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Huttese

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A poster on Nar Kreeta featuring Huttese writing.
"Goopta mo bossa!"
―Huttese farewell meaning "May your mind not evaporate!"

Huttese was the native language of the Hutts, although it was spoken by many races, especially those on Tatooine. Because of the Hutts' commercial and criminal influence throughout the galaxy, Huttese was the second most common language after Galactic Basic, and served as the lingua franca for most of the space surrounding the Hutts' territory.

Contents

[edit] History

Being one of the more common modes of intergalactic communication, the Baobab School of Speed-Learning offered an extremely popular course to promote Huttese fluency.[1]

All the Nimbanels were fluent in Huttese, as well as in Basic and their own language, because their snout structure made it easy for them to articulate the Huttese language. Understanding the advantages of learning such an important language, the species made it a semi-official language of Nimban.

Toydarians were also usually fluent in Huttese, because the two species had had a long commercial history with each other. They usually preferred to speak their Toydarian language rather than Basic, but if that was not a choice, they would try Huttese.

Although most Hutts were fluent in spoken and written Basic, they considered Huttese to be a much superior language to Basic, and
Jabba speaking Huttese.
demanded that "lesser beings" address them in Huttese.

The Hutts were the owners of three species, Niktos, Klatooinians and Vodrans, since the time of the Third Battle of Vontor. Klatooinians and Vodrans had forfeited their respective languages (Klatooinian language and Vodran language) to replace them with Huttese, being usually illiterate. However, Niktos kept alive the Nikto language during their servitude, learning Huttese only as a second language, and sometimes Basic as a third language. Some Hutts talked with their Nikto servants in Nikto language.

Huttese had many words ending in -a, especially -a(C)a (ex. botaffa), palatalized l (rulya), and expressions formed by duplicated words (rocka rocka, puna puna, chu chu). Another common convention of Huttese was the pronunciation of x as a bilabial click.

[edit] Greetings

  • Achuta 'Hello'
  • Gooddé da lodia! 'Good day to you!'
  • Ah'chu apenkee? 'Who are you?'
  • Bo shuda Greeting Listen (help·info)
  • Chowbaso 'Welcome'
  • Choy 'What?'
  • Dolpee kikyuna! 'I am a friend!'
  • Eniki 'Okay'
  • H'chu apenkee Greeting
  • Hi chuba da naga? 'What do you want?'
  • Kee chai chai cun kuta? 'What are you doing here?'
  • Waki mallya kuna chu chu? 'What do you do?'
  • Koona t'chuta? (Pronounced oota goota) 'Going somewhere?'
  • Mee jewz ku 'Goodbye'
  • Sie batha ne beechee? 'Are you talking about me?'

[edit] Common words and phrases

  • Alay 'Late'
  • bosco 'Looking' (first person, singular)
  • Mi bosco de... 'I'm looking for...'
  • An 'And'
  • Andoba 'Another'
  • Ateema 'Now', or 'This time'
  • Azalus 'Dangerous'
  • Baatu baatu 'Bother'
  • Bata 'Back'
  • Binggona 'Strained'
  • Bolla 'To go'
  • o 'Shoulder
  • Boska 'Let's go', or 'Come on'
  • Bsha 'Move'
  • Bu 'The'
  • Champio 'Champion'
  • Che 'For'
  • Mi 'I'
  • Chess ko 'Be careful'
  • Da 'that'
  • Da Soocha 'Waking Planet'
  • Inkabunga! 'Incredible!'
  • Mi chuga 'I'm hungry'
  • Mi yarga 'I'm thirsty'
  • Nal Hutta 'Glorious Jewel'
  • Nobata 'No'
  • Tagwa 'Yes'
  • Uma ji muna 'I love you'
  • Yuna puna 'First class'

[edit] Insults/expressions

  • Beesga 'Last fool'
  • Cha skrunee da pat Sleemo 'Don't count on it, slimeball!'
  • Dopa meekie 'Double-crossing'
  • Dopa maskey 'Two-faced'
  • Dopo mee gusha, peedunkey? 'Do you feel lucky, punk?'
  • Echuta or E chu ta a very insulting expletive used as a curse word
  • Fierfek 'Poison'
  • Karking ' ing'
  • Kava doompa D'emperiolo stoopa. 'You're an Imperial fool'
  • Kee baatu baatu. 'You bother me'
  • Keel-ee calleya ku kah. 'You disappoint me'
  • Keepuna (exclamation) Used to denote displeasure
  • Koochoo 'Idiot' [2]
  • Kung 'Scum'
  • Ohta su marvalic plesodoro 'Let them marvel at our splendor' (Jabba's favourite expression)[3]
  • Pateesa 'Sweetie', 'darling'
  • Peedunky 'Punk'
  • Poodoo 'Crap', usually bowdlerized where appropriate as 'fodder'
  • Pushee wumpah skocha-kloonkee!!! 'Watch out, exhaust-for-brains!!!'
  • Schutta 'shut it'
  • Sleemo 'Slimeball'
  • Stoopa 'Stupid'
  • Tah-koh tee womp rat e’nachu 'You’ll end up womp rat food'

