He pulled his hand from her hair and spun her about, grasping her roughly by the elbow. He shoved the pistol against her ribs. "Kazat merash! Gdro deya?"
"What?"
It took him a moment to realize he’d barked at her in Zafharish again. Sloppy, he was getting sloppy.
"Oh, by the way, Captain Tivahr. As long as we’re on the subject of Grantforth, I’ve some new information you might want to look at." She squeezed his arm, hard. He got the message. Don’t go dravda gera mevnahr now.
She propped the plush felinar against one edge of the screen, picked up her empty coffee cup. "Want some? I was just going to get a refill." Her tone was light, but without any real energy behind it.
"Yav chalkon gara reling, viek." He casually requested a cup of tea, trying to sound, not teacher to student, but as if speaking Zafharish to her were an ordinary occurrence. He wanted it to be.
She was already turning. "Yellow tea or that black—oh! Sorry." She shrugged. "I understand better than I answer."
Selections from FINDERS KEEPERS by Linnea Sinclair -- Bantam Spectra 2005 |
ZAFHARISH LEXICON
Boulashka -- (n) any stew or one pot meal made with a variety of ingredients
Chera -- You (fem)
Cheron -- You (masc)
Cordag merash -- Listen to me; Pay attention; Attend to my words (no direct translation to English)
Dasja -- (n) Honored lady
Dasjon -- (n) Honored man
Dravda -- Slang expression for a body's posterior; rear-end, ass-end
Dravda gera mevnahr -- A popular slang expression for being thoroughly confused, or relating to an event that makes one feel all upside down. Best translated to "ass over tea kettle"
Dharjas -- a brewed alcoholic beverage similar to beer
Dharjas taf, viek -- Cold beer, please
Dasjankira -- (n) Slang expression of affection towards a female loved one. Best translated as "My lady love" or "My beloved"
Ebohr -- Black
Fedka -- (n) A potent liquor, popular in the Yanir Quadrant
Gara -- Some, an amount of
Gera -- Over
Gdro deya -- Identify this location, name this place
Jhavedzga -- Aggression
Jhev'd -- Thanks (informal usage)
Jhevdon -- Thank you (formal usage), I'm grateful
Kazat merash -- see "Cordag merash". Colloquial and much less polite way of demanding attention.
Lutsa -- (n) Light, as in solar or electrical powered
Mevnahr -- Kettle; tea kettle. Also derogatory slang for a decrepit ship/vessel.
Nav -- No, Negative
Rice Bolaf -- A cooked rice dish made with butter and spices
S'viek noyet -- I'm sorry; Please forgive
Strezza -- (n) Star
Taf -- Chilled, iced
Vad -- Yes
Vad yasch -- I'm okay, I'm fine
Viek -- Please
Yagash -- Be quiet!
Yav -- I
Yav chalka -- I want/would like
Yav chalkon gara reling, viek -- I (masc) would like/want some tea, please
Yav chera/cheron -- I desire you (fem/masc) |
