Ewokese/Legends

Ewokese was the language spoken by the Ewoks. Ewokese was a primitive language, but despite its isolation, C-3PO was able to understand it. Ewoks were able to learn and speak other languages, including Basic.

Ewokese was related to other tongues on the Forest Moon of Endor. Many linguists suggested that the language developed from the Yuzzum language, which was taught off-world, and which suggested a possible relationship between the Ewoks and Yuzzums. Most Ewoks understood Yuzzum, and it was through that tongue that C-3PO was able to communicate with the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village. Moreover, Ewoks had no difficulty communicating with Duloks, suggesting that the Dulok language may have been a dialect of Ewokese.

A

 * Aargutcha (ar gooch ah) - Pull
 * Acha (ah chah) - Okay, all right
 * Ah-ah (ah ah) - Water
 * Akeeata (ah kee ah tah) - Hear
 * Allayloo (ah lay loo) - Celebrate
 * Amoowa - You have a..
 * Ando (an doh) - Forward
 * Arandee (ar ahn dee) - Listen
 * Azar (ay zar) - Magic

B

 * Bingee (bin jee) - To guide
 * Bi toto (bee toh toh) - Direction
 * Bok chuu-ock (bahk choo ahk) - Far away
 * Bont - Great
 * Bugdoo - Hungry

C

 * Cha/Chaa (chah) - Them
 * Chaaa - This one
 * Chak (chahk) - Yes
 * Che (chee) - Free, as in liberty
 * Chees - Route/path
 * Chek - Soup
 * Che womok! - Beware!
 * Chim (chim) - Three (3)
 * Chiutatal (chy oo tah tail) - Moon
 * Choo doo (choo doo) - Enough
 * Chu (choo) - One (1)
 * Chuck (chuk) - Much
 * Churee/Churi (chor ee) - Mountain
 * Chyasee (chy ah see) - Help
 * Coatee-cha (kote tee chah) - Celebrate
 * Coki (coke ee) - Nine (9)
 * Coro (kor oh) - Can you...?
 * Cupee (cupp ee) - Cap, as in an ice cap on a mountain

D

 * Daboolhat (daboohlait) - Change, be different
 * Dangar (dang gar) - Attack (Though it's also possible that the phrase is used as a battle cry)
 * Danthee (dan thay) - Maybe
 * Danvay (dan vay) - Be careful
 * Deajstare - Death Star
 * Dee fratta (dee frah tah) - That's, that is
 * Deej (deej) - Father
 * Deksh - Oh dear/Oh my
 * Den (den) - No
 * De oppra (dee opp rah) - Upper, top
 * Drik (drik) - Happy
 * Dutak (doo tok) - Arrow

E

 * Ee chee wa maa! (ee chee wah mah) - Wow, gee whiz! Oh my goodness.
 * Eechik - Try
 * Ee choya! (ee choy ah) - Hey
 * Eedada (ee dah dah) - Over
 * Eedada huutaveet - Spaceship
 * Eedeedee - Under
 * Eedeeza (ee dee zah) - Ten (10)
 * Eee/Ees (ee) - We
 * Eeep! - Yipes!
 * Eekeekeek (eek eek eek) - Forest
 * Eekeetuhkuh (ee kee tuh kuh) - Axe
 * Eetee (ee tee) - Long
 * Eleeo (ee lee oh) - Never
 * Eleeoth (ee lee awth) - Far
 * Ehda (ay dah) - Evil, Bad
 * Ehshtee/Eshtee (esh tee) - Give
 * Ekla (ek lah) - Big
 * Enenah (en en ah) - Where
 * Entzahee roda (ents zah hee roh dah) - Cook
 * Enya - Show
 * Esa - Why
 * E s'eesht (ee seesht) - Kill
 * Etke (ett keh) - More
 * Eyok-nee-chug - What is that?

