LAPINE LANGUAGE

'Lapine' is an artificial language constructed by Richard Adams and spoken by the fictional rabbits of his novel ''Watership Down''. The fragments of language presented by Adams consist of a few tens of distinct words, and are used for naming rabbits, their mythological characters, and objects common to their world. "Lapine" comes from the French word for rabbit, ''lapin'', and can also be used to describe rabbit society.
Adams commented that the motivation for the sound of Lapine was that it should sound "wuff-fluffy" (as in the name "Thethuthinnang") and akin in some phonological respects to Arabic (from his time in North Africa in World War II). For example, the proper Lapine name "Kehaar" is quoted as being reminiscent of the Arabic "Behaar".
Other authors, academics, and fans of the book have attempted to expand on the few words and phrases extant in the corpus of "Watership Down" and develop it into a fuller language.

Contents

Terms

External links

Terms

'Elil' is a term from Lapine that refers to the natural enemies of rabbits (foxes, stoats, badgers, etc) and also to humans, whom they regard as their principal enemy. Its use is similar to use of the word "evil" in the English language.
The rabbits also know their enemies as "u embleer hrair", lapine for "the stinking thousand".
'Embleer' is the Lapine term which means "stinking," referring to the smell of a fox.
'Flay' is Lapine for the food of rabbits. Particularly good food is called "flayrah", or food of princes.
'Frith' The sun, personified as a god by rabbits. 'Frithrah!' is used as an exclamation and translates to "the lord Sun".
'Hlao' Any dimple or depression or depression in the grass, such as that formed by a daisy plant or thistle, which can hold moisture.
'Hlessi' is the Lapine word for a homeless rabbit without a hole to dwell in (the plural becomes 'hlessil'.)
'Homba' A fox. (Plural, 'hombil'.)
'Hrair' is the Lapine word for any number greater than four. It is translated to thousand and, less commonly, five.
These two words combined with the suffix '-rah' (an honorific for a chief or ruler) form the name Elil-Hrair-Rah ("the prince with a thousand enemies"), shortened to El-ahrairah, the rabbits' mythological champion and messiah.
'Hraka' is the Lapine word for droppings, feces.
'Hrududu' is an onomatopoeic Lapine term that refers to any motor vehicle.
'Inle' is the Lapine word for the moon. A second meaning also carries the idea of darkness, fear or death (as in The Black Rabbit of Inle). 'Fu Inle' is used to refer to "after moonrise".
'Lendri' A badger.
'Marli' A doe. Also carries the meaning "mother".
'M'saion' "We meet them."
'Narn' is the Lapine word meaning nice or pleasant (often in terms of food).
'Ni-Frith' Noon.
'Pfeffa' A cat.
'Rah' A prince, leader. Usuallly used as a suffix. E.g. Thearah = Lord Threar.
'Roo' Used as a suffix to denote a dimunitive. E.g. Hrairoo.
'Silflay' is a Lapine verb for grazing grass. It is also the act of grazing. 'Silf' means outside.
'Tharn' is Lapine for being petrified with fear i.e. Deer in the headlights
'Thlay' Fur.
'Threar' A rowan tree, or mountain ash.
'Vair' To excrete, pass droppings.
'Yona' A hedgehog. (Plural, yonil.)
'Zorn' is the Lapine word for destruction or murder. Also denotes catastrophe.

External links

★ Expansion of the Lapine language by Patrick Jemmer

★ ''Frithaes!'' A Guide To Colloquial Lapine

★ Lapine Conlang Profile

★ Lapine-English Dictionary