Ewokese

"Tyatee, ah-ah azar, tyatee, ah-ah yahwah…"

―Logray reciting a magic formula in Ewokese^[1]

The was written in Ewokese. — The Scroll of the Mantigrue was written in Ewokese.

Ewokese was the language spoken by the Ewoks. C-3PO claimed Ewokese was a primitive language, but despite its isolation, he was able to understand it. Ewoks were able to learn and speak other languages, including Basic.

Vocabulary

Contents
0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Top · Notes and references

A

Aargutcha - Pull^[2]
Acha - Okay, all right^[2]
Ah-ah - Water^[2]
Akeeata - Hear^[2]
Allayloo - Celebrate^[2]
Amoowa - You have a..^[2]
Ando - Forward^[2]
Arandee - Listen^[2]
Azar - Magic^[2]

B

Bingee - To guide^[2]
Bok chuu-ock - Far away^[2]
Bont - Great^[2]
Bugdoo - Hungry^[2]

C

Cha/Chaa - Them^[2]
Chaaa - This one^[2]
Cha - Yes^[2]
Che - Free, as in liberty^[2]
Chees - Route/path^[2]
Chek - Soup^[2]
Che womok! - Beware!^[2]
Chim - Three (3)^[2]
Chiutatal - Moon^[2]
Choo doo - Enough^[2]
Chu - One (1)^[2]
Chuck - Much^[2]
Churee/Churi - Mountain^[2]
Chyasee - Help^[2]
Coatee-cha - Celebrate^[2]
Coki - Nine (9)^[2]
Coro - Can you...?^[2]
Cupee - Cap, as in an ice cap on a mountain^[2]

D

Daboolhat - Change, be different
Dangar - Attack
Danthee - Maybe^[2]
Danvay - Be careful^[2]
Deajstare - Death Star^[2]
Dee fratta - That's, that is^[2]
Deej - Father^[2]
Deksh - Oh dear/Oh my^[2]
Den - No^[2]
De oppra - Upper, top^[2]
Drik - Happy^[2]
Dutak - Arrow^[2]

E

Ee chee wa maa! - Wow, gee whiz! Oh my goodness.^[2]
Eechik - Try^[2]
Ee choya! - Hey^[2]
Eedada - Over^[2]
Eedada huutaveet - Spaceship^[2]
Eedeedee - Under^[2]
Eedeeza - Ten (10)^[2]
Eeep! - Yipes!^[2]
Eekeekeek - Forest^[2]
Eekeetuhkuh - Axe^[2]
Ees - We^[2]
Eetee - Long^[2]
Eleeo - Never^[2]
Eleeoth - Far^[2]
Ehda - Evil, Bad^[2]
Ehshtee/Eshtee - Give^[2]
Ekla - Big^[2]
Enenah - Where^[2]
Entzahee roda - Cook^[2]
Enya - Show^[2]
Esa - Why^[2]
E s'eesht - Kill^[2]
Etke - More^[2]
Eyok-nee-chug - What is that?^[2]

F

Feech - Dang^[3]
Feef - Plant^[2]
Fektur - Medicine^[2]
Fic - Two (2)^[2]
Freet - Sister^[2]
Fruk - Brother^[2]
Fudana - Wait^[2]
Fulu - Circle^[2]

G

Geetch - Push^[2]
Gleeg - Drink^[2]
Glek - Sad^[2]
Goo - Light/Trade^[2]
Goon daa - delicious^[2]
Gooka - Shelter^[2]
Goopa - Hi.^[2]
Goot - Good^[2]
Graks - Monster^[2]
Greh/Grek - Hands^[2]
Grenchicit - Hang on/Hold on^[2]
Gunda (goon dah) - Yummy^[4]
Gyeesh - Please^[2]

H

Heeta hutah - Bark lizard^[2]
Hii - Visit^[2]
Hoji - Four (4)^[2]
Hurga - Teach^[2]
Hutar - Danger^[2]
Hveetin - Glider^[2]

I

Ileeay - Stop^[2]

J

Jad - Down^[2]
Jadgreh - Foot^[2]
Jarat - Branch^[2]
Jeejee - Face^[2]
Jeeks - That^[2]
Jeerota - Friend^[2]
J'voo - Eight (8)^[2]
Ji - ?^[2]
Jiks - This^[2]

K

Ka - The^[2]
Kaa too sha^[5]
Kaiya - Giddyup!^[2]
Kash - How^[2]
Kee - Wishes?^[2]
Kee yak taa^[5]
Keesh - When^[2]
Kiney (chattu) - Blessings^[2]
Kla - From^[2]
Klektuhkuh - Spear^[2]
Kna Naa - Spirit Tree^[2]
Kra - Ready^[2]
Kreeth - Cave^[2]
Krochaa^[6]
Kush - Who, What^[2]
Kush drojh? - What's going on?^[2]
Kvark - Oh no/fooey^[2]

L

Labu labu? - How much?^[2]
Lang - Think^[2]
Luka - Stars^[2]
Luka yit - Pixie^[2]
Lulalar - Sing^[2]
Lungee - Lost^[2]
Lurd - Dumb, silly^[2]
Lurdo (ler-do) - Loser^[7]
Luu - Beautiful^[2]
Luufi - Flower^[2]

M

Manna manna - Food^[2]
Mo - more^[2]
Meechoo - I^[2]
Moktok - Now^[2]

