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- "It isn't an easy language to learn, what with all the growls and howls. Big Z told me the whole point was to make it difficult for outsiders to understand."
- ―Mission Vao
Senator Kerrithrarr, a native speaker of Shyriiwook
Shyriiwook, also known as Wookieespeak, was the main trade language of the Wookiees. In Basic, Shyriiwook translates to "tongue of the tree people." It was not the only Wookiee language, but, being the main trade language, it was the language understood by most non-Wookiees who understood "the Wookiee language"—in fact, most non-Wookiees were unaware of the existence of multiple Wookiee languages.
Description[]
To outsiders, this language usually sounded like mere animalistic barks, roars, growls, and moans, conveying little more than emotion. However, Shyriiwook was in fact just as intelligent a language as Basic.
The unique shape of the Wookiee throat made Shyriiwook a very difficult, even impossible language to speak for most non-Wookiees; presumably the word Shyriiwook itself, as well as other Wookiee words or names, were transliterations of the original Wookiee sounds into a form more easily pronounced by others. No tongue or lip movement was required to speak Shyriiwook; the jaw was typically locked open, with sound emanating from the throat and back of the mouth.
It was also incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for most Wookiees to learn to speak Basic. As a result, most inter-species communication involving Wookiees had to be carried out in a bilingual format, usually with the Wookiee speaking Shyriiwook and the other party speaking Basic.
Some Wookiees, such as Ambassador Ralrracheen, spoke with a speech impediment which conveniently rendered their Shyriiwook pronunciation easier to understand for Basic speakers familiar with the language. This allowed him to communicate with Leia Organa Solo, who was in the process of learning the language, without a translator when she came to the planet in 9 ABY seeking protection from Grand Admiral Thrawn's Noghri Death Commandos.
Shyriiwook had over 150 words for "wood," depending on content, grain, moisture and underlying structure. It also had fifteen separate words meaning "violence."[3]
However, standard Shyriiwook was considered lacking in suitable terminology, and perhaps semantic precision, for many technical subjects. Accordingly, when Wookiees talked about topics such as starship maintenance, the Thykarann dialect was often preferred, with many Wookiees capable of switching between the two with relative ease.[4]
Another Wookiee language, Xaczik, was indigenous to the Wartaki Islands on Kashyyyk and several outlying coastal regions. While Shyriiwook remained the common language of Wookiee trade and travel, the much rarer Xaczik language became the secret language of the Wookiee underground when Imperial forces took over their planet.[5][6]
Examples[]
Common phrases[]
- Wyaaaaaa. Ruh ruh. ("Hello. How are you?")[6]
- Ruow. ("Goodbye.")[6]
- Wyogg, ur oh. ("I am well, thank you.")[6]
- Ruh gwyaaaag. ("I am a friend.")[6]
- Huwaa muaa mumwa. ("Can I buy you a drink?")[6]
- Wooo hwa hwa? ("Nice weather, eh?")[6]
More complex phrases[]
- Wua ga ma uma ahuma ooma. ("I think my arm has been pulled out of the socket.")[6]
- Whoaaaa. Waa maa. Warrgh. ("Pardon me, I need to rest my neck muscles.")[6]
- Waa hu aa ma ma a oo gah? ("Why did you pick on someone one fourth your size?")[6]
- Roooarrgh ur roo. ("I have a bad feeling about this.")[7]
- Hnn-rowr yrroonn nng rarrr! ("Long live the New Republic!")[8]
- Rrargrarg? ("Can I ask another favor?")[9]
- Rowr ahragh awf ahraroww rowh rohngr grgrff rf rf. (approximately: "He says he's a Jedi Knight now.")[10]
- RRRrrruurgh! Arrggg! ("I'm not happy about this situation.")[11]
