Kânik- The Wolf-Tongue of Ánovén

(according to research from the Journals of Dr. Andrew Karayan, from 1953-1955)

 

Introduction

I came across this remarkable journal one day in a pawn shop. I asked the manager what it was, and he shrugged and said I could name my price on it. I had five dollars on me, so I gave him the five dollars and he gave me the journal. What I found inside when I went home was incredible. The journal belonged to an Oxford professor of archaeology, Dr. Andrew Karayan, of Irish-Armenian descent. The journal, dating from 1953 to 1955 according to the entries, described an ancient language, Kânik, which he had discovered accidentally on a morning beach run. Below is a reproduction of the text of the journal.

Kânik was the original language used by the Kânín to communicate with each other and, until their fall, the White Wolves. However, when five clans of Men (3 of whom later became the Cénáre or Wolven) arrived on the eastern shores of Ánovén, Ka'én, the Creator, taught them this language. Over time, it became rich and complex, diverging from the harsher, more guttural Kæna'ar dialect of the Kânín in the north.

Major Cénárol Accents

The Cénárol dialect had, in turn, several accents, all mutually intelligible but with subtle differences in speech. These were Avakašian, Hádakašian, and Kiharian. There were several differences in the pronunciation of certain sounds in these accents. For instance, the realm of Hádakaš placed a slight trill on an individual r, as opposed to the Avakašian accent, which had somewhat of a more rounded r, and final s was pronounced similar to z. In the Kiharian accent, the ŋ sound had an almost ñ sound, and it had almost virtually lost the voiceless th common to both Avakašian and Hádakašian, and was pronounced more like its voiced counterpart þ. Avakašian was held to have been the "purest" form of the Cénárol dialect until the Cataclysm.

In turn, there were also slight grammatical differences between the three major accents. Avakašian was considered to be the "purest" form of the Cénárol dialect, and so all differences are in relation to Avakašian. In the formation of exclamatory statements, the Kiharians would use a Verb Object Subject word order, with the exclamatory prefix Bé- on the verb. The Hádakašians would use an SVO word order, however the Bé- prefix would be on the verb if it was a formal statement (i.e. directed toward someone of greater importance than the speaker), or on the object if it were an informal, however this depended on what case the object was in.

In questions, the Avakašians would use the SVO word order. However, the Kiharians used an Object Verb Subject word order, with the exception of an interrogative term (see below). The Hádakašians used SVO, similar to the Avakašians, however the so-called "interrogative prefix" Æk- on the verb. Like the Kiharian accent, this was nullified with the use of an interrogative term.

Aspects

The Kânik language in its present form language with a Verb-Subject-Object word order. It has extensive noun declension and verb conjugation systems, which contribute to the fluidity and apparent "naturalistic" sound of the language. It is estimated that it took three millennia for the language to develop to its present form.

 

Phonetics

Kânik is a very phonetic language, with the exception of a few letters. Below is a description of each sound in the Kânik language, with International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions.

Vowels

Letter	IPA Symbol	Notes
a	ɑː
á	j ɑː
â	eɪ
æ	æ
e	ɛ
é	ɪ
ê	ɜː
i	iː	Pronounced like aɪ after voiceless aspirate
í	ɔɪ
î	ɪə
o	ɒ
ó	ɔː
ô	ʊ
u	u
ú	ʌ
û	ʊə

 

Consonants

Letter	IPA Symbol	Notes
k	k
c	x
s	s
g	ɡ
d	d
t	t
p	p
b	b
j	dʒ	j when between two similar vowels
y	j
q	kw
l	l
r	ɹ
ll	r
m	m
n	n
x	k s
w	w
f	f
v	v
z	z
h	h
th	θ
þ	ð
č	tʃ
š	ʃ
ŋ	ŋ
ž	ʒ

 

 

Grammar

Articles

Kânik has three definite and three indefinite articles. They are:

• Singular- u/e
• Plural- un/er
• Dual- ar/aem

Nouns

Kânik nouns are declined for eleven cases:

• nominative (subject)
• accusative(direct object)
• genitive/possessive (relation or possession)
• dative (indirect object)
• prosecutive (motion along or across something)
• inessive (inside, on, or within, also acts as the locative)
• allative (motion towards)
• ablative (motion away)
• temporal (specifying a time)
• sociative (with or accompanied by something)
• attributive/respective (about or regarding something, also giving a quality to something).

Nouns have both vocalic and consonantal declensions.

 

Vocalic Declension

Below is the declension for the noun nave (path)

	-a, -e, -ae, -æ bases
	Singular	Plural	Dual
Nominative	nave	naven	navem
Accusative	navo	navor	navos
Genitive/Possessive	navér	navé’a	navire
Dative	navaqa	navaqo	naviqi
Prosecutive	navir	navú	navag
Sociative	navet	naveta	naveti
Temporal	navel	navale	navila
Allative	navai	nava'i	nave'u
Ablative	nava	navæ	navis
Attributive/Respective	naviki	navikû	naviko
Inessive	navi'e	navi'a	nava'o

This is the declension of the noun pedi (ship)

	-i, -ai, -ei bases
	Singular	Plural	Dual
Nominative	pedi	pedin	pedím
Accusative	pedare	pedera	pedaro
Genitive/Possessive	pedore	pedero	pedu
Dative	pedo	pedilo	pedom
Prosecutive	peda	pedǽ	pedya
Sociative	pedîm	pedam	pedit
Temporal	pedær	pedair	pedaet
Allative	pedaju	pedajê	pedajor
Ablative	pede’ai	pedeo	peda'ue
Attributive/Respective	pedeŋa	pedenge	pedenga
Inessive	pedel	pedil	pedal

This is the declension of the noun elue (snow)

	-o, -u, -ue, -au, -eo bases
	Singular	Plural	Dual
Nominative	elue	eluén	eluém
Accusative	elví	elvô	el'for
Genitive/Possessive	elijar	elijer	elijir
Dative	eldu	eldus	eldug
Prosecutive	elura	elure	elaru
Sociative	eleco	elece	elecu
Temporal	eloma	elomai	elome
Allative	elǽ	elo	eli
Ablative	elþai	elþín	elþas
Attributive/Respective	elši	elša	elšo
Inessive	elin	elen	elon

 

Consonantal Declension

The consonantal declension of avar (king)

	All Consonantal Endings
	Singular	Plural	Dual
Nominative	avar	aváre	aváru
Accusative	avaré	avareo	avarei
Genitive/Possessive	avaro	avarol	avarel
Dative	avari	avarid	avarith
Prosecutive	avar'mi	avar'nai	avar'ni
Sociative	avareb	avar'ne	avarib
Temporal	avarot	avarod	avaroth
Allative	avar'ki	avar'ga	avar'co
Ablative	avar'to	avar'dæ	avar'ta
Attributive/Respective	avarex	avaræx	avarax
Inessive	avar'le	avar'la	avar'lae

 

Sentence Structure

Neutral Kânik sentences have a structure of VSO (Verb, Subject, Object), although this order is shifted to SVO when forming a question. The VSO structure is retained when making a statement, however an "emphatic" accent is placed on the verb. The word-order shift in sentence structure when forming a question is similar to German. However, in some instances an interrogative term is used and placed in front of the verb, and therefore the VSO structure is retained.

Examples

• Neutral

Nav'ticé ké vân'ki. (He has gone home.)

 

• Question (Word Order Shift)

Ké nav'ticé vân'ki? (Has he gone home?)

 

• Question (Interrogative Use)

Es nav'ticé ké? (Where has he gone?)

 

• Exclamation (Use of imperative prefix)

Bé-naviv ecai! (Go now!)

 

• Exclamation (Use of modal auxiliary)

Wel navej uve ecai! (You must go now!)

Initial Consonant Clusters, Diphthongs, and Vocalic Distinction

 

Initial Consonant Clusters

The Kânik language employs several initial consonant clusters:

	Initial Consonant Clusters
	Cluster, Examples
šk	škar (here, present)
št	štelkúr (tree)
šn	šnalos (dirty)
ŋg	ŋgeldos (spiky, jagged, sharp)
ŋd	ŋdarion (valiant, courageous)
ŋl	ŋludos (ragged)
kt	któlkos (ambitious)
hr	hráda (glory)
cr	crim (how are, how is)

 

Diphthongs

Kânik also uses vocalic diphthongs, combinations of vowel sounds. They are:

Diphthong	IPA
ae	aɪ
ai	aɪ (slight accent on i)
au	aʊ
ue	juɚ
ei	aɪɚ
eo	ɛo
ou	oʊ

 

Vocalic Distinction

There are no other possible diphthong combinations than the ones listed above, so when two vowels that cannot make a diphthong appear next to each other in a word, they are separated by an apostrophe ('), thus a'o and so forth. Further, a vocalic diphthong can be separated, such as ae, to make a'e. This process is called vocalic distinction, and it is a large feature of the Kânik language.

 

Other Sound Rules

An interesting rule is that when a vowel, such as i, followes a voiceless aspirate such as th, the sound is elongated into the aɪ sound heard in the diphthong ae. Also, in the formation of plurals where a word ends with a consonant, the final vowel sound is elongated or accented, for instance the plural for Cénar (wolven, sing.) is Cénáre (wolven, pl.). Another plural formation rule is that the ai diphthong, if it is the last vowel sound at the end of the word, is changed to í, followed by the plural suffix -n. Thus Kânai (werewolf), becomes Kânín (werewolves). In the formation of the dual, the ai diphthong undergoes vocalic distinction (Kânai→Kâna'im). In other diphthongs, the second vowel is accented and the whole diphthong undergoes the vocalic distinction process (see above).

Pronouns, Verbs, and Conjugation

Pronouns

Kânik, specifically the Cénárol dialect, has 9 personal pronouns:

• ir- I
• ké- he
• cá- she
• uve- you
• enka- we, us, you (dual)
• dâ- we, us
• kya- them, they
• úven- you pl.
• óma- it, this, that

Enka is what is called a "dual", a pronoun that is specifically used for two people. It is also the Kânik number "two". It is important to note that the pronouns undergo declension just like any other noun. In order to form a dual third person, the verb is conjugated into the "kya" form, and kya itself is declined into the dual nominative form.

Verbs

Kânik verbs are enormously complex. Like most languages they have three basic tenses: present, past, and future. However, these verbs are divided into three "secondary tenses": simple, continuous, and perfect.

Kânik verbs have four infinitive suffixes: -im, -ej, -ov, -ur. A majority of the time, as a result of the conjugations, the verbs are very distinct and have almost no need of personal pronouns.

Verb Conjugations

Below are charts that give the conjugations for each Kânik verb tense. There are very few irregular verbs in the Kânik language, but there are exceptions.

 

Present Tense

	Present Tense- Simple Present
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	-am	-ij	-uv	-or
Ké	-ac	-ic	-uc	-oc
Cá	-ak	-ik	-uk	-ok
Uve	-av	-iv	-ûv	-óv
Enka	-anc	-inc	-unc	-onc
Dâ	-ade	-ide	-ude	-ode
Kya	-aya	-iya	-uya	-oya
Úven	en(')- -ave	en(')- -ive	en(')- -uve	en(')- -óve
Óma	-at	-it	-ut	-ot

 

	Present Tense- Present Continuous
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	-ami	-iji	-uvi	-ori
Ké	-acé	-icé	-ucé	-océ
Cá	-aká	-iká	-uká	-oká
Uve	-avó	-ivó	-ûvó	-óvó
Enka	-ancú	-incú	-uncú	-oncú
Dâ	-ader	-ider	-uder	-oder
Kya	-ayaþ	-iyaþ	-uyaþ	-oyaþ
Úven	en(')- -avó	en(')- -ivó	en(')- -uvó	en(')- -óvó
Óma	-ata	-ita	-uta	-ota

 

	Present Tense- Present Perfect
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	-(')rami	-(')riji	-(')ruvi	-(')rori
Ké	-(')tacé	-(')ticé	-(')tucé	-(')tocé
Cá	-(')vaká	-(')viká	-(')vuká	-(')voká
Uve	-(')zavó	-(')zivó	-(')zûvó	-(')zóvó
Enka	-(')nancú	-(')nincú	-(')nuncú	-(')noncú
Dâ	-(')šader	-(')šider	-(')šuder	-(')šoder
Kya	-(')thayaþ	-(')thiyaþ	-(')thuyaþ	-(')thoyaþ
Úven	en(')- -davó	en(')- -divó	en(')- -duvó	en(')- -dóvó
Óma	-(')gata	-(')gita	-(')guta	-(')gota

Past Tense

	Past Tense- Preterit
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	am(')-	ij(')-	uv(')-	or(')-
Ké	ac(')-	ic(')-	uc(')-	oc(')-
Cá	ak(')-	ik(')-	uk(')-	ok(')-
Uve	av(')-	iv(')-	ûv(')-	óv(')-
Enka	anc(')-	inc(')-	unc(')-	onc(')-
Dâ	ade(')-	ide(')-	ude(')-	ode(')-
Kya	aya(')-	iya(')-	uya(')-	oya(')-
Úven	enav(')-	eniv(')-	enuv(')-	enóv(')-
Óma	at(')-	it(')-	ut(')-	ot(')-

