1. Introduction

Welcome to Galactic Languages! In this course, we will touch on a few different languages that are currently in use within our universe. Besides this summary, you can find information on these languages by clicking on the suggested links. Doing this may be a good hint for your exam.

Before we go over the languages themselves, here is a bit of background regarding language structure and grammar.

2. Language Structure

In every language, there are different types of words that are important, like compounding words, adjectives, plural words, interrogative words, articles, etc. Examples are as follows:

• Adjectives from nouns: Adjectives are used to modify a noun or pronoun to add to the information given. Some examples: big, sad, old, happy.
• Articles: These are words that are used in combination with a noun to indicate some type of reference that is being made by the noun. Examples include "the," "a," and "an."
  
• Nouns: These are used to name a person, place, thing, quality, or action.
  
• Superlatives and Comparative words: These are used to compare two or more things, like when you want to say one thing is brighter or bigger than something else.
  
• Interrogative words: These words are used to ask questions such as "Where?" "Who? "What?" and "Why?"
• Compounding Words: Words are often compounded together in phrases, such as changing "is not" into the contraction "isn't." However, in many languages, compounding the words is also a way to merge the two words into a new word with a different meaning. Mandalorian is a great example of this.
• Plural Words: Plural words are words that say there is more than one of something. For example, there are five pears. Instead of using pear, we add on the ‘s' to indicate there is more than one.

This is a small summary of some of the typical definitions of words that you need to know about in order to understand some of the many languages that are out there. You can find out more about these in the other writing courses the Shadow Academy offers, such as Grammar Studies.

3. Types of Galactic Languages

We will be taking a look at the following languages:

• Basic
• Jawaese
• Bocce
• Twil’eki
• Binary
• Sith
• Mando'a
• Hutt
• Ewok
• Wookiee

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A. Basic

(For a more in depth look at this, see the Wookieepedia article.

Basic, also known as Galactic Standard, was the name of the most prevalent language in the galaxy. It was spoken by species including—but not limited to—the humans and the Pantorans, but not by the Ewoks and the Talz. The Gungans of Naboo spoke a heavily accented dialect of Basic, with many differences in grammar and vocabulary.

Most stormtroopers, the elite soldiers of the Galactic Empire, only spoke or understand Basic, despite the prevalence of other languages such as Huttese. Some species possessed vocal cords that were quite different from those of many other species, rendering them unable to pronounce Basic. Wookiees and Ithorians were entirely unable to speak Basic, though they could learn to understand it. Ithorians, for example, used translators to simulate speaking Basic. Tasu Leech, leader of the Kanjiklub, would never deign to speak Basic, which he dismissed as a "soft language for soft people.”

Basic can be written in two forms, Aurebesh and High Galactic. Basic was written in the common Aurebesh script, but the High Galactic Alphabet is also used. Basic is generally like real life English, but it is still not without its tricks. Not only is Basic commonly spoken, but it is also spoken in a variety of accents.

B. Jawaese

Jawaese was the original language of the Jawas, while Jawa Trade Talk was their dialect. Scent was an integral part of Jawaese, so it was impossible for non-Jawas to learn. Jawa Trade Language allowed them to speak with other species, such as humans, and didn't involve the use of scent. This new dialect allowed Jawas to adapt to the growing market in the galaxy and better communicate with merchants and traders.

Some common phrases are: Mob un loo? (How much?) Mombay m’bwa. (That’s mine.) Tandi kwa! (Give It Back!) Untinni! (Come on! / Let’s go!) Togo togu! (Hand’s off!) Omu’sata (Shut up.)

C. Bocce

Bocce was a language that saw some use on the suns-scorched planet of Tatooine. The adopted aunt of Luke Skywalker, Beru Whitesun Lars, once insisted on acquiring a translator droid that could speak that tongue. This prompted her husband, Owen Lars, to buy C-3PO, a protocol droid who affirmed that Bocce was "like a second language" to him. Jettoz! meant "hello!" in Bocce.

D. Twi’leki

Twi’leki was a language which combined both verbal speech and an elaborate sign language, known as Lekku. Ryl was the name for the verbal language employed by the Twi’leks of Ryloth. The use of lekku with the elaborate sign language system allowed speakers to communicate complex concepts without speaking a word.

For example, if you were to raise the tip of your right lek, it would mean “hello”. Dipping the tip of one’s left lek would signify a “goodbye,” while crossing both lekku tips twice would allow you to tell someone “I love you.” Comparatively, jabbing both lekku tips into a speakers’ back meant approximately “May spice salt you wounds!” Despite the difficulty of learning to understand a lekku language, some non-Twi’leks, such as the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, were able to converse with Twi’leks.

Examples of Twi’leki:

Nerra (brother)

Chini, wachamio (Come, let’s go!)

Nu nala quinjon wilo? (Do you know where the prisoners are?)

E. Binary

Binary, also known as droidspeak, was a language used by machines such as droids. The language consists of a set of beeps and whistles into a structure similar to sentences. Droids that employed this form of communication include the C-1 series astromech and the Industrial Automaton R2 series astromech, among others. Although it may be difficult, some organic individuals, such as Anakin Skywalker, Hera Syndulla and Rey, are capable of learning to understand Binary. For those who cannot understand Binary, droids will commonly communicate with organics using writing, which would be transmitted through another computer system. This is how many astromech copilots would speak to the pilots of their starfighter.

By design, all droids are capable of understanding binary. When a computer system is unavailable to translate for a binary-only droid, another droid is capable of translation. In such cases, a protocol droid or other Basic-speaking droid would act as a mouthpiece. Variants of standard droidspeak occured, such as the 27th generation compressed-variant droidspeak spoken by the BB-8 astromech.

