Though the language spoken by the trolls seems to be for the most part mutually intelligible with the English language spoken on Earth, it is still considered its own language
, with unique quirks that differentiate it from any language of Earth. It is said that 'friend' and 'enemy' translate to the same troll word, and that trolls “DON'T EVEN HAVE A WORD FOR DARE”; however trolls have also been seen using these words correctly on multiple occasions. It is unclear whether Homestuck employs translation convention to make troll conversations easier to understand for English-language readers, or if some of the claims made by the comic's narration or characters are incorrect or misleading. Similarly, though troll language is often depicted as written in an Alternian alphabet, it is merely a substitution cipher for English written with the Latin alphabet, and the Latin alphabet also appears across Alternia[citation needed].
One of the key features of the troll language is their use of descriptive compound phrases to replace some simple nouns; for example what would be called a 'toilet' in English is called a “LOAD GAPER” in troll language. However Alternia's aristocracy tend to prefer more English-like nouns, such as 'fridge' instead of “THERMAL HULL”.
Terminology[]
Terms from dubiously canon sources are in italics.
Biology and the troll body[]
- Main article: Troll
| Troll term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| abdominal sausages | Guts; intestines | Friendsim Vol. 6 |
| aggravation sponge | A very harsh headache | Homestuck
|
| acid tract / acid tubes | Stomach or intestines; parts of the digestive system | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| anguish bladder | An organ located behind the forehead which contains dismay fluid | Homestuck
|
| auricular sponge clots | Hearing organs | Homestuck
|
| bellowsacs | Breathing organs; lungs | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| blood pusher | Blood pumping organ; heart | Friendsim Vol. 5 |
| bulge | Any one of a number of bulgelike appendages to the troll body; at times refers to something phallic (“get you all off my bulge about iit.”), some kind of appendage like a hand (“A TOTALLY PLATONIC BRO BULGE BUMP”), a shoulder or back (“IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY SHIT THEY WANT TO SCRAPE OFF THEIR BULGE ON TO MY CLEAN NUTRITION PLATEAU”), or a head or skull (“IT DIDN'T GET THROUGH YOUR THICK BULGE???”)
| |
| chagrin tunnel | A throat or esophagus | The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| chitin chunk | Probably a reproductive organ | "Broom Temperature", The Grubbles |
| chitinous windhole | Throat | Homestuck
|
| digestion bladder | Part of the digestive system; stomach | Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| dismay fluid | Stored in the anguish bladder | Homestuck
|
| frond | Any kind of appendage, such as a leg (“1 TH1NK YOU M1GHT B3 PULL1NG MY FROND”) or hand/wrist (“A LIMP FRONDED STOOGE”). Can also be used to refer to a limblike structure outside of a troll, such as a tree (“BRAYING UP THE WRONG FROND NUB”)
| |
| gallsphincter | Presumably attached to a kind of gall bladder | Homestuck
|
| ganderbulb | Eyeball | Homestuck
|
| gastric evacuation gland | An organ in the digestive/excretory system; the bowel | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| glance nugget | Eye | Homestuck
|
| hear ducts | Hearing organs | Homestuck
|
| hemospectrum | The spectrum of colours found in troll blood | See hemospectrum |
| ignorance shaft / tunnel / gash | Presumably a throat or windpipe (or in the case of 'gash', a mouth), when on a foolish person or being used to say foolish things | Homestuck, Hiveswap: Act 2[citation needed]
|
| lobe stem | Presumably a part of the brain similar to a lobe or the brain stem | Homestuck
|
| lookstubs | A part of the eye; used in the context of the Insane Clown Posse lyric 'I've seen shit that'll shock your eyelids' | Homestuck
|
| lumpsquirt | Something squirted from a lump | Homestuck
|
| meal tunnel | An orifice for eating; esophagus | Homestuck
|
| nook | A crevice or entrance, such as an anus (“up to your nook in the newest and hottest games”) or throat (“really gets stuck in your nook”)
| |
| nub | Any lump; a shoulder (“take t)(e c)(ip off your nub”), chest (“to get off my nub”), knee (“nub slappers”) or even a short pair of horns (“UP TO MY PO1NTY L1TTL3 NUBS”). Can also be used to refer to a nublike structure outside of a troll, such as a tree (“BRAYING UP THE WRONG FROND NUB”
| |
| nugbone | Head; skull | Homestuck
|
| point stump | Finger | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
