Selkies' Skins
Glossary
There are several words from both of the Gaelics, as well as other languages and cultures. This glossary is provided as a resource for those that are unfamiliar with a word or tend to forget foreign words. As language is something that fascinates me, I always try to work other vocabulary than English in when there is space and it fits properly with the story flow. This is also, in part, a tribute to the countless authors that introduced me to words that I would likely have never learned if they had not done similar.
This glossary is a work in progress, and will likely expand both as I work through the manuscript again to collect all the words, as well as with the book's growth into the series and addition of new vocabulary words. Where possible or remembered, the language of origin will be either included or added.
This glossary is a work in progress, and will likely expand both as I work through the manuscript again to collect all the words, as well as with the book's growth into the series and addition of new vocabulary words. Where possible or remembered, the language of origin will be either included or added.
Abyssopelagic – very deep, from the word abyss.
A chailín mo chroí – My dear child.
A dhath ar bith – Irish Gaelic for ‘nothing at all’ or ‘not much.’
Aegir – Norse god of the sea.
Aft – Nautical term for back of the ship.
Ainsley – Scottish habitational surname transferred to unisex forename use, composed of the Old English elements ansetl “hermitage” and leah “meadow, pasture,” hence “hermitage meadow.”
Anchor – A spell that does exactly what it sounds like. A person will form the intent to be an Anchor when another has to cross dimensional or planar boundaries. The Observers do for the members of a Moot a similar job that the Lightkeepers traditionally did for the Makays of Seal Point by the use of light and spellwork. Lighting a candle and placing in the window is a traditional spell or prayer used to help a family member or loved one return home.
Argent – Heraldic for silver.
Arten – Scots Gaelic for Stone.
Ashray – Water or sea ghosts, also known as water lovers from Scottish tales. These phantasms can be either male or female and are said to be alluring. If caught in the light of day they melt into a puddle of water. In Kirsty’s world there are two types of ashrays: 1) The type that forms when a person drowns (if they don’t get turned into something else or don’t get to move on), and 2) a type of fae.
Aweful – Not to be confused with awful. Aweful is to be filled with awe, or to be awe inspiring (either for good or ill). This is a little used word now, awful being thought of the most when it is heard.
Bairn – Boy.
Bean-fionn – Water Woman, White Woman. She is called th Weisse Frau in Germany and is more benevolent there. A kiss from her on a child protects them, and she is very protective of children. She’s not above drowning someone that makes her angry or hurts children. In Ireland though she is more known for drowning children playing alone by the water. Whether this is malicious or merely wishing to take the children into her home is a matter of debate.
The Weisse Frau is an aspect of The Lady that is coming closer to being reclaimed by her through the association of Kirsty and David, though none of the three are fully aware of this as of yet.
Boobrie – A strange looking bird-thing from Scottish tales. The boobrie is said by some to prey on ships. Descriptions vary a bit, but generally it is crane like with penguinish wings (despite being able to fly) and is black. Individual boobries vary a bit and may have color marks. They sound coarser than peacocks when they make a cry. Some can take the appearance of horses and run over the waters...making great distractions for ancient mariners. Because of the ability of some to take the shape of horses some students of folklore equate the boobrie and kelpie as the same things. These prefer salt water to fresh.
Brumal – Cold, frigid.
Cailleach – Some say she is a goddess, some say she is a fae. There is only one of her either way. She is often equated with the Blue Woman, the Washerwoman of the Ford, and sometimes the Banshee.
Carrick – Gaelic for Rock.
Colcanon – similar to Bubble and Squeak, a fry dish made of leftovers from the previous day.
Collywobble – A strange and elusive creature that few have seen. Some have trident-like arms, and it is thought that they have tails. There are both land-based and sea-based versions. These critters are responsible for the odd fluttery feelings in the stomach and love to gather on boats and around carnival rides and moving vehicles. When not there they roam in packs looking for people to give digestion problems. They draw amusement from making people nauseous. To ward them off anise gum is excellent, but it must be flavored with real anise and not synthetic flavoring.
