Memories of Connor's Adventures

Orlando the Adventurer pulled a Scimitar from beneath his Robes and smiled...

Thursday, 29 September 2022

Linguistic Archaeology: a look at Orcish

 


After finding that Old Dwarvish in Dragon #66 was a lot more related to Sumerian than expected, the Old Dwarvish word R-U-K (Enemy) is a development chain dialect of the S-U-M in Sumerian, One might conclude the Author lifted a real language for Old Dwarvish. So lets take a look at his other article in which he fleshes out an Orcish language.

Title: Even Orcish is Logical
Author: Clyde Heaton
Publication Issue: Dragon #75; July 1983


O R C I S H   D I C T I O N A R Y
1. ak (And)
2. ragdar (Animal)
3. gandan (Armor)
4. joktar (Army/warband)
5. ag (At)
6. dak (Attack)
7. dakzok (Attack)
8. ekdod (Axe)
9. derdar (Bed)
10. jajgak (Big/great)
11. derdak (Blanket)
12. dod (Break)
13. kettak (Brick)
14. gatad (Bright)
15. det (Burn)
16. ek (But)
17. dog (Carry)
18. kot (Charge)
19. zekar (Chest)
20. ejtag (City/town)
21. teg (Climb)
22. durad (Cloak)
23. gen (Close/shut)
24. etar (Cold)
25. zen (Come)
26. zenak (Coming)
27. roktor (Company)
28. gek (Cut)
29. jortak (Dagger/knife)
30. nartag (Danger)
31. gerdak (Dark)
32. zandag (Day)
33. rorad (Deer)
34. gag (Defend)
35. ot (Die)
36. gar (Dig)
37. gojak (Dog)
38. zegor (Down)
39. az (Drink)
40. aztar (Drink)
41. kez (Dwarf)
42. gokzek (East)
43. gad (Eat)
44. rekar (Elf)
45. rargad (Enemy)
46. gotrak (Far)
47. tortan (Fast)
48. dek (Fight)
49. detad (Fire)
50. togtad (Flank)
51. gadduj (Food)
52. oj (For)
53. kejar (Formation)
54. regton (Front)
55. gakdar (Future)
56. netdag (Gate)
57. doj (Get/fetch)
58. zor (Go)
59. zorak (Going)
60. dej (Guard)
61. dejad (Guard)
62. gettok (Hammer)
63. gegor (Hard)
64. darag (He)
65. ozrad (Helmet)
66. gozak (Horse)
67. dendad (Hot)
68. or (How)
69. jar (Hunt)
70. jarag (Hunt)
71. rannor (Human)
72. jardak (Hunter)
73. dagad (I, me)
74. eg (If)
75. aj (In)
76. tot (Is/am/to be)
77. dez (Kill)
78. jed (Lead)
79. jeddar (Leader/officer)
80. rakn (Left)
81. ad (Like/as)
82. dun (Listen/hear)
83. konad (Loose)
84. tek (Make/build/erect)
85. zejdad (Many)
86. dok (March)
87. tor (Move)
88. gotrag (Near)
89. zakdag (Night)
90. zozgat (No/negative)
91. todreg (North)
92. jeg (Obey)
93. og (Of/from)
94. nez (Open)
95. o k (Or)
96. darak (Orc)
97. jen (Order)
98. jendad (Order)
99. gaj (Parry)
100. dotad (Past)
101. rontak (Rear)
102. noj (Retreat)
103. rej (Ride)
104. tokan (Right)
105. raz (Run)
106. orgad (Saddle)
107. noztan (Safe/safety)
108. gon (scout)
109. gontad (Scout)
110. jegdan (Sergeant)
111. gandal (Shield)
112. jez (Shoot)
113. rot (Shut/close)
114. der (Sleep)
115. tontag (Slow)
116. gezan (Soft)
117. takren (South)
118. jok (Squad)
119. nak (Stand)
120. dez (Steal)
121. kordad (Stone)
122. gej (Stop/halt)
123. dotak (Sword)
124. don (Take)
125. deztej (Thief)
126. na r (Threaten)
127. zok (Thrust)
128. kozad (Tight)
129. od (To)
130. doztat (Treasure/wealth)
131. tadnen (Tree)
132. tegat (Up)
133. kokad (Wall)
134. dozar (Water)
135. gogker (West)
136. ar (What)
137. an (When)
138. er (Where)
139. on (Who/whom)
140. en (Why)
141. tagrat (Wine)
142. ed (With)
143. dortod (Wood)
144. tojat (Yes/affirmative)
145. dakar (You)