| porous cranial plates | Some part of the skull through which blood flows | Homestuck
|
| posture pole | spine | Homestuck
|
| prong | Any extension of the body like a finger (“KEEPING MY PRONGS CROSSED”) or hand (“I w8ted on you prong and fucking nu8”)
| |
| protein chute | An orifice for eating; esophagus | Homestuck
|
| pump biscuit | A blood pumping organ; heart | Homestuck
|
| rumble spheres | Breasts | Homestuck
|
| seed flap | An orifice, presumably reproductive | Homestuck
|
| shame globes | Presumably some sex organ; sometimes autoerogenous, perhaps found in a sack like testicles
| |
| sniffnodes | Olfactory organs | Homestuck
|
| sniff nub / sniff tube | Parts of the nose or olfactory organs | Friendsim Vols. 9 & 12 |
| snort barrels | Some kind of breathing tubes; nostrils | Homestuck
|
| spinal crevice | Ass or ass crack | Homestuck
|
| spine lump | Some part of the head located along the spine; possibly the head | Homestuck
|
| sponge | Part or all of the brain; sometimes a “PUZZLE SPONGE”
|
Homestuck
|
| squawk blister / squawk gaper | Throat; some organ involved in making noise | Homestuck
|
| squeal pipette | Throat; some organ involved in making noise | Homestuck
|
| strut pod | Locomoting appendage; foot. Strut stick also appears for locomoting limb or leg in Friendsim Vol. 9 | Homestuck
|
| think pan | A thinking organ; brain or head. Sometimes simply 'pan' for short | Homestuck
|
| thoratic struts | Some structure in the thorax; ribs | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
| thump tortoise | A blood pumping organ; heart | Homestuck
|
| torso pillar | Back or spine | Homestuck
|
| wiggler | Larval troll; used by trolls to refer to other species in their larval or infant stage, such as cherubs
|
Homestuck
|
Culture and society[]
- Main article: Alternia
| Troll term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| archeradicator | “[...]perhaps the most noble echelon the imperial forces have to offer.” Alternian soldiers who fight using bow and arrow. A portmanteau of archer and eradicator | Homestuck
|
| arena stickball | A team sport somewhat similar to “TABLE STICKBALL”
|
See stickball |
| auditerrorizer | An auditor | Friendsim Vol. 13 |
| blastoff device | Rocket | Homestuck
|
| blastoff research | Rocket science | Homestuck
|
| bookhive | A library | Friendsim Vol. 8 |
| breeze blender | A fan | Homestuck
|
| capacioniter | A unit of length | Hiveswap: Act 2 |
| cavalreaper | A member of a branch of the Alternian military under the Condesce's control who employ jousting in combat. A portmanteau of cavalry and reaper
|
Homestuck
|
| clutchropes | Grappling ropes or hooks | Paradox Space - Critical Miss
|
| crossing trestle | Bridge | Homestuck
|
| excessive bodily force poetry | A form of poetry similar to Earth's slam poetry; not to be confused with traditional Alternian slam poetry, which is an art form similar to rap | Friendsim Vol. 6 |
| flaysquad | A group of threshecutioners | Homestuck
|
| gamblignant | A member of a group of deadly marauders with a passion for chance. Possibly a portmanteau of gamble and malignant
|
See Marquise Spinneret Mindfang |
| grubschool | A school for very young trolls; preschool or kindergarten | Friendsim Vol. 8 |
| hive | A house or home | Homestuck
|
| hivebatch | A group of hives, possibly constructed around the same time; a neighbourhood | Friendsim Vol. 10 |
| hive stem | A long vertical stem built for the purpose of having hives constructed on its sides, much like highrise architecture on Earth[1] | Homestuck
|
| hold pole | Railing |
|
| killosopher | Presumably, a person engaged or learned in philosophy having to do with killing. Portmanteau of kill and philosopher. | Hiveswap: Act 2 |
| laughsassin or laughssassin
|
A member of a branch of the Alternian military under the Condesce's control who employ the trapeze in combat. A portmanteau of laugh and assassin
|
Homestuck
|
| legislacerator | A lawyer-bounty hunter, once employed to hunt down criminals in the field but since confined to courtblocks. A portmanteau of legislator and lacerator | Homestuck
|
| looneyblock | An insane asylum | Homestuck
|
| recreational field / recreation sprawl | A wide open place of recreation; a park | Friendsim Vol. 7 & The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| ruffiannihilator | A member of a branch of the Alternian military under the Condesce's control known for their brute strength. A portmanteau of ruffian and annihilator
|
Homestuck
|
| schoolhive | A school or schoolhouse | Homestuck
|
| school fed or schoolfed | Being educated or figuratively "schooled" | Homestuck
|