- Yaag ruggwah maw huah huah? ("How do you give your fur that shine?")[6]
- Waag mam ga moo. ("The food is good.")[6]
- Wu yaga gah ahyag. ("I would like a drink, please.")[6]
- Waag ahyeg ha. ("I can't reach that.")[6]
- Uwana goya uhama. ("It's hard to find good help these days.")[6]
- Hoyaarg aga huwaga? ("How are things at the office?")[6]
- Gu waagaa ahawag? ("Think it is going to rain tomorrow?")[6]
- Uwaga waa mu Woohiee? ("How tall is that Wookiee?")[6]
- Wugaga hu uwamma Woohiee wa-ah? ("Who was that Wookiee I saw you with last night?")[6]
- Woogaah. Huu hawaaaah hoooghhe waagh! ("I'm famished! Where would I find comestibles to place upon my taste buds?")[6]
- Wuhu wa gaaa ma ma Igra Ann? ("Have you heard the latest Figran D'an yet?")[6]
- Yu guwah mah oowhama? ("Do you have a salve to kill these parasites?")[6]
- Guhaw maw ohyah? ("Was he injured?")[6]
- Huaah maw wuwu agah? ("When will he recover?")[6]
- Aarrr wwgggh waah. ("Jump to hyperspace.")[12]
- Aaaarrr wgh ggwaaah. ("I'm feeling motion sick.")[12]
- Ahhh argh. Arrrghh! ("Turn right. Right!")[12]
- Wwwah rrroooaaah wha? ("Want to play holochess?")[12]
- Grrraooowww gruhhh... ("Stay on target...")[12]
- Wah shrf shrf shrf rrrooaarrgghh. ("I'm on board with this strategy.")[12]
- Ruuhr-ahr ahhowww gruh-row-ow. ("Let's try some blue-sky thinking.")[12]
- Rrrrugh arah-ah-woof? ("How do you take your coffee?")[12]
- Aaawww rooowwr rrrraahhhrr ("Turn the page, and let's begin!")[12]
- Rhawk-Arrgh, rrrooaarrgghh ("May all the forces be with you!")[13]
- Arrrrrwrrrrrronnkkk raarrh ("Is the air-conditioning actually on in this building?")[14]
- Aaaaaaargh ghhhhhrn gaaaaaar ("May the fourth be with you")[15]
In dealing with telemarketers[]
- Mu hu mwa gaa. ("I cannot talk on the comlink right now.")[6]
- Uoo waa gaa moo. ("It is mealtime.")[6]
- Wuyagah na Kourasaa Yurinal. ("I do not want the Coruscant Journal.")[6]
- Aa-ooh-gaa? ("How much is it?")[6]
- Mu waa waa. ("Please leave me alone.")[6]
- Mu ah waa gaa a yukshin oid. ("I already have a suction droid.")[6]
- My agah ya mawah. ("I do not want an in-home demonstration.")
- Mu na ya. ("Please go away.")
Common words[]
- haaag ("doorway")[6]
- awa ("go")[6]
- yo agaahaa ("headache")[6]
- ohh haa ("okay")[6]
- yaag ("how")[6]
- wuahh ("what")[6]
- huaahh ("when")[6]
- muaahh ("who")[6]
- ah wu aaa ("why")[6]
- uma ("yes")[6]
- muawa ("no")[6]
- hrrrrrnnnn ("right")
- ur oh ("thank you")[6]
- yukshin ("suction")[6]
- oid ("droid")[6]
- yurinal ("journal")[6]
- muaarga ("peace")[6]
Counting in Shyriiwook[]
- (1) ah
- (2) ah-ah
- (3) a-oo-ah
- (4) wyoorg
- (5) ah wyoorg
- (6) hu yourg
- (7) muwaa yourg
- (8) ah muwaa yourg
- (9) a-oo-mu
- (10) aohwawh
Words used as name prefixes[]
- arri ("mighty, strong")[16]
- atti ("father/mother" or "first")[16]
- bus ("home," "life" or "tree")[16]
- ciiir ("great, ancient, wise")[16]
- chal ("hidden, secret" or "shadow")[16]
- chew ("honored, bole, trusted")[16]
- dry ("elder, old, wizened")[16]
- fro ("proud" or "powerful")[16]
- gaar ("brave, bold, fearless")[16]
- geyy ("fat, large, great")[16]
- gra ("peaceful" or "steady, sure")[16]
- groz ("burning" or "furious" or "golden")[16]
- issh ("black, dark" or "dangerous" or "deep")[16]
- ji ("beloved, fortunate, lucky")[16]
- jow ("star, sun" or "space" or "vast")[16]
- kalla ("angry, mad, wild")[16]
- kerri ("high, tall" or "tree")[16]
- kit ("deft, nimble, swift")[16]
- liak ("blood" or "red" or "autumn")[16]
- low ("dutiful" or "honored, proud")[16]
- lof ("clever, cunning, wily")[16]
- malla ("beautiful" or "green" or "valued")[16]
- nag ("heroic, legendary, mythic")[16]
- ralr ("lake, ocean, sea")[16]
- ror ("dark, hidden" or "marsh, swamp")[16]
- sal ("rain, storm, lightning, thunder")[16]
