Common Definitions

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This is a guide to aid you with some of the common terminology asssciated with Pern and the book series. If you can't find the word you are looking for here, one of the admins or a member will be more than happy to help you out.



ABORTION- considered a necessary in the Weyr, but considered evil in the Holds and Hall. Performed by taking a 'quick' trip between.

AGENOTHREE- a common chemical on Pern, HNO-3 (Nitric Acid); used as a fertilizer as well as a flame-thrower fuel

BALLADS- songs sung by a harper for entertainment or for teaching

BATHING POOL- a pool adjoining sleeping caverns in the weyr, hold, and hall

BEACHBERRY- a low-growing, fruit-bearing bush, somewhat like a cranberry

BENDEN WINE- made at the Benden Hold; in both white and red; known as the best wine on Pern

BELTKNIVES- used as eating utensils; also used as a tool for fighting

BETWEEN- a bitter cold area of nothingness and sensory deprivation between here and there

BLACK ROCK- coal like substance

CONCLAVE- Annual gathering of the Lord Holders or the Weyrleaders (sometimes both) for the discussion of All-Pern business, including the confirmation of new Lord Holders and establishment of new Weyrs.

COUCH- a bed; covered with rush bags for a mattress, are wrapped with wherry skins, then topped with sleeping furs

CROMCOAL- expensive alternative to fuelwood

DAY SISTERS- a trio of stars visible from Pern

DAWN SISTERS- another name for the Day Sisters

DEADGLOW- an insult stemming from glow that is no longer useful; a numskull, stupid

DOORS- most doors in Weyrs are simply cloth hung across an opening; doors in Holds are made of cloth, wood and/or metal

DRAGON MPH- dragons are able to go up to 30 mph in straight flight

DRAGON POKER- a game with cards, similar to the Earth version


DRUDGES- dimwitted workers used for menial labor

DUEL- an accepted form of combat in hold and craft; not accepted in Weyrs because of the danger to losing dragon when a duel was fatal

EYE ROCK- an aid located on the eastern wall of each Weyr telling when the Red Star will Pass; the Red Star must shine through the Eye Rock to herald Fall; it is set ingeniously and immovably into the Star Stone

FEATHER HERB- plant used to relieve fever

FEEDING GROUNDS- the area to a weyr where herd animals are kept for the dragons to hunt for food

FELLIS- a flowering tree, addictive pain killer, the headwoman, lady holder, sr. weyrwoman, or healers keep a tight watch on who has access. deadly to dragons.

FERTILIZER- diluted agenothree

FIGHTING STRAPS- straps of wherhide placed on a dragon to aid in riding and mounting; in Games, or any strenuous flying; the straps have hooks which attach to the belt of the rider's flying jacket

FINGERFISH- sea fish common to Pernese oceans

FINGER ROCK- an aid in telling when the Red Star will Pass; located at each Weyr; also marks Winter Solstice

FINGERTAILS- fish; resembles Terran carp with a whip tail

FIREHEIGHTS- where watchdragon perches and where watchfires are maintained; firestone is usually kept here

FIRE-HEAD- an illness caused in the Southern Continent; symptoms include a high fever, head ache, spots in front of the eyes, cold-like symptoms, and sensitive skin

FIRE LIZARD- a small sized dragon; it is said that the dragons came from the fire-lizards; they are the same colors and proportions as the dragons

FIRE STONE- phosphate-bearing mineral which dragons chew to produce flame

FISHROLL- type of fish and bread combination

FLASKS- for wine and other spirits

FLAT FISH- fish commonly found in Half-Circle Sea Hold area

FOSTERING- often in the Hold, Hall, and in the Weyr if a parent isn't able to raise their children the children would be fostered out to adults who wanted to raise extra children; many uses in fostering are for the Weyrleaders, the masters in crafthalls, the Lord Holders many children, journeymen, and many other occasions where a parent would not be in the best position to raise children

FOSTERLING- a child who has been fostered out

FOSTER PARENT- a mother or father who has taken of the responsibility of raising a fosterling

FURS - the bedding used by weyrfolk and holdfolk

GAMES- Dragon Olympics; prowess in flying, flaming, etc., shown and prizes distributed; usually during Intervals to keep Threadfighting skills active

GATHER- an important event hosted at a Hold; competitions with dragons, runners, or fire-lizards; items are sold by the representatives of each Craft

GLOW- a light source which can be carried in a hand-basket, they are small round orbs about the size of a mark.

