Taharim is the language of the Tahata Elves, born from displacement and refined through generations of nomadic existence in the Ephemeral Expanse. After the Great Fissure split the land and scattered its people, the Tahata found refuge in a forest that never holds still — and their language became a reflection of that world. Fluid, adaptive, and tuned to the rhythms of nature, Taharim resists rigid structure in favor of flow.
Where other languages calcified around institutions — courts, temples, academies — Taharim evolved in open air. Its vocabulary is dense with the language of movement, perception, and the natural world. To speak it fluently is to think like someone always aware of which direction the wind is coming from.
Vocabulary
| English | Taharim |
|---|
| Water | Jala |
| Hello | Vairth |
| Goodbye | Gadz |
| Light | Shara |
| Night | Thura |
| Tree | Orna |
| Forest | Yndrel |
| Whisper | Wythel |
| Path | Pael |
| To gather | Karun |
| Track | Trakil |
| Ranger | Firal |
| Cycle | Cyal |
| Shade | Shafira |
| Echo | Ethel |
| Freedom | Varun |
Common Phrases
| English | Taharim |
|---|
| May your path be clear | Pael ra wythel |
| Embrace the journey | Tureth ra faln |
| Forest whispers, listen | Yndrel wythel, tho |
| Strength in unity | Trik ra firal |
| Life is a cycle | Mantra ra cyal |
| We find refuge in the wild | Navir ra raval yneth |
| Leaves tell the past | Leth ra elth |
| Nature's gift to us | Hura ra myn |
| Embrace the unknown | Vyra ra eltho |
| Shade of the tall trees | Shafira ra orlan |
| Songs of the wind | Jyl ra pelna |
| Embrace the dawn | Vaira ra elma |
| Dance with the flames | Lark ra vair |
| Always together | Nith ra thorel |
| We travel, always | Navir tral |
Vernacular & Slang
Nomadic life breeds its own shorthand. Taharim slang is sharp, efficient, and rarely polite.
| English | Taharim |
|---|
| Lame | Nith |
| Fast | Zath |
| Friend | Kresh |
| Quick escape | Flit |
| Joke | Jyr |
| Secret | Ryn |
| Problem | Snag |
| Strange | Vyra |
| Deceive | Trik |
| Confused | Blur |
| Gossip | Shev |
| Surprise | Faze |
| Nonsense | Bosh |
| Bastard | Klesh |
| Screw you | Shykr |
Writing System
| Character | Sound |
|---|
| ⏚ | B |
| ⏁ | D |
| ⌇ | F |
| ⎎ | G |
| ⌿ | H |
| ⍝ | J |
| ⍖ | K |
| ⎅ | L |
| ⍏ | M |
| ⍀ | N |
| ⍂ | P |
| ⏣ | R |
| ⍓ | S |
| ⏗ | T |
| ⍌ | V |
| ⏃⍾ | W |
| ⍘ | X |
| ⏂ | Y |
| ⍖⍜ | Z |
| ⍕ | Sh /ʃ/ |
| ⏙ | Th /θ/ |
| ⎒ | Ch /ʧ/ |
| ⟇ | A /a/ |
| ⏃ | E /e/ |
| ⍜ | I /i/ |
| ⎔ | O /o/ |
| ⍾ | U /u/ |
| ⟇̈ | Ä /æ/ |
| ⏃̈ | Ë /ɛ/ |
| ⍜̈ | Ï /i:/ |
| ⎔̈ | Ö /ø/ |
| ⍾̈ | Ü /y/ |
Script Notes
- Geometric forms — Taharim script is built from angular, elemental shapes, contrasting with the flowing curves of Einspeak or the sacred symmetry of Enorneze
- Diacritic vowels (Ä, Ë, Ï, Ö, Ü) mark tonal emphasis, used in ritual speech, oaths, and song
- Digraphs (Sh, Th, Ch) function as single characters — a nod to the language's efficiency; every stroke counts when you're carving trail markers into bark
Proverbs & Idioms
- "Pael ra wythel" (May your path be clear) — The standard Tahata farewell. Wishing clarity of path is wishing safety, purpose, and fortune simultaneously.
- "Navir tral" (We travel, always) — Less a phrase than a philosophy. Said in moments of loss, transition, or resolve. To travel is to live; to stop is to fade.
- "Yndrel wythel, tho" (Forest whispers, listen) — A warning and an invitation. The Expanse communicates. Those who don't listen don't last.