Abbavilla to ZPT: A Talossan Glossary
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
| Abbavilla | Capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Talossa. Located in Atatürk province, the city is known to most people as the campus of the University of Talossa (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee). |
| Alfred W. Lawson International Airport | Talossa’s main air portal, actually located just south of Talossan territory. Known in the United States as General Mitchell International Airport, the facility was known to Talossans as Enver Hoxha International Airport until the passage of 42RZ22, The Airport Renaming Act. |
| Amy | Amy Durnford, Ben’s second wife and Queen of Talossa from 2001 to 2005. |
| Ár Päts | Talossan for Our Country. A highly biased and often inaccurate history of Talossa by R. Ben Madison, frequently revised. While irreplaceably valuable in its way, the book is completely untrustworthy. |
| Atatürk | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| aust | Abbreviation for “austanéu” — I abstain. |
| Austanéu | Talossan for “I abstain”. A Senator or MC votes “austanéu” on a Bill when he doesn’t wish to vote either for it or against it. |
| Azul! | Talossan for “Hello!” |
| Balloting Day | The first day of a general election. General elections run from the 15th of one month (Balloting Day) through the 14th of the next month (Election Deadline). |
| Baron | The lowest of the three ranks of Talossan nobility, ranking above a Knight (who is not a noble) and below a Count. A lady raised to the rank of Baron is a Baroness (or Baroneßa). |
| Baroness | In Talossan, “Baroneßa”. 1. A lady of the rank of Baron. 2. The wife of a Baron. |
| Baroneßa | Talossan for “Baroness”. |
| Ben | R. Ben Madison, Talossa’s King Robert I. 14-year-old Ben started the whole thing on 26 December 1979, when he declared the independence of Talossa. He served as King (with short interruptions) until abdicating and renouncing his citizenship on 15 August 2005. He is the creator the Talossan language, and served the government of the Kingdom in multiple capacities for many years. He is the son of the late Talossan citizen Harry Madison, and the brother of the former Princess Jennifer. His 1992 M.A. (history) dissertation at UWM is about the Reorganized Latter-Day Saints in East Central Europe during the period from 1872 to 1939. |
| Benito | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. Formerly known as Mussolini, this province was renamed in 2008 by the legislative body of the province, the Corporate Chamber. The name chosen continues to honour the Italian heritage of the province without directly honouring the Italian Fascist leader, and honours the nation’s founder, Ben Madison. |
| Berber Hypothesis | A hypothesis (working assumption or educated guess) that ancient Berber voyagers reached the New World, some of them ultimately settling in what is now Talossa. The Berber Hypothesis is one of the bases for the 1994 proclamation that Talossa is “inextricably and inexplicably connected somehow to Berbers,” and explains the Berber and North African Latin influences on the glheþ. |
| Black Hand | English for “La Mhà Nheagrâ”, or MN. See “MN”. |
| Burgermeister of Inland Revenue | An officer of the Royal Household, charged with keeping the accounts and treasury of the Kingdom. The Burgermeister may be invited by the Prime Minister into the Cabinet, in which case he serves as Finance Minister as well as Burgermeister. |
| Burk’s | Burk’s is the short name for “Burk’s Peerage and Knightage“, the official almanac of the knights, dames, barons, baronesses, counts, countesses, dukes and duchesses of the Kingdom. Not a mere armorial, Burk’s lists the name, arms, lineage and biography of each royal and noble in the Kingdom. Burk’s is named after Milwaukee’s first true royalty, Barbara Burk Baugh Waters, who wore a crown as Miss Milwaukee and Miss Wisconsin in 1967, and went on to become second runner-up to Miss America in 1968. Barbara is shown at right. Sadly, she passed away in 2002. |
| c | Abbreviation for “contra” — against. |
| Cestour | 1. Properly, a resident of the Kingdom who is not a Talossan citizen. (There are roughly 40,000 Americans resident in Talossa.) Cestoûrs have no political rights in the Kingdom, but we rule them with a gentle and benevolent hand. 2. Loosely, any non-citizen of Talossa, including non-residents and ex-citizens. |
