We look at another list of slang for week 52 of The Rumor Mill, but this time in a smattering of other languages. If humans build culture by stealing interesting customs from everyone they meet, then Common mugs other languages in back alleys and rifles through their pockets looking for interesting words and phrases to absorb. In a cosmopolitan city like Fellport, you can hear several languages spoken, sometimes all at once in the same conversation.
Let's take a look at this pocketful of entertaining language nuggets and see what Common might want to retain.
| 1d8 | Rumor | True? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Even non-Latin speakers have used "Cevendum Est" to mean "we/they are boned". | Yes1 |
| 2 | Be wary of Okulari speakers calling you "Efso" of "Kanka". | Maybe2 |
| 3 | "Bagger Dag" in Brak'val means "Dead Tired", so find that person a bed. | No3 |
| 4 | Elves use the Gladlam word "Atan" when referring to almost every other race. | Maybe4 |
| 5 | "Krass Hammer" wins as the highest general compliment in Steinrede. | Yes5 |
| 6 | Castellano has several slang terms involving "La Leche" (milk), mostly positive. | Maybe6 |
| 7 | Occam speakers use "Yoke" so often, they must all own several carts. | No7 |
| 8 | Giants use several terms in Thispek for cowards, like "Argr" and "Geit". | Yes8 |
1 - "Cevere" roughly translates to "to act like the passive partner during intercourse", or the "bonee" as it were. Ain't Latin fun?
2 - Context is king here. "Efso" is a shortened form of "Legend". "Kanka" is short for "Blood Brother", more like "Bro".
3 - Wires got crossed in Barbary. "Bagger Dag" translates to "Crap Day". Hand them a drink and lend a sympathetic ear.
4 - "Atan" translates to "Mortal", so it's accurate, but it implies "You don't live long enough to develop true intelligence."
5 - It's hard for dwarves to top "Krass Hammer", as it means "Super Awesome". That's about as excited as most dwarves get.
6 - "Mala Leche" is "Bad Milk": bad luck or mood. "Me cago en la leche" is "I crap in the milk": a swear when fed up.
7 - In Occam, "Yoke" in a generic term meaning "That Thing" in Common. Y'know, that yoke I can't name at the moment.
8 - "Geit" is literally a female goat, and "Argr" means "Weak". Over time, they both came into vogue as insults for cowards.
Part of T.W.Wombat's Lore 24 project, detailing the world around Fellport.
For all city posts, see the Fellport Index. For posts about the wider world, see the Beneterra Index.
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