A few samples to give you the flavor of the language….
Word |
Definition |
| áalaá | butterfly |
| ashon | love for one who is not related by blood but is heart-kin |
| azháadin | to menopause uneventfully |
| dólhorado | to dominate with evil intent |
| doóledosh | pain or loss which comes as a relief because it brings to an end the anticipation of its arrival |
| doólelasholan | alone at last, after putting up with tiresome people |
| edama | the science of touch — touch-science |
| éeme | love for one neither liked nor respected |
| elasháana | to menstruate for the first time |
| hena | sibling by birth |
| héena | sibling of the heart |
| honáal | the hours between midnight and dawn |
| lalal | mother’s milk |
| lewidan | to be pregnant for the first time |
| loláad | to perceive internally, to feel |
| lirini | an achievement that seems small to other, but means a lot to the achiever |
| méhéna | compassion despite negative circumstances |
| móna | compassion for foolish reasons |
| múna | compassion for bad reasons |
| nehena | contentment despite negative circumstances |
| niná | the one responsible |
| ninálh | the one to blame |
| núháam | to feel oneself cherished, cared for, nurtured by someone |
| nuna | contentment for bad reasons |
| ohehena | respect despite negative circumstances |
| óothanúthul | spiritual orphanhood; being utterly bereft of a spiritual community |
| radama | to non-touch; to actively refrain from touching |
| radamalh | to non-touch with evil intent |
| radena | unfriendliness for good reasons |
| radíidin | non-holiday, a time allegedly a holiday but actually so much a burden because of work and preparations that it’s a dreaded occasion; especially when there are too many guests and none of them help |
| radodelh | non-interface, a situation which has not one single point in common on which to base interaction, often used of personal relationships |
| radona | unfriendliness for foolish reasons |
| rahéena | non-heart-sibling; one so entirely incompatible with another that there is no hope of ever achieving any kind of understanding or anything more than a truce, and no hope of ever making such a one understand why (does not mean “enemy”) |
| rahom | to non-teach; to deliberately fill students’ minds with empty data or false information |
| ralith | to deliberately refrain from thinking about something, to wall if off in one’s mind by deliberate act |
| rarulh | non-synergy, that which when combined only makes things worse |
| rashida | non-game, a cruel “playing” that is a game only for the dominant player who has the power to force others to participate |
| rathom | non-pillow; a “lean on me so I can step aside and let you fall” person |
| sham | love for the child of one’s body, presupposing neither love nor respect nor their absence |
| shol | absence-of-pain |
| thehena | joy despite negative circumstances |
| thuna | joy for good reasons |
| uhud | nuisance |
| uhudemid | tick (the insect) |
| wesháana | to menstruate late |
| widazhad | to be pregnant late in term and eager for the end |
| wina | gratitude for no reason |
| wonewith | to be socially dyslexic; uncomprehending of the social signals of others |
| wóo | evidence morpheme indicating the speaker/writer’s total lack of knowledge as to the validity of what is said or written |
| zhaláad | the act of relinquishing a cherished/comforting familiar illusion or frame of perception |
[For more information, see A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan: Second Edition, edited by Diane Martin; published in 1988 by SF3, Box 1624, Madison WI 53701-1624.]Copyright © 2002 by Suzette Haden Elgin