- shor ("deadly, lethal" or "fierce" or "shadow")[16]
- sno ("curious" or "quick")[16]
- spet ("legends" or "legendary, mythic, famed")[16]
- tar ("cloud, fog, mist")[16]
- wrrl ("quiet, stealthy" or "soft")[16]
Words used as names suffixes[]
- addik ("guardian, guard, sentinel")[16]
- ahab ("keeper, warden")[16]
- an ("crafter, craftsman" or "master")[16]
- anta ("judge" or "leader")[16]
- arra ("fur" or "shield" or "hide")[16]
- bacca ("ally, friend" or "brother/sister")[16]
- becca ("blade" or "defender")[16]
- bev ("child" or "son/daughter")[16]
- bow ("bearer, keeper" or "worker")[16]
- chiir ("air" or "call, speech, voice")[16]
- chit ("champion, hero")[16]
- cuk ("companion, husband/wife")[16]
- drrl ("safety" or "sky, treetop")[16]
- evge ("beast [especially katarn]" or "rage")[16]
- kabukk ("ancestor" or "guide, councilor")[16]
- kazza ("ghost, spirit" or "tracker")[16]
- kkata ("child" or "rogue, scoundrel")[16]
- lanna ("cry, growl, roar")[16]
- mapia ("rain, storm" or "season")[16]
- mum ("claw, tool" or "climber")[16]
- nik ("jester, joker" or "riddle" or "webweaver")[16]
- orral ("strider" or "treasure" or "worthy")[16]
- ova ("eye" or "gazer, seeker" or "seer")[16]
- pirr ("builder, forger" or "trader")[16]
- porin ("sage, scholar, teacher")[16]
- raoao ("cousin, kin" or "noble")[16]
- ryyhn ("danger" or "shimmersilk" or "syren plant")[16]
- tatha ("bite, biter" or "claw")[16]
- tharr ("flyer" or "swimmer")[16]
- tobuck ("music, song" or "singer")[16]
- urra ("soldier, warrior, captain")[16]
- warr ("forest" or "guide, scout" or "hunter")[16]
- ykam ("dancer" or "walker")[16]
Notable non-native users of Shyriiwook[]
- 4-LOM[17]
- Elegos A'Kla[18]
- Callow Batta
- Depa Billaba[19]
- Jolee Bindo[1]
- Deliah Blue[20]
- Noa Briqualon[21]
- C-3PO
- Lando Calrissian[22]
- Tenel Ka Djo[18]
- Durga the Hutt[23]
- Kyp Durron[18]
- Shran Etison[17]
- Meetra Surik[24]
- Borsk Fey'lya[18]
- Groex Gal[21]
- Pash Galae[25]
- Faltun Garr[25]
- Gilflyn[25]
- Tinian I'att Azur-Jamin[26]
- Ikrit[18]
- Wes Janson[21]
- Jasper[27]
- Qui-Gon Jinn[22]
- Jool[28]
- Shotarr Kass[29]
- Kyle Katarn[30]
- Kee[28]
- Graxol Kelvyyn[31]
- Obi-Wan Kenobi[22]
- Dayla Kev[17]
- Hereven Kev[17]
- Plo Koon[19]
- Jaden Korr[30]
- Traest Kre'fey[18]
- Kreia[24]
- Eryk Kroogar[25]
- Garik Loran[21]
- Kanjil Mang[32]
- Gallo Memm[33]
- Mika the Hutt[34]
- Mira[24]
- Mon Mothma[23]
- Shalla Nelprin
- Sabé[35]
- Nim'Ri[36]
- Nien Nunb[37]
- Barriss Offee[38]
- Bail Prestor Organa[39]
- Leia Organa[22]
- Dia Passik[21]
- Yarael Poof[19]
- Mikka Reekeene[40]
- Rekkon
- Rinn Renado[25]
- Revan[1]
- Roa[18]
- Profex Rynalla[39]
- Horox Ryyder[31]
- Tyria Sarkin Tainer[21]
- Fenn Shysa[21]
- Cade Skywalker[28]
- Luke Skywalker[22]
- Han Solo[22]
- Jaina Solo Fel[22]
- Jacen Solo[22]
- Anakin Solo[22]
- Bultar Swan[19]
- Jariah Syn[20]
- Jesmin Tainer[41]
- Kell Tainer[21]
- Ahsoka Tano[42]
- Elassar Targon[21]
- Bria Tharen
- Raynar Thul[18]
- Tu'rsc'yulir[21]
- Finis Valorum[22]
- Mission Vao[1]
- Velsey[33]
- Volhei[33]
- Mace Windu[19]
- Cala Worner[23]
- Yoda
- Zonnos the Hutt[34]
Behind the scenes[]
Shyriiwook having over 150 words for "wood," is a reference to the "Eskimo snow myth" which states that Inuit have over 50 words for "snow". While this does have some truth, there is no one Inuit language. They speak a group of languages in a wider family called Eskimo-Aleut. Eskimo-Aleut languages have many words to describe snow due to polysynthesis, meaning that there is a base word attached to many different suffixes which change the meaning of that word.
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
"What They Called Me" — Star Wars Tales 5- "A Wookiee Scorned!" — Star Wars Tales 10
- "Smuggler's Blues" — Star Wars Tales 14
- "Ghosts of Hoth" — Star Wars Tales 17