 

	Past Tense- Imperfect
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	dam(')-	dij(')-	duv(')-	dor(')-
Ké	mac(')-	mic(')-	muc(')-	moc(')-
Cá	čak(')-	čik(')-	čuk(')-	čok(')-
Uve	þav(')-	þiv(')-	þûv(')-	þóv(')-
Enka	banc(')-	binc(')-	bunc(')-	bonc(')-
Dâ	jade(')-	jide(')-	jude(')-	jode(')-
Kya	zaya(')-	ziya(')-	zuya(')-	zoya(')-
Úven	thenav(')-	theniv(')-	thenuv(')-	thenóv(')-
Óma	kat(')-	kit(')-	kut(')-	kot(')-

 

	Past Tense- Pluperfect
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	édam(')-	édij(')-	éduv(')-	édor(')-
Ké	îmac(')-	îmic(')-	îmuc(')-	îmoc(')-
Cá	ačak(')-	ačik(')-	ačuk(')-	ačok(')-
Uve	oþav(')-	oþiv(')-	oþûv(')-	oþóv(')-
Enka	úbanc(')-	úbinc(')-	úbunc(')-	úbonc(')-
Dâ	ojade(')-	ojide(')-	ojude(')-	ojode(')-
Kya	czaya(')-	cziya(')-	czuya(')-	czoya(')-
Úven	athenav(')-	atheniv(')-	athenuv(')-	athenóv(')-
Óma	ikat(')-	ikit(')-	ikut(')-	ikot(')-

Future Tense

	Future Tense- Simple Future
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	-(')ma	-(')na	-(')da	-(')ba
Ké	-(')ec	-(')ac	-(')uc	-(')ic
Cá	-(')eč	-(')ač	-(')uč	-(')ič
Uve	-(')va	-(')fa	-(')la	-(')pa
Enka	kan(')-	can(')-	gan(')-	čan(')-
Dâ	ax(')-	ex(')-	ox(')-	ux(')-
Kya	ram(')-	rim(')-	rem(')-	rum(')-
Úven	va(')-	fa(')-	la(')-	pa(')-
Óma	-(')ekt	-(')okt	-(')ikt	-(')ukt

 

	Future Tense- Future Continuous
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	i(')- -(')ma	i(')- -(')na	i(')- -(')da	i(')- -(')ba
Ké	ar(')- -(')ec	ar(')- -(')ac	ar(')- -(')uc	ar(')- -(')ic
Cá	er(')- -(')eč	er(')- -(')ač	er(')- -(')uč	er(')- -(')ič
Uve	vô(')- -(')va	vô(')- -(')fa	vô(')- -(')la	vô(')- -(')pa
Enka	akan(')-	acan(')-	agan(')-	ačan(')-
Dâ	žax(')-	žex(')-	žox(')-	žux(')-
Kya	hram(')-	hrim(')-	hrem(')-	hrum(')-
Úven	æva(')-	æfa(')-	æla(')-	æpa(')-
Óma	-(')ekti	-(')okti	-(')ikti	-(')ukti

 

	Future Tense- Future Perfect
	-im	-ej	-ov	-ur
Ir	mi(')- -(')ma	mi(')- -(')na	mi(')- -(')da	mi(')- -(')ba
Ké	car(')- -(')ec	car(')- -(')ac	car(')- -(')uc	car(')- -(')ic
Cá	ver(')- -(')eč	ver(')- -(')ač	ver(')- -(')uč	ver(')- -(')ič
Uve	avô(')- -(')va	avô(')- -(')fa	avô(')- -(')la	avô(')- -(')pa
Enka	akan(')- -(')ti	acan(')- -(')ti	agan(')- -(')ti	ačan(')- -(')ti
Dâ	žax(')- -(')hré	žex(')- -(')hré	žox(')- -(')hré	žux(')- -(')hré
Kya	hram(')- -(')ra	hrim(')- -(')ra	hrem(')- -(')ra	hrum(')- -(')ra
Úven	æva(')- -(')el	æfa(')- -(')el	æla(')- -(')el	æpa(')- -(')el
Óma	qé(')- -(')ekti	qé(')- -(')okti	qé(')- -(')ikti	qé(')- -(')ukti

Note: To negate a verb, the prefix et- is added to the verb. To form an imperative mood, the prefix bé- is added.

