Gorean Dictionary

A - G

ah-il: (noun): a unit of measure, the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, c. 18"; analogous to the Earth cubit; 10 ah-il equal one ah-ral
Ahn: (noun): the Gorean hour, of which there are 20 in a Gorean day; it consists of 40 ehn (minutes)
ah-ral: (noun): a unit of measure equaling 10 ah-il, or approx. 180"
al-ka: (noun): first letter of the Gorean alphabet; corresponds to the Earth letter 'A'
All Comrades: (noun): a warrior society of the Kaiila tribe of Red Savages; aka the Fighting Hearts
ar: (noun): a letter of the Gorean alphabet; cap. the name of an important Gorean city-state
applause: (noun): as on Earth, a sign of approval; on Gor, however, it is performed by striking the right hand against the left shoulder
Ar: : One of the oldest city on Gor, it has 10,000 years of recorded history.
Arani: (noun): a minor tribe of the Tahari; they are a vassal tribe of the Aretai
Aretai: (noun): a major tribe of the Tahari; their vassal tribes are the Arani, Luraz, Raviri, Tajuks, Tashid, Ti, and Zevar; their war-cry is 'Aretai Victorious!"
Aria: (adjective): of Ar
armored catch: (noun): a marsupial mammal which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
Assassins, Caste of: (noun): the caste of those who kill for pay; exist mostly in Ar, but have been found in other cities; their caste color is black
Bakahs: (noun): a minor tribe of the Tahari; they are a vassal tribe of the Kavars
bana: (noun): jewelry, of precious metals and stones, worn by free persons
bara: (command; lit. 'belly'?): at this command, a slavegirl will lie on her stomach, with her wrists crossed behind her back, ready for binding, and with her ankles crossed, ready for binding
barbarian: (noun): a native of the planet Earth; usually used in a derogatory sense in reference to slavegirls from that planet
ba-ta: (noun): second letter of the Gorean alphabet; corresponds to the Earth letter 'B'
Bazi plague: (noun): a deadly, rapidly-spreading disease with no known cure; its symptoms include pustules which appear all over the body, and a yellowing of the whites of the eyes
Bazi tea: (noun): an herbal beverage served hot and heavily sugared; traditionally drunk 3 tiny cups at a time, in rapid succession
bina: (noun, lit. 'slave beads'): slave jewelry, usually consisting of plain metals, colored string, wooden or cheap glass beads; sometimes used as a slave name
binding fiber: (noun): stout twine made of strips of leather or of a fiber like hemp; a piece long enough to circle a slavegirl's waist 2-3 times is often used as a belt for her slave tunic
binding strap: (noun): a strap 3/4" wide and 18" long commonly used for binding the wrists and/or ankles of prisoners and slaves
bint: (noun): small carnivorous freshwater fish which inhabits the rivers of the rain forests inland of Schendi; a large school of bints can strip a carcass in minutes; similar to the piranha of Earth
black wine: (noun): coffee; traditionally served with red and yellow sugars and powdered bosk milk, and in tiny cups
Blue-Sky Riders: (noun): a warrior society of the Fleer tribe of Red Savages
bondage knot: (noun): a knot, tied by a slavegirl in her hair on the right side of her face; it is a silent plea to her master that she be raped
bond-maid: (noun): the term for a slavegirl used in Torvaldsland
bond-maid gruel: (noun): see slave porridge
bosk: (noun): large, shaggy, long-horned bovine similar to the Earth cow; cattle
brak bush: (noun): a shrub whose leaves have a purgative effect when chewed; traditionally, branches of it are nailed to house doors during the Waiting Hand to discourage the entry of bad luck into the house for the New Year
brand: (noun): a mark burned into the flesh of animals and slaves to mark them as property; specific brands include the kef (common kajira brand), Dina, Palm, mark of Treve, mark of Port Kar, mark of the Tahari, mark of Torvaldsland (a girl whose belly lies under the sword), Tuchuk brand of the 4 bosk horns
brand, penalty: (noun): small 1/4" brands that mark a convicted liar, thief, traitor, etc.