Binary is also a programming language used for devices that do not possess artificial intelligence, such as moisture vaporators or binary loadlifters.

Examples of Binary:

Sprrpft! (Phooey!)

Wrrk-wrrk. Weeeeeoop! (I said counterclockwise!)

Wah-wah. Wrry-wrry-nahwikoo! (Let's get outta here!)

Prrp-paree-paree pairreeoop? (I agree!)

F. Sith

(for more information you can look here)

An old Sith tongue was used by the Sith, an ancient order of malevolent Force-practitioners, as a secret language. Two examples of words in the language were krataa and irluuk, which in Basic translated to ”death" and "fate", respectively.

The Sith Master Darth Sidious, who came to rule the galaxy as Emperor, could speak in the Sith tongue, as could his apprentice, Darth Vader. During a mission to Ryloth, the two Sith Lords spoke in the old tongue while in Drua's village—to avoid having the native Twi'leks understand them—as they discussed the fate of the villagers.

G. Mandalorian

Mando'a was the language of the people native to the planet Mandalore. The Mandalorian artist and demolitions expert Sabine Wren was fluent in Mando'a, as well as several other languages, including Basic, Huttese, Aqualish, Rodese and some Shyriiwook.

A few examples of words of Mando’a include:

Akaanir (Fight)

Jai'galaar (Shriek-hawk)

Naak (Peace)

Naastar (Destroy)

Beskar'gam (Armor)

Mand'alor (Leader)

Narudar (Your Enemy's Enemy)

Kyr-tsad (Death Watch)

H. Huttese

Huttese was the language spoken by the Hutts, a slug-like species who called Nal Hutta their homeworld. It was also commonly spoken on Hutt-controlled planets like Tatooine. Even on worlds such as Lothal, where Hutts were not in power, their tongue was still a widespread trade language. Despite its prevalence, Huttese was generally unknown to stormtroopers, the soldiers of the Galactic Empire, as most of them could not speak anything other than Basic.

Huttese shared certain structural similarities with Aqualish and Rodian - enough that if you learned one of these languages, it made the others easier to learn.

Some Huttese words and phrases include:

H'chu apenkee! (Hello!)

Chuba! (Hey you!)

Pateesa (Friend)

Moulee-rah (Money)

Boska! (Let's go!)

Mee jewz ju! (Goodbye!)

Ban gon wan she co, cah. (There will be no bargain.)

Wee now kong bantha poodoo. (Now you're bantha fodder.)

Solo bolkubok-u-chala. (I like Captain Solo where he is.)

Die wanna wanga. (A form of greeting.)

Yoka to Bantha poodoo. (You're bantha poodoo.)

Peedunkee, caba dee unko. (Boy, get in here!)

Coona tee-tocky malia. (What took you so long?)

Tinka me chasa hopoe ma booty na nolia. (They think we know nothing.)

Bonapa keesa. Tolpa da bunky na booty cha naga o wanna meete chobodda. (Better stop your friend's betting or I'll end up owning him, too.)

Wee shahnit… sleemo. (Bounty hunter... slimeball.)

Stuka Crispo (Death Watch)

Hagwa je killya, dolpa kikyuna! (Don't hurt me because I am a loyal, tax-paying citizen - Approximate translation)

Dobrah gusha tu trawbbio grandio, mendeeya. (It would be an honor if the great one took it - approximate translation)

Noah, noah! (No, no!)

Me juuz ku, wermo! (See you, suckers!)

E chu ta! (An untranslated insult)

I. Ewok

Ewokese was the language spoken by the furry, diminutive Ewoks who lived on the forest moon of Endor. When the Rebel Alliance's strike team came to Endor to destroy the Death Star II's shield generator, the protocol droid C-3PO translated the Ewokese into Basic so the Ewok named Wicket was able to guide the Rebels to the Imperial bunker.

Known phrases include:

Coatee-cha tu yub nub! (Celebrate the freedom!)

Ee chee wa maa! (Wow!)

Yaa-yaah! (Greetings!)

Yub nub! (Hooray!, Freedom)

Yub yub.

J. Wookiee

Shyriiwook was a language of the Wookiees, others of which included Thykarann and Xaczik. The language consisted of growling and howls, and thus was difficult for anyone not a Wookiee to speak or learn and was also rough on their throat. It had over 150 words for wood.

Sabine Wren was capable of speaking of smattering of Shyriiwook, but lost her voice after annoying Garazeb Orrelios for a day, serenading him in Shyriiwook. Han Solo was capable of understanding at least some of it, as he usually understood what Chewbacca was saying. Major Harter Kalonia, who served as a physician in the Resistance, was fluent in Shyriiwook. Rey was able to learn Shyriiwook due to her interaction with offworlders on Jakku.

Examples of Shyrriwook:

Ah. (One.)

Ah-ah. (Two.)

A-oo-ah. (Three.)

Wyoorg. (Four.)

Wyaaaaaa. (Hello.)

Roooarrgh ur roo. (I have a bad feeling about this.)

Rrrrugh arah-ah-woof? (How do you take your coffee?)

Wwwah rrroooaaah wha? (Want to play holochess?)

Aarrr wgh ggwaaah. (Jump to hyperspace.)

4. Conclusion

Hopefully you enjoyed this brief insight into nine of the most common languages used in the galaxy.

If you wish, you can find more about the languages and many others on the holonet in the websites linked within the course notes.

Information from this course was drawn from Wookieepedia.