N

Na-chin - Tribe^[2]
Na goo - Stop!^[2]
N'dla - Six (6)^[2]
Neetuhl - Early^[2]
Ne gata/Ni gata - Where is...?^[2]
Nim-nee - Take (me)^[2]
Ninga ninga - I respect^[2]
N'la - Five (5)^[2]
Nocka - Deal^[2]
Noot - Now^[2]
Nub - I would/I have^[2]
Nude-La - I am a...^[2]
Nuv - Love^[2]

O

Oh - Too^[2]
Oh hheneheh (oh hén heh) - An expression used to call to order an assembled group in preparation for an announcement—sometimes, after an accompanying drum beat^[8]^[9]
Ooba - Rain, Rainfall^[2]
Oodeef - Sweet^[2]
Ooloo ooloo - Phrase pertaining to eating of someone^[2]
Ota - To the^[2]

P

Pibooka - Clearing^[2]
Pola - Polar^[2]
^[2]

R

Reh rehluu - Dance^[2]
Reshee - Map^[2]
Reeto^[6]
Roda - To eat^[2]
Ronda ronda - Landing platform^[2]
Rueenee - Ruins^[2]
Ruha - Hit^[2]

S

Seefo - Hurt^[2]
Seeg - On^[2]
Sheeu - Name^[2]
Shetai - Warrior^[2]
Shodeesh - Parents^[2]
Shodu - Mother^[2]
Shtehk - Sit^[2]
Shtek - Vine/rope^[2]
Sirut - Door^[2]
Siz - Fire^[2]
Sku - Hello^[2]
Sleesh - Berry^[2]
Sta - Now^[2]
Stoja - Station^[2]
Stusl - Send^[2]
Sut - Soon^[2]

T

Ta - The^[2]
Tal - Sun^[2]
Tana (tah nah) - The Ewokese name of the planet Endor^[10]
Teeha - Thank you^[2]
Teeket - Heart^[2]
Teera - Only^[2]
Thees - Good^[2]
Theesa - Baby, child^[2]
Theesdarat - Truth^[2]
Thek - Here^[2]
T'hesh - Quiet^[2]
Thesi - There^[2]
Thleek - Throw^[2]
Thuk - Rock^[2]
Tip-yip - Fowl^[2]
Toma - Your(?)^[2]
Toto - Is/Does^[2]
Treek - Go^[2]
Treekthin - Journey^[2]
Treekveek - Run^[2]
Treeta Dobra - Council of Elders^[2]
Tyatee - Come^[2]
Tyeht danti? - What happened?^[2]
Tyehtgeethin - Stranger^[2]
Tyor - Pit/hole^[2]
Tyoshaa^[6]

U

Uhree - Up^[2]
Uuta - Sky^[2]

V

Veek - Quick^[2]
Voo - Seven (7)^[2]
Vootok - village^[2]

W

Weewa - House, home^[2]
Weechu - You^[2]

X

X'eef - Ground^[2]
X'ekra - Guard/watch/protect^[2]
X'iutha - Important^[2]

Y

Yaa-yaah! - Greetings.^[2]
Yayath - Jump^[2]
Yeek - Look^[2]
Yeh - Old^[2]
Yeha - Good bye^[2]
Yehk - Open^[2]
Yekyit - Say/tell^[2]
Yesh - Right, correct^[2]
Yigit - Small^[2]
Yiyult - Cup^[2]
Yowah - Go
Yub nub - Freedom^[2]
Yubnub - Hooray^[2]
Yud ehda/Yut ehda - Alas^[2]
Yuf - Climb^[2]
Yuhyi - See^[2]
Yungyet - Nut^[2]
Yun yum - I like it^[2]
Yun yum di goot - It is very good/tasty^[2]
Yupyup - Rejoice (rejoicing)
Yub yub - Follow/Let's go^[2]
Yahwah - Power

Z

Zeeg - In^[2]
Zeekee - Safe^[2]
Zeeheein - Safety^[2]
Zehg - Out^[2]

Notable non-native speakers of Ewokese

C-3PO
Charal^[11]

Behind the scenes

The language of the Ewoks first appeared in 1983 in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the last installment of the original trilogy.^[8] The Ewokese featured in Return of the Jedi was developed by ILM sound designer Ben Burtt, and was largely based on Kalmyk, a Mongolian, nomadic tribal dialect. African and South-Pacific languages also influenced Ewokese.^[12] The primary inspiration, however, was the Kalmyk Oirat language, spoken by Russians of Kalmyk ethnicity. He decided to make Ewokese based on that language after hearing it in a documentary. He got an 80-year-old Kalmyk woman to speak tales of her people through her native tongue, and then recorded the sounds, with the various actors imitating various portions of the recording (one of the actual sentences that the Kalmyk woman spoke can be translated as "what should I tell them, I don't know what to say)." In addition, Ben Burtt and Anthony Daniels later used and even invented their own terms in the language when doing the scene where C-3PO was reciting the story of the Rebel Alliance's efforts to stop the Galactic Empire.^[13]

Ewokese was featured more prominently in Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure^[14] and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, a duology of made-for-TV films set on the forest moon of Endor. According to the movie credits, the Ewokese dialogues were created by Mari Mine-Rutka.^[15]

According to the Ultimate Alien Anthology, Ewokese had no written form.^[16] While Ewoks episode "The Haunted Village" shows writing that Ewoks can read, it also (like all Ewoks episodes) depicts Ewoks speaking Basic rather than Ewokese, demonstrating a lack of strict fidelity to canon in matters of Ewokese.^[17]