped with Staffs of Presence, allowing the Vahki to monitor the senses of subversive individuals and enforce the commandment against idleness (not performing a particular labor for some reason) or non-communication (i.e. withholding information).
     
    - The Keerakh were equipped with Staffs of Confusion, allowing them to enforce the commandment against injury (of another unit) or disassembly (of some structure) by disorienting and subduing the offender.
     
    - Lastly, the Nuurakh were equipped with Staffs of Command, allowing them to enforce the commandment against forgetting or abandoning some task or purpose by directly forcing a command-directive upon a target and imposing obedience.
     
    While Nuparu originally intended for the Vahki to represent the Unity of the Law (Vahki Kaita) by working as a whole throughout the city of Metru Nui, they were not implemented as such. Instead, each of the six Vahki-types became separately associated with one Metru and were largely restricted to working within that Metru, subverting Nuparu's original ideal.
     
    Accordingly, as the role of the Vahki became more and more oppressive under the increasingly totalitarian leadership of Turaga Dume, Nuparu came to believe that, in spite of his good intentions for bringing about a final age of peace for his city, he had ultimately failed, and the revelation that Turaga Dume was in fact the Makuta Teridax in disguise only reinforced that belief. Despite the efforts of those who strove to establish the rule of law in Metru Nui, in the end, history repeated itself with the intervention of the Makuta, and the universe suffered the consequences...
     
    Etymological Notes:
     
    Five of the words listed above are derived via a common pattern: stem+ur+zatakhi. After standard processes of phonological reduction have applied – namely -urzata- > -rzada- > -rzda- – this results in a triconsonantal cluster [rzd]. This cluster is further reduced according to the application of three different phonological rules, as follows:
     
    - Rule 1: [rzd] > [rd] / V__
    This means that, when the cluster [rzd] is preceded by a short vowel, it reduces to [rd]. This rule applies in the word bordakh (< borzdakhi).
     
    - Rule 2: [rzd] > [rz] / C[+cont]V__
    This means that, when the cluster [rzd] is preceded by a short vowel and a consonant which is a continuant, it reduces to [rz] (i.e. instead of [rd], as in Rule 1). This rule applies in the words vorzakh (< vorzdakhi, [v] = continuant consonant) and rorzakh (< rorzdakhi, [r] = continuant consonant).
     
    - Rule 3: [rzd] > [r] / V:__
    This means that, when the cluster [rzd] is preceded by a long vowel, it reduces to [r] (most likely with an intermediate stage [rd] or [rz]). This rule applies in the words keerakh (< keerdakhi < keerzdakhi) and nuurakh (< nuurzakhi < nuurzdakhi).
  15. JRRT

    Naming the Toa Mata

    By JRRT,

    Naming the Toa Mata


     

    [
    over there]

     
    Assumption #1: The names of the Toa Mata were constructed at the very beginning of the Matoran Universe and have preserved their forms throughout history; hence, they provide a window on the form of the Matoran Language in its earliest stages.
     
    Assumption #2: The names of the Toa Mata should be subjected to only the most limited of sound changes (if any), in contrast to other Bionicle names/terms, which are more likely to have been systematically altered in the course of linguistic history.
     
    tahu |n.| fire (substance); combustion; lit. “process/activity of fire” [tahu < ta-hu, from ta “fire” and hu “process, activity”]
     
    gali |n.| water (substance); ocean, tide; lit. “repetition/pervasiveness of water” [gali < ga-li, from ga “water” and li “repetition, habituality, pervasiveness”]
     
    Etymologically, the names given to Tahu and Gali form a natural class in that both indicate relatively straightforward manifestations of their respective elements: the natural activity of fire (with hu “activity, process”) and the natural activity of water or liquid protodermis (with li “repetition, pervasiveness”): ta-hu “fire, combustion” and ga-li “water, ocean”.
     
    lewa |n.| air, wind (substance); atmosphere; lit. “mass/quantity of air” [lewa < le-wa, from le “air” and wa “mass, quantity”]
     
    onua |n.| earth, ground (substance); lit. “mass/quantity of earth” [onua < onu-wa, from onu “earth” and wa “mass, quantity”]
     
    The names given to Lewa and Onua also form a natural class, as they are both derived in an identical manner via the stem wa “mass, quantity”, which is used primarily to form nouns indicating physical/abstract substances: le-wa “air (substance)” and onu-wa “earth (substance)”.
     
    pohatu |n.| stone, rock (substance); foundation; lit. “uniformity/constancy of stone” [pohatu < po-hatu, from po “stone” and hatu “uniformity, constancy, homogeneity”]
     
    kopaka |n.| ice (substance); glacier; lit. “steadfastness/coherence of ice” [kopaka < ko-paka, from ko “ice” and paka “steadfastness”]
     
    The names given to Pohatu and Kopaka likewise form a natural class, but for different reasons than the previous names: They are slightly more complex and abstract, one being derived by compounding with hatu “uniformity, constancy” and the other with paka “steadfastness, coherence”:
     
    hatu |n.| uniformity, constancy, homogeneity; lit. “essence of system-normality” [hatu < ha-atu, from ha “system-normality” and atu “will, intention; essence”]
     
    paka |n.| steadfastness, coherence, solidity; lit. “energy of stone” [paka < pa-ka, from pa “stone” (see entry po) and ka “power, energy, fundamental aspect”]
     
    Semantically, however, both of these words indicate very similar concepts (solidity, steadfastness, reliability, etc.), which serve to characterize the physical manifestations of both of the respective elements: po-hatu “stone, foundation” and ko-paka “ice, glacier”.
  16. JRRT
    [There has been some recent interest in my
    very old, very outdated Matoran Dictionary as of late; due, I think, to the discussions in this very interesting topic. Well, interest breeds motivation, and I've worked up the motivation to work out some significant revisions to the Dictionary, bringing it up-to-date with my most recent conceptions of Matoran etymology, as discussed at length in the "Meaningless Names" series. So enjoy this "Second Edition", if you will.]






    [update 8/6:
    It is finished. Rejoice! I have split the completed dictionary into a series of Volumes, due to the fact that our silly blog software cannot handle formatting at this level of intensity. Stay tuned.]






    A Matoran Dictionary



    2nd Edition




    Original materials compiled by the Scholar Ihu, 80m., Ko-Metru, Metru Nui. This dictionary is organized according to the order of the first letter of the Matoran word, in the sequence in which these letters appear in the General Alphabet of the Matoran ( through ). Each entry provides a description of the basic meaning(s) of the word and parts of speech, followed by an explanation of the word’s usage, etymological history, form, and development. Words whose etymologies are uncertain are labeled as such.







    † Entries marked with this symbol are entirely “non-canon”, i.e., they are reconstructed from authentic lexical elements but are not themselves attested in any Matoran source document. These entries are solely the fabrications of the human writing under the alias “Tolkien” and should be denoted as such in academic references.


     

