The late Dale Murphy devised an ancient Vulcan language, called "FthinraKathi", for use in an unpublished Star Trek universe novel (and planned sequels) he wrote before any of Diane Duane's books were published. The epic story took place on the planet Vulcan centuries before Surak and followed generations of a Vulcan family up to the time of Surak. Towards the end of Dale's life, VLI's founder worked with him for a few months on the language. After Dale's untimely death in 1984, Mark was bequeathed all of Dale's materials, including his unpublished novel, which may be rewritten and submitted for publication someday. In memory of Dale, we are proud to make some of his years of work available. FthinraKathi is from the same language tree as Traditional and Modern Golic, but the languages diverged long before Surak. Professional etymologists will see where the same word descended from Western Proto-Golic Vulcan roots in different ways in FthinraKathi and Traditional/Modern Golic. FthinraKathi is an extinct language -- all but one of its native speakers were annihilated in one of the great wars before the ideals of Surak were embraced.



THE LANGUAGE OF THE FTHINRAKATHI VULCANS
JengLash thu'FthinraKathir


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
FetWarri Bluvaj

In the many centuries before Surak, in the region of Gol and beyond, on the planet Vulcan, lived the FthinraKathi Vulcans in peace and harmony. "FthinraKathir" literally meant "the forest people", since they had originated in forested areas. Even after they spread far beyond their forest origins, they kept that name proudly. While maintaining one of the most advanced technical and scientific cultures for their time, they lived peacefully with traditions based on ancient folklore and mythology. They spoke a language little changed from that spoken by the First Masters of Gol in dimly remembered ancient times. Descended from a vast warrior culture, somewhat like the Vandals, Goths or Mongols of ancient Earth, they had settled the land, becoming experts in manufacturing, agriculture, art, music and philosophy. They resurrected the ancient religious center at Gol, which had died out during the Siege of Dad-Nol-Rvath during the last of the Ancient Golic Wars of Consolidation. They lived in peace in a treaty with their neighbors, the Shu'MakRir on the one side and the vLauDuKaurir on the other.

For centuries the three peoples lived in harmony, until a great period of famine in the vLauDuKauri lands and the murder of a young, bonded royal couple, blamed on the FthinraKathir but really committed as a "war catalyst" by their own kin, ignited war. In a merciless blitzkrieg style of warfare, the vLauDuKaurir attacked the FthinraKathir during their most important religious season. The war only lasted one week. When it was over, the great FthinraKathi culture of millions of people had been completely annihilated down to every man, woman and child, except for several hidden infants who were found by a band of Shu'MakRi merchants who were passing through the outskirts of the now-decimated FthinraKathi territory. Gol was occupied by the victorious vLauDuKaurir, who promptly began transporting all stored grain and vegetables back home. The victory for the vLauDuKaurir was fleeting. As their defenses crumbled and their people died by the thousands, a handful of FthinraKathi scientists released a very potent biological weapon into the central food stores. Within two weeks, the merciless vLauDuKaurir were themselves a dead culture. In time the Shu'MakRir and other surrounding peoples occupied the depopulated lands and life went on in that part of Vulcan.

Several months after the slaughter of every master in the religious center at Gol, an exploring Shu'MakRi group of priests, interested in restarting religious training at the most holy of Vulcan places, made a shocking discovery. In a hastily walled-in corridor deep in the central compound, they found a surviving FthinraKathi vestal priestess, D'Lek, who the vLauDuKaurir had overlooked. She had willingly agreed to be walled in with most of the sacred texts and relics of the Ancient Masters of Gol and the later FthinraKathi religions. Despite her loneliness and utter isolation, she had been provided food and water for a year in the hope that the irreplaceable items would survive. Survive they did. In time and with her guidance, the studies and work at Gol were revived and have continued non-stop to the present. It is her notes on FthinraKathi language and the texts she guarded which have survived for us to study. She was the last native speaker. In another twist, one of the infants discovered hidden by the Shu'MakRi merchants, grew up to be an important man. He was the great-grandfather of Surak, greatest of all Vulcans. But that is another story....