GREEN FRUIT- common to Southern Continent

GRUBS- worm-like animals that eats Thread

HATCHING- when a dragon clutch hatches and Impression of the dragonets take place; eggs are mottled, except for the gold queen egg, when there is one

HATCHING GROUNDS- where gold Queen dragon lays her clutch of eggs; usually inside a volcano but can be anywhere with sands heated by underground fires or gasses; large; tiered seats cut into the rock for spectators

HERD BEASTS- a cow-like animal, or sheep-like or goat-like. It refers to all of the above.

HOLD- home of the common people of Pern; originally they were cut into the mountains and hillsides

HONORIFIC CONTRACTIONS -after impression the name of a dragon rider is shortened for convenience and to show the formality granted to a dragon rider; women often did not honorific their names

IMPRESSION- the joining of mind of a dragon and his or her rider-to-be at the moment of the dragon's hatching

IMPRESSION FEAST- held after Impression to honor the new riders

INTERVAL- the period of time between passes, generally about 200 turns

KLAH- a hot drink made of tree bark and tasting faintly of cinnamon; Earth's version is coffee

LOOKING METAL- highly polished metal plate for use as a mirror

LOOKS TO, IS IMPRESSED BY- refers to dragons and firelizards

LONG INTERVAL- a period of time, generally twice the length of an interval, in which no Thread falls

MARKS- money, around one inch in length

MARSHBERRY- a Pernese plant

MATING FLIGHT- the flight taken by a female dragon for mating purposes; golds mate twice a turn and greens twice or three times a turn; since greens are left infertile from chewing firestone, nothing becomes of the mating process; greens are flown by all of the male dragons; a gold rising is a time of great importance, since it implies the continuation of the weyr; golds are flown by bronzes and occasionally by browns

MEATROLL- meat and bread combination

MONTH- four sevendays

MOSSTEA- medicinal potion to be taken internally or externally

NEEDLETHORN PLANT- a spine-throwing bush; shoots its thorns toward anything that touches it; looks like a cactus; needles are used for syringes

NIGHT HEARTH- a hearth just inside the kitchen with a pot of klah and a cauldron of stew or soup for midnight snacks or people just getting off Watch or coming off night sweep patrol, etc.

NUMBWEED- plaquey, thorny plant that can be boiled down to develop an anesthetic, numbing salve, pale yellow in color; SMELLS; found in marshy areas; thick-stemmed bushes with arrowhead shaped leaves; when smeared on wounds, kills all feeling; used as an anesthetic

PACKTAILS- fish; resembles Terran monkfish, salt water fish

PASS- a period of time during which the Red Star is close enough to drop Thread on Pern

PHOSPHINE EMISSION- what a dragon spouts after chewing firestone

PINKROOT- plant used to ease bellyache

PUFFBELLY- fish common to Pernese seas

QUEEN- the golden dragons; the egg producers

QUEENRIDER- any weyrwoman that rides a gold, but usually refers to the junior queen riders

QUEEN'S WING- Queen dragons who fly Threadfall, their riders wielding flame-throwers; this wing flies below the other wings to pick off excess Thread; also, the pregnant female riders of the fighting dragon who can still ride, the weyrlings before they join their own wings and the recovered injured riders before returning to their own wing

QUICKAL-home brewed liqour, basically moonshine.

