Andorian/Graalen
Origins of Graalen
It is believed that because they can sense subtle variations in pitch and vibration that Andorian speech is soft and sibilant. This is also believed to be partially due to their language originating from music and partially due to their hearing being different from other races. This theory is lent support by the fact that as a culture Andorians have a great interest in music.
Name
Andorian names are comprised of a given name, which may be considerably longer than the name as to which they are referred. This is followed by an abbreviation of their gender, which prefixes their clan name. For example, and Andorian zhen referred to as Indra may have the full given name KalIndra, and her surname would be prefixed by zh' to represent her gender. Assuming she is a member of the Idrani clan, her full name would be KalIndra zh'Idrani. Federation practice often allows Andorians to be referred to by a section of their given name with their rank attached.
Graalen (Andorian Language)
Below is an example of Graalen, showing the ways in which the four genders are referred to in various situations and through varying levels of politeness.
| Apparent Sex | Gender | Polite form of Address | Bondmate Endearment | Parental Name | Offspring Name | Sibling | Parent by Marriage | Child by Marriage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| She | Zhen | Zha | Zh'yi | Zhavey | Zhei | Zhi | Zhadi | Zhri'za |
| She | Shen | Sha | Sh'za | Shreva | Shei | Shi | Shidei | Shri'za |
| He | Chan | Cha | Ch'te | Charan | Chei | Chi | Chada | Chri'ze |
| He | Thaan | Tha | Th'se | Thavan | Thei | Thi | Thadu | Thri'ze |
Examples taken from the table above include the Andorian equivalents to the Federation Standard "sister", being shi or zhi, depending on gender, and the equivalents for "father" being charan and thavan.