| scienstiff | A member of a group who would have once been ruled unfunny by the subjugglators. A portmanteau of science or scientist and stiff, possibly as in a boring or conventional person, or as in a corpse | Homestuck
|
| soil perturber | A shovel | Hiveswap: Act 2 |
| stemcluster | A group of hive stems together; a city | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| subgrub | The Alternian term for "Suburb"; an outlying district of a stemcluster (City) | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| subjugglator | A juggalo-like group from which Gamzee Makara descends. A portmanteau of subjugator and juggalo | Homestuck
|
| subjugglation | A form of subjugation performed by the subjugglators | Homestuck
|
| terrologian | Presumably, a person who engages or is an expert in theology under the Condesce's rule ("LIKE THE GREAT TERROLOGIAN OF THE DIRE EMPIRICISTS TROLL THOMAS HOBBES"). A portmanteau of terror and theologian. | Hiveswap: Act 2 |
| threshecutioner | A member of a branch of the Alternian military under the Condesce's control who use threshing implements like sickles in combat. A portmanteau of thresh and executioner
|
Homestuck
|
| thresher | Some kind of sharp implement, presumably used by threshecutioners | Homestuck
|
| Trollplanet | The name of the planet Alternia as rendered in the Alternian alphabet | Homestuck
|
Flora and fauna[]
- Main article: Alternia#Habitation
| Troll term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| baabeast | An animal that makes a baa sound; a sheep | Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| bark gnomes | Some kind of fairy | Homestuck
|
| barkbeast / barkfiend | An animal that makes a barking sound; a dog or canine | Homestuck
|
| beefgrub | A larva presumably bred for consumption | Homestuck
|
| bivalved jewel container / bivalvular sea critter | An oystery or other bivalve | Pesterquest Vol. 8 & Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| buzzbug | A bee | Homestuck
|
| cheese critter | A small animal that eats cheese, like a rat or mouse | Homestuck
|
| cholerbear | A sluggish species of lusus generally associated with the teal caste | Homestuck
|
| cluckbeast | An animal that makes a clucking sound; poultry | Homestuck
|
| dangleslug | A squiddle or cephalopod | Paradox Space
|
| dirt noodle | A worm | Homestuck
|
| gobblefiend | An animal that makes a gobbling sound; a turkey | Homestuck
|
| honkbird | A bird that makes a honking sound; a goose | Homestuck
|
| hoofbeast | An animal similar to a horse; sometimes aquatic, in hippocampic form | Homestuck
|
| lusus naturae | A member of a subterranean species of Alternian monsters used to raise young trolls | See lusus |
| marchbugs | Marching insects known for crashing lawnmeals; ants | Homestuck
|
| milkbeast | An animal presumably kept for its milk, and sometimes used as a ritual sacrifice; a cow or cattle | The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| moobeast | An animal that makes a moo sound; a cow or cattle | Friendsim Vol. 6 |
| musclebeast | A large, muscular and nocturnal creature with anatomy both bestial and humanoid | See musclebeast |
| nibble vermin | A pest known for chewing; likely a rodent like a mouse or rat | Homestuck
|
| nut creature | A squirrel | Homestuck
|
| porkfiend | A pig | The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| purrbeast | An animal that makes a purring sound; a cat | Friendsim Vol. 5 |
| quackbeast | An animal that makes a quacking sound; a duck | Friendsim Vol. 13 |
| rainbow drinker | A vampire | See rainbow drinker |
| ripperwasp | An insect similar to a bee | Homestuck
|
| shadow dropper | An undead creature of the daytime | See shadow dropper |
| shellscuttler | A lobster-like crustacean | Friendsim Vol. 12 |
| skyhorse | A flying lusus similar to a seahorse | Homestuck
|
| snake-rodent | A long rodent like a weasel | Friendsim Vol. 2 |
| spleenfowl | A loud, unintelligent lusus usually associated with the teal caste | Homestuck
|
| squeakbeast | An animal that makes a squeaking sound; a rat or mouse | Friendsim Vol. 11 |
| stingbug | A hornet | Homestuck
|
| talonscreecher | A bird | Friendsim Vol. 12 |
| trunkbeast / trumpet beast | An animal with trumpet-like trunk; an elephant | Homestuck & The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| tubeflora | A plant shaped like a tube; a tree | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| woolbeast | An animal known for its wooly coat; a sheep | Homestuck
|
Household and food[]
| Troll term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| # wheel device | Any object of locomotion with wheels; one wheel device for a unicycle, four wheel device for a wheelchair, etc.
