Vot (Language)

"Vot" (from the word "*votaruvy*", meaning "to think together") is a language in *the Unnamed Story*. It is best known as the language of the Riverki, though it is spoken in both Riverenbeck and Alderon.

Vot is a Slavic-inspired language, drawing mostly from Russian, with a rhotic, drawling cadence that is often described as harsh and blunt. Vot is rarely heard outside of Riverenbeck, as the use of the tongue in front of outsiders is considered a taboo. Very few Crownlanders speak it.

## Etymology

As with the origin of its speakers, the origins of Vot as a language are unknown. The word itself comes from an archaic word--"votaruvy"--which refers to the act of sharing thoughts as a group, or communicating.

A popular (and somewhat insensitive) myth claims that the language was named after a conversation between a Riverki tribesman and a Divinian missionary. Supposedly, when the missionary attempted to speak to the clansman, his response was a flat "what?", the guttural accent rendering the word into the phonetic 'Vot'. This story is unfounded, attributable to Divinian

## Vocabulary

### Pronunciation

Vot is phonetic, each character denoting the sound as it is to be read. As such, the core vowels are usually pronounced the same. Certain clans have their own dialect, which affects certain sounds. The most commonly-heard Vot dialect is that of Clan Vatesh.

* a - ah
* o - oh
* e - eh or yeh
* ye - yeh
* i/iy - ee

### Glossary

* Araniv – adj. a presence that is hostile but inferior. Literally “spider.”
* Atvily (aht-*vee*-lee) – adj. Worthy of appreciation or notice. A complimentary word. n. Atvika/Atvisha
* Byezbaneki (byez-*bon*-yeh-key or byez-bahn-yeh-kih) – n. singular *and* plural; a tribesman of any rank who is outcast. Literally “unworthy of (his) people.” Many Riverki slurs are reserved for this classification, who are also known as “Nazhdan” (or “shamed”).
* Do’vak (dou-*vahk*) — v. an exclamation or command used to demand action, similar to ‘attack’.
* Gozhol (gah-*zhal*)– adj. Misfortune. Riverki curse, similar to ‘damn it’ or ‘shit’.
* Gozholka (gah-*zhal*-kah) – n. familiar; essentially meaning “troublesome presence” but with a connotation more like “jackass.”
* Irid (*ih*-reed) – adj. Brilliant or illuminated. Translates literally as “ignited.”
* Khiyn (keen)– adj. shameful; used to describe act or behavior that unsettles or embarrasses the onlooker.
* Khiyna (*kee*-nah)– n. familiar; “shameful person,” implying uselessness or idiocy.
* Ko- - suffix; great or high.
* Kozhaar (*koh*-zhahr) – n. one who is greatly superior or in power. Similar to master or owner; used fondly or ironically.
* Krasaav (krah-*sahv*) – v. (to be) beautiful.
* Lokvol (*lock*-vahl) – n. Riverki slang for “loch valleys”, prison colonies belonging to the Alderans, established on dry riverbeds. Not truly Vot, but a Vot pronunciation of the first syllable of each word.
* Nakvidyem (nok-veed-*yem*) – adj. Invisible, in the sense of being negligible; a slur to denote a lack of importance.
* Nazhdan (nazh-*dahn*)– adj. cursed or shameful; literally: “stands in ruin.” Reserved almost *exclusively* for the Byezbaneki, but can be used against particularly harmful or dangerous outsiders.
* Osvali (ahz-*vahl*-yeh, or oz-*vahl*-ee) – n. singular and plural: A word used to describe those not of the clan, specifically outsiders. Literally means “lost” or “backward (person).”
* Osvalik – n. used to refer to a specific or known outsider.
* Otva (aht-vah) – n. A word used (derisively) to describe an older person, i.e. “old man.”
* Pa- suffix: ‘my’ or ‘mine’
* Patirka – n. the Vot equivalent of father, literally “(my) guide (in life)”. From *tirka* meaning “guide”. Casual form *patyr*. (Dapatirka – grandfather, literally “guide of (my) guide”. Casual form *dapatyr*.)
* Rasvod (rahz-*vohd*)– adj. unimportant or innocuous. Used to refer to beings seen by the speaker as being no threat to them. Literally “plantlife.” Always used in general form. Usually translated into Crownspeech as 'plant.'
* Riverki (riv-*air*-key) –  n. plural.; the tribal name of a warlike nomadic people hailing from the east, meaning “the great destruction”. Singular *and* plural. Often inappropriately called ‘Rivereners’.
* Serga Verá (*sair*-gah vair-*ah*) – n. a unique tribal marking identifying a Reaper, or elite Riverki assassin. Also called a Reaper mark. The phrase “serga vera” is said to mean “victory always”, but translated, it actually means “everything dies” (literally: “everything is finite”).
* Taht - a confirmation, equivalent to "yes"
* Tirka (*tier*-kah) – n. familiar; “guide (of others)”. Used respectfully to refer to elders or those who teach.
* Tirik (*tier*-rick) – n. foreign; “guide (of outsiders)”. Used to refer to clerics, particularly priests.
* Vaban  – n. Something lesser or unworthy of power. Riverki slang for a kept person or pet. (*Vabanik* or *Vabanka*)
* Valy’t (vahl-*yit*) – A vulgar exclamation of annoyance, akin to “get lost,” or the harsher “go to hell.” Literally refers to falling from a platform.
* Vokor (va-*kor*) – n. fool or stupid person. (plural: *vokoriy*)
* Zatki (*zaht*-key)— v. meaning ‘be still,’ referring to the stillnessof stone; equivalent to ‘freeze’.
* Zhaar – n. Leader. Literally “superior,” in the manner of a lord.
* Zhaaniet - n. Honorific similar to "sir," used to denote authority.
* Za’votnitiy (za-*vaht*-na-tea) – interj. Exclamation used as equivalent to ‘stop (what you are doing)’.

## Accent

Most Riverki speak Crowne with some level of fluency, due to regular interaction with Kyravelle and Corva, but many do so with a distinctive accent. Described as guttural and snarling, a native Vot-speaker often rolls Rs with a sharp snap, pronouncing I's softly, from the back of the mouth, and O's more loosely. Vot by design is to-the-point, skipping words that can be implied to make the point quickly. As such, those who are less fluent regularly drop particles and pronouns. (i.e. "disagree" instead of "I disagree", "pretty" instead of "that is pretty", "I do not like that" becomes "not like".) This can give their speech a harsh, blunt sound, especially to those unaccustomed to Riverki grammar.

Certain sounds that don't exist in Vot become garbled in translation. Many clans, such as Atvek, pronounce these consonants differently than intended. "W" becomes "v" (turning 'when' into 'ven'), "th" becomes "z" ('zat' instead of 'that'), and 'j' becomes either "y" or "ch". Due to their long proximity to Crowne-speaking borders, Clan Vatesh has largely mastered these foreign sounds, so their usage is more familiar to Crowne-speakers.

## Known Speakers

* Cole Kingslayer
* Adem Lightforger
* Kateryna Archer
* Rhys
* Paal Kingslayer
* Petya Kingslayer
* Arcadius Archer
* Marius (fluent)