River Twine Holt Glossary

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Glossary of Elfin Terms

agemate" - friend about the same age

arrow-whip - missile weapon made with a flexible stick and leather strap; designed to give a dart more distance.

Ayoooah - Wolfrider word/sound incorporated in to many different meanings

beesweets - honey or honeycomb

bellyworms - parasites that enter the stomach and cause malnutrition

Big Moon: larger of the two moons

bloodworm - river leech

bond-pack" - wolves allied with and ridden by Wolfriders

branch-horn - very large deer-like animal with spreading antlers (elk)

"By the Two Moons" - general exclamation of astonishment

capnut - acorn; also capnut tree is the oak

carrion birds - vultures, crows, etc.

cave slugs - slimy worms found in caverns

Child Moon - alternate name for the smaller of the two moons

cub / cubling - elfin Wolfrider child; plural "cubs" or "cublings"

den-hide - a practiced, coordinated defensive action in which all members of the tribe hide and keep silent on command

dreamberry - a berry that causes intoxication in elves when eaten fresh; fermented, it is hallucinogenic; can be poisonous to humans

dreamberry talk - drunken babbling

dreamberry vision - a hallucination

elf-friend - a wolf's particular Wolfrider

Firstcomers - refers to the first elf arrivals in the world (their children were High Ones, but not Firstcomers)

fisher bird - water bird similar to kingfisher

flesh worms - parasites that infest the flesh of living creatures

furmate - a casual lover

"High Ones" - used as curse or blessing; refers collectively to the pureblooded elves who first arrived on the world, and to their pureblooded children.

Howl - Wolfrider ceremony in honor of deceased elf or wolf, to tell stories about him/her and keep memories alive

itchleaf - poison ivy

joining - mating

kill-hunger - akin to a pack or "shark" feeding frenzy

kit / kitling - Wolfrider term for a female elf child

lifemate - term for elves who have formed a permanent relationship, usually (but not always) as a result of Recognition

Little Moon – the name of the smaller of the world’s two moons

Lock-send - a sending directed to one individual only; a private sending.

lovemate - term for elves in a more serious relationship, but one that is not sparked by Recognition.

magic - power usable by elves to circumvent natural laws

Moon Madness - a state of dementia supposedly induced by both moons being full at the same time.

Mother Moon - an alternate name for the larger of the two moons.

"My Eyes See with Joy / My Hand Touches with Joy" – General elfin greeting, usually after an extended separation

mud rat - a small animal that hibernates

nut mush' / nutmash" - a) porridge; b) metaphorically, weakened to the point of uselessness

owl pellets - expletive for expressing disbelief

puckernuts - expression of distaste

ravvit - important note: although this term is mentioned in a BoTC novel, we do not use "ravvit" at RTH. Instead, we use "rabbit."

Recognition - entirely involuntary process - psychic link between two elves of the opposite sex whose progeny would improve the elven race; sometimes (but not always) results in lifemating.

season of death sleep - interchangeable with Autumn or Fall

season of new green - interchangeable with Spring

season of white cold - interchangeable with Winter

"Shards" – curse or blessing, not certain from whence it derived.

skyfire - lightning

skyfire storm - lightning storm

squirrel chatter - talking without making sense

Soul-name - secret name devised by wolfriders to keep some part of themselves protected in a largely telepathic society.

Sun Goes Down - west

Sun Comes Up - east

swamp rot - expression meaning that one's words are totally unbelievable

taal - elfin child's game similar to hide and seek

taal-stick - wand used by children playing taal to touch each other; each touch counting a point

The Way - the wolfrider’s way of life, which in general is respectful of all life.

touch-me-touch-you - child's game similar to tag

tree walker - one who is at home in the tops of trees and can move easily and silently from branch to branch

treewee - tarsier-like creature known for timidity and silliness

turn of the seasons or turn - one year

wolf-friend - term for an elf's bond wolf

wolf-nap - brief nap of a few minute’s duration, alternating with period of watchful wakefulness.

wolf-send - elfin method of communicating telepathically with his/her wolf

wolfsong - the "always now" state of mind of being perpetually in the present

woodworms - wood-boring insects

Preserver-Speak

Bigthing - preserver term for people bigger than they are; later, used of humans

Birdbasket - preserver term for bird’s nest

Dark - preserver’s way of measuring time.

Dig-Digs - Preservers names for trolls

Hangy-Down - a suspended cocoon

Highthing - preserver term for elves

Juiceberries - preserver term for favorite type of berry.

Noisybad - preserver’s term for describing behavior they dislike.

Stillquiet - preserver term for being asleep, preferably wrapped in wrapstuff.

Wrapstuff - preserver’s term for their preserving webbing. Any living thing fully wrapped in it is perfectly preserved until unwrapped.

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