| |
| ablutionrobe | Bathrobe | Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| ablution trap | Bath tub | Homestuck
|
| bileslaw | A food likely similar to coleslaw | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| block | A generic name for a room, used to create compound names; see courtblock, respiteblock, rumpusblock | Homestuck
|
| bobblenug | A bobblehead figurine | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| boiled tree blood | A food presumably made from sap, like maple syrup | Friendsim Vol. 3 |
| bulbhuggers | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| buttery exploded kernels | A food similar to popcorn | Friendsim Vol. 5 |
| churned dairy product | Butter | Friendsim Vol. 3 |
| corpse box | A casket or coffin; given that trolls typically don't bury their dead, the A2 session's trolls may have invented the term after observing humans via Trollian.
|
Homestuck
|
| crisprange | Cooking apparatus; stove | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| Cruel Aid | A drink, probably like Kool Aid | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| dong shouter | A bell | Homestuck
|
| dross coffer | A waste receptacle; a garbage can | Homestuck
|
| escalation zigzags | Stairs. Note: used only in narration | Homestuck
|
| extraterraneal landing slats | Balcony-like areas located on the roofs of some of a hive's blocks | Homestuck
|
| falldown slat | A skateboard | Homestuck
|
| fart niblets | Beans | Homestuck
|
| flavor disc | A wheel-shaped sandwich; a pizza | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| gander precipice | A ledge for viewing from; a balcony | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| gland holsters | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| glitter biscuit | A sparkly sticker or award | Paradox Space - Headed for Stardom
|
| grub | A kind of food, possibly made from actual larva, which can be made into any number of meals, from grubsauce to grubcakes. Forms of grub are also employed in various forms of Alternian technology | See grub |
| grubshed | Some kind of shed involved with grubs; possibly like a dog house | Homestuck
|
| heft satchels | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| hunger trunk | A niche for food; a fridge or pantry | Homestuck
|
| huskloaf | A baked food | The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| husktop | A portable computer; a laptop | Homestuck
|
| hydration cylinder | A can containing a beverage | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| jut duffels | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| lawnmeal | A meal eaten on a lawn, with a checkered tablecloth; a picnic | Homestuck
|
| lawnring | A circle mowed around the lawn of a troll's hive, or the lawn contained therein; a yard | Homestuck
|
| loaf supplement | Bologna, such as when used euphemistically for nonsense | Homestuck
|
| loungeplank | A couch or sofa | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| meal block | A block for preparing food; a kitchen | Homestuck
|
| medicalizer | A wall-mounted device for healing injuries | Friendsim Vol. 2 |
| nub stilts | High-heeled shoes | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
| nutrition cylinder | A can of food | Homestuck
|
| nutrition plateau | A surface for eating from; a plate | Homestuck
|
| offal drum | A waste receptacle; a trash can | Friendsim Vol. 1 |
| palmhusk | A portable handheld computer; a mobile phone | Friendsim Vol. 3 |
| panlid | A hat | Friendsim Vol. 13 |
| protrusion hammocks | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| peal screamer | A bell | Homestuck
|
| recuperacoon | A pod filled with nourishing sopor slime, in which a troll sleeps | Homestuck
|
| respiteblock | A block for relaxing or sleeping in; a bedroom | Homestuck
|
| rumpusblock | A block for recreation; a rumpus room | Homestuck
|
| scalding leaf fluid | Tea | Homestuck
|
| scourdray | A mop cart | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| scuttlebuggy | Some kind of vehicle. Depicted as a flying or hovering craft in Friendsim Vol. 6, a wheeled vehicle in Vol. 10, and as an insectoid machine with legs in one of Pesterquest: Vol. 9's ending cards. In Hiveswap: Act 1, an omniscuttlecoach is a vehicle for moving many trolls at once, like a bus | Homestuck
