Some idioms relate to other species, both on Pyak, the home planet of the Hrmitt, and elsewhere.
7.3.1. Multi-eyed Species
One of the most salient features of Hrmitt interaction with other species is their attitude towards species with multiple eyes. Being a single-eyed species, they regard multiple eyes as monstrous:
buftek mo'ipfi!
buf-tek
body-2sg
mo'-ipf-i
pl-eye-pred
You're a monster! (Lit. Your body has many eyes!)
The pejorative mo'ipf literally means “many-eyes”, and is used in the sense of “monster” both literally and figuratively. Creatures labelled mo'ipf are regarded as lesser beings, and a different form of address is used: ipf is used with standalone pronouns to refer to Hrmitt, whereas buf is used when referring to non-Hrmitt, especially to multi-eyed species. Creatures referred to as mo'ipf are also treated as inanimate nouns, rather than animate nouns when referring to Hrmitt.
7.3.2. The Baksha
The baksha is a large, horned animal, known for its characteristic pungent odor. Its obstinate behaviour is alluded to by the verb bakshami “to be stubborn”, “to barrel one's way through something”.
bakshatekmi!
baksha-tek-mi
Baksha-2sg-v
You're being stubborn!
Derivatively, to wait for a Baksha to calm down means to wait for a very long time indeed, or to wait in vain.
The girl is not coming back; you're waiting in vain.
7.3.3. The Lling
The lliŋ[ɬlɪŋ] is a winged, bird-like, but flightless creature on Pyak, having an unusually large beak usually laid down against its chest. The Hrmitt associate it with clumsiness or carelessness, giving rise to the verb lliŋmi:
aŋ lliŋgopfmi!
aŋ
imp.2sg
lliŋ-opf-mi
Lling-neg-v
Don't be such a clumsy oaf!
hosh lliŋtaumi vtu!
hosh
yes
lliŋ-tau-mi
Lling-2sg.p-v
vtu
again
You made a mess of things again!
7.3.4. The Engit (hop-crab)
The eŋit[ɛˈŋɪt] is a small shelled scavenger on Pyak that moves by a hopping gait, earning its English translation “hop-crab”. It is usually found around Hrmitt settlements, and its scavenging habits made it a derogatory term for thief or pilferer:
buftek eŋiti!
buf-tek
body-2sg
eŋit-i
Engit-pred
You thief!
The verb form eŋitmi means “to steal” or “to pilfer”:
hosh eŋittaumi fai ishauni!
hosh
yes
eŋit-tau-mi
steal-2sg.p-v
fai
where
ish-au-i
home-1sg.p-pred
You were indeed stealing in my house!
It may also mean to barely scrape by, to live on crumbs and scraps:
eŋitmumi fai itluŋgi tzai toshtopfmi.
eŋit-mu-mi
Engit-1pl.p-v
fai
where
itluŋ-i
Itlung-pred
tzai
when
toshtopf-mi
famine-v
We barely scraped by in Itlung when there was a famine.
7.3.5. The Ngrak
The ŋrak[ŋrak] is an alien species from a nearby star system from Pyak, the homeworld of the Hrmitt, who is embroiled in a millenia-long blood feud with the Hrmitt. The feud has lasted for so long present members of either species no longer remember the original reason of the feud, only an interminably-long and growing list of grievances. Both species will shoot to kill each other on sight. Such bitter enmity has caused the term ŋrak to become a label of ultimate rejection; anyone who is labeled ŋrak is considered by the Hrmitt to be beyond reconciliation, a devil, demon, or monster (in a far stronger sense than mo'ipf), and will be attacked with extreme prejudice.
The verb form ŋrakmi means to maraud, to invade, to terrorize, or to wreak havoc.
igaktaumi nai ŋrakusmi fai shesti tzai shtuhren lettat.
igakt-au-mi
library-1sg.p-v
nai
how
ŋrak-us-mi
Ngrak-3pl.p-v
fai
where
shest-i
here-pred
tzai
when
shtuhren
256
lett-at.
year-abl
I found from the historical records that the Ngrak rampaged here 256 years ago.
The following expression is practically a direct analogue of the English “wolf in sheep's clothing”: