Merchant Pidgin
Merchant Pidgin (also called Merchant) is an English-based creole serving as trade language across human-settled space. Originally the common tongue of traders and merchants of all sorts, it later became the official language of navigators and traffic control, and is now spoken by almost everybody. While a second language for most, Merchant has a growing number of native speakers.
Grammar
Formality Levels
The informal thou is used among friends and family, and often close acquaintances. Many ship crews also use it regardless of rank, while addressing merchants or passengers travelling aboard with the formal you. Kids and young teenagers are always addressed with thou even by strangers, but older teenagers and adults tend to expect the formal you.
Switching from informal thou to formal you with a friend or family member creates a sudden distance that is typically a sign something went horribly wrong in that relationship. The switch is less jarring with acquaintances and may be expected in some situations. There can be other reasons, including social awkwardness or the speaker not knowing which form is appropriate.
One can also use thou when talking to people of (perceived) lower social status, but that's considered rude by many. Some use it on purpose to put themselves above the person they're talking to, which is always considered rude and says more about the person doing the talking than the one so addressed. That said, in some places it's just how you talk and strangers have to get used to it (and live with the funny looks they get for using the formal you).
| Who? (Subject) | Whom? (Object) | Whose? (Relational) | Self (Reflexive) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Singular Formal | you | you | your, yours | yourself |
| 2nd Singular Informal | thou | thee | thy, thine | thyself / theeself |
All but the most old-fashioned pronounce the th in thou/thee/thy/thine like d, typically as a dental stop with a fricative release /d̪ᶞ/ or aspirated /d̪ʰ/, eg. thou /ðaʊ/ → /d̪ᶞaʊ/ or /d̪ʰaʊ/.
For words starting with a vowel, thy is replaced by thine, eg. thy spaceship vs thine ethership. (The same applies to my and mine.)
Dialectal Variants
you: ya, ye
your(s): yer(s)
yourself: yaself, yerself
Many dialects lose the dentalization but keep the aspiration /dʰ/ for the informal pronouns.
thou: dou, daw, da
thee: dee, de
thy: dy
thine: dyne, din
thyself: dyself, dinself
Other Personal Pronouns
him: hine
Verb Forms
| Verb Ending | Present Tense | Past Tense | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Sg. Formal (you) |
are, have, do, ... | were, had, did, ... | |
| 2nd Sg. Informal (thou) |
-(e)st | art, hast, dost, canst, wilst, shalt, seest, goest, makest, wantest, ... | werest, hadst, didst, couldst, wouldst, shouldst, sawest, went, made, wanted, ... |
| 3rd Singular (he/she/they1/...) |
-s | is, has, does, ... | was, had, did, ... |
The contractions of the negative verb forms are the same as their formal second person equivalents (thou aren't, thou weren't, thou don't, thou shan't, etc.), with the exception of thou hasn't.
Notes
1 Singular they typically uses the 3rd person plural forms (they are / were, etc.) of most verbs rather than the singular.
For all plural persons, be is more common than are in the present tense (ie. we / you / they be).