[edit] People

  • Backa 'Backstage'
  • Bukee or Peedunkee 'Boy'
  • Duro 'Duros'
  • Mikiyna 'Everybody'
  • Ootman 'Outlander'
  • Ootmian 'Outworlder'
  • Murishani 'Bounty hunter'
  • Shag 'Slave'
  • Jeedai 'Jedi'
  • Poolyee yama 'Systems consultant'
  • Wooky 'Wookiee'

[edit] Places

  • Banda 'Music band'
  • Boboqueequee A location in Hutt mythology; a common Huttese imprecation was 'Rot in Boboqueequee!'
  • Bootana 'Garden(s)'
  • Bunko 'Palace'
  • Bunky dunko 'Home'

[edit] Things

  • Blastoh 'Weapon', 'blaster'
  • Bota 'Engines'
  • Dyst 'Ship'
  • E'nachu 'Food'
  • Fierfek 'Poison', 'hex', or 'curse'
  • Pawa 'Power'
  • Rulya 'Weapon(s)'
  • Tusawa 'Bar' or 'counter'

[edit] At the merchant

  • Bargon 'Bargain'
  • Bedwanna 'To buy'
  • Che copah 'Price'
  • Geeb mi wa chimpa? 'May I have a receipt?'
  • Mi cooing koo sooah. 'I've got the credits.'
  • U wamma wonka? 'Are you going to pay (for that)?' or 'You owe me!'

[edit] Dining

[edit] Entertaining

  • Andoba ne lappee, kolka. 'Another hot towel, please.'
  • Banya kee fofo Aduki, kolka. 'An Aduki double, please.'
  • Bulova numa toffa 'They seemed nice to me.'
  • Cheska lopey x'hoo pumba? 'Are there good drinks on board?'
  • Kavaa kyotopa bu whirlee backa? 'Can I visit the dancers backstage?'

[edit] Business

  • Bargon u noa-a-uyat 'You will be rewarded'
  • Bona nai kachu. 'You're in trouble now.'
  • Cha skrunee da pat 'Don't count on it'
  • Che copah 'price'
  • Coona tee-tocky malia? 'What took you so long?'
  • Dobra do poolyee yama. 'I am a systems consultant.'
  • Dobra do nupee nupee um baw wah du poolyee yama. 'I am a vice president and systems consultant for personnel development and management systems.'
  • Noolee moolee bana kee cheel'ya cu kuna ku chu chu. 'Here is the prospectus on systems and management consulting.'
  • Beeska mu-moolee bu Halapu. 'The payment is in the HoloNet.'
  • La pim nallya so bata de wompa. 'I will get back to you on that one.'
  • Mwa droida bunno bunna droida. 'My droids will talk to your droids.'
  • Smeeleeya whao toupee upee. 'Smile when you say that.'
  • Soong peetch alay. 'It's too late.'
  • Wa wanna coe moulee rah? 'When can I expect payment?'
  • Wanta wonka-rah dah? 'Why haven't you paid me?'

[edit] Applied business

  • Ap-xmasi keepuna 'Don't shoot!'
  • Blastoh 'Weapon', 'blaster'
  • Bona nai kachu. 'You're in trouble now.'
  • Cheska lopey x'hoo pumba? 'Are there good drinks on board?'
  • Da beesga coo palyeeya pityee bo tenya go kaka juju hoopa. The last fool who called me that got his antennae stuffed down his throat.'
  • Do bata gee mwaa tusawa! 'Back up against the bar'
  • Hagwa boska blastoh! 'Don't go for that weapon.'
  • Hagwa doopee. 'Don't move!'
  • Je killya um pasa doe beeska wumpa. 'Kill me and ten more will rise in my place.'
  • Jeeska da sookee koopa moe nanya. 'Keep your suction cups where I can see them.'
  • Kako Kreespa! 'burn/fry them!'
  • Kapa tonka. 'Hands up.'
  • Kee hasa do blastoh. 'Drop your weapon.'
  • Keepuna! 'Shoot!'
  • Kickeeyuna mo Wooky doo tee puna puna! 'Don't anybody move or the Wookiee here will tie your legs into a taut-line hitch!'
  • Mikiyuna! Pasta mo rulya! Do bata gee mwaa tusawa! 'Everybody, hands off your weapons and back up against the bar!'
  • Moova dee boonkee ree slagwa. 'Turn around real slowly.
  • Pasta mo rulya! 'Hands off your weapons!'
  • Tontta tonka. 'Tentacles up!'