    VOLUME I :: A-D


     
    -A-
     
    aft |n.cmpd.| bright mind [aft < av-et, from av “elemental light” (variant of avo, see entry) and et, a heavily reduced form of atu “mind/will”]
    agi-ya |v.| to wash over, immerse [From the modified verbal stem agi “elemental water; washing, immersion” (see entry ga) and the verbal particle ya]
    agni |n.| guard, soldier; lit. “great bravery” [agni < aki-nī, from aki “courage, bravery; aptitude, capability” and nī, a reduction of nui “great, significant”]
    ahkmou |adj.| 1. fitting, proper; lit. “according to measure”; 2. subversive, dishonest; lit. “through deception/trickery” [ahkmou < a-hiki-mou, from hiki (multiple meanings, see entries hiki¹, hiki²) and the split-particle -amu (a...mou) “through, by (transitional-instrumental)”]
    ai |pro.| he/she/it [3rd pers. sg., subject form - FD: LM#7]†
    ai-nā |pro.| they [3rd pers. pl., subject form - FD: LM#7]†
    aiye |vn.| collecting, assembling, gathering up [aiye < a-yi-i, from the verbal complex yi-ya “to collect, gather, bring together” (see entry) with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya. Variant forms: ayi, ai, ī]
    aiyeto |n.cmpd.| assembly, construction [aiyeto < aiye-et-ō, from aiye “collecting, assembling, gathering up”, et, a heavily reduced form of atu “mind, will” (see entry), and the nounal particle ō]
    aiyetoro |n.cmpd.| assembly-line, construction process [aiyetoro < aiyeto-ro, from aiyeto “assembly, construction” and ro “line, edge” (variant of rho, see entry)]
    aju |adj./n.| intelligent; intelligence [aju < atu-zu, from atu “mind, will” and zu “tactical”]
    -ak |p.| intensive particle
    aka(i) |vn.| power, empowerment, ability; lit. “energizing, empowering, actualizing/activating [akai > a-ka-i, from the verbal complex ka-ya with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle]
    akaku |n.| x-ray vision; lit. “sight-of-sight” [akaku < aku-aku, from an intensivizing reduplication of aku “sight, vision”]
    akamai¹ |n.cmpd.| mastery of courage/bravery [akamai < aki-amayi, from aki “courage, bravery” and amayi “adeptness, flexibility, mastery”]
    akamai² |n.cmpd.| unified mastery of power [akamai < akai-mayi, from akai “power, empowerment, ability” (see entry) and the stem-compound ma-yi “unified-mastery”]
    akamu |adv.| skillfully; lit. “through skill” [akamu < aka-amu, an adverb grammaticalized from the nounal complex aka-amu, from aka(i) “power, empowerment, ability” and the particle -amu “through, by (transitional-instrumental)”]
    akari |vn.| exertion, resistance; lit. “exerting, applying power” [akari < a-kar-i, from the verbal complex kar-ya with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle]
    akataiku |n.cmpd.| (Kanohi) lit. “empowerment of heat-vision” [akataiku < aka-taiaku, from akai “power, empowerment, ability” and taiaku “heat-vision”. Variant forms: akataku, akatāku, akataiaku - FD: NM]†
    akawi |vn.| flying, soaring, moving freely [akawi < a-kau-i, from the verbal complex kau-ya, with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya]
    aki |n.| courage, bravery; aptitude, capability; (honorific) leader, lord [aki < akai-ī, from akai “power, empowerment, ability” and the nounal particle ī, with slight metaphoric semantic shift]
    akili |n.| athletic-skill, skillfulness, adeptness [akili < aki-li-ī, from aki “courage, bravery; aptitude, capability”, the primeval modifying particle li and the nounal particle ī]
    akilini |n.| great athletic-skill [akilini < akili-nī, from akili “athletic-skill, skillfulness, adeptness” and the particle nī, a reduction of nui “great, significant”. Used as a term for a highly competitive and skill-intensive Matoran sport]
    aku |n.| sight, vision [etymology uncertain; possibly from a primeval verbal stem akoi, derived from ko “elemental ice; clarity, focus” via verbal modification, i.e., addition of the verbal particle ya, with splitting+displacement (ko-ya > a-ko-i > akoi > aku)]
    akuavo |n.| sun, star; title of one of the twin suns of Metru Nui [Originates as a conjunction of the ancient elemental stem avo "light" and the term aku "sight, vision". The word's usage as a title for one of the twin suns in the city of Metru Nui is probably historically based upon the fact that vision is given through light (as in the light of the eyes of the Matoran), and more colloquially upon the idea that the twin suns somehow represent the "eyes of Mata Nui", an idea which is afforded little credence by the educated community]†
    akuhi |n.| eye(s); lit. “sight-things” [akuhi < aku-hī, from aku "sight, vision" and the particle hī "thing, object, place"]†
    akuta |n.| knowledge [akuta < aku-tau, from aku “sight, vision” and the u-modified elemental stem tau “elemental fire; spirit/essence, result of process”]
    aku-ya |v.| to know [From aku “sight, vision” and the verbal particle ya]†
    ally |vn.| excellence, kindness, good-naturedness; lit. “being good/excellent” [ally < a-la-i, from the verbal complex la-ya “to be good/kind” with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya. Variant form: alai]
    amahti |n.| hand, grip; lit. "thing that holds, grips" [amahti < amat-hī, from the stem amat "use, hold, utilize" and the particle hī "thing, object, place". Variant form: amahi]†
    amaja |n.| council; lit. “using/expounding strategy” [amaja < amat-za, from amat "use, hold, utilize" and the stem za “planning, tactic”]
    amaki |n.| finger; lit. "part of hand/grip" [amaki < amat-kī, from the stem amat "use, hold, utilize" and the particle kī "part, piece, portion of". Variant form: amatki]†
    amana |n.| (re)forming, (re)making; (Kanohi-) healing [etymology uncertain; - FD: NM]
    amat |v./stm.| use, hold, utilize [etymology uncertain; possibly amat < a-mat-i via verbal modification, i.e., addition of the verbal particle ya, with splitting+displacement]
    amaya |n.| lit. “jack of all trades” [amaya < amayi-ha, an independent lexicalization of the nounal complex amayi-ha, from amayi “adeptness, flexibility; lit ‘unified mastering’” and the particle ha “from, out of (origin)”]
    amayi |vn.| adeptness, flexibility, mastery; lit. “unified mastering” [amayi < a-mayi-i, from the verbal complex mayi-ya “to accomplish, achieve; lit. ‘master (a) unified whole’”]
    -amu |p.| through, during (transitional-instrumental) [Variant forms: o(u)...ma, a...mou, o...m/n (splitting+displacement) - FD: LM#8]†
    ān |n.| being, individual [Variant form: -ann (Skakdi variant)]
    ana |n.| group, host; many beings [ana < ān-nā, from ān “being, individual” and the plural particle nā]
    anae |vn.| proliferation, multiplying [anae < a-nai-i, from the verbal complex nai-ya “to multiply, proliferate” with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya]
    antai |vn.| enlightenment [antai < a-nita-i, from the verbal complex nita-ya “to uplift, enlighten” with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya]
    antro |n.| administration, rule; lit. “guidance of beings” [antro < ān-trē-ō, from ān “being, individual”, trē (< tēr) “guide, guiding force”, and the nounal particle ō]
    antroz |n.cmpd.| tyrant; lit. “violent ruler” [antroz < antro-azi, from antro “administration, rule” and azi (variant of zī, see entry) “violence, predatory”]
    aodhan |n.| traveler [aodhan < aodhi-ān, from aodhi “travel (on foot)” (variant of aoduhi, see entry) and ān “being, individual”]
    aoduhi |vn.| travel (on foot) [aoduhi < a-oduh-i, from the verbal complex oduh-ya “to walk, travel on foot” (see entry) with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya. Variant forms: aduhi, aodhi]
    arktinen |n.cmpd.| glacier-climber [arktinen < ari-kotini-ān, from ari “striving, struggling; climbing” (variant of rī, see entry), kotini “glacier”, and ān “being, individual”]
    arta |n.| bondage, hindrance, limitation; (a) prison; lit. against-the-spirit” [arta < ār-ta, from the particle ār “applied, application (of)” (with later semantic shift to “(applied) against, resistance, hindering”) and ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence” - FD: MN#6]
    artakha¹ |n.| (archaic) forger, crafter [artakha < ar-takha-a, from the split-particle ār (ar...a) “applied, application (of)” and takha “crafting, craft” (see entry) - FD: MN#6]
    artakha² |n.cmpd.| (modern) (a) refuge, safe haven; lit. out-of-bondage [artakha < arta-ha, from arta “bondage, hindrance, limitation” and the particle ha “from, out of (origin particle)” - FD: MN#6]
    arthra |n.| echo, resonance [From a word coinage meant to reflect the sound of an echo via a reversible syllable structure. Variant forms: atra, artra, arthro]
    arthron |n.cmpd.| (Kanohi-) sonar-user; lit. “one who echoes/resonates” [arthron < arthro-ān, from arthro “ech, resonance” (variant of arthra) and ān “being, individual”]
    artidax |n.cmpd.| lit. “bondage/imprisonment-toward-greater-order”; paraphr. “prison to promote greater order” [artidax < arta-īda-ak-si, from arta “bondage, hinderance, limitation; prison” (see entry), the nounal complex ī-da “toward order”, the intensive particle -ak, and the comparative adjectival particle si - FD: MN#6]
    aso |n.| sand [etymology uncertain; possibly from a primeval stem ās with a rough meaning of "shifting/dispersing earth/sand" and the nounal particle ō - FD: MN#2]
    aso-mahri |n.cmpd.| sea-shore, beach [From aso "sand" and mahri "ocean, sea"; also see synonymous entry asoro]†
    asoro |n.| beach; lit. "sand-shore" [asoro < aso-rho, from aso "sand" and rho "line, edge"; also see synonymous entry asomahri]†
    atu |n.| mind, will [etymology uncertain; possibly from a primeval verbal stem atoi, derived from tō “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence” (variant of tā with final ā > ō vowel shift, see entry) via verbal modification, i.e., addition of the verbal particle ya, with splitting+displacement (tō-ya > a-tō-i > atoi > atu). Variant forms: et, at, oth]
    atui |adj.| willful; of the mind [atui < atu-ui, from atu “mind, will” and the adjectival particle ui. Variant forms: atti, atī]
    atu-ma |v.| to want, will [From atu "mind, will" and the verbal particle ma]†
    auhno |n.| mimicry, impersonation; lit. “many imitations” [auhino < auhi-nā, an independent lexicalization of the nounal complex auhi-nā, from auhi “imitation, practice” (variant of auhui, see entry) and the plural particle nā (with final ā > ō vowel shift). Variant form: ōhno]
    auhui |vn.| imitation, practice [auhui < a-uhu-i, from the verbal complex uhu-ya “to practice; imitate” with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle ya. Variant forms: auhi, ōhi]
    avahi |n.| (period of) time [avahi < avai-hī, from avai “time, progression” and hī “thing, object, place”]†
    avai |vn.| progression (of time); lit. “progressing of time” [avai < a-vā-i, from the verbal complex vā-ya, with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle]†
    avak |n./adj.| great brightness; blazing/painfully bright [avak < av-ak, from av “elemental light” (variant of avo, see entry) and the intensive particle -ak]
    avaku |n.| sun, star; title of one of the twin suns of Metru Nui [avaku < avo-aku, from avo "elemental light" and aku "sight, vision"; also see entry akuavo for further discussion of origin and usage]†
    avo |n./stm.| elemental light [avo < āvo, from the primeval elemental stem āvo “elemental light”. Variant form: av]
    avoborui |n.cmpd.| lightvine [avoborui < avo-oborui, from avo “elemental light” and oborui “vine, creeper” (see entry)]†
    avohkah |n.cmpd.| (Rahi-) thing of light and energy [avohkah < avohi-kahi, from the compound avohi “light-thing” and kahi “power/energy-thing”]
    avohkī |n.cmpd.| (Kanohi-) lit. “measurer/measurement of light” [avohkī < avo-hīkī, from avo “elemental light” and hīkī (> hiki) “measurement” (see entry hiki¹)]
    avotai |n.| (a) lit torch [avotai < avo-ta-hī, from avo "elemental light", ta “elemental fire”, and hī “thing, object, place”]†
    avsa |n.| (Kanohi-) hunger for light [avsa < av-sā, from av “elemental light” (variant of avo, see entry) and the primeval stem sā “hungering, devouring, scattering” (related to ās "shifting/dispersing earth/sand", see entry aso)]
    avu |adj.| revealed, (newly) discovered, exposed [avu < avo-u, from avo “elemental light” and the adjectival particle u. Variant form: ava]
    awai |vn.| (Kanohi-) growth; lit. “becoming large, increase” [awai < a-wa-i, from the verbal complex wa-ya, with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle - FD: NM]†
    axalara |n.cmpd.| boundless capability; lit. “more excellent untamed capability” [axalara < axo-la-ra, from axo “greater capability” (see entry), the modifying particle -la “good, excellent”, and ra “wild(ness), untamed”]
    axo |n.| greater capability, valor [axo < aki-si-ō, from aki “brave, courageous, capable” (see entry), the comparative adjectival particle si, and the nounal particle ō. Variant forms: akso]
    axon |n.cmpd.| valorous/capable being [axon < axo-ān, from axo “greater valor” and ān “being, individual”. Variant form: axonn]
    azahi |n.| crime [azahi < azai-hī, from azai “violence” and hī “thing, object, place”]†
    azai |vn.| violence; lit. “attacking” [azai < a-zā-i, from the verbal complex zā-ya, with splitting+displacement of the verbal particle]†
    azibo |n.| pressure, strain; structural stress [azi-bā, from azi (variant of zī) “violence, predatory” and the elemental stem bā “elemental gravity; weight” (with final ā > ō vowel shift)]