Useful Words
Months
- Janiver (Jan) – January
- Fevral (Fev) – February
- Mavors (Mav) – March
- Averil (Ave) – April
- Mazu (Maz) – May
- Jouen (Jou) – June
- Loy (Loy) – July
- Aost (Aos) – August
- Zibante (Zib) – September
- Uttovro (Utt) – October
- Nento (Nen) – November
- Tiseva (Tis) – December
Weekdays
- Sterreday / Solday (Sol) – Sunday
- Monenday (Mon) – Monday
- Divinday (Div) – Tuesday
- Midweek (Mid) – Wednesday
- Lyghtenday (Lyg) – Thursday
- Hertheday (Her) – Friday
- Sabbat (Sab) – Saturday
Numerals
- ought – zero (0)
- ene – one (1)
- twa – two (2)
- thrye – three (3)
- fower – four (4)
- fif – five (5)
- sis – six (6)
- sevyn – seven (7)
- aghte – eight (8)
- neyner – nine, niner (9)
- dis – ten (10)
- ellevyn – eleven (11)
- twelf – twelve (12)
- thrye-dis – thirteen (13)
- twante – twenty (20)
- twante-ene – twenty-one (21)
- thryente – thirty (30)
- hunderd – hundred (100)
- tousent – thousand (1,000)
- viertel – quarter (1/4)
- tithe – tenth (1/10)
Lexicon
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
abaft — at or toward the stern of the ship (→ astern)
abask — basking (in the light), fig. well-lit
abeam
1. alongside, at a 90° angle to the centerline
2. shining, beaming (esp. facial expression)
aboard — on board, shipside (not to be confused with → to abord)
abord, to — to accost, to approach (not to be confused with → aboard)
abram — (slang) naked (eg. full abram)
aby, to — to pay a penalty, to atone (→ to apay, weregelt)
academy — (euphemism) brothel
accourage, to — to encourage
accourt, to — to entertain (guests or visitors)
acharne /aʃaʁ'neː/
1. relentless, merciless, fierce
2. irreconcilable
acker, to — (slang) to work (job, → taff)
adrift — unemployed
aerugo — metal oxide (any type)
affray, to — to startle, to frighten (→ affreux, to agrize)
affreux /a'fʁø/ — frightening, terrifying (→ to affray)
afore — before
afterhand — afterwards, subsequently
aghte — eight (numeral)
agnosy — ignorance
agone — ago
agrize, to — to terrify, to horrify (→ to affray)
aground — at a loss
ahull — with sails furled (eg. during a solar storm)
airy — (slang) pleasant, nice
alas — interjection used to express regret or sorrow
alate — lately, of late, recently
alchemist — chemist (esp. nuclear, antimatter, materials research)
alchemy
1. nuclear chemistry
2. elaborate process or algorithm (→ incantation)
algid — cold, chilly (→ ard)
alow — below, beneath
althing — everything
amain — at full speed, at maximum sustainable acceleration (→ flank)
anear — nearly, almost
anointed — eminent, remarkable (person)
Aost — August (month)
apay, to — to satisfy, to appease (→ to aby)
apothecary
1. pharmacist
2. (euphemism) drug dealer
aquabib — teetotaller, fig. inexperienced person
arcane — obscure, elaborate, impossible to understand (→ hermetic)
ard — hot (→ algid)
arefy, to — to dry, to wither
aright / awright — correct(ly), alright
ark — (euphemism) boat, small ship (→ boat)
arseward — backwards
ashify, to — to burn (esp. completely, → ignify)
astern — at or toward the stern of the ship (→ abaft)
athwart — across, sideways, from one side to another (→ traverse)
atwene — between
aubade — dawn song (→ nocturne)
auger in, to — to crash dirtside (esp. involuntarily, → lithobrake)
aught / ought — anything, none, zero
aura — drive radiation signature
Averil — April (month)
aye — yes, affirmative
ayenbite — remorse
B
baetyl — sacred meteorite or space rock
bagarre /ba'gɑʁ/ — brawl, scuffle
bakemeat — various types of baked foodstuffs
baldower — (slang) scout
baldower, to — (slang) to scout out, to canvass
balefire — makeshift beacon
balefire (an engine), to — to flash a ship engine as an emergency beacon
banyak — fool (→ flute)
baptize, to — (slang) to kill (→ to smoke)
barcode — (slang) very thin mustache
barfer — (slang, derogatory) person suffering from space sickness (esp. → dirtsider)
bargemaster — dispatcher for autonomous short-range barges
bavardage /bavaʁ'daʒ/ — idle chatter
