Natietik Glossary

“Natietik” translates as “words of the people,” and it is the most widespread language among the hymdromons. It is the native language of the Vagor, which was eventually spread to the other hymdromon species over the centuries. Each species, culture, and clan has their own slang and variations of the language. Those of the Rustback species rarely speak Natietik (although there certainly are some that do) and more commonly speak variations of the Rustback language, Roktok.

Grammar and Pronunciation

Natietik is spoken very quickly and with sharp diction. Because hymdromons have a very different physiology from our own, a human could never be able to speak it perfectly. That being said, one can still try.

The vowel “A” is always pronounced like it is in “cat” or “rat.” “E” is always pronounced as it is in “wet” or “bet.” “O” is always pronounced like “tote” or “goat.” In most cases “I” will be pronounced as it is in “kick” or “sit.” It it is before another vowel or at the very end of a word, it makes an “ee” sound. “U” is almost always pronounced as it is in “mud” or “slug,” with a few exceptions where it makes an “oo” sound, as it does in the word blutulati.

To make a noun plural, an “ik” is added to the end of the word. For example, tati will become tatik when made plural. Some nouns, like aslik, are permanently plural.

Adjectives are used fairly loosely. One can either use the full adjective before the subject, for example “kit tot,” or the adjective can be shortened and combined with the subject, for example “kitot.“

Vocabulary

• Et: “The” or “at,” depending upon the context.
  
  Nat: Us, we
  
  Nek: Him, her, they
  
  At:“Of” or “from.”
  
  At nat: Ours
  
  Tak: is, are
  
  Kit: Small
  
  Mik: Large
  
  Eli: cold, frozen
  
  Kekatat: Alone, orphaned, clanless.
  
  Vota: Good, pleasant, favorable.
  
  Tatan: To gather food, to farm, or to hunt.
  
  Tetan: To prepare, to cook or brew.
  
  Kratan: To kill.
  
  Kietan: To teach, to learn.
  
  Tutan: To mate, to copulate.
  
  Bitan: To be born or to give birth.
  
  Ketbitan: To die, to be destroyed; to be lost.
  
  Kuknan: To guard or protect
  
  Bit: Alive, healthy
  
  Mokan: To eat, to consume.
  
  Maskan: To rest
  
  Ketbit: Dead
  
  Vot at Kinati: Literally “full of babies,” pregnant.
  
  Nuta: The future, later. Patience.
  
  Keta: No, not, nothing. Gone.
  
  Kipi: Yes, certain.
  
  Et Amik: unspoken social and emotional bonds between family and companions; the Hymdromon view of what we call love.
  
  Et Bitanat: Life; the concept of living or the condition of living things as a whole.
  
  Et Ketbitanat: Death; the concept of death or the condition of the dead as a whole.
  
  Et Natanat: Literally means “the people.” It is used to describe one’s own clan, community, culture, species, or the hymdromon family as a whole.
  
  Nati: a person, specifically a hymdromon.
  
  Veskitba: Clan, family.
  
  Mikekan: A group of several clans in one cultural or political unit, like a nation, tribe, or city-state in nature.
  
  Petak: One’s caste, or their biological role
  
  Kut: Job, occupation. Usually based off one’s caste.
  
  Mati: Literally means “mother.” A member of the female reproductive caste.
  
  Nutmati: A mati who has not mated.
  
  Pati: Literally means “father.” A member of the male reproductive caste.
  
  
  Tati: Literally means “farmer.” A sterile female of the foraging and laboring caste.
  
  Krati: Literally means “killer.” A sterile female of the soldier caste.
  
  Kinati: Literally means “little person.” A child or infant, often a term of endearment.
  
  Bimati: Birth mother
  
  Bipati: Birth father
  
  Binati: daughter or son; biological child
  
  Bituti: Mate, sex partner.
  
  Bleki: Friend, companion, usually an ally from another clan or a whole clan allied to one’s own.
  
  Et Kratamat: Literally means “killer-mother.” Is a mati that serves as a matriarchal warlord. Commonly found in rustback and vagor clans, though sometimes occur in other species.
  
  Krati: Literally means “killer.” A sterile female of the soldier caste.
  
  Kinati: Literally means “little person.” A child or infant, often a term of endearment.
  
