Sacred 2:Orcish for Beginners

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Interesting Facts about Ancaria
Orcish for Beginners

Orcish for Beginners

Preface

Congratulations on your purchase of this latest work in our “Lingua Ancaria” series. The present volume is dedicated to Orcish and provides interested readers with a lucid and comprehensive introduction to the Orcish language.

We would also like to draw your attention to our works for more advanced learners “Orcish for Intermediate Learners – From Drinking Hall Anthems to Marriage Proposals,” and our course book for budding experts “Debating in Orcish – The Concise Compendium of Insults and Curses.” All of these works are available at a well-stocked parchment and scroll merchant of your choice.

Our scribes are currently also preparing a new edition of the companion volume, “The Complete Guide to Orcish Grammar” (5 pages – with a wealth of explanatory pictures and plenty of room for notes) which is to be published next Garon.

Let’s get started!

The history of Orcish languages spans thousands of years. Like most languages, Orcish is distinguished by an abundance of dialects and local variants. This myriad of local variations presents an almost insurmountable challenge to even the most learned of experts in the field of Orcish linguistics. The only attempt ever made by a non-Orcish scholar to describe and analyze all of the Orcish dialects was undertaken nearly 2500 years ago by Master of Lingua Thaddeus. Sadly, he failed to complete the mammoth task which so absorbed him for 40 years. The deeper he delved into the labyrinthine complexities of Orcish, the more firmly melancholy gripped his soul. Eventually, one morning, Thaddeus was found dead in the attic of his house. In his despair, the Master of Lingua had disemboweled himself and cut short a lifetime of erudite scholarship. A note found at his lectern allegedly read: “I have no idea which dialect this is…and I do not care! HUSH NOW! SILENCE! LEAVE ME IN PEACE! ALL OF YOU!”

His life’s work, encompassing 350 handwritten manuscripts, was tragically destroyed by the fire the following year.

The present volume is concerned solely with High Orcish, or, as it is otherwise known, Classic Urguaz. This purest form of Orcish is spoken only seldom today, although Orcs of all tribes and clans are familiar with it. Students will soon learn to take great pleasure in the diversity of the Orcish language and will, no doubt, revel in a range of novel and exciting linguistic possibilities.

Many of the sounds unique to Orcish result from the peculiarities of Orc anatomy, and students are advised to use the false incisor teeth accompanying this volume. (Alternatively, you can substitute corks for the false teeth) False teeth are in indispensable aid for students who wish to pronounce Orcish vocabulary correctly. And now, we with you all the best in your endeavors to learn what is perhaps one of the most colorful and vivid languages of all Ancaria! Or, as in Orc would say: Hataz Dura!

I. Getting to know Gragash

This is Gragash! He will accompany you on your way through this book. Say ‘Hello’ to our Orcish friend!

You say:
Hello, Gragash! How do you do?

In Orcish we say:
Artak Gragash, etok?

Gragash answers:
Tirtak! Naturok?
(I’m good! And you?)

Let’s take a closer look at some of the unique features of the Orcish language: The –k at the end of “artak” is a hard, unvoiced –k. However, the –k in the interrogative word “etok” is much softer and guttural – a combination of –ch and –g.

Note: Greetings are an extremely complex matter in the Orcish culture. Precise rules exist on how to greet your counterpart; age, status and the intended purpose of the conversation are all important factors. Any digression from these rules may be interpreted as a sign of weakness, provocation or insult. At this stage, students are advised to dispense with the use of standard Orcish greetings. Occasionally, some Orcs may take offense at this practice but learners will usually be able to avoid any violent confrontation by clearly evincing their ignorance of the Orcish language and customs.

Now that we have successfully greeted Gragash, let’s continue our conversation.

You say:
Do you want to eat some chickens with me?

And now in Orcish:
Nghuash su kruag topa ni?

Gragash answers:
Larguok tasniz ni egul!
(I have to do something else, unfortunately!)

There are only two personal pronouns in Orcish grammar:

I = ni
Not-I = su

In some cases the personal pronoun “su” can be substituted or complemented with a more precise description as necessary. In order to make a statement more ambiguous, well versed orators may choose to dispense with such nuances.

Note: We recommend that students eager to test their master of Orcish do not attempt to inflect personal pronouns – conversation partners may take violent exception to any unnecessary or incorrect references. Learners may, consequently, find themselves maimed or dismembered.

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