bearntem — offspring (collectively)
beaunasty /bo'naːsti/
1. finely dressed but notoriously unkempt, pretty but unwashed
2. handsome and outwardly well-mannered jerk
bedemoun
1. petitioner
2. religious person
bedizened — overdressed (→ to dizen)
Beldam
1. ghostly crone or hag-like figure from spacer folklore
2. (written in lowercase) old woman
belike — probably, likely, perhaps
Belter — denizen of an asteroid belt
bene, benar — good, better
betty — (slang) lockpick
bewray, to — to reveal, to betray
bilgewater / bilge — nonsense, rubbish (→ eyewash, feihua)
blain — boil, blister, blemish
blendling — hybrid, cyborg
bletcherous — ugly, disgusting looking
bloviate, to — to write or speak empty words, to blather (→ to yaff)
blunderbuss — short gun with a wide bore for firing slugs, fig. any large caliber gun
boatswain / bosun — crew member in charge of maintenance
bock — (slang) interest, desire, hunger
Bodach
1. mischievous old ghostly figure from spacer folklore
2. (written in lowercase) old man
bodement — prediction, prophecy, hunch
bodeword
1. tidings
2. commandment, directive
bodge — clumsily crafted item
body count — (slang) number of sexual partners one has had
body snatcher — (slang) law enforcement officer
boman /'boːman/ — (slang) criminal taking advantage of their good looks and/or fine dress
bone box — mouth (→ tater trap)
bonnet — hat, cap
bordcloth — tablecloth
bowsprit — (slang) nose (esp. big)
brandiron
1. trivet, gridiron (cooking)
2. branding iron
brainworm
1. persistent delusion
2. semi-organic mind augmenting symbiont
brank, to — to prance, to strut
breaker — salvage yard (→ shipbreaker, wrecker)
brevely — concise, brief
bruit /bʁui/ — rumor, hearsay, word on the streets
buckles — (slang) handcuffs
buckshee
1. baksheesh, bribe money
2. spare, extra portion
bulldogs — (slang) pistols (carried as a pair)
bumboat / boomboat — small port tender
bun fight — fancy social gathering
burnet — brown (color)
burr — (derisive)
1. child (esp. young)
2. clingy person (→ velcroid)
C
caboose — arse
cackleberry — egg (chicken or other bird)
calle — coat, cloak, gown
camesa — shirt
canard — false intel, hoax, red herring
canary
1. snitch, informer
2. air quality warning device
canaille /ka'najə/ — riffraff
canister — head (? knowledge box)
cantiga — song, sea shanty
caper — dance
capsize, to — to fall over
caravan — large sum of money
cark it, to — (slang) to die
cartouchen, to — (slang) to deceive, to fool
case / cosa — house (esp. warehouse, store)
cat — nine-thonged scourge
cat sticks — (slang) thin legs
catch club — (slang) law enforcement
catchpole — bounty hunter
caudle — medicine served hot (such as in a tea)
cenn / cennend — parent
chaffer, to — to haggle, to bargain
chary — discreetly, cautiously, sparingly
chauffer /'ʃofər/ — small furnace, heating unit
chaunt, to
1. to sing
2. to report, to publish (news)
cheese it, to — (slang) to shut up (→ to stow it)
chermadic — kinetic
chimerical — imaginary, fanciful
chirping — laughing, merry
chuff
1. surly
2. lout
chyerte — affection
clangor — loud clanging noise, ruckus
clicket — latch
coat-armure — overcoat with insignia
cobwebs — (slang) pretense, false bravado
cole / kohle — (slang) money
confect — (slang) forgery, counterfeit, to counterfeit
coram — face to face, in person
corsair — pirate who moonlights as a privateer (or vice versa)
cortege / cortegery
1. fancy, overdressed
2. overly fancy event, procession
courtesan — highly paid sex worker (gender-neutral)
cove / covey — man, guy, bloke, dude, boy (→ messer)
crackjaw — hard to pronounce, tongue-twister
crag — neck, cervical spine
craunch, to — to crunch, to crush with the teeth
creaunce — belief, faith, confidence
croakers — (slang) news media
cropsick — nauseous from unfamiliar food
cuffin — person, kid (gender-neutral, → moun)
cultch — rubbish, refuse
curiosa — (euphemism, humorous) porn
cushty — (slang) great, awesome, fantastic (→ mirific)
D
damage — (slang) cost, expense (→ pash)
