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Crummonds Koline Compendium

A Guide To The Trade Language of Mars in Space: 1889

by John Gannon

Editors Note: For the last several years, noted British Anthropologist Sir Reginald Crummond has travelled the three faces of the Red Planet, compiling extensive notes on Mankind's newestpossession, Mars. The result of Professor Crummond's exhaustive research and study is the multi-volume set, Crummond's Compendium. We at Bradshaw & Saunders, publishers of texts for the Scientific and Academic communities, are pleased to present this extract from Professor Crummonds' latest work. Remember, if it is of relevance to Science, it is probably a B&S book!

Koline -- A Brief Background

The true origins of Koline can be traced to the court of Seldon III some five millenia ago. At this time, the Imperial Court decided to adopt a single language for use within the Empire. Naturally, the basis for this language was to be Son-Gaaryani, with selected words and phases of other dialects added. This new language was known as "Koline" (roughly meaning "Work Talk"), and its use was mandated at all levels of the Imperial Government and the Military. It was the Emperor's hope that by making Koline compulsory as the language of business and government, it would eventually come to replace the native dialects of the subject cities. Despite the weight of Imperial edict, however, the enforced use of Koline was largely unsuccessful, and its supposedly mandatory usage was largely ignored by succeeding Emperors and their administrators. However, while the adoption of this single language for all Martians did not succeed, the enforced used of the new dialect by Government Officials, the Army and Air Fleets, and by the Imperial Bureacracy throughout the Empire ensured that as the Empire disintegrated into competing factions and city-states, a means of common interaction remained available to them. During the Imperial Collapse, as local and regional languages moved again to the forefront of various cities and governments, Koline was relegated to a secondary status, though not entirely abandoned. With the old Imperial Records all kept in Koline, its continued use in the halls of local government, shipyards, and merchant centres kept the language alive. Over the centuries, as records were translated and lost, the use of Koline in everyday government slowly dissipated. It still remained, however, a convenient language for far-travelling cloud and canal ship masters, as well as Caravan Masters, and any others engaged in extensive travel and interaction across the planet. Thus, it is in this form that "Seldon's Homege" has survived - as the language of inter-city commerce and travel.

The Structure Of Koline

While it is beyond the scope of this short excerpt to detail the grammatic and phonetic structure of Koline, it behooves one to possess an understanding of the history of the language, so as to better understand the context it which it grew, plateaued, and eventually fell. Koline is after all, an artificial language, constructed for a specific purpose, though later adapted through need and convenience to its modern form.

As a working, limited language used for specific situations only, Koline lacks the depth of vocabulary and the intricate grammatical structure of other languages. Thus Koline is a primitive language; without descriptive superlatives or extensive verbs, adverbs, pronouns and adjectives. Conversations in Koline are short, blunt, and to the point. As it is one of the most common, and versatile tongues on the Red Planet, working knowledge of this Homogenized language is absolutely essential for anyone intending to spend exteneded time on Mars.

As the language of merchants, cloud-sailors, canal boatmen and caravan masters, Koline concerns itself with numbers, shopping, travel, and directions. Beyond these categories words are limited in type quantity and usage. It should be noted by the reader that these words and phrases are only a partial listing of Koline, which surprising, continues to grow and develop as a language.

The Modern Usage Of Koline

A matter of major importance to the Human traveller on Mars is where and when to use Koline. It is also important to remember, that while Koline and other Martian dialects share common roots, millenia of diversification have altered language structure amongst many of the dialects.The use and meaning of a word in Koline does not necessarily carry over into other Maritan languages. Naturally, in the wrong place and cirumstances, the results could be somewhat less than hoped for. For example, the word "Vo'cye" which is used in Koline as a generic noun for "fruit", translates in Gaaryani as a rather rude term to describe someone of less-than-effective intellect; while in Hellan it is a verb describing movement, often used as a command to Rummet Breehr to exhort them forward. Obviously, care should be taken when using Koline in conversation with non-Koline speaking cultures.....!

Lexicon Of Koline Words & Phrases

The remainder of this article is given over to presenting selected words & phrases from the Martian Trade Language. In the examples listed below, Words and Phrase are shown in their English equivalent text, followed by their accepted Koline spelling, then by a simple Phonetic Pronounciation, to aid in the ease of pronounciation.

Basic Words

Yes = Da' (Day)
No = Ne' (Nay)
Thank you = H'vada (Vah-Dah)
Thank you very much = H'vada liyepya (Vah-Dah Lee-Yep-Yah)
You're welcome = Vodro nuy doslii (Vod-Ro New Dos-Lee)
Please = Moyaa (Moe-Yah)
Hello = Brosi (Bro-zhe)
Goodbye = Bogrom (Bog-Rom)
So long = Bog sedimo (Bog See-Deemo)
Good morning =Lakuub Juunro (La-Cube June-Ro)
Good afternoon =Lakuub Dan (La-Cube Dan)
Good evening =Lakuub Vecxyaar (La-Cube Vetch-Yar)
Good night = Lakuub Nocxyaar (La-Cube Notch-Yar)

I do not understand = Ne Razumiyem. (Nay Ra-Zhu-Me-Yem)
Do you speak ... = Govoraate li .....? (Go-Vo-Ray-Tay Lee...?)
English = englesik
French = francusik
German = germasik
Spanish = spanjolsik
Japanese = japinesik