|
| snack mineral | A mineral used to season food, like salt | Homestuck
|
| smearspinner | A floor waxer | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| snuggleplane | Blanket |
|
| spherical fruit string | A grapevine | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
| splaysac | A soft chair, akin to a bean bag but filled with relaxing sopor slime | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
| swaychair | A rocking chair, or rocker | Homestuck
|
| thermal hull | Refrigerator | Homestuck
|
| tobacco flutes | Cigars | Homestuck
|
| troll caegar | A coin presumably depicting a person named Caegar (possibly named for Caesar) | Homestuck
|
| wheelstops | Brakes, as in on a vehicle | Friendsim Vol. 10 |
| wobble rucksack | A potential name for a bra | Tumblr |
| zigzag incline | A stairway | Hiveswap: Act 1 |
Expressions and grammar[]
| Troll term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| "blood beneath the abatoir" | "water under the bridge" | Friendsim Vol. 1 |
| "bury the thresher" | "bury the hatchet" | Homestuck
|
| "cloak-and-laser" | "cloak-and-dagger" | Friendsim Vol. 11 |
| "cold gobblefiend" | "cold turkey" | Homestuck
|
| "collide-and-scamper" | "hit-and-run" | Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| columnsnap | Whiplash | Friendsim Vol. 4 |
| red distraction fish | A herring, as in a "red distraction fish" | Homestuck
|
| enclosure talons | Quotation marks, or the act of imitating them with the fingers | Homestuck
|
| finish crumbs | Punctuation marks that conclude a sentence; periods | Homestuck
|
| "grub-fisted" | "ham-fisted" | Homestuck
|
| having one's horns handed to them | Being thoroughly beaten or defeated, as in having one's ass handed to them | Homestuck
|
| "hunt-and-sequester" | "hide-and-seek" | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
| invertebrother | A term of fraternal affection; possibly religious | Homestuck
|
| make one's recuperacoon and wriggle around in its slime | "make one's bed and lie in it" | Homestuck[2] |
| "(not) my container of scalding leaf fluid" | "(not) my cup of tea" | Homestuck
|
| "no need to flip your thinkpan" | "no need to flip your lid" | Friendsim Vol. 12 |
| "off my swaychair" | "off my rocker" | Homestuck
|
| "opposable digits in huskloafs" | "fingers in pies" | The Homestuck Epilogues
|
| "rings a dong shouter" / "rings a peal screamer" | "rings a bell" | Homestuck
|
| "ripperwasp in their jock" | "bee in their bonnet" | Homestuck
|
| "run-of-the-grain-grinder" | "run-of-the-mill" | Friendsim Vol. 13 |
| "scrubbed fuchsia" | Scrubbed clean, perhaps "whitewashed"; possibly relating to fuchsia caste-related censorship | Friendsim Vol. 8 |
| shout pole | An exclamation mark | Homestuck
|
| "spill the fart niblets" | "spill the beans" | Homestuck
|
| "spinning my wheel device" | "spinning my wheels" | Homestuck
|
| surprise noodle | A question mark, presumably especially when used in surprise | Homestuck
|
| tomewriggler | A bookworm | Troll Call |
| "troll caegar a dozen" | "dime a dozen" | Homestuck
|
| "when shit hits the breeze blender" / "when shit hits the thresher" | "when shit hits the fan" | Homestuck
|
| "wild honkbird chase" | "wild goose chase" | Homestuck
|
| "without a bean in your thinkpan" | Without much in your head; unintelligent or foolish | Friendsim Vol. 9 |
References[]
- ↑ Andrew Hussie. "The communal hive stem was an Alternian concept I came up with as an analogue to highrise architecture on Earth. The way it works is, some authority (probably a bunch of drones or something) zones an area for these stems and builds a lot of them. They're completely blank edifices at first, but as lusii bring young trolls they've recently united with from the caverns, they climb the stems and build new apartment-like hives clinging to the sides..." Homestuck: Book 4: Act 5 Act 1, p.113.
- ↑ Openbound part 2. “KARKAT: I KNOW I COMPLETELY FUCKED UP WITH YOU. THIS ISN'T, UH... OK. I'M NOT LIKE TRYING TO REDEEM MYSELF HERE. I MADE MY RECUPERACOON AND NOW I HAVE TO WRIGGLE AROUND IN ITS SLIME. I TOTALLY ACCEPT THAT.”