dame / damey — woman, lady, miz, girl (→ donna)
deadrock — cinder world
deck, to
1. (slang) to beat
2. to see (→ to deek)
deckel
1. helmet
2. (slang) cop
deek — look, peek, glance
deek, to — to have a look, to peek, to glance (→ to deck)
degan — backsword (esp. military)
deray, to — to go wild, to go off the rails
dial plate — (slang) face (→ phyz)
diezig /'diːzɪk/ — hazy, foggy, drab (color), unclear
dift — neat, well-kempt
dight — adorned, finely clothed
dighten, to
1. to adorn, to equip
2. to have sex
dimber — handsome, pretty
dirtside — (derogatory) planetside
dirtsider — (derogatory) planet-dweller
dis — ten (numeral)
Divinday — Tuesday (third day of the week)
dizen, to — to dress fancily
donna / donya — miz, lady (→ dame, messer, moun)
dotage — senility
drearymood — sorrowful, depressed
dreck — (slang) dirt, filth, shit
drysalter — merchant of chemicals
dubiety — doubtfulness
dud — (slang) worthless or broken thing, useless person
dure, to — to last, to endure
E
egurdouce / aigredouce — sweet-and-sour sauce
eldritch — unknowable with a side of terrifying (→ arcane)
elflocks — (slang) tangled strands of hair, matts
ellevyn — eleven (numeral)
endlong — lengthwise, from end to end, continuously
ene — one (numeral)
equipped — (slang) wealthy, rich
erelong — before long, soon
erewhile — until now, beforehand, formerly
etheroneph / ethership — spaceship (→ voidship)
evenhood — equality, fairness
eveniency — event
eventide — evening
F
fambles / fams — (slang) hands
fanal — beacon, lighthouse
fanfaron — boastful person
fantasticate, to — to fantasize, to daydream
farforth — far, to a great extend, advanced
farouche — sullen, unsociable, shy
farrago — jumble, confused mass of people or items
fawny — (slang) finger ring
feblesse — weakness, frailty
feeders — (slang) cutlery (→ gobsticks)
feihua /'fɛɪxwa/ — nonsense, bullshit (→ bilgewater, eyewash)
feneter — window
fent — crack, dent
Fevral — February (month)
fif — five (numeral)
file — (slang) pickpocket
finesse — (slang) hack (esp. a clever one)
finesse, to — (slang) to obtain something by trickery
firkin — small barrel
fizzled — (slang) fell through, didn't pan out
flachsen, to /'flaksən/
1. to lie, to deceive
2. to joke
flanerie — idle stroll(ing)
flash, to — to show, to wear, to sport
flaughter, to — to flutter, to flicker
flayre — scent, smell, odor
fleer, to — to mock, to jeer, to make faces
flimp, to — (slang)
1. to steal
2. to brawl
flummery — empty compliment (→ sawder)
flute — fool
flying coffin — (slang) barely spaceworthy ship
foundered — broken down (ship or other vehicle)
fower — four (numeral)
fromward — away from, forward
froufrou — fluffy, rustling sound
fug — stuffy or smoky air
fulgid — flashing
fumificate — to create smoke (on purpose)
funest — funereal, depressed, melancholic
G
gacha — (slang) toy
gaff — (slang) trick, con
gagers — (slang) eyes (→ glims, ogles)
galena
1. lead (metal or ore)
2. salted meat
galere /ɡa'lɛʁ/ — unpleasant situation
ganef — (slang) thief
garstic /'ɡɑʁstɪk/ — nasty, disgusting
gearhead — (slang) Mechanist
genefucker — (slang, derogatory) incompetent or reckless genehacker
gelt /ɡɛlt/ — (slang) money
gen — (slang) genuine, real deal, truth
gentryfolk — gender-neutral form of 'ladies and gentlemen'
gentrycove / gentrycuff / gentrydame — gentleman / gentleperson / gentlewoman
ghoul — cannibal pirate
gin — 1. device, trap, 2. trick, artifice
glim — (slang) intel, tip (information, → glims)
glims — (slang) eyes (→ gagers, ogles)
glimmer — (slang) fire
glowboy — (slang) nuclear maintenance technician
gnostic
1. knowing person, smart fellow
2. knowledgeable, wise
gob — mouth (→ bone box, tater trap)
gobshite — annoying person, esp. one who talks too much
gobsticks — cutlery (→ feeders)
godsib — close friend
gorked — (slang) sedated, knocked out
gormless — dull, witless
gotch, to — to sleep
graft — (slang) work, effort
gramery — knowledge, study (→ lore)
grandig — big, grand, strong
grato — free of charge, gratuitous