F

 * Feech (feech) - Dang
 * Feef (feef) - Plant
 * Fektur (fek tur) - Medicine
 * Fic (fic) - Two (2)
 * Fopa - From
 * Freet (freet) - Sister
 * Fruk (fruk) - Brother
 * Fudana - Wait
 * Fulu (foo loo) - Circle

G

 * Geetch (geech) - Push
 * Gleeg (gleeg) - Drink
 * Glek (glek) - Sad
 * Goo - Light/Trade
 * Goon daa (goondaa) - delicious
 * Gooka (goo kah) - Shelter
 * Goopa (goo pah) - Hi.
 * Goot (goot) - Good
 * Graks (graks) - Monster
 * Greh/Grek (grek) - Hands
 * Grenchicit (gren chik it) - Hang on/Hold on
 * Gunda (goon dah) - Yummy
 * Gyeesh (gyeesh) - Please

H

 * Heeta hutah - Bark lizard
 * Hii - Visit
 * Hoji (ho jee) - Four (4)
 * Hurga - Teach
 * Hutar (hoo tar) - Danger
 * Hveetin (he veet in) - Glider

I

 * Ileeay - Stop

J

 * Jad (jad) - Down
 * Jadgreh (jad greh) - Foot
 * Jarat (jah raht) - Branch
 * Jeejee (jee jee) - Face
 * Jeeks - That
 * Jeerota (jee roe tah) - Friend
 * J'voo (ja voo) - Eight (8)
 * Ji - ?
 * Jiks - This

K

 * Ka - The
 * Kaiya - Giddyup!
 * Kash (kahsh) - How
 * Kee - Wishes?
 * Keesh - When
 * Kiney (chattu) - Blessings
 * Kla (klah) - From
 * Klektuhkuh - Spear
 * Kna Naa (kuh nah nah) - Spirit Tree
 * Kra (krah) - Ready
 * Kreeth (kreeth) - Cave
 * Kush (koosh) - Who, What
 * Kush drojh? - What's going on?
 * Kvark - Oh no/fooey

L

 * Labu labu? - How much?
 * Lang - Think
 * Luka - Stars
 * Luka yit - Pixie
 * Lulalar (loo lah lahr) - Sing
 * Lungee (lunj ee) - Lost
 * Lurd (lerd) - Dumb, silly
 * Lurdo (ler-do) - Loser
 * Luu (loo) - Beautiful
 * Luufi (loo fee) - Flower

M

 * Manna manna (man ah man ah) - Food
 * Mo - more
 * Meechoo (mee choo) - I
 * Moktok - Now

N

 * Na-chin (nah chin) - Tribe
 * Na goo (nah goo) - Stop!
 * N'dla (nah dla) - Six (6)
 * Neetuhl (nee tul) - Early
 * Ne gata/Ni gata (nee gah tah) - Where is...?
 * Nim-nee - Take (me)
 * Ninga ninga - I respect
 * N'la (nah la) - Five (5)
 * Nocka - Deal
 * Noot - Now
 * Noroway (nohr oh way) - Which?
 * Nub - I would/I have
 * Nude-La - I am a...
 * Nuv (nuhv) - Love

O

 * Oh (oh) - Too
 * Oh hheneheh (oh hén heh) - An expression used to call to order an assembled group in preparation for an announcement&mdash;sometimes, after an accompanying drum beat
 * Ooba (oo bah) - Rain, Rainfall
 * Oodeef (oo deef) - Sweet
 * Ooloo ooloo - Phrase pertaining to eating of someone
 * Ota (oh tah) - To the

P

 * Paamuk (pah mook) - Power
 * Pibooka (pih boo kah) - Clearing
 * Pola (poh lah) - Polar
 * Powa (pow wah) - Power

R

 * Re - Rise
 * Reh rehluu (reh reh loo) - Dance
 * Reshee (resh ee) - Map
 * Roda (roh dah) - To eat
 * Ronda ronda - Landing platform
 * Rueenee (roo ee nee) - Ruins
 * Ruha (roo hah) - Hit

S

 * Seefo (see foh) - Hurt
 * Seeg - On
 * Sheeu (shee oo) - Name
 * Shetai (sheh tie) - Warrior
 * Shodeesh - Parents
 * Shodu (sho doo) - Mother
 * Shtehk - Sit
 * Shtek - Vine/rope
 * Sirut (seer oot) - Door
 * Siz (sihz) - Fire
 * Sku (skoo) - Hello
 * Sleesh (sleesh) - Berry
 * Sta (stah) - Now
 * Stoja (sto jah) - Station
 * Stusl - Send
 * Sunee (suh nee) - Sun
 * Sut (sutt) - Soon