Compánach – Companion.
Corsantóir – Defender, protector, guardian.
Cortège – A procession, usually solemn.
Cowan – Pagan and Wiccan word for outsider.
Coven – A group of witches that work together.
Deosil – Clockwise.
Draiganpáirc – Dragon Park. This is a location in Ireland that exists much the way as Seal Point does. It is part of the physical world, but only accessible though certain routes. If someone tries to access the same space but not through the proper routes then they will find only sea or unsettled land. The division between the plains here is also very thin. This is the stronghold of Brigid’s Well and Forge and the seat of the O’Drake family. Some members of this family can be met in the Dragon Shaman series, which was started long, long before these stories.
Dunstan – Anglo-Saxon name composed of the elements dun “black, dark” and stan “stone,” hence “black stone” or “dark stone.”
Erebus – Latin form of Greek Erebos, meaning “darkness.” In mythology, this is the name of the offspring of Chaos, brother of Nyx, and father of Æther. He is the personification of primordial darkness. In later legends Erebos became the name of a place in Hades, the underworld.
Finmen – A darker variation of the merfolk tales. Where the selkies were generally considered mild mannered, the finmen were feared. The stories that I found about them referred to them liking to drown children by dragging them from the beach, and sometimes stealing them from homes by the sea.
Geas – Gaelic word for curse or compellation.
Gerwulf – German name composed of the elements ger “spear” and wulf “wolf,” hence “spear-wolf.”
Ghillie dhu – Woodman. This is a type of fae known to be shy and protective of the woods and forests, and associated with birch. They are kind to children but cruel to those disrespecting their home. Ghillie dhu is dark haired and covers himself in foliage (good hunting camo suits are also called ghillie dhu and use ropes to mimic the silhouette of plantmatter). In England he/they is/are sometimes equated to the Green Man.
Grundylows – These are the British Isles' version of Kappa. Instead of being turtle-like with a bowl in the head grundylows are lanky and spindly with exceptionally long, strong fingers that they choke and drown their (often human) prey with.
Guirmean – Scots. Blue.
Hame – Home.
Hemming – Scandinavian name derived from Old Norse hamr, meaning “shape.” The name may have originated as a byname for a “shape-shifter” or “werewolf.”
Hir – This is not a typo, but intentional as a combination of his and her for use with the gender-strange deity.
Hyppocampus – This is alternatively spelled hippocampus, but I decided to use hyppocampus. The hyppocampus is a fishtailed horse. They would vary based on the region. Those in the colder climates would have heavier fur than those in warmer climes.
Intervening – A non-species specific spell, geas, or binding wherein a party takes on the debt of another or steps between a person and a consequence or deity. This can also be done if the original terms of a binding or geas need to be changed as observed by an outside party, but it comes with a price that will vary.
Ken – Know, understand, grasp.
Kürsch – One of the heraldic furs, it looks rather like fluffy breast feathers.
Leannán – Lover.
Leòmhann – Scots Gaelic for Lion.
Máthair – Irish Gaelic for Mother.
Marelion – female fishtailed lion, the feminine companion to the SeaLion (different from the mundane sea lion). Both males and females have manes, but the male’s manes are wilder.
Meidh – Irish Gaelic for Balance. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Mermishdian – One of several undersea languages. This word is pronounced differently than it is spelled, as several of the words in this language are. When read, it is Mermishandian. The greatest trick in learning to speak/sing the language is knowing where the hidden syllables are and how they change the meaning.
Merrow – This is the Irish answer for the standard fish merfolk. The ladies are said to be gorgeous and often seek sailors for husbands. The males wear red caps, have complexions that are generally ruddy from consumption of alcohol, are much less comely and attractive, and spend their days searching for rum barrels from shipwrecks. Some tales say that they cause storms which in turn cause wrecks to fuel their habit of imbibing drink.
Mizzenmast – If the vessel has two masts and the aft (back) mast is smaller than the fore (front) mast, then the back mast is called a mizzenmast. If it is a three masted vessel then the very aft mast is always a mizzenmast.