 

Grammatical Voice

Grammatical voice in Cénárol was formed by retaining both the infinitive suffix with the appropriate tense suffix or prefiix. In essence, the inifinitive suffix became an infix that helped form the appropriate voice. The tenses primarily used in the formation of grammatical voice were the primary tenses (simple present, preterite, and simple future). Example: the verb to say is ithim. The simple present form of “it says” was ithat. To create the passive “it is said,” the –im infinitive is placed between the root ith- and the present tense –at, and the resulting word is ithimat.

Modal Auxiliaries

Modal auxiliaries are verbs that set the mood of a sentence, and are also called "helping verbs". Kânik has seven modal auxiliaries:

• ketim- to like
• meogov- should
• sacur- can, to be able to
• cerej- would like
• hevim- to want to
• vecur- may
• wirov- must, to have to

An interesting fact to notice is that the modal auxiliaries have a dramatic conjugation, much like those in German.

Conjugation

	Modal Auxiliaries
	ketim	meogov	sacur	cerej	hevim	vecur	wirov
Ir	kat	mek	sek	cor	hab	bac	wer
Ké	keod	maka	siku	curu	hev	baec	wara
Cá	keod	maka	siku	curu	hev	baec	wara
Uve	kut	mog	soc	cer	heb	vak	wel
Enka	kid	meg	sak	cala	hava	vici	wir
Dâ	kaed	meok	saek	cil	heob	veok	waer
Kya	kete	migi	sici	coro	hebe	veki	were
Úven	kod	mok	sik	car	hav	vec	war
Óma	kolle	moco	sæc	cul	hæb	bak	wil

 

Use of Modal Auxiliaries

Modal auxiliaries are used to set the mood of a particular sentence, and when a modal auxiliary is used, it is placed at the front of the sentence, followed by the affected verb.

Examples

An interesting rule in Kânik is that when a modal is used, if the following verb has the same infinitive ending (-im, -ej, -ov, -ur), then both verbs are conjugated. However, if the verbs have two dissimilar infinitive endings, then only the first verb is conjugated.

Hab navej vân'ki. (I want to go home.)

Cor navij vân'ki. (I would like to go home.)

 

The "Valaxor Manuscript"

Currently the longest piece of the Cénárol dialect of Kânik is the Valaxor Manuscript, a document that concerns the creation of the Council of Elders during the reign of Valaxor II. What follows is the first paragraph of that document, first in Cénárol and then translated into English.

Kânik Text

Acar Hâr-Valaxor Enkâro, u engêtho Avar Ánovéno, pa u akosi Etheôno, al acar endâro avaré iktirvâno Laroso. Iyel ukender thuk-ige silék kná, thuk-enda al vár'na thuk-ige iyan pa ic'bâr u Vâré Tesare, uya'kam un Kânín u kesor-iteros Kôvudéno. Ac'tath Tnavor, avar Kôvudéno, aháxeo Valaxor'ki, al iya'ath teoli. Acar Ktelor, icto Valaxoro, re etêos iyel bârej Vâr'ki Tesaju, al oc'sahe Valaxor þaseŋa Kan'hadjiono adi'e-kér.

 

English Translation

Hâr-Valaxor II was the twentieth King of Ánovén after the death of Etheôn, and the first of the Larosian line. In the year 11863, 178 years after he assumed the High Throne, the Kânín attacked the outer villages and townships of Kôvudén. The Lord of Kôvudén, Tnavor, sent emissaries to Valaxor begging for aid. Ktelor, Valaxor's son, was at that time too young to assume the High Throne, and Valaxor was worried about the ability of Kan'hadjion in his old age.

 

Kânik Word List

The Kânik language, specifically the Cénárol tongue, has an extensive vocabulary. What follows is a list of some of the more prominent words in the tongue of the Wolven, including place names and people.

·        kana- wolf, the oldest word that can be traced back in the Cénárol vocabulary. The earliest Old Kânik stem that can be found is *kācacni. Also derived is the word kéna, hound. It is believed, given the appearance of this word, that the Ánovéneans had tamed some breeds of wolf and, in turn, had their own “equivalent” of dogs, albeit used strictly for security purposes.

·        Kânai- pl. Kânín, werewolf. Derived from the same OK root as kana.