    -B-
     
    ba |n./stm.| 1. elemental gravity; 2. weight, consideration, pondering [ba < bā, from the primeval elemental stem bā “elemental gravity”. Variant forms: ba-, bal (l-modification), bō (ā > ō / __#)]
    bahrag |n.cmpd.| lit. “elder of the followers, vigilant/waiting elders” [bahrag < boh-raga, from boh “vigilance, watchfulness; awaiting, on-standby, ready-to-respond” and raga “elder, wise one” - FD: MN#2]
    balta |n.| pondering spirit [balta < bal-ta, from the l-modified elemental stem bal “elemental gravity; weight, consideration, pondering” and ta “elemental fire; spirit, being, essence”]
    barra |n.| war, conflict; instability, imbalance, chaos [barra < ba-ār-ra, from ba-ār “stability, balance; lit. application-of-gravity” (compound of ba “elemental gravity” and ār “applied, application (of)”) and ra “wild(ness); untamed” - FD: MN#5]
    barraki |n.cmpd.| warlord, military leader [barraki < barra-aki, from barra “war, conflict; instability, imbalance, chaos” and aki “leader, lord” - FD: MN#5]
    bitil |n.cmpd.| attentive/mindful one, one who is aware of surroundings [bitil < bi-til, from the stems bi (< vibi < fi-pi) “subtle creature” and til (< ti-el) “attentive(ness); lit. ‘sense of space’”]
    bo |n./stm.| 1. elemental plant-life; the Green; 2. living, growing, thriving [bo < bō, from the primeval elemental stem bō “elemental plant-life”. Variant forms: bo-, bol (l-modification), boul/bul (u/l-modification)]
    boga |n.| (plant-)sap; blood [boga < bo-ga, from bo “elemental plant-life” and ga “elemental water”. Variant form: bogga]
    boggarak |n.cmpd.| lit. “scourge of sap/blood; dehydrator” [boggarak < bogga-rak, from bogga “(plant-)sap; blood” (variant of boga, see entry) and rak “menace, scourge”]
    boh |stm.| vigilance, watchfulness; awaiting, on-standby, ready-to-respond [etymology uncertain - FD: MN#2]
    bohi |n.| (a) plant; form of vegetation [bo-hī, from bo ”elemental plant-life” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]†
    bohrok |n.cmpd.| awaiting commands, vigilant for commands; vigilantly awaiting/following words [bohrok < boh-oro-ak, from boh “vigilance, watchfulness; awaiting, on-standby, ready-to-respond”, oro “word, unit of communication”, and the intensive particle -ak - FD: MN#2]
    boki |n.| leaf; branch [boki < bo-kī, from bo “elemental plant-life” and the particle kī “part, piece, portion; segment”]†
    bolo |n.| fruit [bolo < bol-ō, from the l-modified elemental stem bol “elemental plant-life” and the nounal particle ō]
    bomba |n.cmpd.| trunk, branch, limb of plant [bomba < bo-mī-ba, from bo “elemental plant-life”, mī “up, upward, above” and ba “elemental gravity”, yielding a sense of “plant that rises against gravity”]
    bomo |n.cmpd.| hunter, tracker; lit. “master of vigilance/patience” [bomo < boh-mā, from boh “vigilance, watchfulness” and mā “mastery, control” (variant of ma(t), see entry, with final ā > ō vowel shift)]
    bomonga |n.cmpd.| lone hunter/tracker [bomonga < bomo-nga, from bomo “hunter, tracker” and nga “one; first, lone”]
    bonu |n.| grass [bonu < bo-onu, from bo “elemental plant-life” and onu “elemental earth”]†
    bonu-leru |n.cmpd.| acid-grass [From bonu "grass" and the adjective leru "acidic". A term for the species of acid-grass found in the Northern Continent and in the island of Xia]†
    bordakh |n.cmpd.| lit. “vigilant judge/law-keeper” [bordakh < bor-dahki-ak, from bor (reduction from bohrok, see entry), dahki “judge, law-keeper”, and the intensive particle -ak - FD: MN#3]
    boreas |n.cmpd.| jungle-bird [boreas < bo-reas, from bo “elemental plant-life” and reas “bird; nesting creature” (variant of ris, see entry). Variant form: boris]
    botar |n.cmpd.| overseer, monitor; lit. “vigilant guide” [botar < boh-tar, from boh “vigilance, watchfulness; awaiting, on-standby, ready-to-respond” and the stem tār (< tēr) “guidance; guiding force”]
    bour |n./stm.| wilderness, barrenness [bour < bo-ūru, from bo “elemental plant-life; living, growing, thriving” and ūr(u) “un-, negative, not”. Variant forms: bouru, buuru]
    brakas |n.cmpd.| rahi-monkey; lit. mischievous-kau [brakas < brā-kau-s, from the stem b(e)rā “antagonistic, warlike, rogueish, mischievous”, the onomotapoeic element kau (an imitation of the kau-kau call of the Brakas monkey), and the Rahi-designation affix -s. Variant forms: brākas, brakashi, berakas - FD: MN#5]
    brander |n.cmpd.| mischief-maker, practical-joker; lit. “application-of-cunning-mischief” [brander < brā-nidi-er, from the stem b(e)rā “antagonistic, warlike, rogueish, mischievous”, nidi “cunning, slyness; thievery” and the particle er (< ār) “application of” - FD: MN#5]
    brutaka |n.cmpd.| warlike lesser-spirit of power [brutaka < brautaka < brā-ūta-ka < brā-ukuta-ka, from the stem b(e)rā “antagonistic, warlike, rogueish, mischievous”, uk(u)ta “lesser-spirit, being-of-lesser-rank; (a) kuta-level being”, and ka “power, energy, force, ability” - FD: MN#5]
    bula |n.| good fruit, berry [bula < bol-la, from the u/l-modified elemental stem boul “elemental plant-life” and the modifying particle la “excellent, good”]
     
