Romulan language

General information

• Old High Rihannsu out of style in general conversation by 22nd century, but still in use amongst academics (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Romulan written language blocky, angular (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• Romulan linguistic number system base 10 (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
  • Based on translation of "fve ehr rhi" as "six point five"

Vocabulary

• 'lai
  • Traditional formal form of address for elder females (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
    • Somewhat archaic by 24th century, associated with rural dialects (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• aehkhifv
  • Eradication (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• aekhhwi'rhoi
  • Used to refer to the sewers underneath Ki Baratan (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• ahhaid'rawn
  • Time dilation (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• akhoii
  • Dilithium (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• Andorsu
  • Andorian (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• animaur'olhao
  • Ceremony of respect; traditional funerary custom (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• Atlai'fehill
  • Originally described as the Rihannsu name for Achernar; see that page for details (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• avaihh
  • Warp speed, warp factor (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, To Brave the Storm)
• avrrhinul
  • "Out-marches"; frontier regions of Romulan space (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Bereng'hhaei
  • Berengaria (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• D'caernu'mneani
  • Berengaria (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
  • Literally "great eye of red" in ancient High Rihannsu
• daefv sash
  • Belt (as in the clothing) (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• daold klhu
  • Tourists (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• dathe'anofv-sen
  • Honor blade (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing, To Brave the Storm)
• denae
  • Follow; imperative (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• Denevaei
  • Deneva (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• dha
  • Ten (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• dhat'drih
  • Unit of length (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• dierha
  • Unit of time similar in magnitude to one hour (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
  • Equal to ~84 minutes
• Draed'ulhei
  • Berengaria VII (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• Dray'laxu
  • Draylaxian (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• efvir-efveh
  • Factions; power groups (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• ehr
  • Used to indicate a decimal point, meaning unknown (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• ehrie
  • Green (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• eisae
  • Unit of time equal to one rotation of Romulus (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru)
• En'ter'priz
  • "Enterprise" in Romulan phonetics (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• ewa
  • Unit of time similar in magnitude to one second (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• eyhon
  • Street (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• fvadt
  • Interjection, likely profane (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• fvalo-straps
  • Suspenders (as in the clothing) (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• fve
  • Six (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• fvheisn
  • Unit of time equal to one revolution of Romulus around Eisn (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• galae
  • Fleet (VAN Novel: Summon the Thunder; TNG Short Story: "Suicide Note")
    • Term mentioned in Suicide Note; definition from older fanwork from which it was referenced
    • Further implied by reference to "Fleet Command" in Summon the Thunder
• haein
  • Gods, deities; possibly specifically the ancestral deities of the Romulans (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• hevam
  • Humans (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing, To Brave the Storm)
• hhwai'il
  • Potentially a term for Founders; potentially a general expletive (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• hnaev
  • Derisive term; from context, likely akin to "garbage" or "shit" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• hwi
  • One (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Isneih
  • Calder (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• jolan'tru
  • A greeting or farewell (ENT: "United"; ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru; TNG: "Unification I"; TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• kaleh
  • Blade (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• keisa
  • Enter; imperative (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• khaidoa
  • Unit of time similar in magnitude to one month (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru)
• khoey
  • Orange (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• khre'rior
  • Lower echelon admiral (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• klivam
  • Klingon (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• kolem
  • Unit used to measure plasma flow rate (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• kre
  • Two (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, To Brave the Storm)
• kroiha
  • Interjection; stop (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru; TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• liorae
  • Light or photon (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• lli
  • Seven (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• lliu
  • Zero (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• mat'drih
  • Unit of distance approximately equal to 1.35 kilometers (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing; VAN Novel: Summon the Thunder)
• melakol
  • Unit used to measure pressure (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• mne
  • Four (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, To Brave the Storm)
• mnhei'sahe
  • Honor (TNG Short Story: "Suicide Note")
• onkian
  • Unit of temperature (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• paesin'aehhrr
  • Duranium (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• raon
  • Accomplishment (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• rei'karan
  • Legion (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• rhi
  • Five (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru, To Brave the Storm)
• sei
  • Three (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Sei'chi
  • Alpha Centauri (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• siure
  • Unit of time similar in magnitude to one minute (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru; TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
  • Plural: siuren
• tam'a'katr
  • Soul or spirit (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• Tellarsu
  • Tellarite (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• Thaessu
  • Vulcan (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing, To Brave the Storm)
• Thhaei
  • The planet Vulcan (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru, Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• uhlan
  • Lowest enlisted rank, equivalent to a Starfleet crewman
  • Plural: uhlanu (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• vaehkh
  • Aliens (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• vastam
  • Warp drive, warp engine (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
    • Presumable, based on translations offered of avaihh and lli
• verak
  • Unit of time similar in magnitude to one hour (TOS Novel: Vulcan Heart; TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
  • Equal to ~63 minutes (TOS Novel: Vulcan Heart)
  • Plural: veraku
    • Potentially a specific dialect given dierha
• Vis'amnisu
  • Vissian (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• waith
  • Potentially farm or ranch (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)