Popularity of Use
A      %     E     %      I      %     O      %       U        %
88 60%    54 37%   0   0%     60 41%     3      2%

B      %     C     %      D      %     F      %       G        %
0    0%     0   0%      62 42%    0    0%       50 34%

H      %     J     %      K      %     L      %       M        %
0     0%     29 20%   47 32%   1  <1%       0      0%

N      %     P     %      Q      %     R      %       S        %
35 24%    0   0%      0    0%     54 37%     0      0%

T      %     V     %      W      %     X      %       Y        %
39 26%    0   0%      0     0%     0    0%      0      0%

Z      %
28 19%


Popularity of use
60% A:
42% D, A: ad (Like/as),
41% O, D, A: od (To), dod (Break),
37% R, E, O, D, A: ar (What), er (Where), der (Sleep), ed (With), or (How), rorad (Deer), derdar (Bed),
34% G, R, E, O, D, A: orgad (Saddle), dagad (I, me), eg (If), og (Of/from), gegor (Hard), darag (He), gag (Defend), gar (Dig), gad (Eat), rargad (Enemy), ragdar (Animal), ag (At), dog (Carry),
32% K, G, R, E, O, D, A: dakar (You), kokad (Wall), gogker (West), kordad (Stone), o k (Or), darak (Orc), gakdar (Future), dok (March), rekar (Elf), dek (Fight), gek (Cut), gerdak (Dark), ek (But), dak (Attack), derdak (Blanket), ak (And), ekdod (Axe),
26% T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: tagrat (Wine), dortod (Wood), tegat (Up), rot (Shut/close), dotak (Sword), tor (Move), gotrag (Near), todreg (North), dotad (Past), tek (Make/build/erect), gettok (Hammer), tot (Is/am/to be), detad (Fire), togtad (Flank), gotrak (Far), ot (Die), kot (Charge), teg (Climb), etar (Cold), roktor (Company), kettak (Brick), gatad (Bright), det (Burn),
24% N, T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: on (Who/whom), en (Why), an (When), tadnen (Tree), don (Take), na r (Threaten), tontag (Slow), takren (South), nak (Stand), gon (scout), gontad (Scout), rontak (Rear), tokan (Right), rakn (Left), konad (Loose), dendad (Hot), rannor (Human), regton (Front), netdag (Gate), nartag (Danger), tortan (Fast), gen (Close/shut), gandan (Armor),
20% J, N, T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: gej (Stop/halt), tojat (Yes/affirmative), jok (Squad), noj (Retreat), rej (Ride), jegdan (Sergeant), jen (Order), jendad (Order), gaj (Parry), jeg (Obey), jed (Lead), jeddar (Leader/officer), jardak (Hunter), aj (In), jar (Hunt), jarag (Hunt), doj (Get/fetch), dej (Guard), dejad (Guard), oj (For), kejar (Formation), jortak (Dagger/knife), gojak (Dog), jajgak (Big/great), ejtag (City/town), joktar (Army/warband),
19% Z, J, N, T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: doztat (Treasure/wealth), kozad (Tight), deztej (Thief), dez (Steal), gezan (Soft), noztan (Safe/safety), raz (Run), jez (Shoot), dozar (Water), zok (Thrust), zakdag (Night), zozgat (No/negative), nez (Open), zejdad (Many), ozrad (Helmet), gozak (Horse), dez (Kill), zor (Go), zorak (Going), zegor (Down), az (Drink), aztar (Drink), kez (Dwarf), gokzek (East), zandag (Day), zekar (Chest), zen (Come), zenak (Coming), dakzok (Attack),
2% U, Z, J, N, T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: gadduj (Food), dun (Listen/hear), durad (Cloak),
<1% L, U, Z, J, N, T, K, G, R, E, O, D, A: gandal (Shield),
0% V, W, X, Y, P, Q, S, H, M, B, C, F, I


Conclusion: this particular Orcish language is from the A-D linguistic subgroup:

A-D subgroup                                  %            Dev. Chain
Orville Moclans                               74%       (A; D; O; K; S; L; R)
Orcish Dictionary (Dragon #75)    60%      (A; D; O, E, R)              Cold                                                   53%       (A; D; N; O)


They seem to militarize at 20%, There is a big gap from 19%-2% where it seems the creator of the conlang removed some of the language if it comes from an actual language. It peaks culturally at 19% before crashing down through 2% to <1%.



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