    -D-
     
    dahki |n.| judge, law-keeper; lit. measurer-of-authority/order [dahki < da-hiki, from da “authority, order” (< za-ta) and hiki¹ “measurement, extent” (see entry). Basically synonymous with the parallel term vahki (see entry)]†
    daikau |adj.| rahi-like, beast-like [daikau < daika-u, from daika (variant of dika²) “rahi, beast” and the adjectival particle u. Applied to a species of carnivorous plant]
    dalu |n.| confidence, self-assuredness; lit. “orderly awareness” [dalu < da-lu, from da “authority, order” (< za-ta) and the u-modified elemental stem leu “elemental air; listening/hearing/speaking”]
    damek |n.| efficient organization [damek < dame-ak, from dame (variant of dami, see entry) “organization, engineering” and the intensive particle -ak]
    dami |n.| organization; engineering; lit. “increasing in order” [dami < da-mī, from the stem da “authority, order” and mī “up, upward, rising”]
    darex |n.cmpd.| high command; highest authority [darex < da-rex, from da “authority, order” and rex “superior command, upper echelon” (variant of orix). Variant form: drex]
    daxia |n.cmpd.| authority/order over planning/schematics [daxia < dā-xia, from dā “authority, order” and xia “planning, schematic, engineering” (variant of zia, see entry)]
    de |n./stm.| elemental sound [de < dē, from the primeval elemental stem dē “elemental sound”. Variant form: de-]
    defilak |n.cmpd.| lit. “very cunning voice” [defilak < dei-fili-ak, from dei (< dehi) “voice, mouth”, fili “subtle, cunning”, and the intensive particle -ak]
    dehi |n.| voice, mouth [From de "elemental sound" and hī “thing, object, place”]†
    deika |n.| note, music [From dei “(physical) noise, sound” (from de “elemental sound” and the nounal particle ī) and ka "(creative) power, energy, force, ability"]†
    dekar |n.cmpd.| distress call, cry of distress; lit. “struggling cry” [dekar < deka-ari, from deka “rahi-noise; cry” (variant of dika¹, see entry) and ari “striving, struggling; climbing” (variant of rī, see entry)]
    de-ma |v.| to make noise/sound [From de "elemental sound" and the verbal particle ma]†
    derui |n.cmpd.| jaw; lit. "joint of mouth" [derui < dehi-rui, from dehi "mouth" and rui "joint". Variant form: dehirui]†
    destral |n.cmpd.| guidance system, charted course; lit. “guided/controlled course” [destral < desi-trali, from desi (< duisi) “course, passage” and trali “guided controlled” (see entries)]
    dezalk |n.cmpd.| warning cry; lit. “voice sensing great danger” [dezalk < dei-zali-ak, from dei (< dehi) “voice, mouth”, zali “foreboding, premonition, sense of danger”, and the intensive particle -ak]
    dika¹ |n.| whistle, tune; rahi-noise, cry [dika < dīka < deika, an independent lexical item derived from older deika “note, music”]
    dika² |n.| rahi, beast [A further lexicalization from dika¹ "whistle, tune; rahi-noise, cry" (see entry), eventually embodying the concept “beast; thing that makes rahi-noises”]
    dikapi |n.| Rahi-bird; lit. “whistling creature” [dikapi < dika-pi, from dika¹ “whistle, tune; rahi-noise, cry” and the particle pi “creature”. Variant form: daikapi]
    dosne |n.cmpd.| vein of rock/earth [dosne < dosi-onew, from dosi “course, passage” (variant of duisi, see entry) and the u-modified elemental stem onew (also onuw) “elemental earth; firm, steadfast; earthy”]
    dui |n.| limb, appendage; extension [dui < du-hī, from the stem du “extension, scope, reach; influence” and the particle hī “thing, object, place”]
    duisi |n.| course, passage [duisi < du-isi, from du “extension” and isi “possible; possibility”. Variant forms: desi, dosi]
    dume |n.| influence, (political) power; lit. “extending (one’s) reach” [dume < du-mē, from du “extension, scope, reach; influence” and mē “up, upward, rising” (variant of mī, see entry)]
     
    ---------------
     
    Key:
    |adj.| - Adjective
    |adj.cmpd.| - Adjective Compound
    |adv.| - Adverb
    |aff.| - Affix
    |n.| - Noun
    |n.cmpd.| - Noun Compound
    |p.| - Particle
    |p.cmpd.| - Particle Compound
    |pro.| - Pronoun
    |stm.| - Stem
    |v.| - Verb
    |vn.| - Verbal Noun
    |vn.cmpd.| Verbal Noun Compound
     
    Some entries are marked with FD “Further Discussion”, followed by a reference to a blog entry containing more explanatory content related to that etymology. The references are as follows:
     
    NM - “Nameless Masks”
    MN#1-X... - “Meaningless Names #1-X...”
    LM#1-X - “Learning Matoran, Lesson 1-X...”
     
  17. JRRT
    [boo]
     
    rakha-su-hakha |idm.| trick or treat [From rakha "to trick; lit. 'make smthg. system-abnormal'", su "or (conj.)", and hakha "to treat; lit. 'make smthg. system-normal"]
     
    ======================
     
    The origin of this phrase can be found in the development of a relatively recent Matoran holiday, originally celebrated in Metru Nui and later transplanted into the Matoran-Agori culture of Spherus Magna. The holiday began as a memorial marking one of the greatest losses of life that occurred during the Toa-Dark Hunter War in Metru Nui: "The Night of Life and Death", popularly termed the Ikukravai or alternately Ikhukravai.
     
