Language Listicle: Purity in the Aralic Language

This month’s glossary includes Aralic words and concepts for purity, as the Listicle examines the philosophical reasons why their language has more nuanced terms for that concept than anywhere else on the Continent.

(Check out the poll at the end! This one got kinda long, despite not generally being a fan of “purity philosophy”… It must be because of how much time I’ve been working on a lot of your roommate’s arguments with Sem in WWU:3 lately. LOL Thanks Jun! )

**Note 1: the /ʃ/ “sh” sound is so common in Aralic, it has its own letter in their writing system, which is ‘translatable’ as either ş or “sh.” **

**Note 2: the unstressed /ə/ schwa “uh” sound– aka the first sound in the word “about”– is so common in Aralic, it has its own symbol in their writing system, which is ‘translatable’ into as either ə or “uh.” Both spellings are acceptable, but the glossary only lists the spellings with ə for simplicity/space**

GLOSSARY:

word/sign -- meaning (n/v/adj/adv; literal meaning, if any and usage)

ylaşn or ylashn–  the perfect purity of Spirit, an absolute state of non-corruption, purity beyond the reach of the Red (noun)

təmidzn– a state of absolute purity that is completely separate from, but in contact/conflict with the Red’s corruption (noun; literally ‘set-aside-ness;’ usage is often in reference to the desired state of purity for humans and similar living beings)

hlā Nahítəmidz -- “The Surely Impure” aka Prothidian Altar (proper noun/nickname, usage is preferred over actual name, which is taboo to speak aloud in Aralim)

işhíylaş or işhíylash– morally pure person (noun, usage is similar to saint in modern English)

raşd or rashd– Red, entirely evil, morally corrupt and impure (adjective)

hlā Rasdn – the Red Child, Avatar of Conflict, head of the Way of Evil since his rebellion from Spirit (proper noun, generally only used for the Red Child)

naşraşd– purified (adjective, literally “destroyed evil” used to refer to things that were formerly tainted by the Red but have been cleaned)

grandj– dirt, grime, filth, pollution (noun, usage usually applies to physical, but is sometimes also used to refer to a moral stain that is not clearly raşd i.e. Red-level evil)

lagrandj– physical cleanliness (noun; literally ‘not filth,’ usage is very rarely in a spiritual sense)

zsafn– cleanliness or purity in its broadest conception, the lack of either grandj or raşd (noun, usage is different from ylaşn and təmidz in that it is does not imply an absolute state of non-corruption. But unlike the the similar word lagrandj, this word zsafn often applies to spiritual matters)

Subtypes of təmidzn:

• təmidz– pure, morally clean (adj)
• emuntəmidzn– purity of faith (noun)
• niytəmidzn– purity of intention (noun)
• yhádəmidzn– purity of deeds or action (noun, literally, hand purity)
• juthəmidzn – bodily purity (noun)
• iştəmidzn – spiritual/moral purity (noun)
• qəlbəmidzn– karmic purity (noun, literally, heart purity)
• khilojtəmidzn– group/communal purity (noun)

LISTICLE:

The differences between ylaşn and təmidzn are probably the quintessential divide in the Aralic language when thinking about purity and cleanliness in a spiritual sense.

• Ylaşn is eternal and perfect, as it is the purity of Spirit and the Red can’t touch it.
• Təmidzn is mortal purity, which must be created and defended in spite of the Red’s threats and corruption. Unlike ylaşn, which is the utterly untouchable purity of Spirit, təmidzn is absolute purity that is in open conflict with the Red, and is vulnerable to corruption.
• A follower of Anganai hopes to achieve təmidzn while they live, and to rest in the ylaşn of Spirit after they die.

The adjective təmidz is applicable to most things on the plane of mortal existence that can be called either morally “pure” or ”impure.”

• While it can apply equally to actions, moral codes, food or clothes, the question of if something is təmidz always is always judged in absolutes– it is either purely pure, or it is not təmidz.
• There are many sub-types of təmidzn purity, and different schools of Anganite philosophy disagree on whether there are really 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, or 42 “essential” types of təmidzn. The three that all schools of philosophy agree on are: niytəmidzn– purity of intention; yhádəmidzn– purity of deeds or action, and emuntəmidzn– purity of faith.
• Because it is taboo to speak his actual name, one of the most common names used by native Aralic speakers for Prothidian Altar is Nahítəmidz -- “The Surely Impure.” The linguistically opposite word to this is işhíylaş, a morally pure person, similar but not exactly the same as the modern English word ‘saint.’

On the other end of the scale, zsafn or “cleanliness” can apply even if things are still exposed to dirt or corruption, making it very different from the absolute purity of yadz or təmidz things.

• Zsaftab – the verb “to clean” applies to both the reduction of physical dirt gandj and moral impurity, raşd. Interestingly, this is not very different from the Aralic word for sorting or categorizing, yzaftab and scholars think the two verbs come from an original root word meaning “to separate.”
• Something that has been ritually cleaned of moral impurities in a religious ceremony is called naşraşd– purified. Meanwhile, anything being called just zsaf has been deemed clean (morally or physically) without any ritual or ceremony
• The adjective zsaf is more likely than təmidz to be used to refer to non-moral purity. For example, a village with streets filled by garbage would be considered a gandjme (dirty) place, and be judged for not having good khilojtəme zsafn– communal cleanliness.
• Depending on what moral code they adhere to, that same garbage-filled village would be judged to have khilojtəmidzn (group purity) if all members in the group were adhering to their shared moral code. Some communities don’t mind if their gutters run with sewage, so long as everyone is praying at the correct times and in the correct ways. Other Anganites prize being khilojtəme zsaf so much that littering and environmental pollution is considered raşd evil thing on a similar to assault and even murder.

Most Anganites believe it is necessary to maintain juthəmidz – bodily purity in order to attain iştəmidz – spiritual/moral purity – but not all agree on what juthəmidz entails.

• For some, this includes a strict vegan diet or abstinence from mind-altering substances, sex, or even all forms of bodily pleasure.
• This is part of what gives Aralim its reputation for a prudish, ascetic culture at large.
• Meanwhile, for many followers of Anganai and citizens of Aralim in general, juthəmidz simply means being a good caretaker for the body that Spirit gave them. In this view, juthəmidz is not harmed by meat, alcohol, sex, sugar and other pleasures when consumed in moderation.

One of the easier stumbling blocks for new speakers of Aralic is the difference between qəlbəmidz– karmic purity (literally, heart purity) and iştəmidz – spiritual/moral purity.

• A person’s qəlbəmidz can only be attained by working through the moral stains of one’s past lives.
• A person’s iştəmidz (spiritual/moral purity) is an accounting of the moral stains on their soul as the result of actions in the current lifetime only.
• Failing to maintain iştəmidz in this life may result in a lack of qəlbəmidz in the next life.
• Meanwhile, failing to address the past-life trauma of qəlbəmidz may prevent a person from attaining maintaining təmidz in their current life, no matter how vigilant they are to maintain iştəmidz in this life **squints really hard at Jun**

So... of all the types of spiritual purity that have special words in the Aralic language, which do you think is the most difficult type for an average person to achieve?
As for me personally? I think its the final option, all of the above! -- Mac