Suthderben is the fictional regional dialect spoken between the Severn delta and the Thames valley in the 4th century. A sister language to Old Welsh, Old Cornish, and Old Breton, it forms part of the Brythonic branch of the Insular Celtic language family. It bridges Proto-Celtic roots with the evolving Brythonic languages, retaining key features such as initial consonant mutations, melodic intonation, and a rich system of compound words tied to the natural world. While closely related to its Brythonic siblings, Suthderben reflects its own regional identity, shaped by the geography and culture of its speakers.
Pronunciation: Pronounced as written, Prytanic retains features common to Brythonic languages. Consonant mutations adjust the initial sounds of words based on grammatical context, while vowels are generally short unless accented. For example, “u” resembles the rounded vowel in French lune, and “i” is pronounced as in English machine.
| Word | Meaning | Cognates |
|---|---|---|
| Andunos | The Underworld | PC: Ande-dubnos Ande “under” or “deep” + Dubnos “world” or “darkness” W: Annwn Realm of the dead |
| ardethes | lady, highness, noblewoman | W: arglwyddes, c.f., E: ardent |
| argan | silver, money |
P: arganton W: arian ‘money/silver’ E: argent (poetic) |
| aron | stop, halt | W: aros B: arsav E: arrest |
| baraben | Mushroom variety (Boletus edulis) | W: bara “bread” + pen “head” E: Penny Bun Italian: porcino and Latin: suilli “hog mushrooms” |
| bobba | idiot | C: bobba ‘fool’ PC: baba- “childlike, foolish” |
| boudi | Victory, success | W: buddug, I: bua Boudicca (name) “Victory woman” |
| Brekollen | Hazel hill | C: bre-kollen, W: bre-collen, I: brae-coll |
| Brenahaf | Summer Hills | W: Bryn yr Haf C: bre-yn-hav |
| brennes | leader, chief (female) | W: brenhines ‘queen’ C: benynes |
| chlusgor | creep | W: llusgwr (lit. ‘dragger’) |
| Derbenaid | People of the Oaks, Dobunni tribe | W/C: Derwen + collective suffix –aid ‘Oak-ites’ B: Dervenn, I: Darach |
| dieth loor | monthly cycle | W: Dyddiau lleuad, ‘moon days’ C: loor, B: loar, ‘moon’ |
| dour | Water | W: dwr, C: dowr, B: dour I: dobhar water, flood, dark, dull c.f., Scots: dour (from the sense of dark) |
| droug | bad, evil | W: drwg, C: drog, B: droug, I: droch |
| Epona | Goddess of Horses, fertility | C: ebol I: each ‘horse’ |
| gauch | idiot, coward | |
| gauna | dress, robe | W: gŵn, I: gúna, C: gwisk E: gown |
| gofer | confluence, meeting of waters | W: gofer I: gabar C: gover c.f. D: gabel “fork” |
| goreth | West | C: gorlewin W: gorllewin |
| heuth | silence, quiet (command) | W: heddwch “peace” |
| kadarngal | investiture, ceremony | W: cadarnhad, C: cadarnheans, B: kouzoumenn, ‘confirmation’ with gal for gathering, festival, gala (W: gŵyl) |
| karad | dear, beloved (term of endearment) |
W: cariad, I: cara, C: kara ‘love’ |
| kowl | soup | W: cawl C: cowl ‘soup’ |
| Kodamurin | Squire’s copse (place) | W: Coed yr Meuryn |
| Kommturk | Turc’s valley (place) | W: Cwm-twrch, C: Komm-torgh, I: Com-torc “boar valley” |
| koreff | Ale/Beer | W: cwrw, C: korev (from which comes modern Spanish ‘cerveza’) |