| Cézembre | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. Cézembre, an island off the coast of Brittany in France, is the only one of the provinces outside the Greater Talossan Area (which is surrounded by the U.S. city of Milwaukee). |
| Chancery | The office of the Secretary of State. The Chancery is one of the non-governmental offices of the royal household. |
| Clark | 1. The legislative journal, published each month in two parts by the Secretary of State. Part 1 is published shortly after the 21st of the previous month (so part 1 of the July Clark is published in late June), and contains the results of the Ziu’s voting in that previous month. Part 2 is published on the 1st of each month, and contains proposed legislation and other business for the Ziu’s consideration during the month. 2. One of the monthly meetings of the Ziu. 3. Sometimes used as a verb, to publish a Bill in the Clark. But as Calvin remarks, Verbing weirds language. Trivia: This term is taken from the name of the business originally used to print the Clarks: Clark Printing. |
| Clipper | From the initials “CLP”, a member of the now defunct Conservative Loyalist Party. |
| CLP | Abbreviation for the “Conservative Loyalist Party”, which was founded by Sir Fritz von Buchholtz early in 2005. The CLP was the principal opposition party during the eventful summer of 2005, and won the elections of October 2005 and July 2006. It was disbanded just before the election of April 2007. |
| Cnec’ht | Talossan for “Knight”. |
| College of Arms | 1. The chief authority in the Kingdom regarding heraldry, coats of arms, the nobles and peerage and protocol. 2. A central location in Talossa where the Kingdom’s pedantry and demagogy debate trivial inanities like the proper use of the word “miniver.” Enter at your own risk. |
| Constable | An officer appointed by the King, one per Province, to represent the King in Provincial business and to exercise the powers of the Crown at the Provincial level. |
| Conta | Talossan for “Count”. |
| Conteiça | Talossan for “Countess”. |
| Contra | Talossan for “against”. A Senator or MC votes “contra” on a Bill he opposes. |
| Cort | Talossan for “Court”. “The Cort” refers to the Uppermost Cort of the Kingdom of Talossa. There is provision in the Organic Law for the Ziu to establish lesser courts; a Magistrate’s Court was established in 2008. |
| Cort pü Inalt | Talossan for “Uppermost Cort”, the highest court in the Kingdom, on which all matters of law are brought as a first and last resort. |
| Cosa | 1. The lower house of the Ziu. 2. The particular Cosa returned to office by one election, so that someone can say “I served in the 34th Cosa” or “We’ll have a new Cosa in November.” |
| Council of Regency | A Council exercising the powers of the King. If a King abdicates or dies intestate, the Uppermost Cort constitutes a temporary Council of Regency until such time as a new Royal House is established or (in the case of a minor sovereign inheriting the throne) the Ziu elects a Regent. |
| Count | In Talossan, “Conta”. The middle rank of the three ranks of Talossan nobility, corresponding to an English Earl, ranking above a Baron and below a Duke. A lady raised to the rank of Count is a Countess (or Conteiça). |
| Countess | In Talossan, “Conteiça”. 1. A lady of the rank of Count. 2. The wife of a Count. |
| Covenant of Rights and Freedoms | Article XIX of the Organic Law, which contains a kind of “Bill of Rights” for Talossa. |
| Cumplosteirs da Maricopa | Known in the United States as the Milwaukee Brewers, this baseball team plays at Miller Park in Milwaukee, not far from Maricopa Province. |
| Cunstaval | Talossan for “Constable”. |
| Dama | Talossan for “Dame”. |
| Dame | A lady who has been granted a knighthood. |
| Dandelion | 1. Properly, a natural-born (or adopted) Talossan citizen, one who gained his citizenship by being born to or adopted by a citizen. 2. Loosely, a minor citizen, one not yet 14 years old, and so unable to vote. A “broad leaf dandelion” is a minor child (13 years or younger) of a person who becomes Talossan. |
| Deputy Prime Minister | In Talossan, “Distain”. An official who, in case of the absence or disability of the Prime Minister, exercises the Prime Minister’s authority. |
| Derivatism | Talossan political philosophy holding that, since Talossa is a real country (see “First Postulate of Talossanity”), it should do things as much like other countries as possible. Contrast with “Peculiarism.” |