Moot – Archaic term for meeting.
Naga – Snake people. These are found in Buddhist and Hindu stories, and they have a possible connection to the dragon people. There are several sub-breeds of naga, some are land dwelling, some prefer fresh water, and some are from the seasnake.
Octopid – A type of merperson descended from and caretaking octopus. Squid merfolk are similar, and also are in this category as the original beings that Mara and the Lady created them from existed before evolution took the octopus and squid down separate paths.
Ogham – A ancient Celtic method of writing that involved the use of carved lines. This existed around the time of runes, but fell into disuse through the course of history.
Óinseach – Irish (and sometimes Scots) Gaelic for fool in the feminine case. The masculine word is amadán. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Pagan – Originally meant country dweller. Today it is more commonly used to refer to people following a non-Judeo-Christian faith. Within this though there are a vast array if different religions, some similar and others not, and from all around the world with its various pantheons. Castle Carrick chooses based on ability and talent, not religion, so it’s halls are filled with a sampling of all religions including the odd Jedi.
Poop or poopdeck – The nautical term for the back deck of a boat or ship.
Port – A safe harbour for shipping and other vessels. Also it is used for the left side of the boat when facing the prow.
Prow – The front of a ship or boat.
Purpure – Heraldic for purple.
Rapscallion – An archaic word for rascal.
Revive – A spell. When the verb refers to the effect of a spell it is capitalized. This can be cast in any language, but some work better than others.
Rok – Old Danish form of Old Norse Hrókr, meaning “crow, rook.”
Ryujin – Japanese word for dragon people. Ryujin is also the name of a dragon king of the sea, as well as the name of the capital city that he rules over. Yes, this is a tie in point with “Dragon Shaman” novels.
Sain – British for bless. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Samebito – The Japanese word for shark people.
Sapphire – A blue stone. When mentioned for a heraldic crest the stone is used to symbolize azure (blue).
Schneiengert – Germanic. strong spear.
Seanmhuintir – Irish Gaelic for Grandparents.
Seelie – The good (but not always kind nor benevolent) fae.
Seidhrmenn – Norse. Wise men, magic users.
Sevrin – Severe, strict.
Sgian dubh – A small, often black handled single-bladed knife. Originally used for eating, it is also part of formal scottish dress.
Sgòrnan – Throat, Gaelic.
Sgrios-puinnaein – antivenom, anti-poison.
Shi – This is not a typo but is intentional to denote a combination of he and she. The i was used to make it more obviously different than she.
Sidhe – The fae.
Skinquest – The term used for the quest a half selkie must undergo to earn his or her own skin. Some full-blooded selkies also have to undergo this if they are born without a skin (rare, but does happen).
Slàinte – Health.
Soulfish – Infernal undead fish produced from the souls of those who drowned on the sea and carried great wrongs or sins within their hearts, or deep regrets. Left to fester they then seek to create others like themselves. Mara places these souls into their own pockets of reality for them to work through these burdens, but sometimes they manage to win through to the normal world where the borders are weak. They were seen more often when ships were smaller, and now that ships are larger are seen less often. There is a greater likelihood of encountering soulfish in areas like the Bermuda Triangle or near the sites of wrecks.
Spar – The cross timbers to a mast, which hold the sails and rigging (ropes and pulleys). The size of these depend on the size of the vessel and sails.
Sporran – Waist pouch.
Squdged – Squished or oozed up between, like mud in toes.
Starboard – Right side of a vessel when facing the prow.
Stern – Another nautical term for the aft or back of a sailing vessel.
Stunned – The spell is referred to with a capital letter to differentiate between magically induced and mundanely induced types of stunning. This spell varies in efficacy based on the specific language used, but can be cast nonverbally.
Suaimhneach – Be silent, Gaelic.
Taddywafer – a sweet mentioned in “Pearls of Sea and Stone” consisting of caramel, chocolate, berries, and specially prepared seaweed wafers.
Taing do Mara – Thank Mara in Scots Gaelic.