brand, thief's: (noun): tiny 1/4", 3-pronged brand worn on the cheek of those of the Caste of Thieves
branding rack: (noun): a device to which a new slavegirl is chained for branding; her hands are chained above her head, but the rest of her body is free to move, except for whichever thigh is to be branded, this being held motionless in a large vise
breeding wine: (noun): a sweet beverage which counteracts the effects of slave wine, making a slavegirl fertile; also called second wine
Builders, Caste of: (noun): the caste which includes architects, draftsmen, stonemasons, etc.; the Builders are one of the five High Castes included in the government of Gor; their caste color is brown
Camerius: (noun): the third month of the Gorean calendar (in Ar and some other cities)
camisk: (noun): simple, poncho-like slave garment, about 18" wide
camisk, Turian: (noun): a style of camisk worn by slaves in the city-state of Turia; it consists of a piece of cloth shaped like an inverted 'T' with a beveled crossbar; it fastens behind the neck & falls before the wearer's body; the crossbar then passes between her legs & is then brought forward snugly at the hips; it is held in place by a single cord that binds it at the back of the neck, behind the back, & in front at the waist
canjellne: (verb): challenge
capture scent: (noun): chloroform
carpet plant: (noun): a plant of the rain forest area inland of Schendi, having tendrils that are sometimes used as a source of drinking water
Casmu Band: (noun): a subgroup of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders
chain luck: (noun): the attempt to capture a slavegirl without having a particular target in mind
chalwar: (noun): baggy pants of diaphanous silk, worn by slavegirls of the Tahari; similar to the harem trousers of Earth
Char: (noun): a minor tribe of the Tahari; they are a vassal tribe of the Kavars
chatka: (noun): the strip of black leather, some 6 inches by 5 feet long, worn like a breech-clout over the curla by the slavegirls of the Wagon Peoples
Cities of Dust: (noun): the Gorean land of the dead, or underworld
Coin Girl: (noun): a slavegirl who, with a coin box and triangular flat bell chained around her neck, is sent out in the streets of a city to earn money from masters in return for her sexual use
coffle: (noun): a method of chaining a line of slaves together for trekking; common methods are to link the slaves by the left ankle, left wrist, or throat; also, the line of slaves itself
collar: (noun): any of several iron or steel devices that fit around the neck of a slave; in Torvaldsland, they are of iron, hinged, and fastened with a rivet
collar, dance: (noun): a collar to which light- weight (but effective) chain has been attached in order to set off the dancer; a common type consists of a large oval of chain roughly 3 yds. in circumference, to which wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs are attached; once the two sides of the oval have been attached to a ring on the collar, the chain gives about 36" of play for each hand, and 18" play for each foot; much used in the Tahari
collar, lock: (noun): a hinged collar easily removed by the use of a key; usually of flat stock, c. 1-1/2" to 2" high; usually worn by trained slaves; the lock has one pin for each of the letters in the word 'kajira'
collar, plate: (noun): collar of flat stock which is hammered about a slave's neck; usually worn by untrained slaves
collar, Turian: (noun): a slave collar of cylin- drical stock, rather than the normal flat stock of northern lock collars; fits more loosely that a lock collar, enabling it to turn around the wearer's neck
Collaring Feast: (noun): a private feast for a young tarnsman and his family and friends; held to celebrate the capture of his first slavegirl; during it, the girl formally submits to him as his slave, then proceeds to serve him at the Feast and afterwards in his quarters
Companionship Price: (noun): the gift, in money or goods, given by a man to the father of the woman he wishes to take in Free Companionship
con: (conj.): from
contasta: (adv.; lit. 'from the founding of'): means of determining chronology; equivalent to the Earth term AD (Anno Domini)
Council of Captains: (noun): the governing body of the city of Port Kar
curla: (noun): the red waist cord worn slave- girls of the Wagon Peoples; supports the chatka
Cur-lon Fiber: (noun): fiber spun by the Swamp Spiders (Spider People) and used in the textile mills of Ar
Curulean: (noun): the most prestigious slave auction house in the city of Ar
czehar: (noun): musical instrument consisting of a flat, oblong box, having 8 strings which are played with a horn pick; similar to a Japanese Kyoto
da: (conj.): here
dar: (adj.): holy; priest
Dar-Kosis: (noun; lit. 'holy disease'): an incurable, wasting disease akin to the Earth disease of leprosy
degradation stripe: (noun): a 2"-wide band shaved into the hair of men captured by talunas, or panther girls; it runs from the forehead to the nape of the neck
dina: (noun): a small, short-stemmed flower indigenous to hillsides; sometimes called the 'slave flower', it is often used as a design for slave brands; sometimes used as a slave name
display slave: (noun): a slavegirl whose primary purpose is for the display of her beauty to reflect the affluence of her master; often chained in coffle with other display slaves behind the palanquin or other transport of her master
dock eel: (noun): a black freshwater fish, 4' long & weighing 8-10 lbs.; carnivorous; they inhabit the shallow waters around the dock and wharves of river ports
Double Knowledge: (noun): the two forms of knowledge provided on Gor; the simpler knowledge is taught to the lower castes, the more esoteric knowledge is taught to the higher castes
