Orish
The Or'sìth are not mortal. They are beings of pure cosmic energy who inhabit the Ethereal Plane, and their language carries that nature in every syllable. Orish evolved from the Or'sìth's need to speak both worlds simultaneously — the material and the ethereal — and it carries the wisdom of entities who have watched civilizations form, peak, and collapse. Li'en is the clearest example: a world that vanished because its mortal inhabitants couldn't release their attachment to what they had built.
Orish is melodic and flowing, built on a vowel-rich phonology with soft, liquid consonants. It uses gender-neutral pronouns universally — the Or'sìth do not recognize gender as a meaningful category. Its grammar is Subject-Object-Verb, reflecting a thought structure that identifies the subject last, after establishing what is acted upon. The effect is a language that prioritizes consequence over agent.
To speak Orish is to think like something that has never been afraid of disappearing.
Vocabulary
| English | Orish |
|---|---|
| Cosmic Energy | Nolë |
| Ethereal Plane | Fälë |
| Material Plane | Märi |
| Haven | Lïën |
| Harmony | Hërom |
| Enlightenment | Zälyr |
| Balance | Tälïk |
| War | Vöra |
| Disappearance | Nolöx |
| Remnant | Lötrî |
| Dream | Älë |
| Spirit | Ïrïs |
| Mystery | Myrä |
| Shadow Realm | Zühn |
| Knowledge | Wërï |
Common Phrases
| English | Orish |
|---|---|
| The dream whispers softly | Älë hwis lï |
| Balance between material and ethereal | Tälïk sërï märi |
| Mystery of the cosmos | Myrä kösmo |
| Drift through the ether | Tër sërï fälë |
| Fade into the dreamscape | Löm sërï älë |
| Why hold on to dust? | Nür sërï tös? |
| Flesh is but a wisp | Hïx sërï lötrî |
| Spirits transcend the tangible | Ïrïs sërï örô |
| Embrace the unseen | Sën sërï hwis |
| Hold to the light, not the shadow | Lïght sërï zühn |
Vernacular & Slang
| English | Orish |
|---|---|
| Glimmer | Fäx |
| Spark | Zär |
| Shard | Rys |
| Echo | Vël |
| Shade | Mëx |
| Glitch | Wïl |
| Flicker | Rïn |
| Vibe | Zëm |
| Ripple | Süf |
| Fade | Löm |
| Rush | Hör |
| Flash | Fïn |
| Insight | Sërï |
Writing System
| Symbol | Sound |
|---|---|
| ᔦ | A / Æ |
| ᔧ | E / Ë |
| ᔨ | I / Ï |
| ᔩ | O / Ö |
| ᔪ | U / Ü |
| ᔹ | F |
| ᔶ | H |
| ᔰ | L |
| ᔳ | M |
| ᔲ | N |
| ᔱ | R |
| ᔴ | S |
| ᔵ | T |
| ᔺ | V |
| ᔷ | W |
| ᔸ | Y |
| ᔻ | Z |
| ᔼ | X |
Grammar
Sentence Structure: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) — the agent arrives last, after the outcome is already named. Consequence precedes cause.
Pronouns: Universal gender-neutral forms.
| English | Orish |
|---|---|
| I | ina |
| You | una |
| They | sina |
| We | wina |
Articles: None. Orish omits definite and indefinite articles entirely — specificity arrives through word order and context. SOV structure already foregrounds what matters; articles would be noise.
Noun Cases: Four cases. Demonstrated on Nolë (cosmic energy), the central Or'sìth concept: Nominative Nolë (the thing itself), Accusative Nolëm (as object acted upon), Genitive Nolër (of cosmic energy), Instrumental Nolëth (by or through cosmic energy). Endings are liquid and soft — the grammar refuses hard stops.
Numbers: Orish counts 1 through 10. There is no word for zero. The Or'sìth do not conceive of absolute absence — even disappearance (Nolöx) is a thing, a noun, a state that exists. Nothing is ever truly gone. Counting begins at one because one is the smallest presence, and presence is the floor of reality. 1 iva, 2 doa, 3 tri, 4 furä, 5 päna, 6 sehr, 7 sïna, 8 oktö, 9 näva, 10 dëka.
Verb Root Example: thal- (to dream)
| Form | Orish |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | thal |
| Present Continuous | thalin |
| Past Simple | thaled |
| Future Simple | thalel |
Proverbs & Idioms
- "Nür sërï tös?" (Why hold on to dust?) — The Or'sìth's central philosophical challenge to mortals. Said with genuine curiosity, not contempt. The tragedy of Li'en lives in this question.
- "Lïght sërï zühn" (Hold to the light, not the shadow) — Direction toward the ethereal and away from material attachment. Not a condemnation of the material, but a reminder of what outlasts it.
- "Thafu en enari" (Fire in the ether) — Symbolizing passion and inspiration within the ethereal. The Or'sìth's way of acknowledging that even beings of pure energy can burn for something.