#h. it follows

[serpentface]

Comparing livestock color-words.

Both the Chenahyeigi and Wardi languages are derived from peoples who have been pastoralists for millennia, and both have an absolute ton of words for livestock coloration.

Both languages have had at least some mutual influence for about a thousand years (to varying extents by dialect, depending on geography/trade connection) so you'll see similar or identical words crop up here and there.

THE WORDS:

Hneya - [hne:ʝɑ] or [hne:jɑ] (whether the ʝ sound is retained in speech and to what extent varies by dialect)

Straightforwardly refers to bright reddish-orange color, but is mostly used for animals rather than other orangeish things. The word Was probably influenced by an older form of the Wardi 'reyla', and absorbed with the introduction of orange colored cattle. It may have been merged with the Chenahyeigi '(h)ne', which is the root of several red color-related terms.

Reyla - [rejlɑ]

This is a Wardi word for most reddish-orange hues in general. When applied to livestock, it refers to solid orange coats without spotting/masks/notable countershading.

Fels akhri - [fels] [ɑ:khɾi]

Translates readily as 'storm cloud' (the 'storm' here specifies thunderstorms). When applied to livestock, it describes fur that is rich dark blue-gray with white guard hairs.

Aganne - [ɑgɑ:ne]

This doesn't actually translate to 'night sea' in a straightforward manner, but as a color word it's poetically associated with dark seas, at night or in storms. When used for livestock, it describes this coloration exclusively.

Woud et lleng - [woʊd] [ɛt] [ɬeŋk]

Woud is the word for rich moist soil specifically, lleng refers to laterite and its association with iron deposits. This phrase is used to describe livestock with dark brown heads and and orange-brown bodies.

Tsipanibe - [t͡sipɑnibe]

This would be more literally translated as 'ochred'. Many Wardi words with the -ibe stem from verbs or nouns modified to indicate that the subject matter has 'received' an action or concept. (Examples of such words are long-established linguistically, you can't just add '-ibe' to any noun or verb). This one takes the root 'tsipan' (ochre) and applies it to the subject matter (cattle coloration).

Livestock with a dark brown or black head and orange-brown body are given this description, the idea being that their bodies look like they've been painted in ochre. This word is extremely rare outside of this context (you would usually just say the full 'ochre-painted' to convey this idea for other things)

Drengh yipeg - [dɾeŋg(h) yɪpɛ:g]

This is pretty straightforwardly 'little moon'. Yipeg comes from the same root as the Wardi 'hippe' for 'small', while drengh refers to the appearance of the moons in the sky (rather than the gods they embody). It's used to describe small round white blaze marks.

Ipalen hamita - [ipɑlɛn (h)ɑmitə]

Straightforwardly 'star marked', used for small round white blaze marks. Wardi actually does have a 'moon marked' (ipalen amit) to describe round white blazes that entirely cover the animal's forehead.

Brinyavir - [bɾi:nʝɑvir] (ʝ is retained for this word in most dialects)

This one is not directly translatable, 'celestial' or 'heavenly' just function closely enough. The word conceptually relates to stars but most specifically describes a layer of sky in which the afterlife rests (brinyavir is part of the phrase I translate as 'celestial fields'). The cattle there are said to have these markings. The stars in the night sky are sometimes playfully described as the spots of these cattle (though not literally, in Chenahyeigi cosmology stars are spirit-inhabited bonfires lit along pathways through the heavens).

As a color word for livestock, brinyavir refers to this rare (I Think nonexistent irl) white-spotted black coloration, due to both resembling the stars and the cattle that are moved among them.

Asi inwetadi - [ɑsi in:wetɑ:di]

This directly means 'like night sky', and is applied to this coat pattern with a similar underlying logic- it looks like a starry night sky. You will often see asi (like/akin to) retained in place or animal names like this, and it is sometimes part of names for people (the name Asinya is derived from a contracted 'like the sun').

