"All their songs are sad, and all their wars are happy."
- —Popular Tilean saying about the people of Kislev[1b]
The heraldry of Kislev
Kislevarin, also known as Kislevite, is the name of the language of the people of Kislev as it is known to foreigners, but to the Kislevites themselves their tongue is always called Gospodarinyi.[4a] It is a blend of the original Ungol and Roppsmenn tongues with the addition of the languages brought to the land by the migrating Gospodars. Over the centuries, this has become the dominant of the three languages spoken in Kislev, with the addition of some Reikspiel words and conventions taken from the people of the Empire to the south.[1b]
There are, of course, many different dialects within Kislev, and the language is spoken somewhat differently in different regions of the kingdom, though the differences between these broad dialects are slight. There is almost never any difficulty in mutual understanding, and non-Kislevarin speakers are generally unable to distinguish between them without conscious effort.[1b]
The regional differences correspond mainly to old tribal divisions from hundreds of years ago, the most significant of these (in terms of numbers of speakers) are Sudevarin, which is spoken in the south, Krevarin, which is spoken in the east and centre of the country, and Dolvarin, which is the principal language of the north and of the tribal raiders who plague the Kislevite farmers.[1b]
In the stanitsas of the far north, the older tribes and families keep alive the distinctive Górelsk dialect, said to be the unpolluted language of the Roppsmenn, and they take great pride in their culture and language, which is said to be much more musical than standard Kislevarin. Some city dwellers -- especially the less affluent population -- also have their own distinctive dialects. An example of this is Tzavarin, still spoken by some of the population of Kislev, though these city dialects are now mostly extinct due to assimilation with standard Kislevarin.[1b]
Kislevarin is often said to be one of the most difficult languages of the Known World for non-native speakers to learn, and while difficult for speakers of "classic" Reikspiel, it is not so difficult for those raised in the north and east of the Empire, since the regional dialect of Ostland and Ostermark owes much to early Kislevarin. What makes Kislevarin so difficult to master is that it has an extremely complex gender system, based on the fact that it combines three categories -- gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), personality (personal versus non-personal), and vitality (animate versus inanimate).[1b]
Over the centuries, Kislevarin has borrowed a large number of words from other languages, most notably Reikspiel, since the Empire and Kislev share a border, and a high proportion of the inhabitants of Kislevite cities are originally from the Empire. Most such words are adopted by altering the spelling to keep the pronunciation but are written according to Kislevite phonetics.[1b]
Thus, it is possible for a non-Kislevarin speaker to pick out the odd word here and there from a conversation, such as stem-tzak ("Steam Tank") and roketz ("Rockets"). Here are other examples of such borrowed Imperial words: szlachta (which comes from the Reikspiel word, adelsgeschlecht, meaning "nobility") and burmistrz (which comes from the word burgomeister, meaning "mayor").[1b]
Kislevarin Dialects[]
- Dolvarin - Dolvarin is spoken in the north of Kislev.
- Górelsk - Górelsk is the name of a Kislevarin dialect occasionally spoken in the north. It is said to be derived from the original Roppsmenn language.
- Krevarin - Krevarin is a dialect spoken in the east.
- Sudevarin - Sudevarin is a dialect spoken mainly in the south.
- Tzavarin - Tzavarin is an urban dialect occasionally spoken in Kislev City.
Lexicon[]
A[]
- Atamanka: Female village chief.[1a]
B[]
- Baba: Roughly translates to "Grandmother", also used as a title by both Wise Women and Hag Witches.[1c]
- Bachór: An unruly boy or child; also used to denote a warrior too stupid or unskilled to survive.[1a]
- Balalaika: A popular type of musical instrument in Kislev.[1g]
- Blyad: A woman of low morals.[1a]
- Burmistrz: From the Reikspeil word burgomeister, meaning mayor.[1a]
C[]
- Chapka: Fur-lined cap.[1a]
D[]
- Dazh: Kislevite God of the Sun, Fire, Guests and the Needy.
- Dewastacja: Devastation; mainly used as a solemn word to describe the land left behind after a Chaos incursion.[1a]
- Do widzenia: Good bye, or die well; often used interchangeably.[1a]
- Domovoi: "Kindly Grandfather"; a well-meaning, though thoroughly mischievous, spirit that can take the appearance of an old, withered peasant with a long, grey beard or even a cat or a mouse.[1d]
- Droyaska: Blademaster; a title bestowed upon a master swordsman whose skill is above all others.[1a]
- Ducat: Name for Kislev's gold coinage.[7b]
- Dzień dobry: Good day.[1a]
E[]
- Esaul: An ataman's steward.[1a]
G[]
- Gora Geroyev: "Hill of the Heroes"; name of the hill on which the city of Kislev was built. Originally a burial site for fallen heroes of Kislev.
- Gospodar: An ancient, nomadic tribe of Kislev originating from the Eastern Steppes.
- Gospodarinyi: Kislevarin; the name of the language for itself.[4a]
I[]
- Imperinyi: Imperials, people from the Empire of Man.[1h]
- Indrika: A type of mountain horse that can cause avalanches with its powerful voice.
K[]
- Kalita: Kislevite God of Trade and Barter.
- Kika: Elaborate headdresses worn by married women.[1a]
- Koldunja: "Spirit Witches"; hag witches who tend the spirits of the land and are called upon when the spirits need placating, banishing, or summoning.[1i]
- Koniushy: The Ice Queen's own Master of the Horse.[1a]
- Korzna: A rectangular or semicircular cut cloak of the nobility.[1a]
- Kossar: A type of Kislevite foot-soldier.