[edit] Travel

  • Cheesba hataw yuna puna? 'Can I upgrade to first class?'
  • Kuna kee wabdah noleeya. 'I'd like to check in.'
  • Kuna kee wabdah nenoleeya. 'I'd like to check out.'
  • Jeskawa no rupee dee holo woopee? 'Will the bill list the title of the holo?'

[edit] At the racetrack

  • Buttmalia 'A bet'
  • Chawa 'to race'
  • Meecooda joggdu stafa do tah poda 'I could run faster than your pod'
  • Noobi oonatee raca, rookie poodoo? 'First time racing, Rookie?'
  • Nu 'To bet'
  • Procha mah bompa cheestah crispa 'Follow too close and you’ll get cooked'
  • Tah pee-chah ah kulkee flunka 'You need to go back to racing school'

[edit] Counting in Huttese

Counting in Huttese is a risky proposition. While Humans have ten fingers, Hutts have but eight, meaning that their method of counting uses base eight. Hutts have utilized the ensuing confusion to their monetary advantage; if, for example, a Hutt were to offer you twelve of something in Huttese, it is the equivalent of ten in Basic. Generally speaking, the problem grows exponentially the higher one rises, and many a race (including the Rodians) have been horribly swindled by the discrepancy. To avoid such predicaments, wise negotiators use the Basic number system, which explains why the monetary amounts spoken by Jabba are in Basic.

  • Nobo 0 (Basic Value: 0)
  • Bo 1 (Basic Value: 1)
  • Dopa 2 (Basic Value: 2) [2]
  • Duba 3 (Basic Value: 3)
  • Fwanna 4 (Basic Value: 4)
  • K'wanna 5 (Basic Value: 5)
  • Keeta 6 (Basic Value: 6)
  • Goba 7 (Basic Value: 7)
  • Hunto 10 (Basic Value: 8)
  • Beeska 11 (Basic Value: 9)
  • Boboba 12 (Basic Value: 10)
  • Goboba 13 (Basic Value: 11)
  • Jojoba 14 (Basic Value: 12)
  • Soboba 15 (Basic Value: 13)
  • Koboba 16 (Basic Value: 14)
  • Foboba 17 (Basic Value: 15)
  • Donocha 20 (Basic Value: 16)
  • Honocha 21 (Basic Value: 17)
  • Bohonocha 22 (Basic Value: 18)
  • Dohonocha 23 (Basic Value: 19)
  • Duhonocha 24 (Basic Value: 20)
  • Jujumon 144 (Basic Value: 100)

(audio) Jabba the Hutt speaking Huttese

Huttese was so influential that it also became the language of the Rodian race, rendering the Old Rodese obsolete. Huttese seemed to be one of the official languages of Tatooine.

[edit] Notable non-native speakers of Huttese

[edit] Literate

[edit] Non-literate

[edit] See also

[edit] Behind the scenes

The Huttese language was introduced in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In the Special Edition 1997 release of Episode IV, it was adapted for the newly recorded dialogue of Jabba the Hutt.

The dialogue with Greedo was loosely based on the Peruvian native language Quechua. This instance of spoken Huttese is unique in the Star Wars universe as it contains dental clicks and ejectives as phonemes. Later appearances resemble more the Aymara language.[source?]

George Lucas contacted Allen Sonafrank, to record the dialogue. Sonafrank discussed the matter with Jim Wilce, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, and felt it might be demeaning to have an alien represent Quechuans, especially in light of Erich von Daniken's popular publications about the "ancient astronauts". However a grad student, who could pronounce but did not speak Quechua, recorded the dialogue.

Most of the alien language spoken in the movies is Huttese. It is also heard in the games Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. In the latter, the dialogues were pre-recorded, in different genders and moods. They of course didn't correspond to the sayings of the subtitles, but were repeated themselves according to the particular mood.

Apart from the vocabulary, no real grammatical structure and syntactic rules exist. We know the meanings of some phrases, but we can't consistently make a word-by-word analysis of them.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Sources

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
  3. ↑ Hutt and Seek
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Rebellion Era Sourcebook
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Secrets of Tatooine
  7. ↑ Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
  8. ↑ Living Force Campaign Guide
  9. ↑ The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
  11. ↑ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Star Wars Gamer #6
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Star Wars Gamer #10
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook
  16. ↑ Star Wars Gamer #3
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Star Wars Gamer #9
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dark Side Sourcebook
  19. ↑ Star Wars Gamer #7
  20. ↑ Star Wars Gamer #5
  21. ↑ Secrets of Naboo
  22. ↑ Star Wars Gamer #8

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Huttese"