It occurred to me that my readers might appreciate a glossary and pronunciation guide of the terms found in Affinity for Pain and the following books. I’ll likely add this glossary to the books themselves in the future, but for now, enjoy the comprehensive Newborn City Series Glossary.
I’ll update this page as the series progresses and we add even more words to our demon vocabulary.
Newborn City Series Glossary of Names, Places, & Demonic Terms
Anam cara: a Gaelic term that means soul friend.
Araj (ah-rahj): a Chakal word for pain.
Braednas (brayd-nahs): a Chakal word for the mating ceremony. The male and female Chakals are led into a dark room where they cannot see each other. They are given twenty minutes to guarantee that the female is pregnant. They are to be silent and stoic. The room has only a ledge for the woman to lean over, face first, and a curtain hiding the woman from any possible view during and after the mating. This prevents omaeriku from ever taking place.
Chakal (sha-kal): a race of half-breed demons who the demon and human cultures have shunned. They are fierce warriors with a proud heritage and blend into society because they look human. They would be able to live amongst humans, but most choose never to interact with them. There are females and males, just as with humans. The males possess great strength and the ability to sense their own kind. The females possess the ability to feel no pain unless omaeriku is formed. The Chakal live together in great camps and travel from place to place. The fathers and children stay together all their lives, except for the female children who leave once they have reached womanhood. Often the females breed before leaving, so the species may continue.
Chakalian (sha-kah-lee-an): the dialect that the Chakal people speak.
Company, the: an organization created by a man referred to by the name Dante. Based in the United States, it organizes hits on various anti-demon or corrupt individuals. They are extremely secretive and usually recruit only demons to their organization; however, some humans have joined after proving themselves.
Dawning, the: a period where the demon culture was revealed to humanity. Most of the demon culture was shunned, but small fractions were accepted into the culture and lived side by side with the humans. Many humans still know little about demonic culture.
Demon: a group of humanoid creatures that have existed alongside humans. They have evolved simultaneously with them. Humans created the term out of a religious fear that connected their abilities with evil forces. They are not inherently evil but have the free will to go either way. There are many races of demons, and there are some that consist of sexes and many which are asexual.
Fever: a demon and human-friendly club in the heart of Newborn City.
Impraenata (im-pray-nah-tah): a Chakal term referring to the male who is to conduct the mating during the braednas ceremony.
Inferno Club: an underground club in New York City where patrons take bets on demon/ human fights arranged by the club’s owner, Marcus Dentry.
Jabalv (zhuh-bahlv): the male who has initiated the omaeriku process for a Chakal female. This male is destined to be with that female. They do not choose each other.
Madru (mah-droo): a Chakal word for mother. Mothers of the Chakal race often breed and then immediately leave their children and partner to avoid the pain of the bond.
Mieklana (meek-lahnah): a Chakal term meaning I was wrong and I am sorry.
Newborn City: a newly formed city created after the Dawning where humans and demons live together in semi-harmony. Newborn City is in upstate New York. It was built on the foundations of a small town called Endwell. It was chosen because it was far enough away from New York City to escape the hype but also close enough for some of the clans with small children to successfully travel there.
Olanyala (oh-lahn-yah-lah): a Chakal term for outsider or stranger.
Omaeriku (oh-may-ree-koo): the bond formed between a female Chakal and her jabalv. The bond is automatic and unpredictable. The only way the bond is destroyed is if one or both partners involved are killed. This fated bond is both physical and spiritual for the Chakal, and it gives the female involved the ability to feel her loved one’s pain and sense his presence. The ability to form the bond is passed down from mother to daughter. The bond is also lessened in intensity as the couple moves farther and farther away from each other.
Padru (pah-droo): a Chakal word for father. Fathers of the race often end up raising the children of their species.
Panyas (pahn-yahs): a Chakal term for the females of their race. This term developed from the idea that before omaeriku they feel no pain but afterward, they feel double that of any male Chakal.
Radackla (ra-dahk-lah): a Chakal term for traitor.
Saravas (sah-rah-vahs): a Chakal term for loved one.
Shendara (shen-dah-rah): the Chakal’s god who protects and guides them from Shiahla, the enchanted land in the sky where Shendara resides. Called Maker as well, it is the deity the Chakal worship and derives their practices from. A book passed down through the centuries contains the writings of Shendara and is used as the basis for interpreting the ancient traditions of the tribe. No one knows where the book came from, and the passages contained within are a topic of debate for the Chakal. Most believe them without question, but a rare few believe that the traditions should be updated or thrown out altogether.
Shiahla (shee-ah-lah): the home of Shendara the Chakal god. Chakal demons who die go to Shiahla and rest there for eternity. Much like the Christian heaven, the souls of Chakal who die are young and healthy in Shiahla. The place, also known as the Otherland, has personal interpretations, and it is said that each Chakal has their own unique Otherland.
Travyas (trahv-yahs): a Chakal term for the males of this race. The term developed from the idea that the males of the species are travelers and nomadic. They are a tight-knit group and avoid strangers. Males raise the children of the species. They have inherited great strength and the ability to sense their kind and use this to defend themselves from predators and threats.
Wanyabas Time (wahn-yah-bahs): the wanyabas time occurs for the females of the Chakal species when they mature sexually and can conceive children. This occurs approximately at the age of twenty-eight. The females of the race are quickly impregnated when they reach the wanyabas time and leave soon after they give birth.
Waekyana (wake-yah-nah): a female in the grips of omaeriku. She is now capable of feeling her jabalv’s pain and is forever bound to him. The only thing that can keep her from feeling his pain now is death or extreme distance.
Whonadana (ho-nah-dah-nah): a Chakal term loosely translated as less than nothing or whore.
Yanyas (yahn-yahs): a Chakal term for the young or children of the species.
Keep an eye out for updates to the Newborn City Series Glossary, and check out all the books in the series here.