SAMPLE FTHINRAKATHI WORDS
Levallu Shatir thu'FthinraKathi

Abi -- meal
Abla -- heaven
Afrak -- animal (n.)
Aidu -- traitor
Aillil -- struggle (n.)
Aishu -- breathe (v.)
Ana -- female (n.)
Angum -- poison (n.)
Ard~, Ardush|u| -- high
Arvernu -- tailor
Avenidon -- literature
Ba~, Baush|u| -- common (adj.)
BaiNud -- engagement
Bailu -- spirit
Bakh~, Bakhush|u| -- ugly
Bangodor -- teach
Bangoru -- teacher
Bardash -- suffering
Ben -- top (n.)
Betavu -- renegade
Bhaell -- thing
Bharni -- fool, idiot
Bluvaj -- background
Boguz -- hell
Chada -- bowl (n.)
Charlu -- come (v.)
Chirou -- rescuer
Chobar -- rival (n.)
Chosid -- together
Daitli -- master (n.)
Daitlidor -- master (v.)
Danus -- outcast
Darmit -- task
De'ak -- stool
Dedru -- love interest
Dera -- territory
Derga -- crime
Dhah|khu| -- two (number)
DhahKol -- bicycle (n.)
Di~, Diush|u| -- bright
Disin -- day(time)
Dol -- rock (n.)
Droi -- center (n.)
Dvunu -- will, shall (v.)
E -- and
Eflamu -- representative
Eglus -- religious shrine
Eklok -- home (n.)
Emeru -- healer
Enga -- spark (n.)
EnnuMhoh -- someone
EnnuWill -- somewhere
Eshek -- we, us
Esklep -- ravine, rift
Ezhuk -- desert
FanuMhoh -- anyone
FanuWill -- anywhere
Faul -- sacred stone
Fes -- dream (n.)
Fet -- past
FetWarri -- historical
Fili -- book (n.)
Fin -- forge (n.)
Findor -- forge (v.)
Fled -- eat (v.)
Fletan -- mythical water spirit
Fnak -- future
Fthinra -- forest
Galu~, Galu'ush|u| -- beautiful
Galud -- beauty
Gildas -- guardian spirit
Glam -- music
Govan -- demon
Gratan -- mythical desert spirit
Gredal -- welcome (n.)
Guf -- lava (liquid)
Gundok -- coward
Gupsin -- extinct venomous "snake"
Guthur -- victim
Guva~, Guva'ush|u| -- heroic
Guvain -- hero
Haiwel -- lawspeaker
Hamlan -- mythical paradise at the end of the world
Heb -- tradition
Helau -- invasion
Helav -- invade
Helvu -- invader
HwiZunBhaell -- telescope (n.)
JengLash -- language
Kadah -- lead (v.)
Kadai -- leader
KaiNud -- wedding
Kairau -- city
Kanti -- defense
Karpru -- priest
Kathir -- people
Kenel -- extinct horse-like animal
Khah|khu| -- five (number)
Kheh|khu| -- four (number)
Khozru -- race, species
Klet -- meat
Klokmak -- fortress
Kredilad -- adventure
Kthru -- soul
Kuf -- blood
KufSkail -- pon farr
Kufdor -- bleed (v.)
Kulhuch -- omen
Kunil -- hill
Ldishu -- like (v.)
Levallu - sample (n.)
Lifru -- prophet
Lonhosh -- scandal
Ludu -- child
Mabak -- hunt (v.)
Mabku -- hunter
Maksinu -- smith
Manud -- cooking pot
Mebad -- bake (v.)
Mebdu -- baker
Menai -- cliff
Mhann -- drink (n.)
Mhanndor -- drink (v.)
Mhoh|khu| -- one (number)
MhohKol -- unicycle (n.)
Miti -- virgin (n.)
Morlakh -- lost
Mosh -- water (n.)
Nagad -- fantasy
Naisu -- enemy
Nar -- son
Ned~, Nedush|u| -- dark
Nedsin - night
NezhTauVan -- logic
Nodab -- outcropping
Nukhnav -- face, confront
Olvau -- artist
Olwen -- destruction
Olwendor -- destroy
Osau -- theft (n.)
Osav -- steal (v.)
Osvu -- thief
PamFonRik -- mythical forest paradise
Panuaf -- trust (n.)
Panudor -- trust (v.)
Peredur -- money
Pirnokh -- taste (n.)
Rakashyu -- introduction
Redal -- fermented plant juice
Rheh|khu| -- three (number)
RhehKol -- tricycle (n.)
Rinu -- ruler
Rushan -- mythical air spirit
Ruuf -- mouth (n.)
Sautu -- brother
Sed -- life
Seddor -- live (v.)
Selak -- herb
Shag -- duty
Shat -- word
ShatJishi -- grammar
ShatVarr -- text
Shon -- relative (n.)
Shuna -- energy
Sid~, Sidush|u| -- holy
Siden -- ceremony
Sin -- time (n.)
Skail -- frenzy
Sklaud -- kill (v.)
Streman -- mythical mountain spirit
Sugam -- power (n.)
Talun -- find (n.)
Taldor -- find (v.)
Tanar -- dispute (n.)
Taranu -- thunder (n.)
Tarb -- extinct ox-like animal
Tematla -- le-matya
Tforti -- finally
Tirh -- daughter
Tispal -- gem, jewel
Tlugo -- god
TonluTorn -- reason, self-control
Tor -- ring (n.)
Tresk -- affix (n.)
Tro -- foot (n.)
Trofimu -- martyr (n.)
Tvezh -- death
Un -- weapon (n.)
Unaf -- art
Ushk -- honor (n.)
UthUnaf -- poetry
Uthu -- poet
Utu -- male (n.)
Vaki -- basic (adj.)
Vnuk -- while
Vosdor -- remember
Vosk -- memorial shrine
Vosu -- memory
Yadbar -- heir
Yana -- journey (n.)
Yanador -- journey (v.)
Yolo -- temptation
Yolodor -- tempt
Yu~, Yu'ush|u| -- small
Yutanef -- compassion
Zul -- lava (hardened)

BASIC FTHINRAKATHI GRAMMAR
Vaki ShatJishi thu'FthinraKathi


FthinraKathi Affixes

FthinraKathi Grammar Intro


SAMPLE FTHINRAKATHI TEXT
LevalluShatVarr thu'FthinraKathi

Shu'sin Ned fet kharshif - shu'sin fu'Surak - nukhnaf sma'Khozru Tvezh vnuk Sautu ke'sklaud Sautu. S'Ezhuk ke'charlu Spizhan thu'TonluTorn e thu'Yutanef - spizhan thu'NezhTauVan..

Compare the above to the same text in Modern Golic Vulcan:

Svi'wak mu'gel vesht akarshif - svi'wak fa'Surak - nagal sha'koshtri tevakh v'yak sa-kai ki'stal sa-kai. S'eshikh ki'sarlah spes t'shaula eh t'utan'es - spes t'ozhika..


Please discard any obsolete version of this page you saved prior
to March 24, 2005. Thank you!




All original work on these pages ©1980-2016 by Mark R. Gardner et al
operating as the Vulcan Language Institute™.

Star Trek and its related characters are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures/CBS Paramount Television.