Clan English

Explanation

Clan English, the language of Golden Wing, is based on what is known of English, but they have added many words unique to their culture. Some were adapted by the Malokovs from the Russian language and military terminology. All these words represent the Malokovs' efforts to express concepts they felt were lacking from standard English. The following list includes terms used by the military and other useful explanations of Golden Wing concepts. This list is not exhaustive, and does not reflect the many differences in terminology existing between the various provinces.

Glossary

Abtakha: A new citizen of Golden Wing.

Batchall: The Batchall is the ritual by which Golden Wing warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type of challenge varies, most begin with the challenger identifying himself, stating the prize of the contest, and requesting that the defender identify the forces at his disposal. The defender also has the right to name the location of the Trial. The two sides then bid for what forces will participate in the contest. The subcommander who bids to fight with the least number of forces wins the right and responsibility to make the attack. The defender may increase the stakes by demanding a prize of equal or lesser value if he wins. All batchalls and bids are closed and final when the phrase "well bargained and done" is spoken by both members of the bid.

Blooding: Blooding is another name for the Trial of Position that determines if a warrior cadet will qualify as a warrior.

Bondsman: A prisoner of war. A bondsman is held by honour, not by shackles. Custom dictates that even high-ranking and well-decorated warriors captured in combat be held for a time as a bondsman. All bondsmen wear a woven bracelet called a Bondcord. The base color of the bondcord indicates to which branch of the Touman the individual is now bound, and the striping indicates which unit captured him.

Chalcas: Name for anyone who chalenges the current way of doing things. Not a derogatory term.

Contract: A Contract is an agreement between the commanders of two units that allows the commander of one to include the units of the other in his bidding for rights to a battle or trial.

Cutdown: The minimum force necessary to win any Trial for which there has been bidding. Bidders who can push their opponents into making a bid below the cutdown are considered clever. Commanders who win with a force smaller than the cutdown are greatly honoured.

Dezgra: A fighting unit that disgraces itself is known as a Dezgra unit. The name also refers to the ritual whereby that unit is marked and punished. Any unit that refuses orders, panics in the face of the enemy, or takes dishonorable action is disgraced.

Elementals: Elementals are elite, battle-suited heavy infantry of the Touman. These men and women are specifically trained to fight in battle armor.

Freebirth: Freebirth is an epithet used by Trueborns, generally expressing disgust or frustration. If a Trueborn refers to another Trueborn as a Freebirth, it is a mortal insult.

Freeborn: Bastard. Not an epithet like freebirth, this term refers to those who's parents were not legally married at the time of his/her birth.

Hegira: Victorious warriors sometimes extend the courtesy of Hegira to defeated opponents. Hegira allows the opponent to withdraw honorably from the field without further combat or cost.

Isorla: The spoils of battle that warriors can claim as their right, including bondsman, are known as isorla.

Keshik: The Keshik unit, usually a Cluster in size, provides the President's honour guard. All warriors consider service in the Keshik to be the highest honor they can render to their nation.

Kurultai: Name of the Governmental House consisting of five members, the President, Council Speaker, Senatoral Speaker, Supreme Commander of the Touman and the Premiers from all 15 provinces.

LoreMaster: The Loremaster is the keeper of military laws and history. The position is honorable and politically powerful. The Loremaster plays a key role in military inquiries and trials, where he is often assigned the role of Advocate or Interrogator.

OathMaster: The Oathmaster is the honour guard for any official military ceremony. The position is similar to that of a sergeant-at-arms, but carries a greater degree of respect. The Oathmaster administers all oaths, and the Loremaster records them. The position of Oathmaster is usually held by the oldest non-commissioned warrior in a Clan (if he or she desires the honour), and is one of the few positions not decided by combat.

Ovkhan: This is a term of respect reserved for someone of higher rank.

Powless: Powless is the vulnerability that a warrior, particularly an Elemental, feels when forced to fight without his accustomed weapons.