Phrases

• Aihr Arrain Vextan. Abrai na iaaeru!
• avaihh lli vastam
  • "Warp-seven capable stardrive" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
  • Old High Rihannsu phrase, not conversational
• Bont na batlem saith.
  • An order to kill those who would've died slowly otherwise (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• daeinos aehallh
  • "Immortal soul" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Dii Pangaere tohr ve reh nubereae
  • Along the lines of "he lasted longer than I expected" (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• ejhoi ormiin
  • "To decide with finality on the best of several options" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• H'ta fvau, riud ihir taortuu u' irrhae alhu kuhaos'ellaer tivh temarr
  • "The next person to touch the new prisoner will be eaten for dinner tonight" (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• Ihnna uaenn na itaeru
  • A command by prison guards for prisoners to make way (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• liorae-eisae
  • Light-year (by context) (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• Mnean partrai hra' yy'a hwi hvei h'rau na gaehl!
  • "there was another dead body back in the cells" (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• mos ih ihir nviomn riud ih seiyya
  • "Prepare to be boarded or destroyed" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• ullho hiera
  • "Unidentified vessel" (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Voi mnaeri mnean ihra corr Rihanha?
  • "Why should we trust (him/the Romulan)?" (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• Yhaim hraen teidr!
  • "Lower your weapons" (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)

Idioms

• Wild mogai hunt
  • Exact cognate of "wild goose chase" (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)

Uncertain or absent translation

• aehf
  • Uncertain translation, possibly "boot" or "ass" (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
  • Incessant flattery described as "kiss[ing] my aehf" (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• ahlh
  • Used to describe Klingons; "slope-browed ahlh" (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
  • Likely derogatory; possibly merely descriptive
• akhh
  • Unknown interjection, expression of frustration (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• arrenhe'hwiua
  • Somehow connected to telecapture technology (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• bhath
  • "...wrest defeat from the bhath of victory." (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• Dhaile hwai rhadam!
  • Said by a soldier on being unable to see foes (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• hveinn
  • Unclear; used to refer to rural farmer unfamiliar with the city (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• kaehhak
  • Difficult to determine meaning from context (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
    • Could be akin to "false" or "faux"
    • Could be akin to "double" or "doppelganger"
• khi'der
  • Identifier for launch pad; alphanumeric? (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• khnai'ru rhissiuy
  • Said when thanking a subordinate for the delivery of a report (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
• kllhe'mnhe
  • "Ancient scatological curse" (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• lhiet
  • Uncertain translation (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
    • "lhiet-polishing" used as idiom for flattery, possibly a direct translation of "apple-polishing" (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• Llhusra
  • Unknown interjection, definitely profanity (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• steki'ehrhe
  • Unknown pejorative, used to describe Andorians (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• tahll
  • Presumably "sublight" but not certain (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
• tharon
  • Unknown interjection (TTN Novel: Taking Wing)
• V'rhaen-ao'au thea
  • Unknown sentence, possibly a threat (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
• Vah-udt?
  • Said by a soldier on being unable to see foes (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
• wort
  • Unknown pejorative noun (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)