This article collects all known sentences, expressions, terms, and words of the Tau language and their respective translations and meanings. As always: the canonicity of any information obtained from a Black Library novel is unclear.
Note: the Tau alphabet doesn't have letters for "Q" or "Z", and uses the same letters for the sounds "C/K" and "I/Y".
The correct way to address a Tau individual also depends upon the relationship between the two persons. Friends and relatives may use the short 1st given name (e.g.: "Shadowsun"). Strangers and colleagues are expected to be polite and to use caste and rank (e.g.:"Fire caste commander"). This acknowledges the place of the individual in question and seems to be common in battle communications.
| Alphabetical order
| Tau term
| literal translation
| common translation, usual meaning, notes
| source
|
| A
| Aloh
|
| Coldwind, a personal name
| Kill Team (Novel), p.163
|
|
| Aun
|
| Ethereal, Celestial, Ethereal caste
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Aun'bork'an'retha
|
| A combined Temple/university on Bork'an dedicated to the Ethereal caste and their wisdom.
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Aun'chiagor
|
| A ceremonial gathering on a round table of the senior representatives of the 5 castes. The first round table was called Chia'gor.
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.138
|
|
| Aun't'au'retha
|
| unclear, "the council within the Aun't'au'retha has been reluctant to antagonize the gue'la...". The sentence hints the Aun't'au'retha to be a kind of parliament or senate-like assembly of Aun.
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.145
|
| B
| Be'gel
|
| Ork(s), "insane, green-skinned Be'gel" (incapable of integration with the tau'va)
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.74
|
| D
| D'yanoi
| twin moons
| also the name of a Tau sept
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.64
|
| E
| Erijabirds
|
| birds found in the orchards of the Aun'bork'an'retha
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.12
|
|
| Eur'ii
|
| unclear: tears? sweat?, salty?, stinging?
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.65
|
| F
| Fio
|
| Earth, earth caste
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Fio'dr
|
| unclear: uniform or fabric
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.65, p.76
|
|
| Fio'shas
| worker-warrior
| a nickname
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.16
|
|
| Fio'tak
|
| unclear: machine?, console? mechanical? electronic? metal?
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.134, p. 140, p.300, p.403
|
| G
| Gal'leath
|
| explorer, also a ship class of the Tau Navy
| To Unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Gue'la
|
| Human
| Codex:Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Gue'vesa
| human helpers
| human auxiliary troops which are loyal to the Tau empire
| Tau Human Auxiliaries (accessed 2007.03.29)
|
|
| Gue'vesa'la
|
| A soldier of the Gue'vesa
| Tau Human Auxiliaries by Andy Hoare (accessed 2007.03.29)
|
|
| Gue'vesa'ui
|
| A sergeant of the Gue'vesa
| Tau Human Auxiliaries by Andy Hoare (accessed 2007.03.29)
|
| H
| Ho'or-ata-t'chel
|
| sympathetic ghostpains which can be felt by pilots whose battlesuits have been damaged, extreme cases can be crippling.
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.307
|
| I
| Il'fannor
|
| merchant, also a ship class of the Tau Navy
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Iur'tae'mont
|
| burnout, war madness, shell shock
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.259
|
| J
| J'karra
|
| mirror
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Juntas
|
| A side (also direction) of a ship. The text is unclear if it is Port, Starboard, Left, or Right
| Fire Warrior (Novel)]] p. 47, p.170, p.200
|
| K
| Kais
|
| skilful, a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Kass'l
|
| Orca, a star-fighter class
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Kauyon
| Patient Hunter
| oldest of the two main war strategies of the Tau military (see below: Mont'ka), in the Tau language the words for hunter and patience are derived from the same root
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.57, Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition) p.12
|
|
| Kir'qath
|
| defender, also a ship class of the Tau Navy
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Kles'tak
|
| a high-density explosive
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.195,
|
|
| Ko'vash
| a worthy cause
| To strive for, also a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.57, Fire Warrior (Novel) p.23
|
|
| Kor
|
| Air, air caste
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Kor'vattra
|
| Tau Space Fleet (perhaps also: Tau Navy?)