- Koszmar: A nightmare, a time when dark spirits are loose.[1a]
- Kovnik: Captain.[6a]
- Kozhukhi: A sheepskin coat.[1a]
- Krashenin: Dyed linen intended for nobility.[1a]
- Krowa: A cow or a particularly stupid person.[1a]
- Krug: Literally "circles"; used to describe groups of Ungol horsemen.[1a]
- Kvas: A clear, distilled spirit popular throughout Kislev, renowned for its potency and medicinal properties.[1a]
- Kyazans: Chaos Marauders.[1m]
L[]
- Lapti: Blunt-pointed, hand-woven shoes.[1a]
- Lichnostyob: A lout.[2b]
M[]
- Matka: Mother.[2a]
- Matryoshka: Kislevite nesting dolls that protect against evil spirits.[1l]
- Muzhik: Peasant.[1f]
- Muzhik-hal: A yearly event in Praag in which peasants fill the hall of said-city's opera house.[1f]
N[]
- Nekulturny: An uncultured person who does not comport himself properly and behaves without respect.[1a]
- Nya: No.[2a]
O[]
P[]
- Polevoi/Poludnitsa: Benign nature spirits that bless the soil of farms that honour them.[1d]
- Prospekt: A street.[1a]
- Pulk: Army.[1a]
- Pulo: Name for Kislev's copper coinage.[7b]
R[]
- Raspashnoe: An open-front overgarment.[1a]
- Raspotitsa: A time when snow blankets the steppe; literally "roadlessness".[1a]
- Riddle-man: Another name for "city guide".[1a]
- Roketz: Rockets.[1b]
- Roppsmenn: A virtually extinct ethnic group of semi-nomadic Men who once claimed the lands north-west of Kislev before their eventual decline as a tribe and a people.
- Rota: A unit of troops—horse archers, kossars, or winged lancers.[1a]
- Rubakha: An ankle-length, loose shift that can be worn as a man's shirt or a woman's underdress.[1a]
- Rusalka: The spirit of a drowned maiden that is angry at her untimely death, and seeks to drown passers-by to present to the underworld in exchange for her own life.[1d]
- Ryzhnyi Khoziain: One of the most feared spirits of Kislev, for no folk tale dares describe it other than as an evil, winged spirit that howls across the steppe on the darkest, coldest nights.[1d]
S[]
- Salyak: Kislevite Goddess of Healing and Comfort.
- Samogon: A crude moonshine.[1a]
- Stanitsa: A sizeable Kislev settlement, large enough to raise one or more rotas of horse archers, kossars, or winged lancers every year.[1a]
- Stem-tzak: Steam Tank.[1b]
- Streltsi: An elite branch of Erengrad kossars that specialise in the use of blackpowder rifles.[1e]
- Svolich: An insult used to question a person's parentage or inferior lineage.[1a]
- Świnia: Pig or disgusting person who does not respect tradition.[1a]
- Szlachta: From the Reikspiel word adelsgeschlecht, meaning nobility.[1a]
T[]
- Tirsa: A small village.[1a]
- Tor: Kislevite God of Thunder and Lightning.
- Tovaritches: Comrades.[5a]
- Towarzysz: lit; comrade, the leader of a cavalry troop.[3a]
- Tzar/Tzarina: Absolute monarch of Kislev.
U[]
- Ungol: An ancient tribe of nomads native to the land of Kislev before the arrival of the Gospodars.
- Urskin: "Bear-brother"; name of the legendary bear Boris Bokha rode into battle on.[1n]
- Ursun: Patron God of Kislev, Bears and Strength.
- Urszebya: "Ursun's Teeth"; name of a sacred valley in Kislev said to be where the Bear God Ursun took a bite out of the world.
- Urtza: Four-year cycle of the Ungol Calendar.[1a]
V[]
- Venet: Elaborate headdress worn by maidens.[1a]
- Vodianoi: A particularly evil and dangerous water spirit who entices people to the edge of rivers or pools and drowns them for its own vulgar enjoyment.[1d]
- Vorozheja: "Fate Witches"; hag witches who specialise in communicating with spirits of fortune and are consulted by those wishing to know the future.[1i]
Y[]
- Yha: Yes.[2a]
Z[]
- Za: From beyond; mainly used to describe where Chaos marauders come from, so as to avoid giving voice to the name of their realm.[1a]
- Zal: The main meeting hall in a village.[1a]
- Znarkharja: "Folk Witches"; hag witches that ward against the influence of Chaos and tend to all manner of ailments plaguing communities.[1i]
Trivia[]
Noticeably, Kislevarin borrows real world terminology from various northern Euro-Asian cultures, including the Bulgarian, Estonian, Russian, Slovak and Polish languages.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realm of the Ice Queen (RPG)
- 2: The Ambassador (Novel) by Graham McNeill
- 3: Ursun's Teeth (Novel) by Graham McNeill
- 3a: Ch. 8
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 125
- 5: The Burning Shore (Novel) by Robert Earl
- 5a: Chapter 11
- 6: Warhammer Fantasy Battles: Rulebook (8th Edition)
- 6a: pg. 458
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
- 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition -- Rough Nights & Hard Days (RPG)
- 8a: pg. 91