A male and female Khajiit
General information[]
Ta'agra is the language spoken by the natives of the province of Elsweyr, the Khajiit. They are a race of feline humanoids, and their civilization is millenia old. The grammar of the language has been influenced greatly by that of Cyrodyll and Skyrim, and is now very similar to english. There are a sub-species of Khajiit who have been abandoned from normal society and now reside in the desert caves of Elsweyr, they are referred to by most as "Ja'Alfiq" Literally "the afflicted". They have a similar language to that of the Khajiit 100-200 years ago, before it was influenced by other Tamrielan continents.
Phonology[]
Consonants[]
| Bilabial | Labio-dental | Dental | Alveolar | Post-alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Pharyngeal | Epiglottal | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m ‹m› | n ‹n› | ||||||||||
| Plosive | p ‹p› | t ‹t› | k ‹k› | q ‹q› | ʔ ‹'› | |||||||
| Fricative | f ‹f› | θ ‹th› | s ‹s› | ʃ ‹sh› | h ‹h› | |||||||
| Affricate | k͡x ‹kh› | |||||||||||
| Approximant | w ‹w› | j ‹y› | ||||||||||
| Trill | r ‹rr› | |||||||||||
| Flap or tap | ||||||||||||
| Lateral fric. | ||||||||||||
| Lateral app. | ||||||||||||
| Lateral flap |
Vowels[]
| Front | Near-front | Central | Near-back | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | |||||
| Near-close | |||||
| Close-mid | |||||
| Mid | |||||
| Open-mid | |||||
| Near-open | |||||
| Open |
Alphabet[]
Phonotactics[]
Most are the same as in english, except that all constonants can be used with z ( E.G Jz and Dz) Fz does not exist in the language nor does sm
Grammar[]
| Gender | Cases | Numbers | Tenses | Persons | Moods | Voices | Aspects | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Nouns | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adjectives | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Numbers | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Participles | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adverb | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Pronouns | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adpositions | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Article | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Particle | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Khajiit Name Honorifics[]
In Khajiiti culture, individuals will often take an optional honorific on their name. These honorifics may be chosen by the individual or given to him or her by clan or family. Some Khajiit consider it foolish or poor form to take more than one honorific.
Honorifics be either prefixes or suffixes. When adding an honorific prefix, the honorific is separated from the name with an apostrophe and the name is capitalized. For example: Zakhar with the honorific prefix "ra" would be "Ra'Zakhar". When adding an honorific suffix, the honorific is separated from the name with a dash and the honorific is not capitalized. For example: Garesh with the honorific suffix "ri" would be "Garesh-ri".
Listed below are some of the most common khajiiti name honorifics. Honorifics marked with an asterisk * are non-canon and have been added by us or others in the community.
- dar: Male specific. This honorific means "thief," but more like the Nordic "Clever Hudvar" or the Breton "Arnand the Fox." A Khajiit with "dar" in his name is clever, and maybe clever with his hands, but not always a thief by your odd Imperial property customs.
- daro: Female specific. Female version of dar.
- do: This honorific means "warrior" and is almost exclusively male, but is very occasionally accorded to outstanding females.
- dra: Female specific. Grandmother or wise elder woman.
- dro: Male specific. Grandfather or patriarch.
- ja/ji/j/sa: Male specific. Bachelor.
- jo: Male specific. Wizard, scholar, or healer.
- ko: Female specific. Wizard, scholar, or healer.
- la: Female specific. High-caste unmarried female or maiden.
- ma/m: Gender neutral. Young, child, virgin.
- *qa: A rare title of unknown meaning.
- ra: Male specific. Boss, leader, male of high standing.
- ri: Male specific. General, great leader, male of highest standing.
- *ro: Female specific. Noblewoman, female of high standing.
- *s: Gender neutral. Adult or elder.
Sentence Structure[]
Ta'agra, like English, primarily uses a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order. Ta'agra has no markers for the subject or objects of a sentence, so word order is important to conveying meaning. (e.g. "Man bites dog" is very different from "dog bites man".)
Comments on word order: Existing lore samples of Ta'agra are inconsistent in their use of word order. Some are clearly Subject-Verb-Object and some are clearly Subject-Object-Verb. After extensive discussion on this topic, we have decided to stick with a Subject-Verb-Object order for Ta'agra. This will increase simplicity and ease of use, because this is the same word order used by native English speakers. We attribute the discrepancy to cultural and linguistic variations between Anaquina and Pa'alatiin with the north historically using SOV and the south using SVO. Both structures work, so long as the Subject comes at the beginning of the sentence. We are saying the official structure, however, is SVO.
