Tau Lexicon

Abbreviations
cw. :Composite Word, a word made up of a bunch individual words to make one greater word with
a different meaning
s-m. : Sub-meaning
Apostrophes
In the same way humans write with spaces the Tau do as well. But a space in the Tau language is
the same as a full stop, basically separating one meaning from another to aid in the speaking of the
language.
The apostrophe in Tau language relates to the linking of multiple meanings to create a further
meaning, in much the same way that when you write descriptively you use adjectives to describe nouns.
Apostrophes also work to combine meanings, e.g. where Bork is snow, and An is location when put
together as Bork'an it can be taken as 'Cold land' or 'Snow covered land'. But this can also change the
total meaning, e.g. where Tau is the People of the Greater Good and Cyr is time, in the arbitrary period
of, Tau'cyr is a Tau Empire standard year.
Tau Personal Names
1-They begin with their caste and rank e.g. Shas'la, or young warrior.
2-They describe the Tau's background by their Sept, e.g. N'dras, or the Distrusted
3-Here follow the personal name-traits describing attributes, personality or feats, e.g. Shovah, or
Farsighted can refer to their ability to plan for a future event successfully.
A name normally states their rank and then their first name-trait, e.g. O'Shovah, with the exception
of the Ethereal Caste, Aun followed by their name-trait; and the la rank Tau, who are only called by their
name-trait; or in personal matters or for the sake of speed (in the heat of battle for instance when orders
need to be given quickly), when only the name-trait is used, and sometimes (if a composite word) only
the first part of the name-trait.
A
A:Below or under, in relation to status
Al:Overseeing
Aloh:Cold
Aloh'rra: cw. Cold Shadow
An:Location, in relation to a specific place
Anuk:Birdlike or flying feathered creature
Ar:High in social standing or class or dignified
Aslo: Heat or warmth
Ata: ghost or spirit
Au: Age, era or a period of time
Auk: Impure, in relation to the physical attributes of an object
Aun: Ethereal Caste in a personal tone
Aun'bork'an'retha: cw. Ethereal Bork'an University
Aun'chia'gor: cw. Ceremonial council meeting of the Castes
Aun'kor'vattra: cw. Ethereal in charge of overseeing a space fleet or Ethereal's space fleet escort
Aun'T'au'Retha: cw. Temple of the High Council, where the High Council sits inside the Walled City of
T'au
Ak'ula: cw. Hammerhead Tank
Ar'cea: cw. Literally- The highly/greatly advanced civilization, also known as the Eldar

B
B: Shepherd or guide or basic
Bap: lost
Be: simple
Be'gel: cw. Orks or simple creatures.
Bentu: Wise or gifted or gracefully intelligent
Bentu'sin: cw. Wise-gifted ones this has the meaning of Demiurg in Tau phrases.
B'kak: cw. Sand Herder or guide of the sands
B'nim: cw. A basic foodstuff much like humans would consider bread or pasty food
Bork: Snow or Ice

C
Cal: Hard or tough as in the physical properties of a material
Caor: Spinner or creator
Cea: Civilized or enlightened, in reference to those who see that the whole is greater than the one when it
comes to society.
Cha: Purpose or action
Cir'etz: cw. Sensitive scales on the spine and neck of a Tau
Che: fast
Chel: suit or one-piece article of clothing
Che'lel: cw. Lightning
Chia'gor: cw. The round table where the Caste leaders first assembled to hear the word of the Aun,
symbolizing the end of the Mont'au
Cka: Ba**tard
Co: A Negative Prefix to a phrase, placement within word denotes what is negative.
Coge: cw. Not/or
Co't: cw. But or in contrast to or not alike to
Cova: Break, shatter, dismantle.
Cyr: Time, in reference to an arbitrary period of