Things – There are some creatures that are so terrible that they can be given no name. No matter the language used to speak of them, the word for these creatures is always that languages word meaning “thing.”
Thought Form – In some instances thoughts can take on form and substance. This may vary from a being with a body all the way to a formless force that influences a person or place.
Tomtra – a type of fairy that takes care of horses. Mine like to disguise themselves as small animals such as mice. Whiskers, for example, has a red cap. Traditionally they like green caps.
Triton – A particular type of merperson, and these are the royals. They are called so in honor of the god Triton, and the high kings among them are referred to as Neptunes. They generally are the classical merfolk with fish tails, though at times another type of merperson will also earn the right to be referred to as a Triton.
UnBound – Free and not constrained to one form, or not otherwise placed under a geas by any of the competing and overlapping ministries.
Undine – Generally these are seen as comely merfolk with fish tails. They have beautiful voices, similar to sirens, but are generally kinder and gentler than their cousins. They are also elemental keepers of the West and Water in some elemental systems.
Unseelie – The fae traditionally thought of as more dangerous and evil. Some fae are counted in different courts by different people.
Waterdogs – These are similar to the dogs that live on land, but are specially adapted to underwater life. Some have aquatic tails. Others look like regular dogs other than the weeds and dripping water when they go on land, making them similar in some ways to kelpies.
Widdershins – Counterclockwise.
Word – When capitalized it refers to a spell word, which is different from a regular word. A spell word is triggered by intent and a caster must have magic within them or know how to tap magic in other fashions, thus why human magic is often wand heavy. The various magical ministries have placed watchspells on particular heavily used magical languages such as Latin, although some other languages have weaker or non-existant watch spells and traces. This is due to the bias of the founders of particular ministries and their beliefs of certain heritages being superior to others. As druidry was suppressed and Gaelic started fading, watch over the magical use of such languages declined.
Xhosa – An African language known for a lot of throat clicks.
A chailín mo chroí – My dear child.
A dhath ar bith – Irish Gaelic for ‘nothing at all’ or ‘not much.’
Aegir – Norse god of the sea.
Aft – Nautical term for back of the ship.
Ainsley – Scottish habitational surname transferred to unisex forename use, composed of the Old English elements ansetl “hermitage” and leah “meadow, pasture,” hence “hermitage meadow.”
Anchor – A spell that does exactly what it sounds like. A person will form the intent to be an Anchor when another has to cross dimensional or planar boundaries. The Observers do for the members of a Moot a similar job that the Lightkeepers traditionally did for the Makays of Seal Point by the use of light and spellwork. Lighting a candle and placing in the window is a traditional spell or prayer used to help a family member or loved one return home.
Argent – Heraldic for silver.
Arten – Scots Gaelic for Stone.
Ashray – Water or sea ghosts, also known as water lovers from Scottish tales. These phantasms can be either male or female and are said to be alluring. If caught in the light of day they melt into a puddle of water. In Kirsty’s world there are two types of ashrays: 1) The type that forms when a person drowns (if they don’t get turned into something else or don’t get to move on), and 2) a type of fae.
Aweful – Not to be confused with awful. Aweful is to be filled with awe, or to be awe inspiring (either for good or ill). This is a little used word now, awful being thought of the most when it is heard.
Bairn – Boy.
Bean-fionn – Water Woman, White Woman. She is called th Weisse Frau in Germany and is more benevolent there. A kiss from her on a child protects them, and she is very protective of children. She’s not above drowning someone that makes her angry or hurts children. In Ireland though she is more known for drowning children playing alone by the water. Whether this is malicious or merely wishing to take the children into her home is a matter of debate.
The Weisse Frau is an aspect of The Lady that is coming closer to being reclaimed by her through the association of Kirsty and David, though none of the three are fully aware of this as of yet.
