Kordron: A Naming Language for Orcs

I created Kordron to show off the capabilities of LangMaker for Windows, my shareware conlang-construction software. Yes, people used to send me cash and checks in the mail for software they had downloaded from my website.

Kordron is one of the many dialects of Orcish spoken in the Shadow Mountains. Unlike most of Orcish, Kordron has been documented in some detail, due to the findings of Magnold the Cleric. While plundering an abandoned orc warren, Magnold discovered two scrolls, which comprised a military roster of the warren over many centuries. Supplementing this with comparative research into the dialects of nearby settlements (dangerous work for a cleric, especially for one whose specialties involve languages!), Magnold prepared the following documentation of Kordron.

This analysis is unique among the modern studies of Orcish, for Magnold has been able to clearly identify the etymological derivations of Kordron from Menfdron (Old Orcish). Unfortunately, the vocabulary is limited to 70 words (all that were used to form common name compounds). It is disappointing that no further texts are extant. It is even more disappointing that this documentation will never be updated. After embarking on further field study, in an effort to achieve tenure at the seventh level, Magnold the Cleric himself is no longer extant.

Compounds

Orc names are always composed of two words, with the adjective preceding the noun. Common patterns are:

• Bodypart+Doer (e.g., Skullcrusher)
• Bodypart+Tool (e.g., Tooth-axe)
• Creature+Bodypart (e.g., Halflingfoot)
• Creature+Doer (e.g., Dwarfmonger, Goblincleaver)
• Creature+Tool (e.g., Foehammer)
• Tool+Doer (e.g., Knifecrusher) 

The roots used for names are drawn from four main semantic areas:

• creatures (e.g., elf, dwarf, ghoul),
• body parts (e.g., skull, nose, tooth),
• tools (e.g., axe, hammer, dirk) and
• “doers” (e.g., hater, impaler, mangler). 

Kordron (Late Orcish)

Kordron (Late Orcish) words evolved from Menfdron (Old Orcish) words according to the following regular sound changes:

'assimilation
nb > m

'voicing of s, f, t
s > z
sl > sl
sr > sr
ns > ns
f > v
nf > nf
t > th
nt > nt

'note: 'th' is meant to be pronounced /dh/

'vowel shift
e > i
er > er
el > el
en > en
i > o

Menfdron (Old Orcish)

Menfdron (Old Orcish) words all follow one of these common patterns: CVR, CVN, CVNK, CVNV, CRVN.
…where the capital letters represent the following…

C - Consonant - b | d | g | k | m | s | f | t

R - R or L - r | r | l

N - N, R or L - n | n | r | r | l

V - Vowel - a | e | e | e | i | i | i | o | u | u | u | u

K - Final Consonant - b | d | g | k | s | f | t

Roots

Definition	Kordron	Menfdron
arm	gal	gal
axe	glol	glil
beast	karo	kari
beater	guno	guno
biter	dlel	dlel
blood	muri	mure
chewer	brun	brun
cleaver	kon	kin
crawler	dalb	dalb
crusher	thelu	telu
cutter	kulg	kulg
death	gor	gir
demon	bero	beri
dirk	bon	bin
dog	thor	tir
dragger	gulv	gulf
dragon	bar	bar
drinker	dul	dul
dwarf	zim	senb
ear	vler	fler
earth	vond	find
eater	mor	mir
elf	mard	mard
eye	thlur	tlur
face	threr	trer
finger	gur	gur
foe	gor	gir
foot	gun	gun
ghoul	kur	kur
goblin	vul	ful
hair	zolo	silo
halfling	dork	dirk
hammer	glun	glun
hand	bel	bel
hater	mono	moni
head	vero	feri
hobgoblin	menf	menf
horse	kur	kur
impaler	thurk	turk
kicker	bena	bena
killer	kor	kir
knife	boni	bine
lover	monu	monu
man	mori	mire
mangler	dul	dul
monger	zun	sun
moon	keru	keru
mucus	srol	srol
nail	thar	tar
nose	vank	fank
orc	kor	kir
poker	garz	gars
punisher	molo	moli
rat	zuri	sure
ripper	belu	belu
sheep	del	del
shooter	gur	gur
skull	velu	felu
slicer	slol	slol
smasher	mon	mon
speaker	dron	drin
stomper	zur	sur
sword	kulk	kulk
throttler	dolv	dilf
thrower	kor	kir
toe	slur	slur
tooth	kur	kur
torturer	zork	sirk
walker	gel	gel
wraith	mel	mel