D
D: Twin or Together
Da: Darkness or Absence (of light)
Da'an: cw. Literally- Dark place or absence of places, can be translated as gulf
Dal:
Dao: To accept or To receive or Be given
Daoa'cea: cw. Acceptance of civilisation. Perhaps the Tau don't see Tau imperialism as imperialism, but
more the expansion of the Tau'va to those who have yet to gain civilisation as the Tau see it.
Demlok: Canyon, gorge, cut waterway or a trench
Dem'ea'cova:Colloquialism. Roughly speaking, it means "Cross the Rubicon"; to pass the point of no
return.
Doran: Calm or Peaceful or At peace
Doran'ro: cw. Calm mind or Peaceful mind, a phrase referring to a relaxed state of being.
Dr: battledress
Dras:
Drek:
Du: Position, in relation to a physical place or object.
Du'a: cw. Down or Under
Dua'vr: cw. Beside or Next to
Du'oc: cw. Up or Above
DuEio: cw. High or Taller
E
Ea:The or It or !, putting emphasis on a phrase. Placement within phrase dictates what is having attention
drawn to it.
Eio: Tall or Large Vertically
Eio'kio: cw. Tall Plant or Tree
El: Hero or Commander or Very Important, in reference to social standing
Elan: Strong or Sturdy or Support
Elan'gu'cha: cw. Sturdy Frame Action or Skeleton or Framework or Scaffolding. Its is a metaphor relating
to the way a framework has a contact force action on what opposes it, or allows an action to take
place because of it. Can also mean the base for something or a planned scenario.
Elan'Ro: cw. Support mind or skull, s-m. important
Eldi: Wing in reference to a physical limb of a creature
Elro: Have a voice or to speak
Elsy:
Eg: Way, path, direction
Eg'ha: cw. Aim, way to do something, purpose
Eg'Co'ha: cw. Bad purpose
Eoro: To lead or to guide
Er:
Era: Plural suffix to a phrase, placement within word denotes what is plural, e.g. Cha'era or many
purposes'
Es: Forceful or Domineering, s-m. 'Full of him/herself'
Es'Tau: Attempt to integrate aliens into the Tau Empire
Eur'ii: cw. Tau nictating membranes described as moisture film

F
Fal:
Fann: Group, used in the composite word Tau'fann; to formally address a congregation of Tau of all
Castes
Fio: Earth or Earth Caste
Fio'sorral: cw. Artwork, used to describe the subtle Tau artform embedded into architecture, objects, and
everyday life.
Fio'toros'tai: cw. Fio abattoir district on T'au

G
Gal:To Explore or To Discover
Gal'leath: cw. Explorer Ship
Ge: And or with
Gel: Being
Gerosh'i: cw. Something large, used in the sentence "Finding a t'repa in a gerosh'i."
Ge'ta: cw. Flatbread
Gharial: Diplomatic Spaceship
Gue: Human
Gue'la: cw. Humans, sub-meaning Imperial humans or non-pro Tau humans.
Gue'la'sia: cw. Human speech Low Gothic (speech)
Gue'la'elro: cw. Human Speaker or Human Politician
Gue'vesa: cw. Human Helpers. It refers to any human indoctrinated into Tau society or was born as a
generations under Tau control.
Greh'li: cw. Berry
Griy'na: cw. A species of Tau fruit

H
H: It, it is an aggressive possessive prefix.
Ha: Many
Ha'an: cw. Literally many places, can be translated as cluster or city
He: Unlimited or without number or infinity
Hen: to carry or to support, in a positive way
Hesa: numbers, in reference to Tau number symbols
He'ra: cw. Many wrongs or misled
H'esav'geka: cw. We are better than you, in very general terms
Hie: Dark as in tinted or coloured dark, s-m darkness or absence of light or death
Hie'ho: cw. Death pain, the sense of release (which is seen through the relaxation of the subjects body)
right before death
Ho: pain
Hol:
Ho'or'ata't'chel: cw. Sympathetic Ghost Pains, affliction of Crisis suit operators unable to cope with the
psychological trauma of their Battlesuit being injured while neurally interfacing with it
Hui:

I
Io: Food Plant, in reference to where the food is coming from, rather than prepared food
Io'ra: cw. Planet, Territory or Ownership, used as Gue'la'io'ra to describe a world under Imperial
jurisdiction
I'helti: cw. Ceremonial bandanna/tiara worn by the Ethereal Caste
Is: Movement or (lack of) movement; sub-meanings cold, in reference to an objects movement rather than
that of a creature, which would be defined as action in Tau Xenolexicon, in reference to the lack of
movement meaning an object being cold
Iur'tae'mont: cw. Burnout, War Madness or Shellshock, used to describe effects similar to post-traumatic
stress disorder

