Olys Corellisi, translated in itself as "Old Corellian" in Basic, was a language used by the early Humans on Corellia. As the Corellians began to interact with other Core Worlds over thousands of years, Basic words and phrases flooded the Corellian lexicon, forming the latter Corellian language. After over twenty thousand years of intermingling, Old Corellian nearly vanished approximately four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin. With the ascension of modern Corellian, Old Corellian became a relic preserved by linguists and conservatives wishing to remember the forebears of Corellian society.
The language was kept alive in two noteworthy groups: Corellian colonists and Corellian fringers. Corellian colonists that left their homeworld to settle other terrestrial planets were without the influence of Basic, such as the colonists of Socorro. The second group, made up of smugglers, thieves, con artists, and other fringers used the language as a code to communicate secretly during dangerous situations.
A famous tragedy written in Old Corellian was Uhl Eharl Khoehng.
Vocabulary[]
- Aa'kua = respect, respecting personal space
- Bhesj = term of impatience
- Bhiq = back
- B'rrsk = head
- Phrenbi = to decapitate
- Brekken Vinthern = Bitter Winter (refers to neural degenerative disease)
- Chirq = a bright shade of red
- Chumani = friend, also an insult to strangers: weakling
- Contemplanys = Meditative
- Corellisi = Corellian, the Corellians' native name for themselves
- Doaba = peace
- Droyk = an expletive
- Eharl = elf or trickster
- Ehin = in
- Fho = for
- Frink = an expletive
- Guerfel = fool
- Gylif = life
- Hermi = solitude
- Jeboe'i = thief
- Ke'dem = someone who is condemned or fallen, also imbalanced or crazy
- Khasaan'l = a greeting
- Khoehng = king
- Larel = love
- Midys = middle
- Midys Corellisi = Middle Corellian (a language)
- Min = 'mine' or 'his'
- Min min = 'I' or 'myself'
- Nhar'qual = dark death
- Nyeve = never
- Nyiad = need
- Oblivyn = nothing
- Ol'val = 'hello' or 'goodbye'
- Olys = old
- Olys Corellisi = Old Corellian (language)
- Ohna fulle guth = a challenge or insult
- Osk'y = 'enemy' or 'rival'
- Petchuck = 'animosity' or 'bad blood'[1]
- Pla = play
- Sahsahlah = 'the promised land' or 'the place of wise fools', used in conversations when opinions differ and one party wants to indicate that the other will not get their way.
- Suman = someone
- Selba = a youth held in high regard by elders
- Skrag = an expletive
- Socorro=scorched earth
- Sylop = idiot
- Tejha larel = undying love
- Turhaya = bright star
- Uldyr = the rainy season
- Uhl = the
- Valle = you
- Volgoth = to want
- Wagyx = ass
Proverbs and phrases[]
- Aanor ishiia zals = 'Love conquers all'
- Aliha sel valle volgoth? = 'What do you want?'
- Chakta Sai Kae = Old Corellian toast
- Cjaalysce'l = 'You are wearing the road well', a greeting meaning that the recipient's reputation has preceded them
- Doaba ol'val tru = 'Peace and hope', a greeting or a farewell (esp. at a funeral)
- Doko prek anuda ten? = 'Can you speak this language?'
- Gylif fho ihn gylif = 'A life for a life'
- Halle metes chun, petchuck = An insult, translation unknown
- Ihn Corellisi nyeve min bhiq suman ehin nyiad = 'A Corellian never turns his back on someone in need"
- Kas tulisha abia al port = Chaos opens the door to opportunity
- Koccic sulng = 'Be quiet', reprimand
- Koccic sulng il pla = 'Shut up and play'
- Lofahchu ets pyroni vyoryn viske = 'Loyalty is a smuggler's worst vice'
- Mahn uhl Fharth bey ihn valle = May the Force be with you'
- Min min vil ut valle Nharquis = I will eat your ashes
- Min min volgoth noh petchuck = I want no bad blood between us
- Min Larel = 'My love', a term of endearment
- Ofax ets burrin tehn = 'The air is too heavy here', meaning the situation is ominous or dangerous (ie: "I have a bad feeling about this")
- Ol'val, min dul'skal, ahn guld domina = 'Clear skies and good luck, my friend' or 'may fate be with you'
- Saltan valoramosa n telval mord = 'Assumption is the first step into a shallow grave'
- Yke hyon fhars oblivyn cnous oblivyn = 'He who fears nothing, knows nothing'
Dialects[]
Important dialects of Old Corellian included Hoodish and Vulanish, which were spoken on different parts of Corellia during different stages of time.
One of the most important dialects was the High Tongue, which was considered an aristocratic language, favored by Ensterite Corellians.
Behind the scenes[]
The Star Wars Adventure Journal #7 says that Old Corellian died out circa 4,000 BBY, but The Black Sands of Socorro indicates that the colonists did not depart for Socorro until nearly 3,000 BBY, leaving a questionable gap in the timing of Old Corellian's practical extinction.
Appearances[]
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 2
- Corellia Closes Borders — HoloNet News Vol. 531 #47 (content now obsolete; backup link)
- MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
- MedStar II: Jedi Healer
- "The Final Exit" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 4
- "The Final Exit" — The Best of the Star Wars Adventure Journal, Issues 1-4
- "Passages" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 7
- "Out of the Cradle" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 2
- "When the Domino Falls" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 3
- "Uhl Eharl Khoehng" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 8
- Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
- "Old Corellian: A Guide for the Curious Scholar" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 7
- "Idol Intentions" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 12
- "A Credit for Your Thoughts" — Star Wars Gamer 2
- "Hutt and Seek" — Tales from the New Republic
- † Star Wars: Legacy: Broken
Sources[]
- Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin (as Corellian)
- "Scouts' Dispatch" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 6 (as Old Corellian)
- "Old Corellian: A Guide for the Curious Scholar" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 7
- Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, Second Edition (as Corellian)
- "Alien Encounters" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 13 (as Old Corellian)
- The Black Sands of Socorro
- Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide
- The New Jedi Order Sourcebook (as Old Corellian)
- Coruscant and the Core Worlds (as Old Corellian)
- CorSec Database A-G on the official Star Wars Galaxies website (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
- Suns of Fortune