    The variation in the name of the holiday is actually an intentional pun: i-ku-kravai translates as "night of life/living-things" (i- "of, from", ku "life(-process), spirit", kravai < kravahi "night"), whereas i-khu-kravai translates as "night of death/dead-things" (khu "separation", related to kaukhu "death; lit. 'separation from life'").
     
    The phrase rakha-su-hakha is connected to the events of Ik(h)ukravai as follows: During the various nighttime ceasefires that were established throughout the course of the war, the sentries guarding Toa-controlled portions of Metru Nui would routinely use the phrase rakha-su-hakha as a watch-word, equivalent to "Are you friend or foe?" or "Do you intend us good (hakha) or ill (rakha)?"
     
    On the night of the Ik(h)ukravai, a substantial force of Dark Hunters broke the ceasefire by ambushing sentries along the western edge of Ta-Metru and making an incursion toward the Colisseum. Initially caught off-guard, the forces of the Toa eventually rallied and managed to repel the invaders, but not without sustaining massive casualties, including many Matoran. According to legend, the twin moons of Metru Nui – referred to superstitiously as "the eyes of Mata Nui" – dimmed to blackness in the aftermath of the carnage, and it is said that the spirits of slain Toa and Matoran wandered the ruined streets for a time, clutching their broken masks, until an ominous Red Star appeared briefly in the sky where the moons had shone.
     
    Historians count the Ik(h)ukravai as one of the culminating battles of the war, which precipitated the final resolution of the conflict. In modern times, however, the holiday has shifted to become a festival celebrating spiritual horror and the Matoran concept of the macabre, as well as the mystery of Matoran death. Participants traditionally wear specially-crafted Kanohi which are forged to appear broken or ruined in some way, and continue to greet each other with the phrase rakha-su-hakha. Tradition prescribes that if someone you do not know greets you with rakha-su-hakha, you must exchange masks with them temporarily, in order to "ward off the Red Star" ("initoi hauya")...
  18. JRRT

    star-spangly

    By JRRT,

    July 4th? Independence Day? This seemed appropriate:
     
    "The Star-Spangled Banner" (first verse)
     
    O say can you see / by the dawn's early light,
    What so proudly we hailed / at the twilight's last gleaming,
    Whose broad stripes and bright stars / through the perilous fight,
    O'er the ramparts we watched, / were so gallantly streaming?
    And the rockets' red glare, / the bombs bursting in air,
    Gave proof through the night / that our flag was still there;
    O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
    O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
     
    Matoran Translation:
     
    "Ni'uma Runa"
     
    Ou avahima / ki i'akuyaka,
    Ki o maui ilo- / -ma'a-ngu akuyanu,
    Wairho ni-avaui / raui-i'azaia
    Akuwi-maikoro, / akakui movyaganu?
    Koradak-toiavka / ile'a krayaga,
    Akramu ki akya / ki runa'o boya,
    'ko-rya, ni'uma-runa ivyaka-lei
    Rokua-miwahi no roaki-mirei?
     
    Time to go eat good food and watch some fireworks with the fam. Happy 4th.
  19. JRRT
    I've posted a few examples of texts in the Matoran language on this blog so far, and if you lurk elsewhere on the internet, you may have seen quite a few more. Most of these translations make use of a particular model of Matoran grammar, one that has undergone many alterations over the years. At this point, I thought it might be useful/interesting to share that grammar in its current state. So here's a basic overview—a cheatsheet, if you will. Have fun with it.
     
     
     

    ==============================



    Matoran Grammar: A Primer



    ==============================






     
    1. Syntax I:

    Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of nouns, verbs, inflections/affixes, etc., here are some general principles governing how words are organized syntactically in Matoran. Keep these rules in mind as you encounter examples of clauses and other syntactic units in the following sections!
     
    - Rules for clauses

    #1: The verb goes last. That's basically the only rigid rule.
    #2: The subject goes first.
    #3: Object(s) go after the subject (but before the verb).
     
    The combination of these three rules yields the following overall syntactic pattern for clauses in Matoran: Subject – Object – Verb (SOV).
     
    - Other rules
     
    #4: A modifier (an adjective/adverb) that is placed before the unit it modifies will yield a concrete/physical meaning:
     
    nui – jaga "big scorpion"
    kofo – jaga "small scorpion"
    nui – rama "big flying-insect"
     
    #5: A modifier (an adjective/adverb) placed after the thing it modifies will yield an abstract/evaluative meaning:
     
    mata – nui "great spirit"
    rahi – nui "great Rahi"
    mana – ko "silent/still monster"
     
    ==============================
     
    2. Verbs:
     
    Verbs are generally distinguished by the presence of a derivative suffix -ya or -kha attached to the stem. All other inflections are added after this suffix. Verbs are inflected for tense and negation, as well as aspect/mood (not discussed here). This section will also provide information on the formation of interrogative clauses (questions).
     
    - Tense
     
    Tense is marked on verbs by a series of suffixes added to the verbal complex, as follows:
     
    Past: -nu
    Present: -pa/-po (optional)
    Future: -ko
     
    Examples (check Section 6 for a glossary with full definitions—all words used in examples are marked with * in the wordlist):
     
    (1) Matoran voya-nu. "The Matoran went/travelled."
    (2) Toa zya(-pa). "The Toa attacks."
    (3) Turaga akuya-ko. "The Turaga will see (it)."
     
    **Note: You can also form imperative constructions (i.e. commands) by using the basic, uninflected form of the stem: Manas zya! "Attack the monster!"
     
    - Negation
     
    Negation (English "not") is marked on verbs by adding the suffix -rhu (can be reduced to -ru) to the verbal complex after all other suffixes have been added.
     
    Examples:
     
    (4) Matoran voya-nu-rhu. "The Matoran did not go/travel."
    (5) Toa zya-rhu. "The Toa does not attack"
    (6) Turaga akuya-ko-rhu. "The Turaga will not see (it)."
     
    - Questions
     
    Three types of questions are distinguished in Matoran. Two of them correspond to "information questions" (or "wh-questions" in English); they are used to question the subject (Who did that?) and object (She did what?) of a verb, respectively. The remaining question-type is the standard yes/no-question ("Did you do that?").
     
    Info-Q Subject: ke-
    Info-Q Object: -ki, -kai
    Yes/No-Q: i-...-ka
     
    Examples:
     
    (7) Rahi ke-zyanu? "Who/what attacked the Rahi?"
    (8) Toa zyanu-ki? "Who/what did the Toa attack? / The Toa attacked who/what?"
    (9) Toa i-zyanu-ka? "Did the Toa attack?"

    - "To be" (the copula verb)
     
    There is no Matoran equivalent of the English verb "to be"! Instead, English constructions such as "X is Y" or "Y is X" (basic equative or copula constructions) are simply expressed as "X Y" or "Y X" in Matoran. Such constructions can involve a noun and an adjective (N+A), two adjectives (A+A), or two nouns (N+N).
     
    But if there's no overt verb corresponding to "to be", you might ask, how is tense (or negation, or a question) marked in such constructions? Simply put, the necessary affixes (tense, negation, etc.) are attached to whichever element (N or A) is placed in final position (where the verb would normally go).
     
    Examples:
     
    (10) Matoran kofo. "The Matoran [is] small." (N+A)
    (11) Nui kofo. "Big [is] small." (A+A)
    (12) Rahi jaga. "The Rahi [is] a scorpion." (N+N)
    (13) Toa matoran-nu. "The Toa was a Matoran."
    (14) Manas rahi-pa. "The Manas is a Rahi."
    (15) Matoran toa-ko-rhu. "The Matoran will not be a Toa."
    (16) Ke-matoran-nu? "Who was the Matoran?"
    (17) Toa-pa-ki? "Who is the Toa? / The Toa is who?"
    (18) Toa i-matoran-nu-ka? "Was the Toa a Matoran?"
     
    ==============================
     
    3. Pronouns:
     
    Pronouns stand in for full nouns. They come in three different flavors: first person, second person, and third person. Number (i.e. singular vs. plural) is not marked. Pronouns are inflected according to their function in the clause, subject or object:
     
    - Subject form
     
    1st o, oa "I, we"
    2nd ou "you, you all"
    3rd ai, oi "she/he/it, they"
     
    Examples:
     
    (1) o voya. "I/we go/travel."
    (2) ou zya. "You/you all attack."
    (3) ai akuya. "She/he/it/they sees."
     