J
J: To reverse or to reflect
J'aslo: cw. Literally- reflected heat or absence of heat, s-m. To stay hidden or to not be detected
Jeth'ri: cw. Type of Spear used by Shas'ui during the Tau'kon'seh (Ceremonial Clonebeast Hunts)
Jikita: Kroot
Jikita't'auk'cka: cw. Kroot Hound
J'hal: cw. A type of flower native to T'au, having bright red petals and providing high-energy nectar
consumed by Fire Warriors during combat exercises
J'kaara: cw. Reflect Image or Mirror
Jkor: Medic
J'korst: cw. Healer or doctor
Juntas:
Juntaa: Stone, or type of stone, inscribed with a filigree of flowing patterns and mandalas

K
Kaara: Image or Picture
Ka: To strike or To hit
Ka'is: cw. Violent movement or impulsive action
Kai: Big, in relation to the size of something
Kar: Correct
Kais: Skilful or expert or Competent
Kak: Sand or Small sediment
Ka'ra: cw. Strike Wrong or Exile
Kass: Troops
Kass'l: cw. Troop Dropper or Orca
Kathr'yl: cw. Species of reptile native to T'au
Ka'mesa: cw. Strike Mark or Scar
Ka'mesa'auk: cw. A deformity in an inanimate object, such as a tear, rip, dent, etc.
Kau: to eat
Kau'ui: cw. Hunter Leader/Team or Cadre -not a direct translation
Kauyon: Hunter that is Patient or Patient Hunter, it refers to a type of Tau battle plan as well and can be
used descriptively as a way of conducting plans or a project, it cannot be broken down due to the
fact that in Tau culture hunters are always patient
Kavaal: Strike Group or Attack Force in reality this is a grouping of multiple Tau contingents to form a
small army.
Kip:
Kir:
Kipr:
Kir'la: cw.
Ken'rai: Colloquialism, Cut off the Head, the Body will Die
Klkn: negative prefix, suffix or meaning term on its own. In reference like a Human would curse.
Klas: Exceptionally
Kles: Explosive
Kles'tak: cw. Intense Explosive, Equivalent of a high explosive such as C-4
Kna: Silly or Stupid
Ko: To be worthy of or commendable of
Koil: Far or far apart
Ko'io: cw. Grain, Basic Food Plants, Plants worthy of being eaten in a literal sense
Ko'io'nai: cw. Worthy Food Plants (that are) Starchy or Cereal
Kor: Air Caste or Air
Korar: Airship
Korts: Death
Korst'la: cw. Death being or Reaper
Kor'vesa: cw. Air Helpers or Tau Drones (Note the translation "Faithful Helper" is inaccurate as it does
not follow the rest of the language).
Ko'vash: cw. Worthy Cause, something that is commendable in Tau society.
Kor'vattra: cw. Air Caste space fleet
Kar'tyr: cw. Correct Punishment or Justice
Kre: Traitor
Kunas: Agile or Dexterous
Ky: Me or I, in reference to self.
Kyse: Belt in reference to asteroid belts in space.

M
M: An 'un-' prefix, not negative meanings however. Used in the same way we might use inverted commas
when using a descriptive word which doesnt quite work.
Mal: Insect or arthropod
Mal'caor: cw. Web spinner or spider in reference to insects.
Mal'kor: cw. Vespid Stingwing
Me: Unkempt, dirty, scrawny or unlikeable
Me'drek: cw.
Me'lek: cw.
Mein:
Mesa: To mark or to identify
Mesme: To add or To combine or To Join
Mon: Black or Greys, in reference to colour (it seems).
Mon'wern'a: cw. Deceptive Assault
Monat: An Individual or Individual Freedom or the name given to a single Tau acting alone, and not as
part of a team
Mont:War or Battle
Mont'au: cw. War Age or Age of War, sub-meanings referring to the anarchy of the early Tau castes and
hence cane be translated as The Terror.
Montauguela: cw. Age of War Against Humans or Chaos Humans/Cultists
Mont'da: cw. War Darkness or Fog of War
Mont'ka: cw. War Strike or Killing Blow
Mont're: cw. War Strength or Warlike
Mont'yr: cw. War Experienced or Veteran
Moriin: A type of resin, described as dark-tinted with icy impurities and glimmering nebulae of coloured
dyes
Myr: Knife or Blade
M'yan: cw. Unhappy or Sad
M'yen: cw. Unforeseen or Unexpected
M'yenshi: cw. Unforeseen victory or Unexpected victory

N
N: Second, in reference to placement rather than time.
Nai: Carbohydrates or starch, in reference to a foods nutritional content.
Nan: Sword or Hand Blade
Nan'sha'is: cw. Sword wind, in reference to a sudden fast change, s-m. an attack made by Eldar forces.
Nars: Stone or Rock
Nem: Piercing
Nen: Spear
Nim: Foodstuff or Food or Staple meal
Ny: Fur or Hair
Ny'oni: cw. Fur-covered

