The Vori language was unusual in that it used a high number of synonyms and metaphors for everyday words and had a military syntax. The language retained its distinctive structure even when rendered via the universal translator. In addition, the Vori language seems to lack words to use for an extended family, instead using combinations of immediate family terms. (VOY: "Nemesis")
Known words and phrases
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- Backwalk = back off / retreat ("it is sharper to backwalk")
- Beast = the face of the enemy
- Before = the past
- Blossoms = flowers
- Brightly = happily / cheerfully
- Clash = a war / a fight ("you've landed right in the middle of a clash")
- Cluster = to regroup ("it would be sharp to cluster with the others")
- Cluster mark = rendezvous point
- Colors = markings / uniform
- Cook = burn, cook, heated ("cooked by The Glare")
- Coverings = clothes ("they were his coverings")
- Crave = want ("do you crave any more?")
- Daughter's daughter = granddaughter
- Defender = soldier
- Drill = teach ("Drill Chakotay to fire Vori arms.")
- Fast-walk = run / quick-march / rush ("they were fast-walked to the Extermination center")
- Fathom = to know / to understand / to think ("you don't fathom the Nemesis")
- Flame = to burn ("they flamed all our villages")
- Fleet colors = Starfleet uniform
- Footfalls = paces, a measure of distance
- Fullness = the whole story, summary of a situation
- The Glare = the Sun ("glimpse the glare")
- Glimpse = to see / an eye ("did you glimpse the Nemesis?"; "close your glimpses")
- Gloried = highly held / glorified / great
- Greeted = welcomed
- Grey = old (person) ("he's too grey to be of use")
- In the before = in the past
- In the now = in the present
- In the soon-after = in the future
- Mother's father = grandfather
- Mother's mother = grandmother
- Nemesis = enemy
- New-light = dawn
- Novice = rookie, a newly-trained soldier
- Nullify, nully = to kill / to be killed ("they were nullified")
- Plantings = crops / harvest ("they took our plantings")
- Power = religious / god-concept ("We beg peace from the Power who made us Vori...")
- Rages = anger ("you turn your Trembles into Rages")
- Savory = tasty ("I'm afraid it's not very savory")
- Set loose = let go ( "Set my mother's father loose! Please! Let him loose!" )
- Sharp = clever / wise / smart / better ("it would be sharp to wait until new-light")
- Shroud = hide
- Signal = call / contact
- Sly = hide ("sly yourselves and fire back!")
- Soon-after = future ("In the soon-after, we'll send them flying from this sphere")
- Sphere = planet
- Sturdy = strong ("He's very gray, and his heart's not sturdy")
- Suffice = enough ("But does it suffice him to nullify you?")
- Tellings = words / knowledge; orders ("do my tellings")
- Tend = care for / protect
- Toiling = working
- The trembles = fear / cowardice ("you've got the trembles")
- Told = said ("well told, Novice.")
- Top = head ("keep your top low and your glimpses wide")
- Trunks = trees / woods ("we found him in the trunks")
- Upturned = a Vori burial disgrace, a body facing upwards after death so as to not go to the Way-after
- Way-after = afterlife ("he's passed to the way-after")
- Wrestle = struggle against, overcome