T

 * Ta (tah) - The
 * Tal (tale) - Sun
 * Tana (tah nah) - The Ewokese name of the planet Endor
 * Teeha (tee hah) - Thank you
 * Teeket (tee kett) - Heart
 * Teera - Only
 * Thees (theess) - Good
 * Theesa (thee sah) - Baby, child
 * Theesdarat - Truth
 * Thek (theck) - Here
 * T'hesh (tuh hesh) - Quiet
 * Thesi - There
 * Thleek - Throw
 * Thuk (thuck) - Rock
 * Tip-yip - Fowl
 * Toma - Your(?)
 * Toto - Is/Does
 * Treek (treek) - Go
 * Treekthin (treek thin) - Journey
 * Treekveek - Run
 * Treeta Dobra (tree tah Doh brah) - Council of Elders
 * Tyatee (ty ah tee) - Come
 * Tyeht danti? - What happened?
 * Tyehtgeethin - Stranger
 * Tyor - Pit/hole

U

 * Uhree - Up
 * Uuta - Sky

V

 * Veek (veek) - Quick
 * Voo (voo) - Seven (7)
 * Vootok - village

W

 * Weewa (wee wah) - House, home
 * Weechu (wee choo) - You

X

 * X'eef (zheef) - Ground
 * X'ekra - Guard/watch/protect
 * X'iutha (zhoo thah) - Important

Y

 * Yaa-yaah! - Greetings.
 * Yayath (ya yath) - Jump
 * Yeek - Look
 * Yeh (yeh) - Old
 * Yeha (yee hah) - Good bye
 * Yehk - Open
 * Yekyit - Say/tell
 * Yesh (yesh) - Right, correct
 * Yigit - Small
 * Yiyult (yeye yult) - Cup
 * Yub nub (yubb nubb) - Freedom
 * Yubnub (yub nub) - Hooray
 * Yud ehda/Yut ehda (yood ay dah) - Alas
 * Yuf (yuhf) - Climb
 * Yuhyi - See
 * Yungyet (yung yett) - Nut
 * Yun yum - I like it
 * Yun yum di goot - It is very good
 * Yupyup (yupp yupp) - Rejoice (rejoicing)
 * Yub yub (yub yub) - Follow/Let's go

Z

 * Zeeg (zeeg) - In
 * Zeekee - Safe
 * Zeeheein - Safety
 * Zehg (zayg) - Out

Notable non-native speakers of Ewokese

 * Charal

Behind the scenes
The language of the Ewoks first appeared in 1983 in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the last installment of the original trilogy. The lyrics of the "Ewok Celebration" song heard in the epilogue of the original edition of the movie is the source for most of the Ewok vocabulary listed above. The Ewokese fetaured in Return of the Jedi was developed by ILM sound designer Ben Burtt, and was largely based on Chalmuk, a Mongolian, nomadic tribal dialect. African and South-Pacific languages also influenced Ewokese. The primary inspiration, however, was the Kalmyk Oirat language, spoken by Russians of Kalmyk ethnicity. He decided to make Ewokese based on that language after hearing it in a documentary. He got an 80-year old Kalmyk woman to speak tales of her people through her native tongue, and then recorded the sounds, with the various actors imitating various portions of the recording. In addition, Ben Burrt and Anthony Daniels later used and even invented their own terms in the language when doing the scene where C-3PO was reciting the story of the Rebel Alliance's efforts in stopping the Galactic Empire.

Ewokese was featured more prominently in Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, a duology of made-for-TV films set on the forest moon of Endor. According to the movie credits, the Ewokese dialogues were created by Mari Mine-Rutka.

Some have noted that certain phrases uttered by the Ewoks resemble real languages sampled from Earth, such as Filipino/Tagalog (the language of the Philippines) and Swedish ("Ayon, puno daw 'to!", said when C-3PO is being worshiped, means "There, this is a leader!" in Filipino. Many claim that "puno" means tree in this instance, but it also has a second meaning of chief or leader, as is evidence in the translation of punongbayan which means mayor from the roots "puno" and "bayan". Also, "Wala na, wala na, patay," said when an Ewok was killed, means "No more, no more, dead.") Other phrases appear to be modified English (two Ewoks worshiping C-3PO seem to say something similar to "This guy's wise" and "As I am short.")

According to the Ultimate Alien Anthology, Ewokese had no written form but in Ewoks episode The Haunted Village there are things written in Ewokese.

Appearances

 * ''Star Wars: Ewoks
 * Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
 * Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novel
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi junior novel
 * Star Wars 81: Jawas of Doom
 * Star Wars 82: Diplomacy
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War