  Krapati: Literally “Killer-father.” A pati who takes on a warrior or hunter role, usually a guardian. Exists only among the rustback species.
  
  Tatana: Food, but may also mean reward or valued resource in certain contexts.
  
  Aslik vota: A drink, usually a sort of infusion but sometimes a mildly alcoholic beverage.
  
  Ketat: Poop. Often used a profanity.
  
  Krat: a battle, a war, a slaying. Literally “a kill.”
  
  Aslik: Water. Can also mean liquid in general, especially beverages.
  
  Veki: A Plant of any kind.
  
  Hiskat: Silence.
  
  Vut: The sun
  
  Batet: Plains, prairie
  
  Taslat: Desert
  
  Vutli: light
  
  Totanik: The moons
  
  Katat: Shelter, one’s home or territory
  
  Aslikan: A great body of water, though usually in reference to the ocean
  
  Tot: A tool
  
  Kratot: A weapon
  
  Kat: Ground, earth, dirt, soil. May also be used to describe the condition of being underground.
  
  Skratet: Stone, rock.
  
  Mikskrat: Mountain
  
  Atun: Iron, sometimes metal in general.
  
  Vektat: Plant material used for crafting and construction; the equivalent of wood. Also used to describe the large plant from which it is harvested.
  
  Tiek: Literally means “a speak” or “ a talk.” Language, communication, words.
  
  Bitat: Healing, medicine.
  
  Veki at bitat: Literally “plant of healing;” a medicinal herb.
  
  Makatot: Literally “move tool;” a machine.
  
  Kiet at Miknat: A rite of passage ceremony taking place after a child’s final molt, in which she or he must serve as an apprentice under an adult of his or her caste.
  
  Ketnati: Literally “not person;” any animal that is not some species of hymdromon.
  
  Krakenati: A predatory animal.
  
  Blutulati: A small vertebrate with an inflatable abdomen that allows it to drift in the wind.
  
  Totolati: A large mollusk-like animal with short limbs and a round body. It is herbivorous and often used as livestock.
  
  Skrakrali: Large, predatory reptiles that travel in packs.
  
  Et Pitukat: Literally “silver bridge,” referring to the planet’s ring.
  
  Hiskarali: Parasitic arthropods that spend the larval stage in the host’s digestive tract and emerge as adults from the mouth.
  
  Hisk, nutan!: “Shh, silence!”
  
  Hisk, kitki: “Calm down, small one.”
  
  Ki, ki, ki: Literally “tiny, tiny tiny.” Nonsensical baby talk.
  
  Ak!: An exclamation of surprise or frustration.
  
  Ak, ketat!: Exclamation, the equivalent of “Oh, shit!” May also be used to refer to something useless or to something that is nonsense.
  
  Bakik: Eyes
  
  Tetik: Claws
  
  Hektik: Jaws
  
  Raktik: Sensory gills
  
  Aslik eli: Ice
  
  

Colors:

• Kak: Red
  
  Vat: Blue
  
  Titak: Green
  
  Atkut: Yellow
  
  Toti: Purple
  
  Tili: White
  
  Ketli: Black
  
  Pitan: Silver
  
  Tatut: Gold
  

Numbers:

• Li: One
  
  Tili: Two
  
  Ali: Three
  
  Visli: Four
  
  Van: Five
  
  Pit: Six
  
  Paslak: Seven
  
  Akt: Eight
  
  Aktli: Nine
  
  Lik: Ten
  

Names

Hymdromons go by several names. All hymdromons take on the name of their clan at birth. A mati taking over the clan from her mother will keep the clan name, while a mati who leaves to start her own clan will create her own clan name, along with her mate if she has one. A pati who mates with matik of many different clans will keep his birth clan’s name, while one who marries a mati of another clan will take on her clan name.

Clan names are usually derived from significant features and landmarks about their original territory. For example, the clan name “Atmikvetat” means “Of Big Forest.” One can then conclude that this family originated from a big forest.


Individual names can vary in meaning in the same ways that our own first names can. They may be named after relatives, things in nature, physical features, and personality. The nature of individual names vary from culture to culture. A hymdromon might be named at birth, after the Kiet at Miknat, or she may choose her own name at any point in her life.