Intonation[]
Declarative sentences in Ta'agra have no special intonation. Interrogative sentences (questions) end with an upwards inflection at the end, just like English.
Nouns[]
Case[]
Nominative (Subject): No change.
Accusative (Object): No change.
Dative (Indirect Object): No change.
Genitive (Possessive): No change, indicated by word order. When two nouns are paired together in a sentence, the first noun is the possessor and the second noun is the possessed. e.g. "Ra'Zakhar's bread" = "Ra'Zakhar barij". Alternatively, if more clarity is needed, possession can be established by using the word "di" (of): "Barij di Ra'Zakhar" = "Bread of Ra'Zakhar".
Lative (Movement to something): +ali. "Ra'Zakhar walks to the market" = "Ra'Zakhar iit shothi'ali".
Ablative (Movement from something. Also used to indicate origin.): +iitay. "Ra'Zakhar is from Torval" = "Ra'Zakhar vaba Torvaliitay".
Plural[]
Plural: +a (ends w/ cons), +'a (end w/ a, ay, ai), drop ending vowel & +a (ends with e, i, o u). - Naraj = animal. Naraja = animals. - Kafa = horse. Kafa'a = horses. - Raszai = drug. Razsai'a = drugs. - Srato = hat. Srata = hats. - Alku = bottle. Alka = bottles.
Agentive[]
Verb/noun to agentive noun: +iit. If the word ends in a vowel, drop the vowel before adding the suffix. - Budi = shirt. Budiit = tailor (one who shirts, shirter) - Khaj = desert/sand. Khajiit = (one who deserts, deserter) - Dela = learn. Deliit = student (one who learns, learner) - Laa = law. Aliit = (one who laws, lawyer). Special irregular: Single syllable words consisting of a consonant and a vowel would become too short. Instead of dropping the trailing vowel entirely, the vowel is moved to the front of the word.
Nominalization[]
Converting verbs/adjectives/adverbs to nouns.
Word +na. (If root word ends with Noun + H, drop the H before adding +na. e.g. valah = far. valana = distance) - Takarr = [to] attack(v). Takarrna = [an] attack(n). - Dar = steal(v). Darna = theft. If nominalizing an adjective formed by adding +i/+'i to a noun root word, keep the adjective suffix and add +na to the end of it. - Zal = health(n). Zali = healthy(adj). Zalina = healthiness(n). If nominalizing an adjective that is a root word, just add +na. - Itrola = ugly. Itrolana = ugliness. If pluralizaing a nominalized word, follow the same pluralization rules for words ending with the letter A (+'a). - Sa'alai = pray(v). Sa'alaina = prayer(n). Sa'alaina'a = prayers(n).
Verbs[]
| Tense | Change | English | Ta'agra |
| Present Simple | No change | I play | Ahziss ketra |
| Present Prog. | + "to be" (pres.) | I am playing | Ahziss va ketra |
| Past Simple | Verb +ka (+a if word ends w/ k or q) | I played | Ahziss ketraka |
| Past Prog. | + "to be" (past) | I was playing | Ahziss vaber ketra |
| Future Simple | Verb +se (+e if word ends w/ s or z) | I will play | Ahziss ketrase |
| Future Prog. | + "to be" (pres.), Verb +se/+e | I will be playing | Ahziss va ketrase |
Ta'agra does not use the Perfect (I have/had played) or Perfect Continuous (I have/had been playing) verb tenses.
Simple common verbs are often truncated for brevity. For example, "vara" may be said simply as "ra" and vaba may be said simply as "ba". The Khajiit often look for language shortcuts.
Negation[]
Ta'agra uses a negation suffix on verbs instead of using an independent word to establish negation (e.g. "not" in English).
Present tense: +oh. Past tense: +ohka. Future tense: +ohse. If the word ends in a vowel, drop the vowel before adding the suffix. - "I worry" = "Ahziss muk". "I don't worry" = "Ahziss mukoh". - "I mentioned that" = "Ahziss bekka jaji". "I didn't mention that" = "Ahziss bekohka jaji". - "I will fight" = "Ahziss rakse". "I will not fight" = "Ahziss rakohse".