grease monkey — (slang, derisive) maintenance technician
grin — (slang) skull
gropemans — (slang) complete darkness
grubbery — restaurant, food place
grum — morose, surly
H
hams — pants
handspike — (slang) crowbar, prybar
hauler — cargo ship (esp. bulk)
hautain /hɔ'tɛɪn/ — haughty, arrogant
hazardry — gambling
heart-blood — lifeblood
heathen / pagan — (slang, derisive) person rejecting advanced technology as opposing nature
heavy — high-gravity, high acceleration
heavy-worlder — native of a high-gravity world
herbory — shelter, boarding house, place of residence
herewith — with this, by this means, hereby
hereword — approval, commendation
hermetic — secret, occult (→ arcane)
Hertheday — Friday (sixth day of the week)
holy mackerel — holy shit
honeycakes / honey-sweet — sweetheart
hook, to — (slang) to steal
horal / horary — by the hour, hourly
-house — used with descriptor of a building's use (eg. bookhouse, brewhouse, storehouse)
hue, to — to flog, to whip (→ to lace)
hunderd — hundred (numeral)
I
identic — identical
ifsoever — if ever
ignify, to — to set on fire
ilkon — each one
inapt — unfit, unqualified
incantation — strange bit of code, elaborate procedure (? arcane)
incubus — nightmare
inscient — uneducated, fig. clueless
inly — inwardly, thoroughly
innoxious — harmless, inoffensive
inwith — inside
iron — courage (→ leyv)
ironice — ironically
ivories — (slang) teeth
J
Janiver — January (month)
jar — pint
jark — seal, stamp
jaunce, to — to prance
jejune — not nutritious, devoid of sustenance
jemmy — (slang) small crowbar
jerque, to — to search a ship for contraband
jink, to — (slang) sudden maneuver (esp. evasive or sideways)
Jouen — June (month)
judder — strong vibration, ongoing shudder
K
kaff — (derogatory) backwater settlement
keck, to — (slang) to retch, to be nauseated
keelhauling — (slang) thorough beating
keep shady, to — (slang) to stay hidden, to stay quiet
kehre /'kɛːʁə/
1. turn, course change
2. instant, o'clock
ken — house, building
kerf — cut, groove, notch
ketch — small sailship
kettle — steam engine (nuclear or conventional), vehicle powered by a steam engine
kexy — brittle
kickshaw — (slang) trinket (esp. worthless)
kin — family, relations, kinship
kinshen / kinchin /'kɪnʃən/ — diminutive or young-looking person, child
knave
1. (slang) hireling
2. lout
koye / kohje /'koːjə/ — bed, bunk, shipside cabin
kwarto — (slang) cabin, quarters (shipside accommodation)
kwota → quota
L
lace, to — (slang) to whip, to flog, to beat (→ to hue)
lagan — jettisoned cargo marked with a buoy denoting ownership
lagena — large flask, amphora
lait, to — to search, to inquire
lamps (slang)
1. eyes
2. eyeglasses, contact lenses
lap — beverage
latten — thin sheet metal
leaky — (slang) untrustworthy
leeftail — in great demand, selling well
leer — spyglass
lethe — oblivion, unconsciousness, amnesia (short time span)
letter (of marque) — official writ allowing a corsair ship to seize enemy ships (→ scrow)
lewth — shelter (→ herbory)
leyv /lɛɪv/ — courage (→ iron)
libken — lodgings, quarters, boarding house
lickerish — lecherous, lusty
lief /liːf/ — gladly, willingly
light out, to — (slang) to abscond (? to pike)
limbo, in (slang)
1. in prison
2. in cryo (→ cold storage)
3. yet to be resurrected
linquish, to — to relinquish, to give up
liour — sauce thickener
logice — logically
lore — knowledge (→ gramery)
loremonger — scholar, teacher
lorespell — teachings
lour, to — to glower, to sulk
low it, to — to leave it be
Loy — July (month)
lucre — ill-gained wealth
lug, to — (slang) to listen
lugs — (slang) ears
lustres — (slang) gemstones
Lyghtenday — Thursday (fifth day of the week)
M
machinist — propulsion system engineer or technician
magnif — (slang) luxury cruise liner
mamsell — maid, housekeeper (gender-neutral, more often female-coded, → pacholek)
manege/ /ma'nɛʒ/ — (often humorous) goings-on, shady or covert operation (esp. when poorly executed)
manyar, to — to eat, to have a meal