·        avar- king, lord, esp. of one of the three realms of Émae (Kânavad, Ánovén and Kôvudén). It comes from the OK stem *ab’hār. From this stem are derived other words, some of these being vâr (great), vára (high), vǽra (the sky), and ba (up). Also, the word kar (a lesser lord, usually applied to the Regent of Ánovén, prefix kir-), is derived. It is unknown why vâr and vára do not use the adjectival suffixes –ion or –(i)os, but I speculate that this stem is among the oldest stems in the Cénárol dialect.

·        kaša- a city, esp. a large one. It comes from the OK stem *ākas’he, meaning a constructed fortress. Related is the word kašar, warrior, someone who defends the city. Also related is the word kesa, a town or hamlet.

·        had- pl. háde, a mountain. It appears to be a heavily worn down compound word, possibly formed from the words har (lofty) and adar (stone), but this is questionable.

·        ohar- the sea. Related words are acar (river), ecor (bay) and ecir (gulf)

·        Mathion- last king of Ánovén. His name, meaning “just” is derived from the Old Kânik root *máta’hēo, meaning rule or justice. The Cénárol word for justice was matheo. Mathion is an adjective (adjectival ending –ion) meaning “just”, but in a moral sense. Mathios, the name of Mathion’s son, meant just in the political sense. Also derived was the word methir, council or court, specifically applied to the Methir Edé’a, the Council of Elders.

·        devæl- tower. The word was especially applied to the Kašárion Devále, the Guardian Towers that watched over the land of Kânavad to the north. The word comes from the OK root *tāfa’ellō (summit), whence came the word tival, the Kežen Tival (red pillar) of Hádakaš.

·        Štélue- the forrested city of the Regent of Ánovén. Related words were štelkúr (tree) and štél (forest). Probably derived from the OK stem *s’tēhel, rooted.

·        vâd- land, esp. a wide open land. It is usually applied when referring to Kânavad, the land of the Werewolves in the north. It comes from the OK stem *b’vādné (a dwelling or home). Related words are vén (realm), vân (home or house), and dén (region).

·        Akar- pl. Akáre men, mortals. Derived from OK stem *ak’r, death. Related is the word akosi, death.

·        Iya- pl. Iyan years. Probably derived from OK stem *yā’on, time.

·        Mavonduri- Mathion’s ephitet or avos itha. It is the present participle form of mavondur, which literally means “to see far”, however I have translated this as “to foresee”. The first element, mav-, has  a complete form mávos, far, derived from *mā’f, distance. Mév is the Ánovénean word for “mile,” however their “miles” do not correlate to ours, if my research is correct. Their “miles” actually correspond to one and two-fifths of our miles. –onduri is the present participle for –ondur, the verb “to see”. This can also be seen in the second element of the word Elónu, the Moon (literally “white eye”). These words are derived from the OK stem *ŏnd’ūrē (sight), which became also in Modern Cénárol endór.

·        Válkonu- the Sun. For the second element, see the entry for Mavonduri. The first element is derived from the OK stem *bé’āloc, meaning a yellow or golden light, i.e. sunlight or fire. Some of the words that are derived from this stem are válka (gold), velos (bright), velók (fire), vælú (glory), and vǽlos (glorious, adj. form of vælú). There is also a verb, velim, to ignite or set ablaze. An ancient Cénárol word was vélk’wâla, fire-serpent, possibly a term for “dragon”.

·        Nave- a path, which derives from the OK stem *n’gafa, foot. There are many “foot”-related words that derive from this stem: the verbs navim, navej, navov, and navur (to leave, to go, to run or walk, and to come, respectively).

·        Néktas- a city in the southern Ánovénean peninsula of Nekoden. The city derives its name from the stem *ngīk’t, which originally referred to any animal that could be ridden, but over time became associated with horses in particular. Other words that are derived from this stem are nikov (to ride [a horse], v. inf.), naek a horseman (lit. rider [of horses]), and gîc (saddle).  The name Néktas is unusual in that the texts in which it appears refer to it as the “horse-city” of the South-realm, and yet it does not appear to possess the –kaš suffix that is characteristic of this type of word. Further delving into the work of Paliro have yielded that Néktas is actually a heavily worn-down word. Ancient texts reveal the “true” name of this city to be Nēk(t)o-kaš, and that over time, for some reason the “t” sound, inherent in the term for horses and riders, overtook the “k” sound that was heavily favored by the Cénáre.