Mešvi 2.3 Conlang Update

For readers following the development of the Mešvi constructed language

What’s New

The Mešvi language has grown significantly. Version 2.3 adds 157 new words and 48 new phrases, bringing the total vocabulary to over 420 entries with 53 fully-translated expressions.

More importantly, this update establishes a key phonological distinction that makes the language feel more lived-in: the difference between sacred and everyday speech.

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Sacred Speech vs. Common Speech

In real languages, religious terminology often preserves archaic forms. Think of English “thou” in prayer, or the way Hebrew liturgy sounds different from conversational Hebrew.

Mešvi now has this feature built in. The archaic sound Q (a deep, uvular stop) appears only in frozen sacred terms:

• qi — the Way, the holy path
• šeib’qi — the holy war (both external and internal struggle)
• Âd Šeib’qi — the Final Holy War
• Pîrâq — the Crone aspect of the goddess Kušma

Everything else uses the modern Kh (like the “ch” in Scottish “loch”). When a Mešvi character quotes scripture or invokes the divine, their speech sounds different. When they’re arguing about ship repairs or cooking dinner, they use the common pronunciation.

This isn’t arbitrary—it reflects how languages actually work. Sacred texts get memorized and repeated verbatim across generations, preserving old forms that fade from everyday use.

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New Vocabulary Domains

Scripture and Prophecy

The bulk of new vocabulary supports translating religious texts and ceremonial language:

• Theological adjectives: bezlêkhbîn (spiritually blind, “without heart-sight”), kûret (small/insignificant), yâkhret (great/significant)
• Sacred roles: Kušmâdnavîmkah (Kušma’s Final Prophetess), nanavîmâkh (false prophetess), šafîzi (handmaiden oath/status)
• Religious verbs: khânan (to call/summon), šemzan (to hear), hadîjan (to guide)

Cultural Vocabulary

New words for everyday Mešvi life:

• Honor and reputation: mâret- (shifts class based on context—domestic, prophetic, or martial honor)
• Nature: vâgel- (garden), khôndala (autumn leaf), yâk- (ice), nakhv- (palm/date)
• Relationships: rêva (friend), veknêfa (trusted one), lêkhšamaklêlâmešû (heart-stiller—a deadly insult)

Expanded Phrases

The phrase database grew from 5 to 53 entries, including:

Greetings expanded:

• Full formal: Tâyezela benesîka huva bevara (“Your shadow blesses my threshold”)
• Full response: Benesîka tîrevan, bevrîkh huva (“I am blessed to darken it”)

Commands:

• Hakhšav ravîtan! — Go now!
• Zavâzer! Lêkhšamaklêlâmešû! — Beware! Heart-stiller!

Scripture translations:

• Îmana danavad, egrim amalasrâ kamranîst, nordet huva — Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead
• Bihî zarevû ez omavannîst — Good does not come from evil
• Zarevû zarevû omavan — Evil begets evil

Oaths:

• Nifârjûz zindâ bâshand! — May the God-Slayer live!

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One Important Correction

The prophetic title Râzetbârešani (“Heir of Mystery”) has been corrected to Rešatbârešani (“the True Heir”). This better reflects the meaning: rešat means “true, genuine, authentic,” emphasizing that Mažtorkah’s prophesied child is the real heir, not just a mysterious one.

The word râzet (“secret, mysterious”) still exists and is used for esoteric knowledge and hidden commandments.

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What This Means for Immortal

These additions directly support the serialization of Immortal, the first book in the Dark Dominion sequence. Readers will encounter:

• The Q/Kh distinction in prophetic speeches vs. everyday dialogue
• Scripture quotations with proper theological vocabulary
• Ceremonial phrases for oath-taking and blessings
• Culturally authentic insults and commands

The language isn’t decoration—it encodes how the Mešvi think about power, identity, knowledge, and the sacred.

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Technical Details

For those tracking the linguistic development:

• Total vocabulary: 423 entries (up from 266)
• Total phrases: 53 entries (up from 5)
• New class-shifting paradigms: 12 (words that change grammatical class based on context)

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Bihîzani, Gayera vâ Kokhîâkh hadîjâkh bâš.

May Virtue, Charity, and Wisdom be your guide.