married — (slang) handcuffed together
mash — crush (infatuation)
matmazel /matma'zɛl/ — mademoiselle, miz (→ dame, donna)
maudlin — excessively sentimental
maugre / mawgre /mʌ'gʁeː/ — in spite of
maunder, to
1. to beg, to ask for handouts
2. to mutter, to grumble
Mavors — March (month)
Mazu — May (month)
meatbag — (slang, derogatory) organic person or body
meat prison — (slang, derogatory) organic body
meat wagon — (slang) ambulance
mechanic / mechanician — technician (esp. maintenance)
medicaster — charlatan, quack
meracious — pure, unmixed
merchie — merchant or cargo ship
meself — myself
meselves — myselves (used by some plural entities)
messer — mister (→ cove)
metewand — yardstick
meurg /møʁg/ — exhausted, intoxicated
mewling
1. crying feebly
2. kitten
Midweek — Wednesday (fourth day of the week)
milky — white (color)
ming — hybrid (→ blendling)
mirific — wonderful
mistyhead — mistyness
mogry (slang)
1. person who underwent extensive physical modifications
2. cyborg shapeshifter (→ changer)
mokem — city, safe haven
molrowing — wailing
Monenday — Monday (second day of the week)
-monger — trader of a given type of goods (eg. foodmonger, loremonger)
mongery — trade
morntide — morning, dawn
moun / muntu — person (gender-neutral), people (→ cuffin)
mounkind — people, humanity
muchwhat
1. much, many matters, everything and the kitchen sink
2. nearly, almost (→ nigh)
mudlark — scavenger trawling waterways, maintenance tunnels and the like
murk — (slang) night, darkness
murrey — purple-red (color)
mushroom / mush — (slang) umbrella, parasol
N
nacky — (slang) ingenious, clever
nails — (slang) tough (said of a person)
nameling — namesake
narky — (slang) irritated, annoyed
nary — not one, not at all
naught / nought — nothing
nause — annoying person
navigator — pilot of a spaceship
Nento — November (month)
neyner — niner, nine (numeral)
nigh — nearly, almost
nocturne — night song (→ aubade)
nocuous — noxious, hurtful
nowise — not at all
O
obnixely — strenuous(ly)
ochre
1. dull yellow, yellowish brown (color or pigment)
2. money
ogles — (slang) eyes (→ gagers, glims)
outworlder — person from a world or system other than the local one
overset, to — to upset
P
pacholek /'paxolɛk/ — servant (gender-neutral, more often male-coded, → mamsell)
pagan → heathen
parage — parentage, lineage
parcel — partly
parley — (slang) negotiation, discussion, talk
parley, to — (slang) to negotiate, to discuss, to talk
pash — price, cost (→ damage)
patrico — priest
patter, to — to talk
paum, to
1. to conceal in the hand
2. to pickpocket
paw — (slang) hand (aka. fore-paw), foot (aka. hind-paw)
payenie — heathendom, paganism (→ heathen, pagan)
peccavi — mea culpa (admission of mistake or wrong)
penarious — pertaining to provisions
persuaders — (slang) spurs (for the boots)
pfui /pfuɪ/ — yuck
phyz — face, countenance, appearance
piacular — atrociously bad
pickery — petty theft
pigsconce — fool, ignoramus
pike (off), to — (slang) to run away (→ to light out)
pipkin — small pot
pointel — any pointy tool
pommerling — apple
post the cole, to — (slang) to pay up
pre — before, prior
pree — fairly, pretty (amount)
prinked up — dressed up, prettied up
prochein — next, nearest
prosy — prosaic
puddings — (slang) guts, internal organs
puissant — powerful
purloined — stolen
Q
quab — unfinished thing
quaint — old-fashioned, clinging to tradition for the sake of it
qualmish — squeamish, scrupolous
querken, to — (slang) to stifle, to suffocate
quiety — silence, tranquility
quinch, to — to wince, to whine
quota / kwota — (slang) share of loot or profit
R
rag (slang)
1. banknote
2. flag, ensign (unit flag)
racketye — shackles, fetter (esp. fixed to a structure)
rake, to — to target the drive bus and radiator panels with rapid, small-caliber fire to disable a ship
rat bastard — (slang) scoundrel
rathe — early
ratline — rope ladder or line to aid movement in zero-g
rattler — passenger liner, ferry
reast, to — to roast, to smoke (meat, etc.)