L
L: To drop
La: Lowest rank in Tau heritage
Lar: Valiant or Courageous
Lar'shi: cw. Valiant Victory or Hero, in reference to a one off act
Leath: Deep Space Spaceship
Lek:
Lissera: Group or Team
Lisseri: To Accept
Li: Wild, natural or light
Likas:
Li'Sun'yi: cw. Wild Flower
Lusha:
Lynu: Steadfast or persistent

O
O: High Commander/Leader or Heroic Commander/Leader, this suffix in a Tau name denotes the highest
Tau rank one can achieve.
Oi: Shinning or Reflecting
Ol: Bright in relation to light intensity
Olku: Decision or Choice
Oni: Covered or To Cover
Or: Compelling or Authoritative
Or'es: cw. Forcefully Compelling or Powerful or Charismatic
Or'mon'kor: cw. Authoritative Black Air or Powerful Black Air; in reference to the power of pinning the
drones posses, s-m. sniper drone
O'ran: cw. Courage, in reference to the act of.
O'res'la: cw. Heroic Barbaric Beings ot Ork Raiders

P
P: A place or There or In or At, a prefix denoting the physical placement of an object or area.
Pol: Traditional wide-brimmed hat worn by the Water Caste
Poi'sell: cw. A type of meat, used in the sentence, Sliced open like a warm slab of poi'sell.
Por: Water Caste or Water/liquids

R
R: Long
R'myr: cw. Long knife
Ra: Wrong
Raik: Time, in reference to the passing of and measurement of
Raik'an: cw. seconds
Raik'ors: cw. minutes
Ray: Walker
Ray'mont: cw. Literally- The lifeless walkers/death walkers, also known as the Necrons
Re: Strength
Ret: To Teach or To Instruct or To Inform
Retha: Temple or University
Res: Barbaric
Ro: Mind or Brain
Rotaa: cw. day
Roi: Smell
Rra: cw. Shadow (Therefore- Shase: Sun? From Shaserra being Shadowsun)
Ru: Built or Crafted
Ru'fio: Built by the Earth Caste
Run: Structure or Building, in reference to buildings in general.
Run'al: Small Building
Run'oni: cw. Hidden Building or military outpost
S
Sa: Well
Sa'cea: cw. Well civilised
Saal: Children or young adult or trainee
Sav: Future prefix, 'will' as in will be or will happen
Sav'cyr: cw. Time to come or future
Sav'ge: cw. With, in reference to something occurring in the future
Savon: Keen-eyed or good eyesight
Se: To depend on, to be carried by or to ride on
Se'hen'che'lel: cw. Riding the Lightning, Tau term for their method of boarding action using one-man
pods fired through coilgun batteries at enemy ships
Sha: Gas or gaseous substance
Sha'is: cw. Gas movement or wind
Shan: Army
Shan'al: cw. Small army
Shas: Fire Caste, not referring to fire as an entity
Shas'ar'tol: cw. Fire Caste High Command
Shaserra: 1. Hidden, Secret/Secrecy, Stealth. 2. It could also mean Ambush(er) or Trap(per). 3. Eclipse
(Shadowed Sun), an event that historically was considered an ill-omen, accompanied by mass panic
and hysteria.
Shas'ka: cw. Fire Caste Strike
Shas'kademlok: cw. Fire Caste attack at trenches or within a canyon
Shas'ken'to: cw. Principles of Combat
Shas'len'ra: cw. A cautious warrior
Shas'shi: cw. Fire Caste victory or victorious warriors
Shi: Victory
Shi'mont'ka: cw. Victory war strike
Shi'va: cw. Victory cause
Sho: Energy, in reference to the creation of and transfer of
Sho'aunor'es: cw. Tau word for source of power, generator, engine, drive.
Sho'ka: cw. Energy strike or energy weapon or plasma weapons
Sho'kara: cw. Energy image or gate/portal, s-m lens
Shovah: Farsighted or prophetic
Shtlk: Defile or desecrate
Siral: Return
Sin: Ones or peoples or group
Sio: Thought of or planed
Sio't: cw. Premeditated aggression
Snae'ta: cw. Cursed or Damned, used as an adjective or noun to describe someone/something displeasing
used in the phrase Snae'ta'gue'la
Soo: Artful
S'peiy: cw. A bottle or a canteen
Su: Grey
Suas: Join in or become of
Suam: Fire or Combustion (the act of), in direct reference to fire and flame, rather than the Fire Caste
which is different.
Sun'yi: cw. A plant found on Tel'Oshi. It has large, beautiful petals, but only lives for a little over a
Tau'cyr.
Shyh'am: cw. Something displeasing or repulsive, used in the phrase What the shyh'am am I eating?"
T
T: Of or To
T'koreth: cw. Galaxy
T'roi: cw. a type of smell
Ta: Soul
Taal: To Preserve
Ta'lissera: cw. Marriage or covenant
Ta'mein: cw. Soul...
Ta'ro'cha: cw. Literally: 'Three minds, one purpose', referring to the team work of three Crisis Battlesuits
as one squad
Tash: Endures
Tau: People of the Greater Good, this includes any alien species integrated into the Tau Empire not only
Tau themselves
Tau'cyr: cw. year
T'auk'cka: cw. Of impure stock or hybrid or ba**ard
T'auk'cka'M'me: cw. Ba**ardised or not of an expected breed, for its kind
T'auk'me: cw. To dirty something or to make something impure
Tau'kon'seh: cw. Ritual festival in which Shas'ui are tasked with stalking and hunting clonebeasts for
sport and feasting
Tak: Explosive
Tau'fann: cw. Formal greeting or address to a congregation of Tau of all Castes
Tau'sia: cw. Tau speak or language of Tau
Tau'va: cw. Tau Path or The Greater Good
Tery:
Tio: Group, alliance or many people
Tio've: cw. Contingent or a group of cadres
T'n'cha: cw. Of second purpose or on the other hand
To: An exclamation of unbelief
Tol: Office (of) or Position (over) or Authority (of)
Tol'tor: cw. Authority of the land or position of power
Tor: Land or Distance/Area
Tor'il: cw. Roughly translates as centimetres
Tor'kan: cw. Roughly about one kilometre
Tor'lek: cw. Roughly about one metre
To'Tau'va'ea: cw. Exclamation, By the Greater Good! or By the Path! Can compare to the Low
Gothic term, By the Throne! or By the Emperor!
T'pel: cw. Species of shark native to T'au's seas
T'pre'ta: cw. Fireworks
T'repa: cw. Something small or tiny, used in the sentence "Finding a t'repa in a gerosh'i. (A needle in a
haystack)
T'roi: cw. A type of flower with petals resembling an explosion
T'suam: cm. Of fire
Tsua: Extreme Values, relating to extremes on a scale of numbers
Tsua'm: cw. Not extreme, middle or normal