Voice[]
Ta'agra can use both passive and active voice. The active voice, which is short and direct, is usually preferred.
Active: - "The hunter killed the animal." - "Hirsiniit var darka naraj."
Passive: - "The animal was killed by the hunter." - "Naraj vaber var darka iho hirsiniit."
Mood[]
Ta'agra, like English, establishes Grammatical moods (condition, command, hope, etc.) with helper words rather than through verb inflection.
Converting Nouns to Verbs[]
Noun to Verb: +ith If the word ends in a vowel, drop the vowel before adding the suffix. - da'khe = water. da'khith = to water/watering - zrasha = a circle. zrashith = to circle/circling
Adjectives[]
Adjectives/nouns modifying nouns: Combine the two (or more) words with the adjective(s) before the noun being modified. If the last letter of the adjective and the first letter of the noun are both vowels, separate with a glottal stop ('). - Zwinthodurrarr = yellow pen (zwintho + durrarr) - Ajo'iiliten = wonderful girl (ajo + ' + iiliten) - Fithsutapal = hot, long day (fith + suta + pal)
Noun Adjunct: Using Nouns as Adjectives=[]
Nouns can be used as adjectives without modification - dog = rian. food = taj. dog food = riantaj.
Converting Nouns to Adjectives[]
Noun to Adjective: +i (ends w/ cons) / +'i (ends w/ vowel). Do not drop ending vowels before adding suffix. - dog = rian. doglike/canine(adj) = riani
It is not necessary to convert a noun to its adjective form when using that noun as an adjective. These two forms can be used to create subtle differences in words. - dogfood = riantaj. doglike food = rianitaj
===Adverbs=== Under construction
Pronouns[]
It is a common misconception that the Khajiit do not use pronouns. Ta'agra has pronouns, though the use, origin, and meaning of these words reflects the Khajiiti culture. Pronouns are sometimes omitted, especially when using certain irregular verbs where the conjugation implies the pronoun that was excluded. For a list of Ta'agra pronouns please refer to the Pronouns page or the Dictionary.
Prepositions[]
Ta'agra's usage of prepositions is the same as in English. Prepositions are used to relate a noun or pronoun to another word or element in a clause.
Conjunctions[]
Ta'agra uses most of the standard English conjunctions (and, but, or, because, etc.). Like English, conjunctions are used to join sentences, clauses, and words.
Articles[]
Ta'agra does not use direct or indirect articles (a, an, the).
Vocabulary[]
| No. | English | Ta'agra |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | Do |
| 2 | you (singular) | Jer |
| 3 | he | Iik |
| 4 | we | Jzer |
| 5 | you (plural) | Ahme |
| 6 | they | Qet |
| 7 | this | Meu |
| 8 | that | Mue |
| 9 | here | Sko |
| 10 | there | Skah |
| 11 | who | Nea |
| 12 | what | Oam |
| 13 | where | El |
| 14 | when | Deh |
| 15 | how | Das |
| 16 | not | E' (used before adjectives or vowels to make negative) |
| 17 | all | Tam |
| 18 | many | Kha |
| 19 | some | Hau |
| 20 | few | Bzah |
| 21 | other | E'Jz (Literally "Not us") |
| 22 | one | Eld |
| 23 | two | S' (used before any word to make plural when no definate number is present) |
| 24 | three | Ae'S' (literally "more than two") |
| 25 | four | Desh |
| 26 | five | Kzont |
| 27 | big | Raht |
| 28 | long | Gax |
| 29 | wide | Bove |
| 30 | thick | Gia |
| 31 | heavy | Igue |
| 32 | small | Gaint |
| 33 | short | E'Gax (literaly "Not long") |
| 34 | narrow | Pha |
| 35 | thin | Phae |
