Selkie Language

Selkie is the trade language of the world. One selkie dialect or another has touched just about every port in the world, and merchants far and wide use it as an international lingua franca. A sufficiently large trading port is bound to have someone, selkie or not, who can speak rudimentary selkie.
Aboard selkie ships, language is an important factor in showing who is an insider and who is an outsider. Speaking good, old fashioned selkie is a sign that you are one of the Khilaia wherever the winds take you. Their traditional rituals and stories (known as Hamekun) require that shared language and reinforce its use with selkies around the world. Entrance into the Khilaian Isles requires fluent use of intelligible selkie as well as Selkie heritage, keeping dialectical drift in check.

Selkie Names

Gender is whatever. Some of these have associated meanings listed.

• Kam, Kama (sea)
• Arimai (moonborne)
• Koa/Koahan (warrior)
• Noha (warrior)
• Hasami (born on a journey)
• Kami (born of the sea)
• Kai (otter)
• Kova (friend)
• Moksa (beloved)
• Khoku (star)
• Nila (victorious)
• Wakoa (war-singer)
• Semmi (born in storm)
• Temu (twin)
• Milen (song of taking/conquest/raiding)
• Yeku (little child)
• Ganui (big person)
• Yarena (celestial)
• Shelani (sunny)
• Shemla (sun-bringer)
• Dawai'a (fisher)
• Maikov (blessed)
• Pokha (cat)
• Ikbari/Barika (healthy one)
• Beihu (egg)
• Lokoa (warrior)
• Nera (without bad)
• Hoku (diminutive for "sand flea")
• Okehoa/Yamoa (ocean friend)
• Kohika (strength)
• Harutz (hardworking)
• Maluko (calm waters)
• Mera (bee)
• Dailio (fish tail)
• Ashai (wealthy)
• Ruani (of the spirits)
• Kamayr (guardian)
• Tovani (clear skies)
• Myna (flightless bird)
• Kamuo (ocean bird)
• Shanuku (kitten)
• Dai (fish)
• Samaeli (happy)
• Bakai (defended)
• Mona (pearl)
• Pol (blue)
• Nualoa
• Immakahm (parent-destined)
• Saikoa (storm-caller)
• Hatah (fast)
• Salahu (peace)
• Inakoa (archer)
• Imaka

Suffixes:

• -mi/-mai: suffix meaning "born in/of"
• -ra: without
• -kahm: destined

Divine Names

• Kainaku (child of the primordial ocean goddess)
• Daykami (born of the trickster god)
• Padikova (shortening of "friend of Padima", Padima being the primordial land goddess)
• Otalakahm (destined one of the peace god)
• Kailakoa (champion of Kailio )

How to Generate New Selkie

Generally speaking, Selkie is a mashup of Hawaiian and Phoenician (with Hebrew substituted when Phoenecian is not available for a word). While these are linguistically mulched beyond most recognition, you could probably dabble a bit in either Hawaiian, Phoenician, or even Hebrew in a pinch - though avoiding cultural or religious names is a good idea and definitely think about what you are saying.

Dictionary

223 Words.

States that speak majority Selkie