    - Object form
     
    1st ako, akoa "me, us"
    2nd akou "you, you all"
    3rd akai "her/him/it, them"
     
    Examples:

    (4) Matoran ako zyanu. "The Matoran attacked me/us."
    (5) Toa akou zyanu. "The Toa attacked you/you all."
    (6) Turaga akai zyanu. "The Turaga attacked her/him/it/them."
     
    - Possessive form
     
    Pronouns are also used to denote possession relationships, in which case they are suffixed to the noun that is possessed.
     
    **The third person affix -ai/-oi can also be used to indicate possession when a full noun possesses another full noun. In such a case, it is suffixed to the noun which is possessed, and the possessor noun is usually placed directly before the possessed noun (see examples 10 and 11).
     
    1st -o, -oa "my, our"
    2nd -ou "your"
    3rd -ai, -oi "her/his/its, their"
     
    Examples:
     
    (7) ni-o "my/our star"
    (8) koro-ou "your village"
    (9) madu-ai "her/his/its/their tree"
    (10) Toa rahi-ai "the Toa's Rahi; lit. 'The Toa, her/his/their-Rahi"
    (11) Matoran koro-ai "the Matoran's village; lit. 'The Matoran, her/his/their-village"
     
    ==============================

    4. Nouns:
     
    Nouns come in many different forms! They can be modified by adjectives (see Section 1) as well as by an array of different affixes. Affixes can be suffixes (attached to the end of the noun-stem), prefixes (attached to the beginning of the noun-stem), or circumfixes (attached "around" the noun-stem, basically a combination of a prefix and a suffix). I include four different categories of affixes, containing twelve affixes total.
     
    **All of the affixes discussed in this section can also be added to pronouns!
     
    - Basic location/direction
     
    #1 - of, from; after: i-, ai-
    #2 - in, on, at; during: i-...-a
    #3 - to, toward; before: -i, -ai
     
    Examples:
     
    (1) i-ni "of/from a star"
    (2) i-koro-a "in/at a village"
    (3) madu-i "toward a tree"
     
    - Upward orientation
     
    #4 - up away from (motion): mi-, mai-
    #5 - up at (location): i-...-ma
    #6 - up toward (motion): -ma, -mai
     
    Examples:
     
    (4) mi-ni "upward, away from a star"
    (5) i-koro-ma "up at a village"
    (6) madu-ma "upward, toward a tree"
     
    - Downward orientation
     
    #7 - down away from (motion): u-, au-
    #8 - down, under, below (location): u-...-a
    #9 - down toward (motion): -a, -au
     
    Examples:
     
    (7) u-ni "downward, away from a star"
    (8) u-koro-a "under/below a village"
    (9) madu-a "downward, toward a tree"
     
    - Transitional/instrumental
     
    #10 - through away from (motion): mo-, mua-
    #11 - through, via (location): a-...-mu
    #12 - through toward (motion): -mua
     
    Examples:
     
    (10) mo-ni "through, away from a star"
    (11) a-koro-mu "through/via a village"
    (12) madu-mua "through, toward a tree"
     
    ==============================
     
    5. Syntax II:
     
    Now that you've got a sense of the possibilities for nouns and verbs, we can get a bit more detailed on how to put them together. While SOV is the standard word order for clauses in Matoran, the order of subject and object (Rules 2 and 3 from Section 1 above) can be subverted. For example, if you want to put the object first, you can add one of the affixes from section 4 to explicitly mark it as the object. This makes for a lot of potential variation. We'll start with the following standard sentence:
     
    (1) Toa rahi zyanu. "The Toa attacked the Rahi."
     
    Now, if we wanted to switch this sentence up by placing the object first, we might add an affix like #3, -i "to, toward", to the object:
     
    (2) Rahi-i toa zyanu. "The Toa struck at/toward the Rahi."
     
    From the paraphrase you can see how this alteration might subtly change the meaning of the sentence as a whole. Let's try some other affixes, such as #4, -mi "upward (movement)", #8, u-...-a "down, down on (location)", or #9, -a "downward (movement)".
     
    (3) Rahi-mi toa zyanu. "The Toa struck upward at the Rahi."
    (4) Rahi-a toa zyanu. "The Toa struck downward toward the Rahi."
    (5) U-rahi-a toa zyanu. "The Toa bore down on the Rahi."
     
    **Final note: All of these variations with nominal affixes could also be expressed using the standard SOV order! An object-first ordering could, however, be used to emphasize the object.
     
    ==============================
     
    6. Glossary:
     
    This glossary should provide you with a basic vocabulary to start with. Check out the volumes of the Matoran Dictionary for a (slightly) wider selection.
     
    **All of the words used in the examples above are marked with *!
     
    - Verbs
     
    akuya* "to see, sense; know"
    aruya "to take"
    boya "to grow, live; remain"
    haya "to protect, maintain systems-normality"
    kokha "to cool (smthg.), calm (smthg.) down; clarify"
    kya "to do, act, take initiative"
    mya "to control, use"
    orukha "to build, construct"
    oruya "to work, labor"
    pakuya "to read; lit. 'to see carvings'"
    peya "to carve"
    rokha "to speak (to)"
    roya "to determine, single out; name"
    s(a)uya "to consume, convert"
    seya "to think"
    takha "to make, craft; forge"
    v(a)ukha "to conduct, transmit"
    vokha "to empower, energize"
    voya* "to go, journey, travel"
    zya* "to attack, strike; plan, scheme"
     
    - Nouns
     
    aki "valor, courage, initiative"
    bohi "plant; form of vegetation"
    dau "direction, extension; route"
    dehi "mouth; lit. 'sound-thing'"
    fani "sky; lit. 'star-field'"
    gadu "pool (of water/liquid)"
    gura "disintegration, disruption"
    hahi "shield; guardian"
    hau "shielding, protection"
    hiki "measurement; deception, trickery"
    jaga* "(Rahi) scorpion"
    ka "power, energy"
    kanohi "mask; lit. 'object-of-power/energy'"
    kau "breath, spirit; lit. 'life-process'"
    kini "temple"
    koro* "village"
    kua "(Rahi) bird; freedom"
    kura "anger, rage"
    ledu "wind, breeze"
    lera "poison, toxicity"
    madu* "tree"
    mana(s)* "monster"
    mata* "spirit; lit. 'master-spirit'"
    matoran* "Matoran-unit; lit. 'builder/worker-of-Mata'"
    mehi "head, skull"
    metru "city"
    ni* "star"
    nohi "object (of protodermis)"
    paka "strength, sturdiness"
    panura "fragmentation"
    peki "shard, fragment, pebble"
    rahi* "wildlife, beast"
    rama* "(Rahi) flying-insect"
    ro "unit, individual; name; (honorific) sister/brother/comrade"
    rua "wisdom"
    tahi "flame (substance); spirit"
    taka "light, illumination"
    taki "spark, ember; lit. 'part-of-fire'"
    toa* "hero, protector"
    tura "fear, cowardice"
    turaga* "elder"
    vahi "time"
    vora "hunger, energy-draining"
    wahi "region, place"
     
    - Adjectives
     
    baui "measured, balanced"
    gaui "blue, watery; calm, peaceful"
    kofo* "small, little; lesser"
    koui "white, icy; silent, clear"
    laui "good, positive, happy"
    leui "green, airy; light, cheerful"
    noui "black, earthy; deep, secret, hidden"
    nui* "large; great"
    nuva "new, original"
    paui "brown, stony; strong, firm"
    taui "red, fiery; spirited, lively, living"
  20. JRRT
    [should've posted a reference-list like this a long time ago. Better late than never!]