| 36 | woman | Caas |
| 37 | man (adult male) | Faas |
| 38 | man (human being) | Area |
| 39 | child | Ma |
| 40 | wife | Cas |
| 41 | husband | Fas |
| 42 | mother | Calas |
| 43 | father | Falas |
| 44 | animal | Naraj |
| 45 | fish | Marha |
| 46 | bird | Apash |
| 47 | dog | Rian |
| 48 | louse | (not a word yet) |
| 49 | snake | — |
| 50 | worm | — |
| 51 | tree | — |
| 52 | forest | — |
| 53 | stick | Kenibi |
| 54 | fruit | — |
| 55 | seed | Sekil |
| 56 | leaf | Ayzru |
| 57 | root | — |
| 58 | bark | Bao |
| 59 | flower | Kalshanji |
| 60 | grass | — |
| 61 | rope | — |
| 62 | skin | — |
| 63 | meat | — |
| 64 | blood | — |
| 65 | bone | — |
| 66 | fat | — |
| 67 | egg | — |
| 68 | horn | — |
| 69 | tail | — |
| 70 | feather | — |
| 71 | hair | — |
| 72 | head | — |
| 73 | ear | — |
| 74 | eye | — |
| 75 | nose | — |
| 76 | mouth | — |
| 77 | tooth | — |
| 78 | tongue | — |
| 79 | fingernail | — |
| 80 | foot | — |
| 81 | leg | — |
| 82 | knee | — |
| 83 | hand | — |
| 84 | wing | — |
| 85 | belly | — |
| 86 | guts | — |
| 87 | neck | — |
| 88 | back | — |
| 89 | breast | — |
| 90 | heart | — |
| 91 | liver | — |
| 92 | drink | — |
| 93 | eat | — |
| 94 | bite | — |
| 95 | suck | — |
| 96 | spit | — |
| 97 | vomit | — |
| 98 | blow | — |
| 99 | breathe | — |
| 100 | laugh | — |
| 101 | see | — |
| 102 | hear | — |
| 103 | know | — |
| 104 | think | — |
| 105 | smell | — |
| 106 | fear | — |
| 107 | sleep | — |
| 108 | live | — |
| 109 | die | — |
| 110 | kill | darka |
| 111 | fight | — |
| 112 | hunt | — |
| 113 | hit | — |
| 114 | cut | — |
| 115 | split | — |
| 116 | stab | — |
| 117 | scratch | — |
| 118 | dig | — |
| 119 | swim | — |
| 120 | fly | — |
| 121 | walk | — |
| 122 | come | — |
| 123 | lie | — |
| 124 | sit | — |
| 125 | stand | — |
| 126 | turn | — |
| 127 | fall | — |
| 128 | give | — |
| 129 | hold | — |
| 130 | squeeze | — |
| 131 | rub | — |
| 132 | wash | — |
| 133 | wipe | — |
| 134 | pull | — |
| 135 | push | — |
| 136 | throw | — |
| 137 | tie | — |
| 138 | sew | — |
| 139 | count | — |
| 140 | say | — |
| 141 | sing | — |
| 142 | play | — |
| 143 | float | — |
| 144 | flow | — |
| 145 | freeze | — |
| 146 | swell | — |
| 147 | sun | Magrus |
| 148 | moon | Kha'jay |
| 149 | star | Silla |
| 150 | water | Da'khe |
| 151 | rain | — |
| 152 | river | — |
| 153 | lake | — |
| 154 | sea | — |
| 155 | salt | — |
| 156 | stone | — |
| 157 | sand | Khaj |
| 158 | dust | — |
| 159 | earth | — |
| 160 | cloud | — |
| 161 | fog | — |
| 162 | sky | — |
| 163 | wind | — |
| 164 | snow | — |
| 165 | ice | — |
| 166 | smoke | — |
| 167 | fire | Ako |
| 168 | ash | — |
| 169 | burn | — |
| 170 | road | — |
| 171 | mountain | — |
| 172 | red | — |
| 173 | green | — |
| 174 | yellow | — |
| 175 | white | — |
| 176 | black | — |
| 177 | night | Tenurr |
| 178 | day | Pal |
| 179 | year | Shivat |
| 180 | warm | Ja'fith |
| 181 | cold | Dush |
| 182 | full | Teko'i |
| 183 | new | Ifa |
| 184 | old | Tarmo |
| 185 | good | Do |
| 186 | bad | — |
| 187 | rotten | — |
| 188 | dirty | — |
| 189 | straight | Kowi |
| 190 | round | — |
| 191 | sharp | Krakil |
| 192 | dull | Dran |
| 193 | smooth | — |
| 194 | wet | Divi |
| 195 | dry | — |
| 196 | correct | — |
| 197 | near | — |
| 198 | far | Valah |
| 199 | right | Felor |
| 200 | left | Nuruj |
| 201 | at | To' |
| 202 | in | In' |
| 203 | with | Wo |
| 204 | and | An |
| 205 | if | — |
| 206 | because | — |
| 207 | name | Nak |