Hi DS, How would you say "Drink!" as a command? I have created a mace in my D&D game with my sons and the mace has a head shaped like a keg. After soaking it in ale, you can speak the command word to intoxicate your target. The mace's name is "Inebriator". If you can translate that to Khuzdul as well, I would greatly appreciate it. :-) Thanks!
First off — what a brilliant idea. A keg-headed mace, soaked in ale, with a command that intoxicates your foes? That’s a thing of Dwarven legend already. Let’s forge the words to match!
🍺 “Drink!” — The Imperative Form
In Neo-Khuzdul, direct commands are issued in the imperative mood — used when speaking to someone with certainty and authority. Think of it as the verbal equivalent of slamming your tankard on the table.
The root for to drink is SH–L–K, and following the imperative iCCiC pattern for triliteral roots, we get:
ishlik — “Drink!” (when addressing one person)
ishlikî — “Drink (you all)!” (when addressing more than one)
These are precise, commanding, and exactly the kind of phrase you’d use when activating a magical weapon. No room for misinterpretation.
⚒️ A Note on Imperative vs. Jussive
You might’ve seen another form used in Khuzdul that looks like a command but is actually something else — that’s the jussive mood. It’s softer, more formal or ceremonial, often meaning “may (one) do X” or “let them do Y.”
shamukh — “Let all greet”
This is not an order, but a polite suggestion, - and on a side note "shamukh" has over time it become the go-to Dwarvish greeting or farewell, similar to “Aloha” or “Shalom.” Whether meeting at the forge or parting at the gate, the jussive form shamukh has become a phrase of kinship and shared honour.
🧪 “Cause to Drink Ales” — The Causative Mood
Now we get to the fun part: if your mace causes someone to drink, we use the causative mood.
Using the root for ale (Z–L–L), the causative forms are:
zullutha — “It (undoubtedly) causes (all) to drink ales”
(Causative Perfect — used for dependable truths)
tazlalthi — “It (vividly) causes (all) to drink ales”
(Causative Imperfect — used for ongoing vivid realities)
These might be ideal for naming the weapon itself. Both sound arcane and impactful, while remaining faithful to Neo-Khuzdul grammar.
🪓 Overview of Suggested Names
Zullutha — “It causes to drink ales” — dependable, final
Tazlalthi — “It is causing to drink ales” - Ongoing, vivid
Ashlak — “The Drinker” (non-person form)
Zabsh Ushlak — “Drinker’s Mace” (person form and object)
Jalazululôn-Zabsh - “They become very drunk – Mace” — evocative of the aftermath
💡 Jalazululôn comes from the allied verb jala- (completely, whole, in one go), in combination with the 3rd person plural dependable Perfect form. It’s a dependable punchy way of implying: “Smacked by this mace? You’re gone.” It’s the kind of name that sounds like a challenge and a warning all at once — perfect for a Dwarven weapon carried into battle (or a tavern brawl).
May your mace pour chaos like ale from a tapped keg!
Ever at your service,
The Dwarrow Scholar
