Lapine Glossary
Adapted from Richard Adams's Watership Down
- Bob-stones
- A traditional game among rabbits.
- Crixa, the
- The center of Efrafa, at the crossing point of two bridle paths.
- Efrafa
- The name of the warren founded by General Woundwort.
- El-ahrairah
- The rabbit folk hero. The name (Elil-hrair-rah) means "Enemies-Thousand-Prince" = the Prince with a Thousand enemies.
- Elil
- enemies (of rabbits).
- Embleer
- Stinking, e.g. the smell of a fox
- Flay
- Food, e.g. grass or other green fodder.
- Flayrah
- Unusually good food, e.g. lettuce.
- Frith
- The sun, personified as a god by rabbits. Frithrah! = the lord Sun-used as an exclamation.
- Fu Inlé
- After moonrise.
- Hlao
- Any dimple or depression in the grass, such as that formed by a daisy plant or thistle, which can hold moisture. The name of a rabbit.
- Hlao-roo
- "Little Hlao." An affectionate diminutive of the name of Hlao, one of the rabbits in the story.
- Hlessi
- A rabbit living above ground, without a regular hole or warren A wandering rabbit, living in the open (Plural, hlessil.)
- Homba
- A fox. (Plural hombil.)
- Hrair
- A great many; an uncountable number; any number over four. U Hrair = The Thousand (enemies).
- Hrairoo
- "little Thousand." The name of Fiver in Lapine.
- Hraka
- Droppings, excreta.
- Hrududu
- A tractor, car or any motor vehicle. (Plural, hrududil.)
- Hyzentlay
- Literally, "Shine-dew-fur" = Fur shining like dew. The name of a doe.
- Inlé
- Literally, the moon; also moonrise. But a second meaning carries the idea of darkness, fear, and death.
- Lendri
- A badger.
- Marli
- A doe. Also carries the meaning "mother."
- M'saion
- "We meet them."
- Narn
- Nice, pleasant (to eat)
- Ni-frith
- Noon.
- Nildro-hain
- "Blackbird's Song." The name of a doe.
- Owsla
- The strongest rabbits in a warren, the ruling clique.
- Owslafa
- The Council Police (a word only found in Efrafa).
- Pfeffa
- A cat.
- Rah
- A prince, leader or chief rabbit. Usually used as a suffix. E.g. Threarah = Lord Threar.
- Roo
- Used as a suffix to denote a diminutive. E.g. Hrairoo.
- Sayn
- Groundsel.
- Silf
- Outside, that is, not underground.
- Silflay
- To go above ground to feed. Literally, to feed outside. Also used as a noun.
- Tharn
- Stupefied, distraught, hypnotized with fear. But can also, in certain contexts, mean "looking foolish," or again "heartbroken" or forlorn."
- Thethuthininang
- "movement of Leaves." The name of a doe.
- Thlay
- Fur.
- Thayli
- "Fur-head." A nickname.
- Threar
- A rowan tree, or mountain ash.
- Vair
- To excrete, pass droppings.
- Yona
- A hedgehog. (Plural, yonil.)
- Zorn
- Destroyed, murdered. Denotes a catastrophe.