U
Uash'O: cw. Tau regional Fire Caste command.
Ufa: Breakable or fragile
Ui: Team Leader or veteran, in reference to the second lowest Tau rank
Ui't: cw. Expert of or Leader of
Ukos: Spoon
Upt: Mountains

V
Va: Greater or better or improved upon
Va'yan: cw. Happier
Vah: Personal, rarely used
Ve: Plural for cadre (Kau'ui)
Vah'cha: cw. Goal or Aim
Vash: Between
Vash'aun'an: cw. Literally- Between celestial space or warp space
Vash'ya: cw. Literally- Between worlds (planets) or deep space
Vesa: Helper
Vattra: Fleet, in reference to spacecraft
Vior: Aggressive
Vior'la: cw. Aggressive being
Vr: Equal or next to, in terms of social standing
Var: To raid or raiding
Vral: cw. Undercut
Vre: Veteran

X
Xar: Physical
Xar'vesa: cw. Physical helper suit or Battlesuit
Xauk: Create new life or birth
Xesa: Past prefix, as is 'was' or 'has been'

Y
Y: Individual(s) or one
Ya: World, planet
Yan: Happy, s-m mood
Yi: Cheeks
Yie'rla'rettan: cw. Literally- Caution in the face of Threat."
Yanoi: Moon
Y'eldi: cw. Individual wing or a being with wings (Winged One)
Yen: To imagine or foresee
Ye'qua'li: cw. Radiation or type of radiation given off by either lifeforms or equipment, picked up by Tau
Blacksun filters
Y'he: cw. Individuals without number, also known as Tyranids to the Imperials
Yio: To hear or listen
Yr: Experienced
Y'xauk: cw. Individual creates or to breed or mate
Yth: