Bolian Language and Literature

The Bolian language is a collection of mutually intelligible dialects that differ mostly in accent and idiom.

Water Imagery

Given the nature of Bolarus IX, ocean and water imagery play a large part in the language. The human standard term "birthday" in Bolian best translates to "the day I met the Ocean."

At last count, there were over 100 terms for water. This includes terms for drinking water, water in the ocean, river water, fresh water, salt water, and the like. There are additional terms for weather-related water such as rain, sleet, or drizzle.

General Words

• Ajah Mai, A Bolian Water Sculpture
• Ajahi Mailos, An artisan who specializes in Ajah Mai
• Ajahi Mailosin, An apprentice to an Ajahi Mailos
• Arvadathi, Bolian tomato soup, but only the authentic variety made from Arvaditum
• Sihawey, wind, specifically one that blows over the ocean

Kinship Terms and Examples

The Bolian language has a rich set of terms to describe family relationships. With multiple births being so common, there are special terms to designate siblings born at the same time. Although one must remember that the Bolians do not mean the day of live birth, but of the Ocean Day. There are also words to denote siblings born of the same biological parents, half-siblings, and those raised together as siblings with no biological relationship.

Regarding terms for siblings, there are no gendered terms such as brother or sister. (Mother and Father do have analogues in the language.) However, the Bolian language does make distinctions between older and younger siblings, but those distinctions apply only if they had different Ocean Days. A group of twins would all have the same Ocean Day, so there is no distinction of the “older” and “younger” twin in this case. But if another child came along later to the same parents, the twins would be the older ones and the new child would be considered the younger sibling. For Bolian purposes, the twins are the exact same age.

• Mibu, Mother, biological and primary parent, paired with Adahh, either exclusively or in a group
• Adahh, Father, biological and primary parent, paired with Mibu, either exclusively or in a group
• Mibu-Im, biological mother but not in the household
• Im-Adahh, biological father but not in the household
• Mibu-Ah, Mother: Non-biological female parent, partnered to the Adahh, either exclusively or in a group. This term is used for one who does primary parenting.
• Mibu-Ahno: Term for any other female parents in the household. Not a primary parent.
• Adahh-Lo, Father: Non-biological male parent, partnered to the Mibu, either exclusively or in a group. This term is used for one who does primary parenting.
• Adahh-No: Term for any other male parents in the household. Not a primary parent.
• Sarndah, generic term for all siblings in a household. Older, younger, biologically related, or not are included.
• Sarn-Alah, siblings of the same biological parents who share the same Ocean Day in the same household
• Sarn-Dihaj, siblings sharing one biological parent who share the same Ocean Day in the same household
• Sarn-Alaj, siblings not biologically related who share the same Ocean Day in the same household
• Dah-Im, biologically (either half or fully) related siblings not in the household
• Sirma-Dah, older sibling in the same household, no biological relationship
• Slawah-Dah, younger sibling in the same household, no biological relationship

Examples: Bolian male Rett is in a group marriage with Vott (male), Nixx (female), and Slass (female). Rett and Nixx produce children. The children would call Rett Adahh and Nixx would be Mibu. Vott would be Adahh-No and Slass would be Mibu-Ahno. Rett leaves the household. He immediately becomes Im-Adahh. Female Tivv joins the household, primary with Nixx, and brings her older children. Tivv would be Mibu-Ahno and her children would be Sarndah to Rett and Nixx’s offspring. The younger children would call the older ones Sirma-Dah.

Common Idioms

Term	Meaning	Example
Be in the blue and silent water	Don’t make a fuss, be at peace	Put down your PADD, it's making you angry. Eat your dinner. Be in the blue and silent water.
Bottle the wind	You are imagining things or lost in thought.	Stop trying to bottle the wind and help me align these phaser couplers.
Swear upon ocean and river	A promise. Sometimes used as a jest.	I swear upon ocean and river, I will find those responsible for this crime. (Serious) I swear upon ocean and river, I will never gamble at Quark's again! (A jest)
May the waters bless our meeting	Used in formal introductions	Ah, Scientist Jaynes, how fortunate that you are here. May the waters bless our meeting.

Literature

Most poems and long-form stories begin with an invocation to the wind or water. This is simply a tradition in high Bolian literature, kept since antiquity.

One of the more famous Bolian poems from antiquity is the Lays of Zemnsuirahh written by Xott the Merciful. Xott was an ancient warlord and also a poet who wrote poems of his own victories.

A Sample Poem

Bolian	Federation Standard
Ajah, lasi du sihawey Ah Abiruh adalah sing dan kirusa adelusa Keindulan angin dir Manjulin awgul dere Berbisa layar quan dan alemusa kirasey Durjalan terhampar quah a salarah Ah Berjamayan sandin vere Qualijayin jernuh veer Ber cadar zu kita anglim sahdusa Zha	Hear my words, Oh Water and Wind! The sapphire sea sings of the wind Hearing the call, she answers The jasmine scented air swirls Azure waters sigh and a sea spray rises on the East wind The sailor sees, but says nothing. This moment of perfect grace and beauty He moves on the water and the wind blesses him The Sun's light is low in the West as the zephyr carries the sweet fragrance of home

References