REDFRUIT- citrus fruit common to Southern Continent

RED STAR- the cause of the Thread

REDWORT- plant used to combat infection

ROCKMITES- shellfish

RUSHBAGS- bags filled with rush, usually used for mattresses

SEARCH- when dragonriders go out looking for likely Impression candidates

SEARCH RIDER- a rider or group of riders who look for perspective dragon riders, both male and female riders

SEASALT- Pernese spice

SEVENDAY- a week on Pern

SKYBROOM- Pernese tree found mostly in Lemos

SILVERFISH- long, thin dark-colored fish that swims in shallow water

SOFT CARBON STICK- like a pencil

SOUR PLUMS- Pernese fruit

SPICECAKES- bread food of Pern

SPICEROOT- Pernese spice

SPIDER-CLAWS- a shellfish; resembles Terran crab with many pairs of jointed legs

SPONGEWOOD- Pernese tree

STAR STONES- an aid in telling when the Red Star will Pass; rectangular; watchrider always beside it; located two dragonlengths behind the Finger Rock; enormous, chest-high to a tall man, polished surface, incised by two arrows (one pointing due east toward the Finger Rock, the other slightly north of due east, aimed directly at the Eye Rock)

SUBMARINE BODIES- fish; common to the ocean

SWEETBREAD- pastry

SWEETING- jelly or jam

SWEET OIL- used on a dragon's hide

SWEETSAND- soap; odor freshener; becomes mud-like when mixed with water

TEACHING BALLADS- ballads written to teach of the past

THREAD- spores from the Red Star

THREADSCORE- wound inflicted by Thread

TIMING IT- an expression used when going **BETWEEN** times

TUBERS- edible roots

TUFT GRASS- plant used to relieve fever

TUFT SEEDS- seeds taken from above plant for medicinal purposes

TUNIC- a long shirt type item of clothing

TURN- a Pernese year, 13 months

WATCH-WHER- a night reptile distantly related to dragons

WEYR- home of dragons and their riders; cliffs and caves often in extinct volcano

WEYR--weyr- a dragon's den

WEYRBRAT- a child living in a Weyr

WEYRHARPER- a harper posted to a Weyr; weyrsinger

WHERHIDE- type of leather; coming from wherries, used for jackets, pants, helmets, and other items

WEYRLEADER- rider of the dragon (bronze or brown) that mates with the senior queen of the Weyr; when the Queen dies, the Weyrleader remains until a new Queen rises to mate; if his bronze or brown flies the new senior Queen, then he remains the weyrleader, or a new Weyrleader takes his place

WEYRLEDGE- the entrance or door leading to the weyr

WEYRLING- an inexperienced dragonrider under the tutelage of the Weyrlingmaster

WEYRLING BARRACKS -where weyrlings stay until their training is complete and they are promoted to a fighting wing

WEYRLINGMASTER- trains weyrlings on all facets of Weyr life and dragon care; a dragonrider himself.

WEYRMATES- Pernese for marriage in the Weyr; usually mates would entail that the female dragon would not allow any other dragon to mate with her when she rises, allowing the riders to be mates

WEYRSINGER- a harper for dragonriders; is usually a dragonrider; weyrharper

WEYRSPORT- a daytime beast, smaller than a watchweyr but larger than the fire lizards, indigenous to the southern continent

WEYRWOMAN--Weyrwoman - rider of the senior queen of a Weyr

WEYRWOMAN--weyrwoman- refers to any woman who lives in a Weyr; usually a rider of a
Junior Queen

WHERRY- bird; looks like a turkey about the size of an ostrich; tufts of proto-feathers instead of
feathers

WINESKINS- instead of bottles

WING- fighting complement of dragons; a minimum of 12 riders

WINGLEADER- leader of a Wing; a bronze or brown rider

WINGMATE- fellow members of a wing

WINGRIDER- a member of a fighting wing

WINGSECOND - second in command to the wingleader; a bronze, brown, blue, or green rider

WITHIES- water plants resembling reed of Terra; good eating

WOOD PULP- to write on, stacks in sheets, holds ink

YELLOW FRUIT- citrus common to the Southern Continent

YELLOW-STRIPS- fish common to Pernese waters, not salt water

YELLOWTAIL- fish common to Pernese waters