I = ja (Yaw)
We = mi (Me)
You (singular, familiar) = di (Dee)
You (plural) = vi (Vee)
They = oni (Oh-Nee)
Good = Lakuub (La-Cube)
Bad = Locxe (Low-Che)

Wife = Supruy'aa (Zoo-Prooy-Ya)
Husband = Suprug (Zoo-Prog)
Daughter = St'aerya (Sthay-Air-Ya)
Son = Su'in (Zoo-een)
Mother = Vajka' (Vaay-Key)
Father = otar (Oh-Tar)
Friend = Pri'jat (m) (Pree-Yat), Pri'jat'aa (f) (Pree-Yat-Ya)

How much does this cost? = Posxto je ovo? (Poch-Toh Yay-O-Vo?)
What is this? = Sxto je ovo? (S'Ch-To Yay-O-Vo?)
I'll buy it. = Kupujem (Cu-Poo-Yem)
Do you have ... = Imate li ...? (Ih-May-Tay Lee...?)
Open = otvor (Ot-Vor)
Closed = zatvor (Zat-Vor)
A little = malo (May-Low)
A lot = puno (Poo-No)
All = s've (S'Vay)

What time is it? = Koliko je sati? (Kol-Iko Yay Sa-Tee?)

Today = danas (Da-Nas)
Yesterday = jucxer (Yu-Cher)
Tomorrow = sutra (Soo-Tra)

Day = dan (Dan)
Week = Cjedan (Chey-Dan)
Month = m'jesec (M'Yes-Eck)
Year = Maalnar (Mail-Nar)

Bread = kruh (Kroo)
Tea = cxaj (Tay)
Water = Voda (Vo-Dah)
Beer = Pivo (Pee-Vo)
Wine = Riba (Rib-Ah)
Salt = sol (Sol)
Meat = meso (Met-Zo)
Fish = Krumpir (Krum-Peer)
Vegetable = povrcye (Pov-Re-Chay)
Fruit = vocye (Voy-Chay)

Where is ...? = Gdje je.. ? (Jed-Gee Yay...?)
One ticket to ..., please. = Jednu kartu za ..., moyaa. (Yed-New Kart-Too Za ..., Moe-Yah)
Sky Port = zracxna luka (Zratch-Nya Loo-Ka)
Departure = odlazak (Od-Laz-Ak)
Arrival = dolazak (Dol-Laz-Ak)
Room = soba (So-Bah)

NUMBERS

zero = nula (Noo-La)
one = jeden (Yed-En)
two = div (Div)
three = tri (Tree)
four = chetiri (Chet-Eer-Eee)
five = pet (Pet)
six = schest (Shest)
seven = sedam (Say-Dam)
eight = osam (Oh-Sam)
nine = devet (Day-Vet)
ten = deset (Day-Set)
eleven = jedenaest (Jed-En-Aist)
twelve = divnaest (Div-Naist)
thirteen = trinaest (Tree-Naist)
fourteen = chetrnaest (Chet-Maist)
fifteen = petnaest (Pet-Naist)
sixteen = schesnaest (Shes-Naist)
seventeen = sedamnaest (Say-Dam-Naist)
eighteen = osamnaest (Oh-Sam-Naist)
nineteen = devetnaest (Day-Vet-Naist)
twenty = divdeset (Div-Day-Set)
twenty one = divdeset jedan (Div-Day-Set Yay-Dan)
thirty = trideset (Tree-Day-Set)
forty = chetdeset Chet-Day-Set)
fifty = pedeset (Pay-Day-Set)
sixty = schezdeset (Shes-Day-Set)
seventy = sedamdeset (Say-Dam-Day-Set)
eighty = osamdeset (Oh-Sam-Day-Set)
ninety = devedeset(Day-Vay-Day-Set)
one hundred = jedsto (Yed-Shtoh)
two hundred = divsto (Div-Shtoh)
one thousand = jeducxya (Yed-Yooch-Aa)
two thousand = divucxya (Div-Yooch-Aa)

DIRECTIONS

Left = lijevo (Lee-Yev-Oh)
Right = desno (Des-No)
Straight = ravno (Rav-No)
Up = gorje (Gor-Yay)
Down = dolje (Dol-Yay)
Far = daleko (Dal-A-Ko)
Near = blizu (Blee-Zoo)
Long = dugo (Do-Go)
Short = kracxko (Kratch-Ko)
Map = zemlovje (Zem-Lov-Yay)

PLACES

Alchemist = lekarno (Le-Kar-No)
Store, Shop = govin (Go-Vin)
Street = licxya (Leech-Yah)
Mountain = lapina (La-Peen-A)
Hill = brijeg (Bree-Yeg)
Valley = dolina (Dol-Eena)
Canal = rijeka (Rye-Yeck-Ah)
Tower = toraj (Tor-Aa)
Bridge = moltje (Mol-T'Yah)

Breakfast = jutraje (You-Tray-Yah)
Lunch = lobjed (Lob-Yed)
Dinner = vecxtraje (Vech-Tray-Yah)
Cheers! = Zxivjeli! (Shiv-Yell-ee!)

Posted Monday, 04-May-2009 19:54:10 EDT