| korrikans | spirits, guardian beings | C: korrik, B: korr+ig ‘dwarf’ |
| Kouda | Goddess | The goddess Cuda, from which the Cotswolds were named |
| linas | nettle | C: linasennow, linas (coll.) B: linad |
| maenhir | menhir, standing stone | W/B: maen + hir ‘long stone’ |
| mais | central clearing, plaza | W: maes “field” C: mes “outside, open country” B: maez “country” |
| markos | horse | C: margh B: mar’ch W: march I: marc E: mare |
| mognen | maiden, virgin | W: morwyn, I: maighdean C: moren |
| monchor | torc, neck ring | PC: mon- “neck” -chor “ring” W: mwnwgl-cordeddu, ‘neck-twist’ I: muineál-coirnín |
| Nef’kodon | Sacred grove (place) | W: Coedydd y nef “woods of heaven” |
| onn | ash tree | C/W: onnen |
| penmellen | daffodil | “yellow head” W: Pen “head” + melyn “yellow” |
| predarion | bandits, raiders | PC: preda– ‘plunder’, E: predator |
| prennbol | board game | I: fidchell, W: gwyddbwyll, pren-pwyll, ‘wood-knowledge’ |
| prensans | carved pillar, column | W: pren-sanctaidd, C: pren-sans ‘sacred tree’ |
| Saes | Saxon | W: Saesneg, B: Saks, Saoz |
| sekkit | speak, say | PC: seku- “to say” |
| seren | star | W: seren C: steren B: stered |
| skoob | broom, brush | W: ysgub, I: scuab B: skulbelenn, C: skubell |
| ster | brook, stream | W: Ystyr C: stere B: stêr |
| Sterhaleg | Willow Brook | W: ystyr + helyg |
| Suthderben | Whisper of the oaks (language name) |
W: su “murmur, whisper, buzz” + derwen “oak” |
| tafaern | tavern, pub | W: tafarn, B/C: tavern, I: teach tábhairne from Latin: taberna |
| Tainaglan | Bealtaine, May Day | E: Beltane W: tân “fire” + glear “bright” I: tine geal |
| tegh komenad | community hall | W: tŷ cymunedol I: teach comaoineach |
| tegh skoob | pub, tavern | “broom house” I: shebeen c.f., D: besenwirtschaft “broom-pub” |
| trugath | thank you, blessing you | W: trugaredd, B: trugarez ‘thanks’ E: truce |
W: Welsh, B: Breton, C: Cornish, I: Irish, PC: Proto-Celtic, E: English, P: Brythonic (Prythonic)
Phrases
| As ta an Eraben? | Are you the frost-woman? | W: Wyt ti’n Eira-ben? “snow-woman” |
| Dieth da | Good day | W: Diwrnod da, B: Devezh mat C: Dydh da, I: Lá maith |
| Deugh ammi! | Disgust on me! | W: Ych a fi! “Yuck!” | Fa ma’n kroga? | How’s it hanging? | W: Sut mae’n crogi? C: Fatel yn kroga? I: Conas atá sé ar crochadh? |
| Kam an dres! | Step away! | W: Cam i ffwrdd! C: Kem yn dres! |
| Ma dagos ista | Welcome | W: mae croeso i mewn, I: tá fáilte isteach, “welcome inside” |
| Ma trist ammi | Sadness lies over me | W: Mae’n trist gen i I: Tá brón orm |
| Mar dos hun, Saes, disg sekkit tabod a rann kroen! | If you come over here, Saxon, learn to speak the fucking (lit. skin-parting) language! | W: Os ti’n dod draw fan hyn, Sacson, dysga siarad yr iaith ffycin!, C: Mar ny weles dhywgh, Saxon, dyskav dhe gomerys an lyver! |
| Metten da | Good morning | C: Mettin da |
| Mond a’ma! | Go from here! | W: Mynd oddi yma! C: Dos mes a’ma |
| Saes! An dos o’ma! | Saxons! Comin’ over ‘ere! | W: Sacsoniaid! Yn dod draw yma! C: Sows! Ow tos omma! B: Saozon! O tont amañ! |
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