Boobrie – A strange looking bird-thing from Scottish tales. The boobrie is said by some to prey on ships. Descriptions vary a bit, but generally it is crane like with penguinish wings (despite being able to fly) and is black. Individual boobries vary a bit and may have color marks. They sound coarser than peacocks when they make a cry. Some can take the appearance of horses and run over the waters...making great distractions for ancient mariners. Because of the ability of some to take the shape of horses some students of folklore equate the boobrie and kelpie as the same things. These prefer salt water to fresh.
Brumal – Cold, frigid.
Cailleach – Some say she is a goddess, some say she is a fae. There is only one of her either way. She is often equated with the Blue Woman, the Washerwoman of the Ford, and sometimes the Banshee.
Carrick – Gaelic for Rock.
Colcanon – similar to Bubble and Squeak, a fry dish made of leftovers from the previous day.
Collywobble – A strange and elusive creature that few have seen. Some have trident-like arms, and it is thought that they have tails. There are both land-based and sea-based versions. These critters are responsible for the odd fluttery feelings in the stomach and love to gather on boats and around carnival rides and moving vehicles. When not there they roam in packs looking for people to give digestion problems. They draw amusement from making people nauseous. To ward them off anise gum is excellent, but it must be flavored with real anise and not synthetic flavoring.
Compánach – Companion.
Corsantóir – Defender, protector, guardian.
Cortège – A procession, usually solemn.
Cowan – Pagan and Wiccan word for outsider.
Coven – A group of witches that work together.
Deosil – Clockwise.
Draiganpáirc – Dragon Park. This is a location in Ireland that exists much the way as Seal Point does. It is part of the physical world, but only accessible though certain routes. If someone tries to access the same space but not through the proper routes then they will find only sea or unsettled land. The division between the plains here is also very thin. This is the stronghold of Brigid’s Well and Forge and the seat of the O’Drake family. Some members of this family can be met in the Dragon Shaman series, which was started long, long before these stories.
Dunstan – Anglo-Saxon name composed of the elements dun “black, dark” and stan “stone,” hence “black stone” or “dark stone.”
Erebus – Latin form of Greek Erebos, meaning “darkness.” In mythology, this is the name of the offspring of Chaos, brother of Nyx, and father of Æther. He is the personification of primordial darkness. In later legends Erebos became the name of a place in Hades, the underworld.
Finmen – A darker variation of the merfolk tales. Where the selkies were generally considered mild mannered, the finmen were feared. The stories that I found about them referred to them liking to drown children by dragging them from the beach, and sometimes stealing them from homes by the sea.
Geas – Gaelic word for curse or compellation.
Gerwulf – German name composed of the elements ger “spear” and wulf “wolf,” hence “spear-wolf.”
Ghillie dhu – Woodman. This is a type of fae known to be shy and protective of the woods and forests, and associated with birch. They are kind to children but cruel to those disrespecting their home. Ghillie dhu is dark haired and covers himself in foliage (good hunting camo suits are also called ghillie dhu and use ropes to mimic the silhouette of plantmatter). In England he/they is/are sometimes equated to the Green Man.
Grundylows – These are the British Isles' version of Kappa. Instead of being turtle-like with a bowl in the head grundylows are lanky and spindly with exceptionally long, strong fingers that they choke and drown their (often human) prey with.
Guirmean – Scots. Blue.
Hame – Home.
Hemming – Scandinavian name derived from Old Norse hamr, meaning “shape.” The name may have originated as a byname for a “shape-shifter” or “werewolf.”
Hir – This is not a typo, but intentional as a combination of his and her for use with the gender-strange deity.
Hyppocampus – This is alternatively spelled hippocampus, but I decided to use hyppocampus. The hyppocampus is a fishtailed horse. They would vary based on the region. Those in the colder climates would have heavier fur than those in warmer climes.
Intervening – A non-species specific spell, geas, or binding wherein a party takes on the debt of another or steps between a person and a consequence or deity. This can also be done if the original terms of a binding or geas need to be changed as observed by an outside party, but it comes with a price that will vary.
Ken – Know, understand, grasp.
Kürsch – One of the heraldic furs, it looks rather like fluffy breast feathers.
Leannán – Lover.
Leòmhann – Scots Gaelic for Lion.
Máthair – Irish Gaelic for Mother.
Marelion – female fishtailed lion, the feminine companion to the SeaLion (different from the mundane sea lion). Both males and females have manes, but the male’s manes are wilder.
Meidh – Irish Gaelic for Balance. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Mermishdian – One of several undersea languages. This word is pronounced differently than it is spelled, as several of the words in this language are. When read, it is Mermishandian. The greatest trick in learning to speak/sing the language is knowing where the hidden syllables are and how they change the meaning.
Merrow – This is the Irish answer for the standard fish merfolk. The ladies are said to be gorgeous and often seek sailors for husbands. The males wear red caps, have complexions that are generally ruddy from consumption of alcohol, are much less comely and attractive, and spend their days searching for rum barrels from shipwrecks. Some tales say that they cause storms which in turn cause wrecks to fuel their habit of imbibing drink.
Mizzenmast – If the vessel has two masts and the aft (back) mast is smaller than the fore (front) mast, then the back mast is called a mizzenmast. If it is a three masted vessel then the very aft mast is always a mizzenmast.
Moot – Archaic term for meeting.
Naga – Snake people. These are found in Buddhist and Hindu stories, and they have a possible connection to the dragon people. There are several sub-breeds of naga, some are land dwelling, some prefer fresh water, and some are from the seasnake.
Octopid – A type of merperson descended from and caretaking octopus. Squid merfolk are similar, and also are in this category as the original beings that Mara and the Lady created them from existed before evolution took the octopus and squid down separate paths.
Ogham – A ancient Celtic method of writing that involved the use of carved lines. This existed around the time of runes, but fell into disuse through the course of history.
Óinseach – Irish (and sometimes Scots) Gaelic for fool in the feminine case. The masculine word is amadán. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Pagan – Originally meant country dweller. Today it is more commonly used to refer to people following a non-Judeo-Christian faith. Within this though there are a vast array if different religions, some similar and others not, and from all around the world with its various pantheons. Castle Carrick chooses based on ability and talent, not religion, so it’s halls are filled with a sampling of all religions including the odd Jedi.
Poop or poopdeck – The nautical term for the back deck of a boat or ship.
Port – A safe harbour for shipping and other vessels. Also it is used for the left side of the boat when facing the prow.
Prow – The front of a ship or boat.
Purpure – Heraldic for purple.
Rapscallion – An archaic word for rascal.
Revive – A spell. When the verb refers to the effect of a spell it is capitalized. This can be cast in any language, but some work better than others.
Rok – Old Danish form of Old Norse Hrókr, meaning “crow, rook.”
Ryujin – Japanese word for dragon people. Ryujin is also the name of a dragon king of the sea, as well as the name of the capital city that he rules over. Yes, this is a tie in point with “Dragon Shaman” novels.
Sain – British for bless. (used in Pearls of Sea and Stone)
Samebito – The Japanese word for shark people.
Sapphire – A blue stone. When mentioned for a heraldic crest the stone is used to symbolize azure (blue).
Schneiengert – Germanic. strong spear.
Seanmhuintir – Irish Gaelic for Grandparents.
Seelie – The good (but not always kind nor benevolent) fae.
Seidhrmenn – Norse. Wise men, magic users.
Sevrin – Severe, strict.
Sgian dubh – A small, often black handled single-bladed knife. Originally used for eating, it is also part of formal scottish dress.
Sgòrnan – Throat, Gaelic.
Sgrios-puinnaein – antivenom, anti-poison.
Shi – This is not a typo but is intentional to denote a combination of he and she. The i was used to make it more obviously different than she.
Sidhe – The fae.
Skinquest – The term used for the quest a half selkie must undergo to earn his or her own skin. Some full-blooded selkies also have to undergo this if they are born without a skin (rare, but does happen).
Slàinte – Health.
Soulfish – Infernal undead fish produced from the souls of those who drowned on the sea and carried great wrongs or sins within their hearts, or deep regrets. Left to fester they then seek to create others like themselves. Mara places these souls into their own pockets of reality for them to work through these burdens, but sometimes they manage to win through to the normal world where the borders are weak. They were seen more often when ships were smaller, and now that ships are larger are seen less often. There is a greater likelihood of encountering soulfish in areas like the Bermuda Triangle or near the sites of wrecks.
Spar – The cross timbers to a mast, which hold the sails and rigging (ropes and pulleys). The size of these depend on the size of the vessel and sails.
Sporran – Waist pouch.
Squdged – Squished or oozed up between, like mud in toes.
Starboard – Right side of a vessel when facing the prow.
Stern – Another nautical term for the aft or back of a sailing vessel.
Stunned – The spell is referred to with a capital letter to differentiate between magically induced and mundanely induced types of stunning. This spell varies in efficacy based on the specific language used, but can be cast nonverbally.
Suaimhneach – Be silent, Gaelic.
Taddywafer – a sweet mentioned in “Pearls of Sea and Stone” consisting of caramel, chocolate, berries, and specially prepared seaweed wafers.
Taing do Mara – Thank Mara in Scots Gaelic.
Things – There are some creatures that are so terrible that they can be given no name. No matter the language used to speak of them, the word for these creatures is always that languages word meaning “thing.”
Thought Form – In some instances thoughts can take on form and substance. This may vary from a being with a body all the way to a formless force that influences a person or place.
Tomtra – a type of fairy that takes care of horses. Mine like to disguise themselves as small animals such as mice. Whiskers, for example, has a red cap. Traditionally they like green caps.
Triton – A particular type of merperson, and these are the royals. They are called so in honor of the god Triton, and the high kings among them are referred to as Neptunes. They generally are the classical merfolk with fish tails, though at times another type of merperson will also earn the right to be referred to as a Triton.
UnBound – Free and not constrained to one form, or not otherwise placed under a geas by any of the competing and overlapping ministries.
Undine – Generally these are seen as comely merfolk with fish tails. They have beautiful voices, similar to sirens, but are generally kinder and gentler than their cousins. They are also elemental keepers of the West and Water in some elemental systems.
Unseelie – The fae traditionally thought of as more dangerous and evil. Some fae are counted in different courts by different people.
Waterdogs – These are similar to the dogs that live on land, but are specially adapted to underwater life. Some have aquatic tails. Others look like regular dogs other than the weeds and dripping water when they go on land, making them similar in some ways to kelpies.
Widdershins – Counterclockwise.
Word – When capitalized it refers to a spell word, which is different from a regular word. A spell word is triggered by intent and a caster must have magic within them or know how to tap magic in other fashions, thus why human magic is often wand heavy. The various magical ministries have placed watchspells on particular heavily used magical languages such as Latin, although some other languages have weaker or non-existant watch spells and traces. This is due to the bias of the founders of particular ministries and their beliefs of certain heritages being superior to others. As druidry was suppressed and Gaelic started fading, watch over the magical use of such languages declined.
Xhosa – An African language known for a lot of throat clicks.
Selkies' Skins Contents
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Copyright 2012-2013 and onward by Teresa Garcia
Like the story? Vote here at Top Web Fiction. Don't forget to check out the other great stories at the Web Fiction Guide. If you wish, you can also add the book to your currently reading or to read list on Goodreads, as it is expected to be released to print/ebook in December 2013 or January 2014.
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment on the extras page if not part of the story itself. Spy a typo? Website code broken? Would you like the episodes to be longer or shorter? Please let me know!
Glossary last updated: April 15, 2014
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Copyright 2012-2013 and onward by Teresa Garcia
Like the story? Vote here at Top Web Fiction. Don't forget to check out the other great stories at the Web Fiction Guide. If you wish, you can also add the book to your currently reading or to read list on Goodreads, as it is expected to be released to print/ebook in December 2013 or January 2014.
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment on the extras page if not part of the story itself. Spy a typo? Website code broken? Would you like the episodes to be longer or shorter? Please let me know!
Glossary last updated: April 15, 2014
