A Note on Feline Linguistics

Ailurin
is not a spoken language, or not simply spoken. Like all the human
languages, it has a physical component, the cat version of “body
language,” and a surprising amount of information is passed through the
physical component before a need for vocalized words arises.

Even people who haven’t studied cats closely will recognize certain
“words” in Ailurin: the rub against a friendly leg, the arched back and
fluffed fur of a frightened cat, the crouch and stare of the hunter. All
of these have strictly physical antecedents and uses, but they are also
used by cats for straight forward communication of mood or intent. Many
subtler signs can be seen by even a human student: the sideways flirt
of the tail that says “I don’t care” or “I wonder if I can get away with
this…” the elaborate yawn in another cat’s face, the stiff-legged,
arch-backed bounce, which is the cat equivalent of making a face and
jumping out at someone, shouting “Boo!” But where gestures run out,
words are used—more involved than the growl of threat of purr of
contentment, which are all most humans hear of intercat communication.

“Meowing”
is not counted here, since cats rarely seem to meow at each other. That
type of vocalization is usually a “pidgin” language used for getting
humans’ attention: the cat equivalent of “Just talk to them clearly and
loudly and they’ll get what you mean sooner or later.” Between each
other, cats sub-vocalize using the same mechanism that operates what
some authorities call “the purr box,” a physiological mechanism that is
not well understood but seems to have something to do with the combined
vibration of air in the feline larynx and blood in the veins and
arteries of the throat. To someone with a powerful microphone, a cat
speaking Ailurin seems to be making very soft meowing and purring sounds
ranging up and down several octaves, all at a volume normally inaudible
to humans.

This vocalized part of Ailurin is a “pitched” language, like Mandarin
Chinese, more sung than spoken. It is mostly vowel-based—no surprise in
a species that cannot pronounce most human-style consonants. Very few
noncats have ever mastered it: not only does any human trying to speak
it sound to a cat as if he were shouting every word, but the delicate
intonations are filled with traps for the unwary or unpracticed. Auo hwaai hhioehhu uaeiiiaou,
for example, may look straightforward: “I would like a drink of milk”
is the Cat-Human Phrasebook definition. But the people writing the
phrasebook for the human ear are laboring under a terrible handicap,
trying to transliterate from a thirty-seven-vowel system to an alphabet
with only five. A human misplacing or mispronouncing only one of the
vowels in this phrase will find cats smiling gently at him and asking
him why he wants to feed the litter-box to the taxicab? … this being
only one of numerous nonsenses that can be made of the above example.

So
communication from our side of things tends to fall back on body
language (stroking, or throwing things, both of which cats understand
perfectly well) and a certain amount of monologue—which human- partnered
cats, with some resignation, accept as part of the deal. For their
communications with most human beings, the cats, like so many of us,
tend to fall back on shouting. For this book’s purposes, though, all
cat-to-human speech, whether physical or vocal, is rendered as normal
dialogue: that’s the way it seems to the cats, after all.*

One other note: two human-language terms, “queen” and “tom,” are routinely used to translate the Ailurin words

sh’heih and sth’heih. “Female” and “male” don’t
properly translate these words, being much too sexually neutral—which
cats, in their dealings with one another, emphatically are not. The
Ailurin word ffeih is used for both neutered males and spayed females.

—DD

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A Very Partial Ailurin Glossary

A

aahfaui — The “Presence” quality in hauissh.

Aaurh — (pr n) Another of the feline pantheon: the “Michael” power, the Warrior. Female.

Aavhy — Used. Also a proper name.

ahou’ffriw — (n) the Canine Word. Key or “activating” word for spells intended for use on dogs and other canids.

Auo—(pn) (I)

auuh — (n) stray. Perjorative.

auw— (n) Energy (as a generic term). Appears in many
compounds having to do with wizardry and cats’ affinity for fire,
warmth, and energy flows.

Auhw-t: (n) “the Hearth”: the Ailurin/wizardly term for what
humans refer to as “Timeheart” — the most senior/central reality, of
which all others are mirrors or variations.

auwsshui’f — (n) the “lower electromagnetic” spectrum,
involving quantum particles, faster-than-light particles and wavicles,
subatomics, fission, fusion, and “sub-matter” relationships such as
string and hyperstring function.

B

C

D

D does not appear by itself as a consonant in Ailurin: only as a dipthong, dh.

E

efviauw—(n) the electromagnetic spectrum as perceived by cats ehhif—(n) human being, (adj) human

eiuev— (n) veldt: a large open space. As a proper noun, Eiuev, “the Veldt”: the Sheep Meadow in Central Park.

eius’hss — The “Control” quality in hauissh.

F

ffrihh—(n) refrigerator (cat slang: approximation)

fouarhweh — a position in hauissh, described as “classic” by commentators.

fvais—a medium-high voice among cats: used to equate with “tenor”

fwau—(expl.) heck, hell, crap

G

H

Hauhai — (n) the Speech

hauissh — (adj., v.) ‘seeing’: (n) The Game.

he’ihh—(n) composure-grooming

hhau’fieh —(n) group relationships in general

hhouehhu—(v) desire/want

Hhu’au — (pr n) The Lion-“god” of Today. Nickname for ehhif “Patience”, one of the carved stone lions outside NYPL.

hihhhh—(excl) Damn, bloody (stronger than vhai)

hiouh—(n) excreta (including both urine and feces)

hlah’fih — (adj) tortoise-shell (fur). Probably a compound derived from hlahheuh, “tabby (red)”, and fihh, black/grey.

houff—(s n) dog

houiff—(pl n) dogs

Hrau’f— (pr n) daughter of Iau, the member of the feline pantheon
most concerned with creation and ordering it. Known as “the Silent”

hruiss— fight: usually in compounds with other words for “tom-fight”, etc

hu—(n) day

hu-rhiw—(id) “day and night” — idiom for a black and white cat.

hwaa—(n) drink

hwiofviauw — the “upper electromagnetic”, meaning plasma functions, gravitic force, etc. “upward”.

Hwio-rrai’fih — (s n)A “chief-pride” or “pride of prides”
controlling a given area. Unusual among felines: the word is now most
frequently used by People (European-based People in particular) to
describe the concept of ehhif royalty in the abstract, or a specific ehhif royal family. The non-royal equivalent is hwio-rrai’theh, “the Government”.

I

iAh’hah—(n) New York: possibly an approximation of the English name.

Iau—(pr n) the One: the most senior member of the feline pantheon

ifvaih

Irh—(pr n) One of the feline pantheon, possibly minor: or some obscure name for the Old Tom. Urruah refers to his balls.

J

K

L

M

N

O

o’hra — (n) opera. (approximation)

P

Q

R

ra’hio: “radio”. A feline neologism.

Reh-t: (n., abstract) the future: also the name for the
Lion-Power guarding it, the Invisible One of the Three guarding the
steps to the New York Public Library

rhiw— (n) night. Many compounds are derived from this favorite word, including the name Rhiow (the actual orthography would be rhiw’aow, “nightdark”, but this has been simplified for purposes of human pronunciation.

rioh—(n) horse (but in the countryside, also ox, or any
other animal which works for humans by carrying or pulling things.
“Beast of burden”. A cat with a sense of humor might use this word as
readily for a taxicab, shopping cart or wheelbarrow.

rrai— (n) Pride: a grouping of cats living together. Used
alone, the word is informal and does not necessarily imply blood
relationship among all the members.

rrai’fih—(n)Pride relationship implying possible blood ties

rrai’theh—(n) Pride relationship excluding blood ties: an otherwise unrelated group who live or work together.

ruah—(adj) flat

S

sa’Rrahh—(pr n) The ambivalent feline Power: analagous (roughly) to the Lone Power.

saurhff (see also f’hrai-saurhff)

Sef — (pr n) The Lion-“god” of Yesterday. Nickname for ‘Fortitude’, one of the stone lions outside NYPL.

sh’heih—”queen”, unspayed female

sshai-sau—(adj) Crazy.

sswiass—A pejorative. “Sonofabitch”, “bastard”, “brat”, etc.

sth’heih—”tom”, un-neutered male

T

U

uae—(n) milk

ur— (n) nose

Urrau—(pr n) the Great Tom: son and lover of Iau the Queen. From the older word urra, “scarred”.

urruah — (id) “flat nose”. Compound: from ur’ruah.

V

vefessh — (n) water: also (adj.) the term cats use to indicate the fur color humans call “blue”

vhai—(adj) damn, bloody

W

X

Y

Z