Lapine Glossary

Lapine Glossary

"Watership Down" by Richard Adams

Bob-stones: A traditional game among rabbits.

Crixa,the: The center of Efrafa, at the crossing point of two bridal paths.

Efrafa: The name of the warren founded by General Woundwort.

El-ahrairah: The rabbit folk hero. The name (Elil-hrair-rah) means "Enemies-Thousand-Prince"
ie. Prince with a Thousand Enemies

Elil: Enemies (of rabbits)

Ni-Frith: Noon.

Embleer: Stinking,e.g. the smell of a fox.

Nildro-hain: "Blackbird's Song". The name of a doe.

Flay: Food, e.g. grass or other green fodder.

Owsla: The strongest rabbits in a warren, the ruling clique.

Flayrah: Unusually good food, e.g. lettuce.

Frith: The sun, personified as a god by rabbits. Frithrah!=the lord Sun-used as an exclamation.

Owslafa: The Council police (a word found only in Efrafa).

Pfeffa: A cat

Fu Inle': After moonrise.

Hlao: Any dimple or depression in the grass, which can hold moisture.
Also, the name of a rabbit.

Rah: A prince, leader or chief rabbit. Usually used as a suffix. E.g. Threarah=Lord Threar

Roo: Used as a suffix to denote a diminutive. E.g. Hrairoo

Hlao-roo: "Little Hlao". An affectionate diminutive of the name of Hlao, one of the rabbits in the story.

Sayn: Groundsel

Hlessi: A rabbit living above ground, without a regular hole or warren. A wandering rabbit living in the open. (Plural: hlessil)

Silf: Outside, that is, not underground

Silflay: To go above ground to feed. Literally, to feed outside. Also used as a noun.

Homba: A fox. (Plural: hombil)

Hrair: A great many; an uncountable number; any number above four. U Hrair=The Thousand (enemies).

Thlay: Fur.

Hrairoo: "Little Thousand". The name of Fiver in Lapine.

Tharn: Stupefied, distraught, hypnotized with fear. But can also, in certain contexts, mean "looking foolish", or again "heartbroken" or "forlorn".

Hraka: Droppings.

Hrududu: A tractor, car or any motor vehicle.
Plural (hrududil).

Thethuthinnang: "Movement of leaves". Also the name of a doe.

Hyzenthlay: Literally, "Shine-dew-fur"=fur shining like dew. The name of a doe.

Thlayli: "Fur-head". A nickname.

Inle': Literally, the moon; also moonrise.
But a second meaning carries the idea of darkness, fear and death.

Threar: A rowan tree, or mountain ash.

Vair: To excrete, pass droppings.

Lendri: A badger.

Yona: A hedgehog. (Plural, yonil).

Marli: A doe. Also carries the meaning of mother.

Zorn: Destroyed, murdered. Denotes a catastrophe.

M'saion: "We meet them."

Narn: Nice, pleasant (to eat).

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You are listening to "Bright Eyes" sung by Art Garfunkel from the
movie "Watership Down".