Ogriye - Chenahyeigi: [oʊ:gɾije] Wardi: [oʊgɾi:je]

This word is (or was) a way to say 'gravel' or 'gravelly' in both Chenahyeigi and Wardi, and is pronounced very similarly in both (with the only significant difference being emphasis)

In Chenahyeigi it is a loanword from the Wardi language family, most likely received in the exchange of cattle of this coloration. It is retained in general speech as a word for gravel, more specifically the adjective 'gravelly'.

The word is mostly obsolete in contemporary Wardi, speakers do not know it used to mean 'gravel' (though it sounds close enough to assume a connection, the word is 'ogri') and exclusively use it to describe this livestock coloration (one of the more common among Wardi native cattle).

---

Also here's some cow lore.

There's some fairly tremendous diversity in Wardi cattle herds, given they have genetic influence from at least two separate aurochs domestication events (also distant and negligibly minor influence from one instance of bison domestication) and from multiple relatively isolated domestic cattle populations. Present day herds within Wardi provincial territory near-ubiquitously have at least some ancestry from the kulustaig and the Burri tepang cattle.

The ancestors of the Wardi native cow have been in the region for at Least 5,000 years. Burri cattle Possibly could have had tiny, isolated introductions between 2500-3000 years ago (this is extremely unlikely, but maize Was probably introduced by seafaring proto-Burri peoples at this time) or at more recent points since, and the tepang was certainly introduced during Imperial Burri occupation. High quality cattle are also occasionally received in diplomacy with the present-day Different Entity that is the Burri Republic. The kulustaig cattle arrived with proto-Finnic migrants starting 1500 years ago, and is the biggest external genetic influence on Wardi herds. Small populations of Yuroma native cattle arrived with migrants 540 years ago, though these have been wholly absorbed into Wardi herds, with their biggest trace being genes for naturally polled horns. Some Finn cattle were extracted in the recent two decades of Wardi occupation, though not enough to have a noteworthy genetic impact on any herds.

Most of the cattle in this post show predominantly Wardi native cattle + kulustaig ancestry (this takes place in the Ephenni riverlands, where the ancestry of herds tends to be around 2:1). The one with the blaze has a delicate sloping muzzle that suggests Burri tepang ancestry, and also likely has a wild aurochs grandparent (the white ring around the nose is a telltale sign, as it usually vanishes within a few generations of introgression).

Diversity in color and coat pattern is culturally favored for Wardi cattle herds, and selective breeding for aesthetics is usually limited to the purpose of preserving unique coats. The average herd tends to be very colorful, though the one shown here is a bit of an outlier, the universe having mysteriously put in place perfect conditions to compare the words for a variety of coat patterns.

[redcheekdays]

HAWK: Sulfa. Where's the stupid sulfa?

MARGARET: It's in the living room.

HAWK: What?

MARGARET: The sulfa's in the living room between the end tables.

HAWK: Margaret, you made a joke.

MARGARET: I told you I was tired!

HAWK: "The sulfa's in the living room"? I can't believe you said that!

[angelsore]

[scooterscoob]

working together is all we can do.

[cabinette]

AU martin i've been cooking on the tma rp twitter....

[hacksawgeddon]

He’s immediately delighted that his efforts are appreciated! If not for the sack over his head, Fins would’ve had a full view of a once-in-a-blue-moon smile. At his offer, he shakes his head immediately... Though, after some thinking he had gotten a little lost following Fins around in the city. Everything looks the same around here. It’s confusing! Hacksaw takes a moment to ponder before he squats down the floor, using his finger to draw in the sand what his camp looks like from the city - bunch of trees, a lake and a cabin. It's a childish drawing at best, but he hopes it would at least look somewhat familiar.

fins is a little surprised by the speed at which hacksaw walks off. so much so that he wonders, just briefly, if he had done something wrong. he can't think of anything, but that means very little. thankfully, fins isn't left to stew in what ifs for very long. the stranger returns quickly, now armed with two gallons of water. he almost feels a little bad. first, for doubting him, and second... it's like he's taking advantage! "thank you," he says, laughing softly. "i wish i could do something for you, too... is there anything?" he doesn't exactly know how they'll be able to communicate it, but he can't just resign himself to do nothing.

[chazchaschad]

oh hey I forgot these guys existed

[daily-momokarun]

DAY TWENTY ✩‧₊˚

"I wanna talk to him, I gotta talk to him!!!"

[joyokosuka]

Remembering this wildly romantic exchange

[hacksawgeddon]

Uncharacteristically, he shuffles his feet at the question before giving a single, stern nod. He hadn’t known this unusual stranger for long but surely someone who only wanted the best spot to watch the sunset wasn’t too bad? Hacksaw maneuvers around her in silence, taking a seat before slowly presenting a closed fist facing upwards – his hand opening to offer a singular four-leaf clover. He's a bit awkward at making friends - or just being in the presence of others, really.

kali turns to watch the stranger again as he approaches. just because she trusts that she can handle herself doesn't mean she'll just leave herself open to the opportunity of attack, either. the man seems well-mannered enough, despite his vocal limitations, but you can never be too careful. people are good at surprising you. "would you like to sit beside me? the sunset will be starting soon. i can see it from the city, of course, but i do enjoy this spot."

[icaruspendragon]

he did. my husband tried. he tried to warn them. he did. he said to them, “i’m not as into this as my wife is. i just like looking at cars, but she’s got all the facts and specs and everything. she’s practically a walking encyclopedia.”

and they didn’t believe him. they laughed. they shrugged it off. they shrugged me off. they were warned. and yet they still decided to try and put me to the test. they were warned. they were warned of what would happen to them. and yet they didn’t listen.

their ambition made them icarian. their folly turned my warmth from brilliant to sweltering.

their hubris led to their humiliation.

they were warned. but ambition makes men bold.

this is all just a very dramatic way of saying that grown men decided to play a game of, “oh you’re a fan? prove it” only to have their asses handed to them by their opponent.

this was the opponent btw:

[globst3r]

my homie big slime fell thru the stairs

[entropyhours]

I've been ill, I get to draw self-indulgent fanart of my own AU

Musician yuri AU has been plaguing my mind recently, love them very much

Portraits without text under the cut

[angelsore]

[z-skull]

i kinda regret deleting my old Nicktoons Unite art...but i kinda dont lmao

[hacksawgeddon]

Had the latter taken off into a sprint, he would’ve undoubtedly followed suit. Hacksaw doesn’t need to run, his long legs more often than not, aid him in capturing his victims in just a couple of strides. Though he doesn’t particularly feel the need to do that in this particular situation, this flower-man reacts rather calmly – for now. He hadn’t revealed himself yet, so that might change shortly.

Still, he’s intrigued by the fact that he knows well enough to voice out his intentions – that he’s harmless, just out here studying and all that. The hacksaw isn’t out, nor is any other weapon of his, still clipped onto his tool belt for easy access. Hacksaw decides to reveal himself then, stepping out of the brush and into daylight. He stares down at the peculiar stranger before curiously turning his sight to the specific patch of grass he’d been studying. It was grass, after all. Was there no grass in the city? What a sad place to live.

Run! That was what the immediate flora was telling him. Not through human words but through a distinct form of communication that was only between him and their ilk. He wasn't quite sure as to how it worked, only that it had proven itself useful time and time again. Sebni's feet began to move even before he could tell them to, but his mind was quick enough to rein them in. What was the point of running if he did not know what was out there exactly? He's read somewhere that some predators preferred their victims to run, give chase. Sebni would rather not become anyone's victim. At least no one that wasn't prettier than his flowers. “ I am harmless, ” Sebni repeated to anyone and everyone who could hear him. “ Like the plants I'm out here studying. No need for any violence between us, okay? ” He hoped his pleas were understood, heard, and accepted. Otherwise, he was in huge trouble.