The tribes of the Red Savages in the Barrens do not speak Gorean. There are actually many different and complex tribal languages spoken in this region. Many of these languages are unintelligible to other tribes. Of the tribes mentioned in Savages of Gor and Blood Brothers of Gor, there is some commonality. Kaiila and Dust Leg are closely related languages, almost like different dialects of the same language. Fleer is related to both of them but more distantly. Kailiauk is also a similar language to Kaiila but with a few differences. Most red savage languages have a sibilant, explosive quality to them especially when the speaker is excited or emotional. In the Kaiila tongue, as in most of the tribal languages, the adjective commonly, but not always, follows the noun. This dictionary shall describe a number of words from the languages of the Dust Legs and the Kaiila, the two primary tribes in the Gorean novels. As they are closely related languages, some words will be exactly the same in both languages. Other words will bear only slight differences. Some other words in one language may be the same or similar in the other, but the books did not mention that fact. Unfortunately, the books do not go into complete detail on these languages so you cannot always determine if a word is the same in both languages. I will only list the words here where the books say the words are the same.
Some of the words in these languages derive from actual Native American languages. For example, the tribes of the Dust Legs, Kaiila and Kailiauk are based on the three main groups of the Sioux, including the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota. The languages of these Red Savage tribes are also taken from the Sioux. For example, the word "tatanka" means buffalo in the Sioux tongues and on Gor it stands for the kailiauk, a similar creature to the buffalo in many respects. Most of the Red Savage words are taken directly from the Sioux languages.
ahtudan: This means "something to be spit upon."
akihoka: This means "skillful."
amomona: This means "baby" or "doll."
canhan: This word was not specifically mentioned in the books but based on the similar terms, it may mean "sweet."
canhanpisasa: This means "pieces of candy."
canhanpitasaka: This means "lumps of cake sugar."
canhanpitiktica: This means "flakes of dried molasses."
cesli: This means "dung."
cespu: This means "scab or wart."
eca: This means "well done."
guyapi: This word has an unknown meaning. It was used by a Red Savage woman when calling out to others while pointing to a slave girl. Based on the surrounding context, it may be an insult.
hopa: This means "pretty or attractive."
hou: This means "a greeting."
ieska: This literally means "one who speaks well" but is more commonly translated as "an interpreter."
inahan: This word has an unknown meaning though it was used when pointing to a brand so it might mean "brand" though that is only a guess.
itancanka: This means "master."
koda: This means "friend."
kodakiciyapi: This means "peace and friendship."
maza: This means "metal."
mazahuhu: This means "bracelets."
mazasa: This literally translates to "red metal" which means "copper."
mazasapa: This literally translates to "black metal" which means "iron."
mita: This means "my."
mitakoda: This means "my friend."
nitoske: This means a "white woman's dress."
sa: This means the color "red."
sapa: This means the color "black."
wagmeza: This means "maize or corn."
wagmezahu: This means "corn stalks"
wagmu: This means "pumpkins or squash."
waniyanpi: This literally means "tame cattle" and refers to certain agricultural communties within the tribes.
wasna: This means "grease."
wasnapohdi: This means "pimples."
wawihaka: This means "joker."
wayaiha: This means "one who makes others laugh."
wicayuhe: This means "master."
wicincala: This means "girl."
wihinpaspa: This means "lodge-pin or tent-pin."
wihopawin: This means "woman."
winyela: This means "female animal."
womnaka: This means "something that exudes much odor."
wopeton: This means "trader or merchant."
wowiyutanye: This means "temptation."
zontaheca: This means "honest."
KAIILA
agleskala: This means "striped lizard."
ahtudan: This means "something to be spit upon."
akamda: This means "fringe, such as on clothes like shirts or leggings."
akicita: This means "warrior."
akicita hemaca: This is a sentence that means "I am a warrior."
akihoka: This means "skillful."
anpao: This means "dawn or daylight."
anptaniya: This means "the breath of day, the first lovely glimmering of the morning."
bloketu: This means "summer or summertime."
cancega: This literally means a "drum, or skin stretched over a hoop." It can also be translated as "kettle skin" or "pot skin."
canka: This means "fire-steel."
casmu: This means "sand."
cega: This "kettle, pot, bucket or pail."
cesli: This means "dung."
cespu: This means "scab or wart."
cinto: This means "surely" or "oh yes" or "agreed" or "certainly."
cotanka: This literally means "fife, flute or any wind instrument" but best translates as "love flute."
cuwignaka: This means "white woman's dress."
eca: This means "well done."
hala: This "hinti" which are small active insects, like fleas but not parasitic.
hci: This word has no exact translation. It signifies a certain gap as might occur in the edge of a hatchet or a gash made in a tree by an axe, or for a cut or scar.
hemaca: This means "I am a" or "I am of the"
ho: This "yes."
hopa: This means "pretty or attractive."
hou: This means "a greeting."
howe: This means "I understand."
howo: This means "come on or come along."
ihdazicaka: This means "One Who Counts Himself Rich."
isbu: This means "little stones."
Isbu hemaca: This is a sentence that means "I am of the Little Stones."
itancanka: This means "master."
iwoso: This means "pouting lips."
kahintokapa: This means "One Who Walks Before."
Kaiila hemaca: This is a sentence that means "I am of the Kaiila."
keglezela: This word has an unknown meaning.
kola: This means "friend."
mahpiya: This means "clouds."
mahpiyasapa: This means "black clouds."
maza: This means "metal."
mazahuhu: This means "bracelets."
mazasa: This literally translates to "red metal" which means "copper."
mazasapa: This literally translates to "black metal" which means "iron."
miniwozan: This word does not translate well but basically means "a mist or slowly falling rain."
mita: This means "my."
mitakola: This means "my friend."
napoktan: This means "bracelets."
natu: This means "corn silk" or the "tassel on the maize plant" or the "hair on the side of the head."
oglu waste: This means "good luck."
oiputake: This means "kiss."
olakota: This means "peace."
owopte: This means "place from which a turnip is dug."
Petuspe/petuste: This word was given two spellings in the book and one is obviously wrong but there is nothing to show which it is. It "firebrand" or "any piece of burning wood."
sa: This is a suffix that means "red."
sapa: This means "black."
siptopto: This means "beads."
tatanka: This means "a kailiauk bull."
tatankasa: This means "red bull." This was the name given to Tarl Cabot by the Kaiila.
waiyeyeca: This means "One Who Finds Much."
wakangli: This means "lightning."
wakanglisapa: This means means "black lightning." It refers to the legend of the medicine tarn. wakapapi: This means "pemmican."
wanasapi: This means "hunt" or "chase."
waniyanpi: This literally means "tame cattle" and refers to certain agricultural communties within the tribes.
wapike: This means "One Who Is Fortunate."
wasnapohdi: This means "pimples."
watonka: This means "One Who is Rich."
wayuhahaka: This means "One Who Possesses Much."
wihopawin: This means "woman."
winyela: This means "female animal."
wismahi: This means "arrowhead."
witantanka: This means "One Who is Proud."
wolakota: This means "peace and friendship."
womnaka: This means "something that exudes much odor."
wopeton: This means "trader or merchant."
wowiyutanye: This means "temptation."
SIGN LANGUAGE
As the many tribes do not share a common language, they have found it advantageous to develop a sign language, also known as hand talk, to aid their communication. This sign language is common to nearly all of the tribes of the Barrens. It is an important key to the capacity of the tribes to unite and protect their territories against outside invaders. But, it is a very limited language though in most situations it is adequate. It is easily learned as many of the signs seem appropriate and natural. The origin of some signs though is obscure. In only four or five days, you could learn most of the signs. Like the spoken languages, the adjectives usually, though not always, follow the noun.
Here are the signs described in Savages of Gor and Blood Brothers of Gor.
Signs
1. Man: Place your right hand in front of your chest with the index finger pointing up. Then raise it to the front of your face.
2. Red Savage: Rub the back of your left hand from the wrist to the knuckle with your right index finger.
3. Friend: Place your two index fingers together and raise them upward beside your face.
4. Friend: Clasp your left hand with your right and shake it.
5. Wild sleen or the Sleen tribe: Place the middle fingers of the right hand on your right thumb, extending the index and little finger.
6. Domestic sleen: Spread the index finger and second finger of the right hand and draw them from left to right, in front of your body.
7. White man: Draw your right index finger across your forehead, from left to right.
8. Woman: With the fingers of both hands slightly curved, make downward motions from the top of your head to your shoulders in a combing motion.
9. White woman: Trace a line with your right index finger across your forehead, from left to right, and then open the hand and move it downward toward the shoulder in the combing motion.
10. Bondage: Lower your head, looking at your left wrist which you then grab firmly in your right hand.
11. Female slave or a White woman (most common way to refer to such): Make the combing motion and then lower your head, looking at your left wrist which you then grab firmly in your right hand.
12. Another sign for Slave or White woman: Make the sign for a woman, then a downward striking motion as though holding a switch.
13. Another sign for Slave or White woman, when the context is clear: Spread the first and second fingers of your right hand and then lay them over the index finger of your left hand, like the ankles bound on a leg stretcher.
14. Female Red Savage slave: Use the sign for a woman, followed by the sign for a red savage, and then followed by the bondage sign.
15. Kaiila: Hold your left hand with the palm in before your chest, and then place your index and second finger of your right hand astride the edge of the left hand.
16. Ride: Make the sign for Kaiila but both your hands rotate in tiny circles.
17. Knife: Place your left fist in front of your mouth and slice between it and your face with the edge of your opened right hand.
18. Kaiila tribe: Draw an imaginary line across your throat with your right index finger.
19. Soldiers: Hold your fists in front of your chest, the thumbs almost touching, and then spread your fingers out horizontally.
20. Cavalry: Combine the sign for soldiers with the sign for riding.
21. Wagons: Hold both your fists close to your chest with the backs of your hands down and the index fingers curved. Then make a forward circular motion.
22. Grass: Hold your hands near the ground with your fingers curved upward and slightly apart. Then wing the hands out in a small, upward curve.
23. Day or light: Fold your arms, the right arm resting on top of the left. Then raise both hands until your fingers point skyward. Each time you repeat this gesture means another day.
24. Many: Raise your hands in front of your body, the fingers slightly curved, and sweep your hands together in a looping curve.
25. Fleer tribe: Smote your hands slowly together three times.
26. Yellow Knives tribe: Make the sign for knife followed by the sign for fleer though the sign for knife will usually suffice.
27. Kailiauk: Hold up three fingers like their horns.
28. Fast, quick or hurry: Hold your hands in front of your body with the palms facing one another. With your left hand a bit ahead of the right, quickly brush the right palm past the left palm.
29. Kill, hit or strike: Hold your left hand before your body, palm out, with the index and second fingers spread in a "V." Hold your right hand at your right shoulder, the index finger pointing up. Then, quickly bring the right index finger down, striking into space between space of the "V."
30. Fire or flames: Cup your right hand close to ground, the fingers partly closed, and then raise it a few inches from the ground with a short wavy motion.
31. Heart: Place your right hand against your heart with the thumb and fingers pointing down and slightly cupped.
32. Sad: Make the sign for heart and lower it to the ground.
33. Good: Hold your right hand near your body, with your palm down and thumb close to your left breast. Then, with your right arm horizontal, sweep the hand outward and a bit to the right.
34. All: Move your flat right hand in a horizontal circle, clockwise, in front of your chest.
35. Yes: Lift your right hand, the back of it near your right shoulder, with the index finger pointed forward and the other fingers closed, with the thumb resting on the middle finger. Then move your hand a bit to the left and at the same time touch your thumb with your index finger making a closed circle.
36. Thank you: Extend your hands in a forward direction, the palms down, and then lower them.
37. Time: Hold your hands at the level of your chest with the index fingers pointing forward and your other fingers closed. Then draw back the right hand to the right some inches.
38. Goodbye or the Future: Hold your hands at the level of your chest with the index fingers pointing forward and your other fingers closed. Then draw back the right hand to the right some inches and then bring it forward again, moving it over the left hand.
39. Past or before: Make the sign of time followed by the thrusting forth and drawing back of the right hand.
40. I, me, or mine: Point your thumb toward your body.
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