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Kor'ves
| faithful helper
| Tau drone
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Ky'husa
|
| alcoholic beverage, is drunk preferably in a single gulp and while it is warm
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.61
|
| L
| Lar'shi
|
| hero, also a ship class of the Tau Navy
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
| M
| Mal'caor
|
| spider
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Mal'kor
|
| Refers to the allied race the Vespid, also known as Stingwings
| Codex: Tau (4th Edition), p.39
|
|
| Mesme
|
| combination
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Monat
| Freedom of One
| title for a single Battlesuit working without a team (i.e.: a lone warrior)
| White Dwarf 263us, Battlesuit configurations (accessed 2007.12.06)
|
|
| Mont'au
|
| The Terror, the Tau race's worst nightmare, the time before the coming of the Ethereal caste when the other castes were set against one another. A barbaric time of war that the Tau fear could return should any Tau put themselves before the Greater Good. Can also be an individual case of: "a state-of-being without progress, without unity or altruism, without direction or purpose or strength", in other words: an individualistic Tau which is simply unable to work in a team (read the novel Fire Warrior).
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57, Fire Warrior (Novel), p.81
|
|
| Mont'ka
| Killing Blow
| one of the two main war strategies of the Tau military (see above: Kauyon)
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.57, Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition) p.12
|
|
| Mon'wern'a
|
| deceptive assault (a battle-scheme)
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.53
|
|
| Mont'yr
| Seen Battle
| Blooded, a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| M'yen
|
| unforseen
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
| O
| Or'es
|
| Powerful
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
| P
| Por
|
| Water, water caste
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Por'hui
|
| unclear: News or something similar (cited are: porhui media, por'hui journalists, por'hui channels)
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.14, p.58
|
| R
| Run'al
|
| small observation post or hide, hidden bunker
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.57, Codex: Tau empire [4th Edition) p. 12
|
| S
| Sept
|
| a star system of the Tau which becomes a individual cultural entity
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.7
|
|
| Shas
|
| Fire, fire caste
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Shas'ar'tol
|
| Fire caste military high command
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Shas'len'ra
|
| Cautious Warrior
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.34
|
|
| Shaserra
|
| Shadowsun, a personal name
| Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), p.46
|
|
| Shi
|
| Victory
| Codex:Tau (3rd edition), p.57
|
|
| Shi'ur
|
| Strong Triumph, a personal name
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.14
|
|
| Sho'aun'or'es
| source of power
| the heart of the reactor of a power plant
| Kill Team (Novel) p.142, Fire Warrior (Novel) p.132, p.134
|
|
| Sho'kara
|
| Lense or window to the Warp used by Tau vessels (perhaps: Warp-jump point?). It is commented that the Tau are unable to create an artificial one.
| Kill Team (Novel), p.144
|
|
| Shovah
|
| Farsighted, a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.56, 57
|
|
| Sio't
|
| always refered to as "Sio't meditation" (several kinds). Unclear: mantras, prayers?
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.74
|
|
| Skether'quan
|
| messenger, also a ship class of the Tau Navy
| To unite the Stars PDF (accessed 2007.11.24)
|
|
| Snae'ta
|
| unclear: "A snae'ta gue'la cauterised" the wound of a Tau prisoner. A (Tau) mighty general and a powerful fighter, but a snae'ta nonetheless.
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.76, p.402
|
| T
| Tau'kon'she
|
| a Tau festival during which a ceremonial clonebeast is hunted by Shas'ui
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.160, p.189
|
|
| Tau'fann
|
| age-old address for members of alternate castes
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.140
|
|
| Ta'ro'cha
| three minds – one purpose
| a Tau battlesuit configuration (i.e.: three battlesuits which work as a team)
| Battlesuit configurations (accessed 2007.12.06)
|
|
| Ta'lissera
|
| Communion, Marriage, bonding ritual (perhaps also: "sworn brotherhood"?)
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Tau'va
|
| The Greater Good
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Tsua'm
|
| Middle, a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.56, p.57
|
| U
| Ukos
|
| Spoon
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| U'it
|
| an animal with a tail, similar to a dog. "We can run with our tail between our legs, like an anxious ui't."
| Fire Warrior (Novel) p.144, p.402
|
| V
| Vash'aun'an
|
| Warp space
| Kill Team (Novel), p.144
|
|
| Vash'ya
| Between spheres
| also the name of a Tau sept
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Vior'la
| Hot Blooded
| also the name of a Tau sept
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), p.57
|
|
| Vral
| Undercut
| a personal name
| Codex: Tau (3rd Edition) p.56, 57
|
|
| Var
|
| Brightsword, a personal name
| Kill Team (Novel), p.169
|
| Y
| Y'eldi
| Winged one
| Air caste name for a particularly gifted pilot, a personal name
| Codex:Tau (3rd edition), p. 57
|
|
| Y'he
|
| Tyranid(s), "ever-devouring Yhe" (incapable of integration with the tau'va)
| Fire Warrior (Novel), p.74
|