Dust Legs: (noun): a tribe of Red Savages which inhabits the Barrens; so called because they were the last tribe to domesticate kaiila
Ehn: (noun): the Gorean minute, of which there are 40 in an ahn (hour); it consists of 80 ihn (seconds)
en: (adj.): first energy bulb (noun): light bulb
En'Kara: (noun; lit. 'first turning'): the first month of the Gorean calendar, that of the vernal equinox, which is the Gorean new year; roughly equivalent to the Earth calendar month of March
En'Var: (noun; lit. 'first resting'): the fourth month of the Gorean calendar, that of the summer solstice, roughly equivalent with the Earth calendar month of June
eta: (noun): a letter of the Gorean alphabet; corresponds to the Earth letter 'E' (?); apparently adapted from the Greek alphabet; sometimes used as a name for slavegirls
face-strip: (verb): to remove the veil(s) worn by a free woman; to do so usually means that she is to be enslaved
Fighting Hearts: (noun): see All Comrades
fire-maker: (noun): a small device consisting of a small reservoir of tharlarion oil, a wick, a thumb-activated, ratcheted steel wheel, and a splinter of flint; not unlike an old-fashioned cigarette lighter
First Knowledge: (noun): the education available to the lower castes, such as the Peasants; it is practical, if occasionally deliberately erroneous (i.e. it purports that Gor is a flat disk)
flahdah: (noun): a tree of the Tahari having lanceolate leaves; the trunk leans, like that of a palm tree
Flame Death: (noun): a form of capital punishment imposed by the Priest-Kings and triggered from the Sardar; in it, the victim seems to spontaneously erupt in blue flames
flaminium: (noun): a largish scarlet flower having 5 petals
fleer: (noun): large, hook-billed bird which hunts at night
Fleer: (noun): a tribe of Red Savages which inhabits the Barrens
fleer, prairie: (noun): yellow bird with long wings and a sharp bill; sometimes called the 'maize bird' or 'corn bird' from the belief that it is usually the first bird to find food
Foot: (noun); a unit of measurement equal to 10 horts, or 12 1/2 Earth inches
fora: (noun): chain; pl. fori - chains
Frame of Humiliation: (noun): wooden frame to which the condemned person is tied before it is set adrift in the Vosk River, so that he may die of exposure and/or dehydration, if he is not eaten by tharlarion or other carnivorous reptiles
Free Companion: (noun): spouse; consort
Free Companionship: (noun): the Gorean equivalent of marriage; must be renewed annually
fruit tindel: (noun): a bird? which inhabits the rain forests of the Schendi area
gant, jungle: (noun): a bird, related to the marsh gant, which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
gant, marsh: (noun): a long-legged marsh bird with a piping cry; similar to a curlew?
giani: (noun): a large mammal of solitary habits which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
gieron: (noun): a drug, an allergen, which causes a yellowing of the whites of the eyes; in combination with sajel, it reproduces the symptoms of the Bazi plague
gim, horned: (noun): a small owl-like bird, c. 4 ozs. in weight, which inhabits the forests of northern Gor
gim, lang (long?): (noun): an insectivorous bird which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
gim, yellow: (noun): a bird, related to the horned gim, which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
gint: (noun): a tiny (6") freshwater fish which inhabits the rivers of the rain forests inland of Schendi; it has bulbous eyes & flipper-like fins; is amphibious, having both lungs & gills; is capable of walking on its pectoral fins; often found in the company of tharlarion, feeding off the scraps of their kills
gint, giant: (noun): a large cousin of the gint found in western Gor, similar in appearance, but with a 4-spined dorsal fin; is also amphibious and capable of walking on its pectoral fins
girl-yoke: (noun): a narrow piece of wood c. 5' long with holes drilled in the middle and at each end; to secure a girl in this yoke, a thong is tied around one wrist, the end of the thong then being passed through the hole in one end of the yoke; the thong is then passed through the middle hole of the yoke, wrapped around the girl's neck 5 times, then passed back out through the same hole, after which it is passed through the hole at the other end of the yoke, so that her other wrist may be tied to the yoke; shorter (2 1/2' long) versions are sometimes used while the girl is serving her master's pleasure; used mostly among the Red Savages of the Barrens
Glass of the Builders: (noun): telescope
Golden Beetle: : an insect, roughly the size of a rhinoceros, which lives in the caverns below the Nest of the Priest-Kings in the Sardar Mountains; its prey is the Priest-Kings themselves
gor: (noun): Home Stone
grub borer: (noun): an insectivorous bird which inhabits the rain forests inland of Schendi
grunt: (noun): a large, carnivorous, salt-water fish which inhabits Thassa; is often attracted by the blood of a wounded creature; similar to the shark of Earth
grunt, blue: (noun): a small, voracious, carnivorous freshwater fish, related to the Thassa grunt; like its larger cousin, it is attracted by blood
Gur: (noun): a thin, white honey-like liquid secreted in the Nest by a large, grey domesticated arthropod which feeds on Sim plants; when fermented in the social stomachs of somnolent Priest-Kings, it is ritually fed to the Mother of the Nest on the Feast of Tola
Gur Carriers: (noun): mutated Muls who can climb walls and who gather the fermented Gur for the Feast of Tola

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