| Distain | The Talossan title of the Deputy Prime Minister. |
| D:na | Abbreviation for “Doamna”, Talossan for “Mrs”. |
| DOTT | Defenders Of The Throne, a political party formed by Danihel Laurieir during the interregnum following the reign of King Louis. |
| Düc | Talossan for “Duke”. |
| Duchess | In Talossan, “Dücheßa”. 1. A lady of the rank of Duke. 2. The wife of a Duke. |
| Dücheßa | Talossan for “Duchess”. |
| Duke | In Talossan, “Düc”. The highest of the three ranks of Talossan nobility, ranking above a Count. A lady raised to the rank of Duke is a Duchess (or Dücheßâ). |
| Election Deadline | The last day of a general election. General elections run from the 15th of one month (Balloting Day) through the 14th of the next month (Election Deadline). |
| Empacheirs da Florencia | The official Talossan representatives to the National Footbal League. Known in the United States as the Green Bay Packers, this team plays their home games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. |
| Enver Hoxha International Airport | See “Alfred W. Lawson International Airport”. |
| Fiova | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| First Postulate of Talossanity | The proposition — which cannot be questioned! — that the Kingdom of Talossa is a real country with real sovereignty, like Canada or Vanuatu or Senegal. |
| Florence | Florence B. Yarney, a former citizen, who reigned as “King Florence” (the third King of Talossa) from 24 August 1987 to 27 February 1988, at which time she abdicated and King Robert I was restored to the throne. She is currently a resident of Grafton, Wisconsin. |
| Florencia | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| Glheþ (or Glhetg) | Talossan for “language”; pronounced “Lyeth”, rhymes with Beth. When used by itself “the Glheþ” or “el Glheþ” refers to the Talossan language. |
| Governor | Title of the Premier of Florencia. |
| Greater Talossan Area | The Kingdom of Talossa, and its surrounding region, the American city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and its environs. |
| GTA | Abbreviation for “Greater Talossan Area”. Talossans frequently speak of Talossa together with the surrounding Milwaukee metropolitan area as “the GTA”. |
| GTZT | Abbreviation for “El Gremiour Talossan dels Zesegneirs Telaragneschti” — the Talossan Web-Designers’ Guild. |
| Haxh | Talossan for “pilgrimage” (the word was borrowed from Arabic). A Talossan who lives outside Talossa “makes the haxh” by travelling to and visiting Talossa. |
| Hooligan | A small Barony of the Kingdom, located in the extreme northeast corner of the province of Florencia. The Talossan language name of the Barony is Tepistà. The Barony is the site of the East Milwaukee landmark “Hooligan’s Super Bar“; which, antiquarians assure us, takes its name from the Barony, the first Barony created in Talossa. |
| Hopper | A forum for discussion of legislative proposals, used to develop consensus and amend proposals prior to formally placing them on the Clark. |
| IM | Abbreviation for “Immigration Minister” or for “Ian Metairia” (a prominent Talossan). |
| Immigration Minister | The Cabinet minister responsible for overseeing the admission of new citizens into the Kingdom. |
| Inorganic | Not in accordance with the Organic Law. Sometimes written “inOrganic”. |
| Jenny | Min Jenny Pan, Ben’s first wife and former Queen of Talossa. |
| John | His Majesty King John, the fifth (and present) King of Talossa. Formerly Sir John Woolley (in Talossan, “Ian Lupul”), he was elected King by the Ziu following the abdication of King Louis. The election was ratified by the population, and the new King’s reign declared to have begun on 14 March 2007. |
| KBP | The “King Ben Party”, a party formed by Danihel Lauriéir to contest the October 2005 election. |
| King | The head of state of the Kingdom. The reigning King is King John of the House of Lupul, who ascended the throne on 14 March 2007. |
| Kingdom of Talossa | The country you’re reading about. The Kingdom of Talossa declared its independence on 26 December 1979, and claims territory on the east side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as an island (Cézembre) off the coast of Brittany and a large chunk of Antartica (Pengöpäts). |
| Knight | In Talossan, “Cnec’ht”. A man who has been admitted by the King into an Order of Chivalry. A knight is addressed by prefacing his given name with “Sir” or “Segnor”. Knights are not numbered among the nobility, but are considered first among the gentry. A “lady Knight” is called a Dama or Dame. |
| KRI | Abbreviation for “King Robert I”, which he (Ben) frequently used as a shorthand signature. |
| Living Cosa | A Cosa session held live and in person. TalossaFest usually features a Living Cosa. |
| Louis | The fourth King of Talossa. Himself a scion of the royal House of Rouergue, King Louis was adopted as heir by his step-grandfather King Robert I, and inherited the throne on King Robert’s abdication on 15 August 2005. By the act of his legal guardian (the two Houses of the Ziu and the Uppermost Cort, acting at the request of his mother), King Louis abdicated his throne on 29 November 2006. |
| Lupul | The current Royal House of Talossa, founded by King John. “Lupul” is Talossan for “wolf”, and comes from King John’s family name of “Woolley”, which (according to some authorities) derives from “Wolfe-Lee” or Wolf-Meadow. |
| M. | Informal abbreviation for the Talossan word “Ministreu”, meaning “Minister”. In casual conversation (like on the Wittenburg main board) one often refers to “M. Immigration” instead of the longer, more formal title of “Ministreu dal Inmigraziun”. |
| Mar Talossan | Talossan for “Talossan Sea”, the great body of water which laps the eastern shores of the Kingdom; in English called “Lake Michigan”. |
| Marì Rexhital Talossan | Talossan for “Royal Talossan Navy”. The Navy has three branches, the Fleet, the Marine Corps, and the Air Corps. |
| Maricopa | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. Maricopa is the youngest of Talossa’s provinces, and was known as the “Southwest Territories” before being raised to provincial status in 1996. |
| Maritiimi-Maxhestic | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| Mar-Maxh | Colloquial shortening of “Maritiimi-Maxhestic“. |
| MC | Abbreviation for “Member of the Cosa” (or, in Talossan, “Mîmbreu dal Cosa”). A single MC may hold up to 30 of the 200 seats that make up the Cosa. |
| Mençei | Talossan for “Chieftain”. 1. The Lord President of the Senate, elected by that body from among its members. The Mençei is elected to serve throughout the term of the Cosa after the legislature is seated. 2. Title of the Premier of Maricopa Province. |
| La Mha Nheagra | Talossan for “The Black Hand”. See “MN”. |
| MN | Abbreviation for (in Old Spelling) “La Mhà Nheagrâ”, or “Black Hand”. A venerable Talossan political party dating back to the early 1980s, the MN last recently won the election of February 2005, but was soundly defeated by the CLP in October 2005 and has been inactive since then. |
| MoD | Abbreviation for “Minister of Defence” or “Ministry of Defence”. |
| MRT | Abbreviation for “Marì Rexhital Talossan”, or “Royal Talossan Navy”. |
| Mussolini | The former name of the Benito Province, one of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| Napoleon’s | A legendary Wargames store (which alas! closed its doors early in 2005) in Shorewood, Wisconsin; it was owned by the great Sir Fritz von Buchholtz, and was a gathering place for a great many Talossans and their friends. |
| Nimlet | The Provincial assembly of Florencia. |
| “Noi urent q’estadra sa” | Talossan for “We propose that it should be so”, the formula with which the King or a group of members of the Ziu introduces and signs proposed legislation. In the singular, “Uréu q’estadra sa”. |
| Non | Talossan for “no”. |
| Old Talossan | Latin. |
| Organic | In accordance with the Organic Law. The opposite of Inorganic. |
| Organic Law | The Organic Law, or Legeu Orgänic, is the fundamental law (or Constitution) of Talossa. It was adopted in 1997. |
| Order of the Purple Tongue | English name of l’Úrðeri del Glhimba Purpül. |
| Order of the Nation | English name of l’Úrðeri dal Naziun. Talossa’s most prominent Order of Chivalry. |
| OrgLaw | Short form of “Organic Law”, often used in speech and in informal writing. |
| OTP | The “One Talossa Party”, a party formed by Danihel Laurieir to contest the February 2005 election. |
| p | Abbreviation for “per” — for. |
| P2P | Abbreviation for the “People to Provinces Act”, the law that governs the assignment of each new citizen to one of the provinces. |
| PD | Abbreviation for “Prime Dictate”. |
| Peculiarism | Talossan political philosophy, originally espoused by Danihel Laurieir, which holds that Talossa should view itself as a wacky, borderless Zen-like “afterglow” or plasmatic blobule unlike anything else on earth, with no claims to territory or physical space. Contrast with “Derivatism.” |
| Péngöpäts | Talossan for “Penguin-land”. Talossa’s Antarctic territory. |
| Për | Talossan for “for”. A Senator or MC votes “per” on a Bill he favours. |
| Per la Naziun | Talossan for “For the Nation”. The Per la Naziun is an award or decoration given by the King to the Knights of l’Úrðeri dal Naziun. |
| Pic Mac’ht | At 705 meters or 2,312 feet above sea level, Pic Mac’ht is Talossa’s highest point. It is located in in southern Abbavilla. |
| PM | Abbreviation for “Prime Minister” (or, in Talossan, “Prüm Ministreu”). |
| Premier | The chief executive of a Province. The Provinces give various titles to their Premiers. |
| Prime Dictate | A formal pronouncement of the Prime Minister that, unless vetoed by the King, has the force of law. |
| Prime Minister | The head of the Government; the highest political position and chief executive of the Kingdom. The Prime Minister (in Talossan, the “Seneschal” or “Prüm Ministreu”), is selected by the King after each general election on the advice of the newly-elected Cosa. He appoints the Cabinet and many other non-Cabinet officers. |
| Province | One of the constituent parts of Talossa to which citizens can be assigned. The provinces are (in alphabetic order) Atatürk, Benito, Cézembre, Fiova, Florencia, Maricopa, Maritiimi-Maxhestic, and Vuode. Each province has a legislative assembly of its own (a “Provincial Assembly”), a Premier, a Constable appointed by the King, and a Senator. |
| Provincial Assembly | The unicameral legislature of a province. The Provincial Assemblies have names that vary from one Province to another. |
| PUNK | The People United for No King, a former anti-monarchical political party. |
| Q | Nickname for Quedeir Castiglha, a former Prime Minister, current Senator, and all-round great guy. |
| R. Ben Madison | See “Ben”. |
| Referendum | An election in which the entire electorate is asked to vote on a question. Legislation may, under certain conditions, be enacted by referedum; any amendment to the Organic Law requires the approval of a referendum, and any amendment to the Covenant of Rights and Freedoms requires a two-thirds approval in a referendum. |
| Regent | The official who, during the minority of the King (while the King is under 18 years old) or during the King’s absence from the Kingdom, exercises the Royal authority. |
| Regipäts Talossan | Talossan for “Kingdom of Talossa”. The Kingdom is often simply referred to as the “Regipäts”. |
| Renunciation | The act by which a citizen ceases to be a citizen. A renunciation of citizenship can be made publicly and explicitly by the citizen himself, or can be made implicitly by not voting for three consecutive general elections (“three strikes”). |
| Republic of Talossa | See “Talossan Republic”. |
| Republican | A member of the Talossan Republic or a citizen of the Kingdom advocating republican principles. |
| Restéu, V.S.Q.B.V.M. | Extremely formal closing to a letter from one gentleman to another. It means, “I remain, Your Servant Who Kisses Your Hand”. |
| Reunision | The process inaugurated 1 December 2011 and concluded 19 April 2012 by which the Talossan Republic was dissolved, its adherents voting to become citizens of the Kingdom. |
| Robert I | First King of Talossa, and Founder of the Nation. See “Ben”. |
| Robert II | Robert Charles Dobberpuhl (b. 19 December 1962, d. 4 June 1993), who reigned as the second King of Talossa from the first abdication of King Robert I (10? February 1987) until his “legislative decapitation” at the tender hands of the democratically elected PUNK government on 29 March 1987. King Robert II was the son of Ardell Dobberpuhl (b. 1933) and Edna Gisler. His 1988 M.A. (history) dissertation at UWM is entitled “The Finnish question and German-Soviet relations during the Second World War”. He is buried in Zur Ruhe Cemetary, Cedarburg, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. |
| Rouergue | The royal House of Talossa during the reigns of Kings Robert I and Louis, the house being descendants of the mediaeval French noble house of Rouergue. |
| RT | Abbreviation for “Regipäts Talossan”, or “Kingdom of Talossa”. |
| RTN | Abbreviation for “Royal Talossan Navy”. |
