The "Language" is the common tongue of Gor,
with several related dialects or
sublanguages. It helps to hold together
Gor's many diverse parts. If you cannot
speak it, you are commonly considered a
barbarian. Gorean is considered a strong
language but that can also be supple and
beautiful. Those of Ar are said to have a
gentle, liquid accent. There is also an
accent that differentiates the High and Low
Castes, though some of the higher artisan
castes speak with an accent close to the
High Caste. There is also an archaic form
used mainly by the Initiates called Old
Gorean. Physicians also keep their records
in Old Gorean. Other languages also exist on
Gor including those of the red hunters, the
red savages and the natives of the southern
jungles. The Priest Kings and Kurii also
possess their own languages.
In Gorean
script, the first line is commonly written
left to right and the second line from right
to left. This continues in an alternating
manner. Thus, you must read and write even
numbered lines backwards. It is said to be
read and written "as the ox plows." Gorean
may be printed or written in cursive script.
Each city usually has a recognizable style
of writing. Certain letters though have been
generally standardized for legal and
commercial purposes. There is also a
shorthand form of script. Goreans capitalize
more nouns than we would in English. Context
usually denotes when a Gorean noun will be
capitalized. In the Tahari region, though
they speak Gorean, they use a different
system of writing called Taharic.
The Gorean
alphabet has twenty-eight letters including:
al-ka ("a"), ba-ta ("b"), delka ("d" shaped
like a triangle), eta ("e"), homan ("h"),
ina ("i"), kef ("k"), mu ("m"), nu ("n"),
omnion ("o"), kwah ("q"), ar ("r"), shu
("s"), tau ("t"), sidge, tun, val, altron.
The last four letters are not explained in
the books so it is only guesswork as to what
they may represent. Sidge, likely derived
from cuneiform, may represent "c." Val could
represent "v." Altron may represent an "l"
sound. There are nine vowels in Gorean, four
of which have been identified. There are two
"l" sounds and one of them is rolled. "W"
exists only in words of Earth origin. Many
letters have a variety of pronunciations
depending on their linguistic context.
Unfortunately, a complete alphabet is not
listed in the novels.
Illiteracy is
common on Gor, especially for those of the
Low Castes. Literacy usually follows caste
lines, the High Castes tending to be
literate. But, some Warriors are illiterate
or pretend to be as they do not feel
warriors should be so. Other warriors are
very proud of their literacy. But,
illiteracy is not taken as a mark of
stupidity. Many Goreans also possess
remarkable powers of memory. As children,
they learn a variety of mnemonic devices to
train their memory retention skills. Many
poets and singers remember their works and
never put them down on paper. Music is never
written down either, it is simply memorized
and passed down from teacher to student. In
addition, many Goreans play Kaissa without
the use of a board, relying on memory alone.
~from the Scrolls of Luther
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Morning Peace by Karem |
Spoils of War by Marcus Ranum |
she is
the whisper that wakes You in the night,
turning your thoughts carnal and sensual,
the hot breath on Your ear.
wantonly, she whispers to You,
a husky hint falling on Your ears,
You balk, she begs,
You pause, she pleads,
Your breath quickens, she laughs in delight.
You are hers for the moment,
sensuous susurrations of sibilance descend softly.
red gold waves whisper over soft shoulders,
brilliant green eyes lift in silent supplication.
her every breath lifted only because You allow,
her every movement a study in seduction.
You lay sated in your furs,
wanton whispers fill Your senses with promise of more
Your creation.. unbridled passion released from within
Your touch, Your voice, Your nearness
forging a bond stronger than the finest Gorean steel
~ dakena ~ |