reckling — runt of a litter, rookie of a crew
recreant
1. disloyal, false
2. traitor, apostate, coward
reefer — cryo device or compartment
reek, to — (slang) to appear suspicious
relict — left behind
religion — (slang) occupation, profession
remass — (slang) reaction mass, propellant
resurrectionist → necromancer
revenant → reborn
rifmas — bank (financial institution)
rigger — aerospace or vehicle technician
rigging — clothing (→ tackle, trim, to unrig)
roblet, to — to lead astray
rock — any rocky celestial body
rock rat — (derisive) space miner
rookery — state of confusion
rotter — good-for-nothing, slacker
ruffler — small-time criminal specializing in extortion
rug — hair (esp. short and unkempt)
rumbustious — boisterous, rambunctious
runagate — renegade, deserter, fugitive
rust — iron (metal)
S
Sabbat — Saturday (seventh day of the week)
salt — wit, sense of humor
salto → (slang) brake turn
sangfroid — composure
sanz — without
saturne — bluish grey (color)
saucebox — bold or forward person
sawder / sawdust — (slang) flattery (→ flummery)
scandal broth — (slang) tea
scathefire — firestorm, conflagration
scathefire, to — to use a torch drive as the WMD it is
scourer — (slang) rich person causing trouble out of boredom
scraggy — lean, thin, bony
scrimshank, to — to shirk duty or work
scrow
1. writings of any kind (esp. analog)
2. letter of marque (→ letter)
scurvy — vitamin or nutrient deficiency (any type)
scuttle, to — to destroy a ship on purpose (esp. by explosives, eg. to prevent her falling into enemy hands)
seity
1. self, identity
2. idiosyncrasy
selcouth — strange, unfamiliar
seldseen — rare, uncommon, seldom seen
sere
1. dry, barren
2. threadbare, worn (fabric)
sermant
1. sacrament
2. oath, vow, 3. sermon
servage — servitude, service, allegiance
sevyn — seven (numeral)
sevynight — week
shady — quiet, out of sight, well hidden
shady glim — (slang) darkened lantern or torch, light source using a wavelength invisible to others (→ glimmer)
shamefast — bashful, shy, timid
shand — disgrace, shame
sheen — (slang) false money
shifting ballast — (slang, derogatory) passengers (esp. dirtsiders)
shikaji — friend, mate, partner
shipbreaker — salvager (→ breaker, wrecker)
shmiere /'ʃmiːrə/ — (slang) guard
shurty /'ʃuʁti/ — (slang, derisive) cop
sib — short form of sibling
sibkid — niece or nephew
sicarian — assassin, contract killer
sigil — sign (esp. secret, → zinken)
sis — six (numeral)
skint — (slang) broke, fresh out of cash
skulker (slang)
1. person who evades their duties (→ to scrimshank)
2. shady figure, lurker
skybound — limited to operation in space
slimikin — small and slender
slingshot → gravity assist
slippery — (slang) soap
slops — ready-to-wear clothes
sluice one's gob, to — (slang) to drink (→ gob)
slurvian — slurred, slurring
slyboots — person pretending to be a fool
smoke, to (slang)
1. to smell a rat, to suspect foul play
2. to kill
snaggs — (slang) teeth
snug — quiet, calm
soilure — pollution, staining
sorrel — yellowish red (color)
soul case — (slang) body (→ meat prison)
soup — (slang) dope, any performance-enhancing drug
sowel — relish or similar food eaten with bread
space, to — to execute sombeing by throwing them out the airlock
spaceburned — suffering long-term effects of radiation exposure (→ sunburnt)
spacer — person, species or culture native to, and living predominantly on, ships or space stations
spell — speech (talk, discourse)
spit — (slang) sword, saber, messer
stampers — (slang) shoes, boots, footwear in general
stash, to — to stop doing something, to finish
Sterreday / Solday — Sunday (first day of the week)
storve — mortality
stow it, to (slang)
1. to shut up (→ to cheese it)
2. to hide something
strade /'straːdə/ — street
straightwise — directly, immediately (following something)
sunburnt → (slang) spaceburned
sunshine — (slang) ionizing radiation
T
tache /taʃ/ — stain, blemish (→ blain)
tacken, to — to attach, to sew or stitch together
tackle — (slang) clothing (→ rigging, trim)
taff — (slang) work, job (→ to acker)
tapao, to — to pack foodstuffs for later (eg. takeaway)