    A Matoran Dictionary



    2nd Edition







    LIST OF VOLUMES


     

    =||=


     


    Volume I :: A-D







    Volume II :: E-J







    Volume III :: K







    Volume IV :: L-M







    Volume V :: N-P







    Volume VI :: R-S







    Volume VII :: T-U







    Volume VIII :: V-Z






    =||=


  21. JRRT
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0mhtDAJjqs


    (starts at ~0:47)


     

    "Battle Chant of the Toa (Prayer to Mata Nui)"







    O’I HIKI HOIHA



    OU IHIKI HAHKO ... HAHKO!



    O’I HIKI HAUIHA



    OU IHIKI HAHI


     
     
     
     
     
    ======================
     
    Literal Translation:
    1. Protect us from deception;
    2. You will save us from deception.
    3. Make us safe from deception;
    4. You are a protector against deception.
     
    ======================
     
    Note: I've been a bit fast-and-loose with constructing vocabulary here--you won't find most of these words in the Dictionary.
     
    Wordlist:
    o |pron.| I, we (first person)
    ou |pron.| you, you-all (2nd person)
    hiki |n.| deception
    hahi |n.| protector
    -i |aff.| to, toward
    i- |aff.| from, against
    hoi-ha |v.| to protect, defend against [hoiha < ha-yi-ha, from ha "protection", yi "together, unified", and the verbal affix -ha]
    ha-ha |v.| to protect, save, cleanse [ha-ha, from ha "protection" and the verbal affix -ha]
    haui-ha |v.| to defend, make safe [haui-ha, from haui "safe, protected" and the verbal affix -ha]
     
    ======================
     
    Line-by-line explanation:
    1. The verb hoi-ha appears in this line in the imperative (command) form, taking the objects o-i "to-us" and hiki "deception", with an implied subject "you" (Mata Nui). Literal gloss: "to-us deception protect".
    2. The verb ha-ha is inflected for future tense with the suffix -ko, thus: haha-ko > hahko "will protect/save/cleanse". The subject is ou "you". The noun hiki also appears here with the affix i- "from, against" (i-hiki "against deception"). Literal gloss: "you against-deception protect-will".
    3. The verb haui-ha also appears in the imperative here, with objects o-i and hiki, identical to line 1. Literal gloss: "to-us deception make-safe"
    4. This line contains the elements ou "you", i-hiki "against deception" (same as line 3), and hahi "protector". There is no overt verb, but it is understood to be "be", thus the literal gloss: "you [are] against-deception protector".
     
     
  23. JRRT

    The Prophecy

    By JRRT,

    TOAVAKAMAJAI



    -



    THE PROPHECY







    I'akua, taka-kui rayaku.



    Amaja lhikai-na rokha:



    Toa Mata Nui haya.



    Ivaha, nga roraga-rhui.







    Still, all hope was not lost.



    Legends tell of six mighty heroes, the Toa,



    Who would arrive to save Mata Nui.



    Time would reveal that these were not simply myths...







    --







    Toa imahra voya, kouya,



    Ceura, aku-rhui.



    Mata Nui'ai Matoroi



    Ikraaka hau takaya.







    For the Toa would appear on the shores of the island, it was said.



    They would arrive with no memory, no knowledge of one another –



    But they would pledge to defend Mata Nui



    And its people against the darkness.







    --







    Tahuwaha, Onuwaha,



    Galuwaha, Lewaha,



    Puahatau, Kuahapaka,



    Wahata ika'a-nui, inaka voya.







    Tahu, Toa of Fire. Onua, Toa of Earth.



    Gali, Toa of Water. Lewa, Toa of Air.



    Pohatu, Toa of Stone. And Kopaka, Toa of Ice.



    Great warriors with great power, drawn from the very elements themselves.







    --







    Ikaita'a, maita-na



    Ivaita-nga: Makuta zya,



    Mata Nui haya.



    Nga ro amaja.







    Together, they were six heroes with one destiny:



    To defeat Makuta,



    And save Mata Nui.



    This is their story.







    --







    Na suvaha



    Bionicle.







    This is the way



    Of the Bionicle.


  24. JRRT

    star power

    By JRRT,

    This post, I'm gonna to talk about some ideas related to other potential affixes, one in particular that I think can be quite straightforwardly derived using some comparative evidence centered around the following word:
     
    inika "energies of a star"
     
    Note that the translation we are given for this word is unique in that it is apparently a compound of two semantic units: "energy" and "star". That's different from the single-word definitions we usually get, and it also provides us with an example of what may be a noun+noun compound. Normally, we only get noun+adjective or adjective+noun sequences (e.g. mata+nui, kofo+jaga). In contrast, the word inika is apparently an example of two nominal units combined into a single lexical unit. Fascinating. I think we can take advantage of this.
     
    Alright, let's try to break down inika into its constituent parts (assuming we can). As stated in the previous post, I define ka as "power, energy, ability". This provides us with some immediate insight into the composition of inika: the unit ini must encode the meaning "of (a) star". Now, as it stands, we don't really have a way to separate whatever encodes "star" from whatever encodes "of", if they are even separable at all. We'll have to do some guesswork in order to move forward here.
     
    The first issue to be addressed is whether or not we should even assume that a meaning like "of" is even encoded here. We might easily assume that ini is "star", ka is "energy", and the combination is to be translated straightforwardly as "star-energy". We could do that, of course, and that would be the end of it. Blog post over! However, my purpose here is explicitly to consider places where we might be able to postulate affixes and, by implication, units with functional/grammatical meanings exactly like "of". The word inika provides us with the opportunity to derive just that: a morpheme encoding "of". Because of this, I will choose not to set it aside.
     
    Now that we've got that out of the way, let's try to break ini down further. First off, are there any other words that might provide clues on how to analyze ini? A quick search of the available Matoran lexicon gives a few exact matches – akil-ini, iru-ini, kav-ini-ka, k-ini – although none of these have canon translations except for kini "temple", which certainly doesn't reference stars overtly. Furthermore, if we relax the search parameters a bit, there are also numerous words containing elements like in and ni.
     
    As a side note, we may also observe that the phonetic structure of ini is a little odd in comparison to the overall patterns of Matoran syllable-structure. Most syllables in Matoran are of the form consonant+vowel, CV, but the first syllable of ini (i-ni) violates this pattern. That's interesting, and it's also interesting that this initial i- pattern shows up in a few other places as well: i-carax, i-den, i-dris, i-gnika, and i-hu.
     
    Alright, taking everything into account, does this help us at all? I think it does, actually. Here’s how: Among the various words containing variants of ini, I'd like to draw your attention to one in particular: nixie. Nixie is the name of a Ga-Matoran astrologer – a Matoran who studies the stars and their prophecies. Wouldn’t it make sense for an astrologer's name to reference the stars? I think it would.
     
    This leads me to the following proposal: Based on the fact that nixie clearly shows ni, I propose to analyze ini as a complex i-ni: ni "star" with a prefix i- "of, from".
     
    Are there any further advantages to this analysis? Well, let's consider the status of this newly-postulated affix i- and compare it with the other affix that's been defined thus far, that being the verbal marker -ya. One immediate contrast presents itself: -ya is a derivative affix, meaning that it is used to derive one type of word from another. In this case, -ya would derive verbs from non-verbs (stems, nouns, whatever).
     
    On the other hand, i- is not derivative—it is what might be called a functional or grammatical affix, meaning that it adds on to the meaning of the word to which it is applied, rather than creating a completely new word, as -ya would. In this case, i- is being applied to ni "star", which is presumably a noun, and the affix contributes the meaning "of" to the original meaning of the noun, hence "of (a) star".
     
    So that's one difference right off the bat. Do these affixes have anything in common though? Here are a couple of ideas: Recall from the last post that I've proposed that -ya can technically be dissolved into two units, i-a, and this becomes clear when -ya is split into its circumfixal form a-...-i. So we can say that -ya is to be reconstructed as *-ia. No problem. On a different but related note: elsewhere in Matoran etymology, I've made use of a particular phonological shift whereby a sequence <ai> changes to <i>, <e>, or <a> (presumably with an intermediate <ii> stage). The advantage of this postulated sound-change is that it allows us to tie together elements of words like miru, midak, damek, and madu, as well as even metru and matau.
     
    Alright, back to *-ia: If *-ia is the original verbal marker, we could postulate that there are other affixes constructed from the same building blocks, but simply applied in a different way (e.g. affixes that are applied to nouns as grammatical/functional affixes instead of derivative affixes). Combining this with the phonological rule described above, we may have a plausible origin for the affix i-. Here's the proposal:
     
    The prefix i- "of, from" derives from an older form *ai-, which can also be dissolved into two units a-i.
     
    Okay, I think we've stretched the available data about as far as we can, so here’s a disclaimer: At this point I’m entering the realm of pure speculation and invention. Follow along if you dare!
     
    Ultimately, I would like us to have a few more grammatical/functional affixes at our disposal in order to be able to translate texts into the Matoran Language. I will propose two such affixes based on the known prefix i-, hopefully with as little invention-work as possible.
     
    First off, we already have an affix meaning "of", which, in this case, we could also paraphrase as "from" (as in "originating from") or even "after", if we want to think in temporal terms (originating from a point in time, i.e. after a point in time?). What's the opposite of "of, from"? How about "to, toward"? Alright, what kind of affix could we use to represent this? Since this affix will express a meaning that is opposite to i-, it might make sense for that opposition to be reflected in the form of the affix itself, as follows:
     
    Proposal 1: There is a suffix -i which derives from older *-ai and expresses a meaning "to, toward" or "(temporally) before".
     
    So that's one more grammatical/functional affix to work with, and we've managed to derive it simply as a reversal of i-. Excellent! What else can we do? At this point I'd like to turn your attention to a Matoran narrative device that should be familiar:
     
    "In the time before time..."
     
    This phrase seems to be used to introduce Matoran legends/mythohistory. Note that it makes use of grammatical/functional units like "in" and "before". There's a reason I have proposed that -i expresses a meaning like "to, toward; before". We now have a means of translating part of this phrase. But what about the remaining "in"? My second proposal will provide us with a means of expressing this concept, as follows:
     
    The concept of "in the time" can be more accurately paraphrased as "during the time". This concept of "in, during" seems to fall somewhere between "from" and "to". Based on that observation, we might postulate that a corresponding grammatical/functional affix would reflect this in-between status in the same way that -i "to, toward" reflected its opposition to i- "of, from":
     
    Proposal 2: There is a circumfix i-...-a which is derived as a split variant of the older affixes *-ai and *ai- and expresses a meaning "in" or "(temporally) during".
     
    This leaves us with three grammatical/functional affixes to use on nouns in Matoran, as follows:
     
    1. i-, ai- "of, from; after"
    2. i-...-a "in; during"
    3. -i, -ai "to, toward; before"
     
    To conclude, I'll make use of the second and third affixes in translating the classic phrase "In the time before time...", using vahi as a stand-in for both instances of "time" (even though technically they represent different concepts: period of time vs. time as an abstract concept):
     
    i-vahi-a "in/during (the) time"
    vahi-ai "before time"
     
    Ivaha vahai...
    "In the time before time..."
     
    Notes:
    - I've reduced i-vahi-a to ivaha as a general rule. Technically we could represent it in a different way: ivahia, ivahi'a, etc.
    - For vahai, I've used the older -ai form of the third affix when it's applied to a word already ending in -i and reduced vahi-ai to vahai. This is simply to make it clear which affix is present. Again, this could be represented differently: vahii, vahiai, etc.
     
    end
  25. JRRT

    breaking up

    By JRRT,

    [tumblr it up]
     
    If you've ever browsed through the entries of the Matoran Dictionary or been brave enough to delve into those old Learning Matoran lessons, you may have run into a concept that goes under the (pretty obtuse) name of "splitting+displacement" or (even worse) "variable placement". It's usually applied to things called "particles" or "affixes", and usually very little explanation is provided for what it is and where it comes from. Sorry.
     
    In this post, I’ll attempt to add some flesh to the bones of this concept, which applies to grammatical affixes in the etymologies of Matoran words and involves breaking these units apart and moving them around for various purposes. The idea itself is of my own fabrication, and therefore has no real basis in the canon, so I won't really spend much time making a case that it "exists". However, I will make a case that the concept, even if non-canon, is really, really useful if applied systematically, so why not use it?
     
    First, some terminology: I will for the most part dispense with the "splitting+displacement" label. The right word is actually circumfix. What is a circumfix? It's basically just another kind of affix, alongside prefixes (affixes attached at the beginning of a word), suffixes (affixes attached at the end of a word), and even infixes (affixes attached inside of a word).
     
    Circumfixes are attached "around" a word, so they are technically like a prefix that is added along with a suffix. We clear? Great.
     
    Jumping right in, here's my proposal for affixes in Matoran: I have found that it is useful to assume that some of the prefixes and suffixes postulated in Matoran etymology can be converted into a circumfix-form for various reasons--mostly deriving new words from old ones. This would look something like the following, using a postulated verb kya (Recall from the last post that -ya is assumed to be an affix in this case, so that's what will be undergoing modification):
     
    Step 1: kya = kia (ya consists of two units, -i- and -a)
    Step 2: k-i-a > a-k-i (the -a unit is displaced as a prefix before the stem k-, leaving -i behind as a suffix)
    Step 3: aki
     
    Pretty simple, no? The same process can easily be applied to other affixes/particles: as long as we can split the original affix/particle into two discrete units (in this case, -ya > i-, -a), we can displace the second unit as a prefix on the stem. And there are a couple of further variations that might be possible as well. We'll stick to the basics for now though.
     
    Anyways, what could this kind of circumfixal variant be used for? Well, think about it: The splitting and displacement of the original affix technically obliterates the affix as a discrete unit. We could easily associate this kind of change with, say, a change in meaning—perhaps a change in word category? I have done just this: When the verbal affix -ya is split into a circumfixal variant, this corresponds to a change in the category of the stem from verb to (deverbal) noun.
     
    At this point, you may be able to glimpse some possible applications of this system. Consider this: We just derived a word aki, presumably a noun, from a postulated verb kya. Aki happens to be the name of the Kanohi Mask of Valor. Technically, this is backwards: When I first came up with this system, I started with aki and reverse-engineered it to kya. Either way, it works. Let's see how else we can apply this.
     
    Sticking with aki for the moment, there's another word that is closely associated with it: Akamai, the name of the Toa Kaita (the "Spirit of Valor") who is the wearer of the Kanohi Aki. In-universe, there is clearly a relationship between Akamai and Aki, and the nature of this relationship is further strengthened if we look at another example of a Toa Kaita: Wairuha, the "Spirit of Wisdom" who wears the Kanohi Rua. Even more parallels? So the names of the Toa Kaita are related in some way to the names of their Kanohi masks. Focusing on aki/akamai, let's do some more reverse-engineering:
     
    Note that akamai exhibits the same a-...-i pattern that results from the splitting+displacement of -ya, as already exemplified by a-k-i. If we assume that akamai is derived via the same verb > noun process as aki, we can easily trace back through the steps:
     
    Step 3: akamai
    Step 2: a-kama-i > kama-i-a
    Step 1: kamaia = kamaya
     
    Presto! We have derived akamai from an original verb kamaya. What could this verb mean? In order to find out, let's return to aki for a moment. According to canon, aki means "valor". Thus far, I have postulated that aki is derived from a verb kya, which I would further derive from an older form *ka-ya. For numerous reasons, I define ka as "power, energy, ability", hence, I translate kya (roughly) as "to do, act, take initiative", and based on these assumptions, aki could easily be translated as "(taking) action, initiative", later construed as "courage, valor".
     
    That takes care of aki. Now on to akamai: If kya originates from ka, according to the same pattern, kamaya would clearly originate from kama. I define ma as "mastery, control". Keeping with the definition of ka above, ka-ma would mean roughly "mastery of power/energy/ability", while the verbal form kamaya would end up as "to master doing/acting/taking initiative". According to the same process of construal applied to aki above, this means that akamai could eventually be translated "master of courage/valor". In all, I think that fits pretty darn well.
     
    So the upshot of this post is that I've (hopefully) illustrated some of the potential applications of the "circumfix-variant" idea in the form of providing some (I think) very appropriate, interrelated etymologies for the words Aki and Akamai. All in a day's work.
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