Quiaff/Quineg: This expression is placed at the end of rhetorical questions. If an affirmative answer is expected, quiaff is used. If the answer is expected to be negative, quineg is used. The response customary if positive is aff, and negative is neg.

Ransom: Military custom dictates that a warrior who has been successful at his Trial of Position may be rewarded with a gift by his/her unit. Depending upon the warrior's success during the Trial, the ransom might range from the right to choose what unit he or she will serve with as a warrior to the right to command a unit right off the bat.

Ristar: This term refers to a particularly gifted warrior on his or her way to high position.

Satarra: A veto by the Executive branch of the government. Very rare.

Savashri: A Clan epithet expressing disgust and/or frustration at a situation.

Seyla: This word is the ritual response voiced in unison by those witnessing solemn religious ceremonies, rituals, and other important gatherings. No one is sure of the origin or exact meaning of the word, but it is uttered only with the greatest reverence and awe. It has also been used by the military as a battle-cry.

Solahma: Solahma is the military designation for a unit made up of warriors who have continued to live and fight past what their society considers a warrior's prime. Some warriors continue to fight though most are put into senior officer and instructor positions.

Stravag: Bastard. Also an epithet but less harsh than freebirth.

Touman: The term given to the Golden Wing military.

Trial of Grievance: Also called an "Honour Duel", this form of combat is used to settle disputes between two warriors or military units. A "Circle of Equals", consisting of a ring of warriors or BattleMechs, defines the boundaries of the combat. The two warriors involved determine through bidding how the battle will be fought. The first warrior to leave or be knocked from the circle is declared the loser, and the disagreement is forgotten. This can be an on-the-spot resolution, or may have to be arranged through the military Council or Grand Council.

Trial of Position: The Trial of Position determines whether a candidate will qualify as a warrior in the military. The candidate must first demonstrate prowess in personal combat by defeating at least one of three successive opponents. If he defeats two, or all three, he is immediately ranked as a senior NCM in his unit. If he fails to defeat any of his opponents, he is relegated to a garrisson unit. If the candidate is successful in the Trial, a complex ceremony takes place. He or she must be ritually defended by several warriors when challenged by other representatives of the Touman, or else face those representatives in combat. The Trial uses battle simulators to avoid injury and death.

Trothkin: Used formally, this term refers to members of a person's family. Less formally, a citizen will use the term trothkin when referring to someone he considers his peer.

Trueborn/Truebirth: A child born after the legal marriage of his/her parents.

Unit Structure: Golden Wing military structure is as follows:

Army:
Section: 10 Soldiers or 5 Elementals
Platoon: 3 Sections
Company: 6 Platoons
Battallion: 5 Companies
Regiment: 10 Battallions

Navy:
Point: 1 Ship of the Line or 5 Frigates
Star: 5 Points
Binary: 2 Stars
Trinary: 3 Stars
Cluster: 4-5 Binaries/Trinaries
Galaxy: 3-5 Clusters
Nova: 1 Ship of the Line Star and 1 Frigate Star
Supernova: 1 Ship of the Line Star and 2 Frigate Stars

Air Force:
Talon: 5 Aircraft
Claw: 3 Talons
Wing: 2 Claws
Fleet: 5 Wings

Warrior: Any member of the Golden Wing military is known as a warrior. A member of the army is referred to as a soldier, a member of the navy is referred to as a sailor and a member of the air force is known as a pilot.

Zellbrigen: This is the military word describing the body of rules used to regulate and ritualize Trials of Grievance. Zellbrigen means that combatants engage in one-on-one duels, even if both sides have many warriors. Those not immediately challenged are honour-bound to stay out of the battle until an opponent is free (meaning he has defeated his enemy). To attack an enemy already engaged with an opponent is a major breach of military code, usually resulting in at least loss of rank.

OOC

Any fan of BattleTech/MechWarrior will immediately recognize this as the language of the Clans. I changed the definitions to fit my nation suitably but it is still essentially the same language. Anyone who wishes to use BattleTech Clan English for their nation, please contact me at madcat42@gmail.com and I'll rename my nation's language. I just didn't like calling it Golden Wingian.