Common Names

Name	Etymology
Barguno	bar, ‘dragon’ + guno, ‘beater’
Barslur	bar, ‘dragon’ + slur, ‘toe’
Barthlur	bar, ‘dragon’ + thlur, ‘eye’
Barthrer	bar, ‘dragon’ + threr, ‘face’
Beldlel	bel, ‘hand’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Beldul	bel, ‘hand’ + dul, ‘drinker’
Belglun	bel, ‘hand’ + glun, ‘hammer’
Berokulk	bero, ‘demon’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Berozur	bero, ‘demon’ + zur, ‘stomper’
Boniguno	boni, ‘knife’ + guno, ‘beater’
Bonimono	boni, ‘knife’ + mono, ‘hater’
Bonimonu	boni, ‘knife’ + monu, ‘lover’
Bonizun	boni, ‘knife’ + zun, ‘monger’
Dlelgulv	dlel, ‘blade’ + gulv, ‘dragger’
Dlelthelu	dlel, ‘blade’ + thelu, ‘crusher’
Dorkdlel	dork, ‘halfling’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Dorkkulk	dork, ‘halfling’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Dorkslur	dork, ‘halfling’ + slur, ‘toe’
Dorkthrer	dork, ‘halfling’ + threr, ‘face’
Galglol	gal, ‘arm’ + glol, ‘axe’
Geldlel	gel, ‘worm’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Gelglol	gel, ‘worm’ + glol, ‘axe’
Gelmon	gel, ‘worm’ + mon, ‘smasher’
Gelsrol	gel, ‘worm’ + srol, ‘mucus’
Gelzork	gel, ‘worm’ + zork, ‘torturer’
Gelzur	gel, ‘worm’ + zur, ‘stomper’
Gloldul	glol, ‘axe’ + dul, ‘drinker’
Glolgel	glol, ‘axe’ + gel, ‘walker’
Glunguno	glun, ‘hammer’ + guno, ‘beater’
Glungur	glun, ‘hammer’ + gur, ‘shooter’
Glunmor	glun, ‘hammer’ + mor, ‘eater’
Gorglun	gor, ‘foe’ + glun, ‘hammer’
Gorvler	gor, ‘death’ + vler, ‘ear’
Gorvler	gor, ‘foe’ + vler, ‘ear’
Gunglol	gun, ‘foot’ + glol, ‘axe’
Gunglun	gun, ‘foot’ + glun, ‘hammer’
Gurglun	gur, ‘finger’ + glun, ‘hammer’
Gurkor	gur, ‘finger’ + kor, ‘thrower’
Karodlel	karo, ‘beast’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Karokor	karo, ‘beast’ + kor, ‘thrower’
Kormuri	kor, ‘orc’ + muri, ‘blood’
Korsrol	kor, ‘orc’ + srol, ‘mucus’
Kulkdalb	kulk, ‘sword’ + dalb, ‘crawler’
Kulkkulg	kulk, ‘sword’ + kulg, ‘cutter’
Kulkthurk	kulk, ‘sword’ + thurk, ‘impaler’
Kurboni	kur, ‘ghoul’ + boni, ‘knife’
Kurboni	kur, ‘horse’ + boni, ‘knife’
Kurdlel	kur, ‘tooth’ + dlel, ‘biter’
Kurgun	kur, ‘ghoul’ + gun, ‘foot’
Kurkulk	kur, ‘horse’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Kurkulk	kur, ‘tooth’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Kurkur	kur, ‘ghoul’ + kur, ‘tooth’
Kurzork	kur, ‘horse’ + zork, ‘torturer’
Marddalb	mard, ‘elf’ + dalb, ‘crawler’
Mardglol	mard, ‘elf’ + glol, ‘axe’
Melboni	mel, ‘wraith’ + boni, ‘knife’
Melgur	mel, ‘wraith’ + gur, ‘shooter’
Melkor	mel, ‘wraith’ + kor, ‘thrower’
Melkulk	mel, ‘wraith’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Melmonu	mel, ‘wraith’ + monu, ‘lover’
Melslur	mel, ‘wraith’ + slur, ‘toe’
Menfgun	menf, ‘hobgoblin’ + gun, ‘foot’
Menfguno	menf, ‘hobgoblin’ + guno, ‘beater’
Menfthurk	menf, ‘hobgoblin’ + thurk, ‘impaler’
Menfzun	menf, ‘hobgoblin’ + zun, ‘monger’
Morisrol	mori, ‘man’ + srol, ‘mucus’
Muridlel	muri, ‘blood’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Murikulk	muri, ‘blood’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Slurboni	slur, ‘toe’ + boni, ‘knife’
Slurkor	slur, ‘toe’ + kor, ‘killer’
Sroldlel	srol, ‘mucus’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Thardlel	thar, ‘nail’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Tharglol	thar, ‘nail’ + glol, ‘axe’
Thlurglol	thlur, ‘eye’ + glol, ‘axe’
Thlurslol	thlur, ‘eye’ + slol, ‘slicer’
Thorbel	thor, ‘dog’ + bel, ‘hand’
Thorkur	thor, ‘dog’ + kur, ‘tooth’
Threrdlel	threr, ‘face’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Veludalb	velu, ‘skull’ + dalb, ‘crawler’
Veluglol	velu, ‘skull’ + glol, ‘axe’
Velugulv	velu, ‘skull’ + gulv, ‘dragger’
Veluthurk	velu, ‘skull’ + thurk, ‘impaler’
Verodalb	vero, ‘head’ + dalb, ‘crawler’
Vlerdlel	vler, ‘ear’ + dlel, ‘blade’
Vlerguno	vler, ‘ear’ + guno, ‘beater’
Vlerthurk	vler, ‘ear’ + thurk, ‘impaler’
Vulglun	vul, ‘goblin’ + glun, ‘hammer’
Vulgur	vul, ‘goblin’ + gur, ‘shooter’
Vulkor	vul, ‘goblin’ + kor, ‘thrower’
Vulkulk	vul, ‘goblin’ + kulk, ‘sword’
Zimdul	zim, ‘dwarf’ + dul, ‘mangler’
Zimkulg	zim, ‘dwarf’ + kulg, ‘cutter’
Zimslur	zim, ‘dwarf’ + slur, ‘toe’
Zuridalb	zuri, ‘rat’ + dalb, ‘crawler’
Zuridlel	zuri, ‘rat’ + dlel, ‘biter’
Zuriglol	zuri, ‘rat’ + glol, ‘axe’
Zurigun	zuri, ‘rat’ + gun, ‘foot’

Photo Credit: Paris Bilal for Unsplash+.