tart — sour, sharp
tater trap — mouth (→ bone box)
taw, to — to beat, to scourge
tawse — whip, scourge
terra firma — (slang) planetside residence
therewith — thereupon, forthwith
thrye — three (numeral)
tin can — (slang) spaceship with few amenities
Tiseva — December (month)
tithe
1. tenth (fraction)
2. tithe (contribution)
tofore — in front of, ahead of, beforehand
togs — clothes
toplights — (slang) eyes
toplofty — (slang) high and mighty, haughty
tosher — scavenger of lost valuables
tousent — thousand (numeral)
tovarish — comrade
towel — blackjack, cudgel
tramp — (slang) freelance merchant ship (→ free trader)
traverse — across, crosswise (→ athwart)
trim — clothes, dress (→ rigging, tackle)
twa — two (numeral)
twelf — twelve (numeral)
twig, to — (slang) to look at, to observe, to watch
U
ubiety — location, whereabouts
underbreath — with subdued voice, rumored
underfang, to — to undertake
undern — light meal, snack (→ zakuska)
uneath — difficult
unhap — misfortune
unition
1. conjunction (alignment of celestial bodies)
2. union (act of uniting), marriage, joining, confluence
unicity — uniqueness
unicorn bait — (slang, humorous) virgin
unrig, to — to undress (→ rigging)
upstay, to — to support, to sustain
usance — habit, custom (tradition)
usward — toward us
Uttovro — October (month)
V
vafrous — cunning, sly
vail — profit, proceeds, return on investment
vardy — (slang) opinion, verdict
vauntage — boasting, bragging
vaurien /vo'ʁjɛn/ — good-for-nothing
velcroid — (slang) clingy person (→ burr)
verjuice — juice of unripe grapes
verreckt /fɛʁ'ʁɛkt/ — damn
vetanda /və'tanda/ — anyhting forbidden
viertel /'fɪʁtəl/ — quarter (one fourth)
vintry — wine shop
vitiate, to
1. to spoil, to devalue
2. to corrupt
vitrail /vi'tʁɑj/ — stained glass
vitriol — sulphuric acid
vivency — vitality
vivers — food, edibles
volery — maintenance hangar for small craft
vonce — irritating person
vraisemblance — verisimilitude
W
wagtail — obsequious person
walmore — edible tuber (carrot, turnip, etc.)
wantage — shortage
watchword
1. password (given to a person for recognition)
2. warning
waygone — exhausted from travelling
weirdward — very strange, unexplainable, close to supernatural
wearish — flavorless
weaselfaced — (derisive) having a thin face
welkin /'wɛlkɪn/ — sky (esp. upper atmosphere)
wergelt /'wɛʁgɛlt/ — (slang) blood money (fine paid to a victim or their family)
wharfinger — owner or manager of a wharf
whatabouts — things that occupy one's mind, distractions
whenas — when
whence — from where
whereof — of what
wherry — short-range cargo barge
whift — puff (breeze), whiff
wicked — cool, great, clever
widewhere — far and wide
wight
1. being (esp. human, → -being), entity
2. (derisive) brat, unruly person
windbound — hindered by strong stellar winds
windlass — winch for cables
wing — (slang) solar or radiator panel
witcher — silver
wobble, to — to boil
wordbound — lost for words, speechless
wreakless — unpunished
wrecker — (slang) salvage ship, salvage yard (eg. at the wrecker's, → breaker, shipbreaker)
wrength — wrongness
wretch — coward
wynd /waɪnd/ — narrow alley or corridor (esp. winding)
X
xebec /'zibɛk/ — small rocket-and-sail ship often used by pirates
Y
yaff, to — to bark (like a dog), to yap, fig. to blather, to talk without saying anything useful
yarling — wailing, howling
yeet — (slang) delta-V
yeet, to — (slang) to slingshot a ship, to accelerate cargo with a mass driver
yerk, to
1. to stab, to strike suddenly
2. to bind tightly
yondfare, to — to travel across, to journey through, to traverse
yonside — on the far side
Z
zaffre /ˈzæfɚ/ — cobalt blue (color and pigment)
zaftig /ˈzaftɪk/ (slang)
1. lit. juicy
2. having a full figure
zakuska /zaˈkuskə/ — appetizer, snack (→ undern)
zapper (slang)
1. stun gun
2. microwave oven
zeds — sleep
zendik /zɛnˈdik/
1. heretic
2. rogue, renegade
zeriba /zəˈriba/
1. razor shrub
2. barricade made from razorwire
Zibante /ˈzibantə/ — September (month)
zinken — (slang) mark used by vagabonds and criminals (→ sigil)
zonky — weird, odd, eccentric