| RUMP | Abbreviation for the (initially) “Random Unilateral Movement Party”, a political party formed in the fall of 2005. The RUMP did well in the CLP-won election of October 2005, and came close to winning the July 2006 elections for the 36th Cosa. Midway through that Cosa, due to defections from the CLP, the RUMP actually became the majority party. In the events surrounding the abdication of King Louis and the election of King John, the RUMP renamed itself the “Restore and Uphold the Monarchy Party”, and in the next election becamse the “Revitalisation Under the Monarch Party” and has continued to change its name with each election. |
| Scribery of Abbavilla | One of the Offices of the Royal Household, which are the non-governmental offices that serve the nation. The tasks of the Scribery are to maintain the organic and statutory law, and to keep this Website updated. The head of the Scribery is the Scribe of Abbavilla. |
| Scurznia Gramática | The Scúrzniâ Gramáticâ del Glheþ Talossán, or Short Grammar of the Talossan Language, is R. Ben Madison’s grammar of (Old Spelling) Talossan, as it was in 1996. |
| S:dâ | Abbreviation for “Siorida”, Talossan for “Miss”. |
| Seatgate | A minor political scandal from late 2003, wherein then-SoS M-P Furxhéir decided to reassign the ZPT’s seven Cosa seats from Gary Cone to ZPT party leader Chêneþ Velméir. Some citizens objected that this would be inorganic under Article VIII, Section 4 of the Organic Law. Although the Cort has never formally ruled on the issue, the eventual consensus was that a party may not reassign Cosa seats held by one of its members unless the member first lawfully vacates the seats (e.g., by resignation). |
| SecState | Colloquial short form of “Secretary of State”. |
| Secretar d’Estat | Talossan for “Secretary of State”. |
| Secretary of State | One of the main offices of the Talossan government, the Secretary of State (whose office is called the Chancery) is appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Secretary is responsible for the conduct of national elections, the maintenance of citizenship rolls and voter lists, the publication of the monthly Clark, tabulation of votes in the Ziu, official communications between the government and political parties, and various lesser duties. |
| Segnhor | Talossan for “Sir” (with a given name) or “Mister” (with a surname). Abbreviated “S:reu” or (informally?) “S:r”. |
| Senate | The upper house of the Ziu. |
| Senator | A member of the Senate, duh. Each province sends a single Senator to the Senate to represent it. |
| Senäts | Talossan for “Senate”. |
| SoS | Abbreviation for “Secretary of State”. |
| S:r | Colloquial and informal abbreviation for “Segnor”. |
| S:reu | Abbreviation for “Segnor”. |
| Strike | A failure to vote in a general election. A citizen who fails to vote in three consecutive general elections has accumulated “three strikes”, and is considered to have renounced his citizenship. |
| TalossaFest | An annual festival attracting Talossans from all over the world to the homeland. TalossaFest traditionally features a Living Cosa, and is the preferred time for making the Haxh. For more information, see the TalossaFest Archives. |
| Talossan | 1. A citizen of the Kingdom of Talossa. 2. In a larger sense, anyone who identifies himself with the nationality, culture, and history of Talossa. 3. The Talossan language (el Glheþ Talossan), a Romance language originally invented by R. Ben Madison. Talossan is the official language of Talossa. 4. As an adjective, of or pertaining to Talossa. |
| Talossan Republic | Officially, “La Repúblicâ Talossán”. A state following the Talossan culture initially founded by citizens of the Kingdom who claimed secession from the Kingdom on 1 June 2004 in response to abuses by King Robert I, and which dissolved on 19 April 2012 after its citizens voted to reunite with the Kingdom in the Reunision. |
| Talossan Sea | The large body of water off the coast of Talossa. Known in the United States as Lake Michigan. |
| Talossanity | That elusive eu-non-säps-qet that makes Talossan things, well, Talossan. Characterized by a sort of good-humoured mock seriousness, whimsy, attachment to odd traditions, and so on. |
| Tepistà | Talossan for “hooligan” or “rowdy”. An alternative form of the title of Baron Hooligan, and the Talossan name of the Barony in northeastern Florencia. |
| Three Strikes | The mechanism by which a citizen who fails to vote in three consecutive general elections is considered to have renounced his citizenship. |
| Tomás | Talossan for “Thomas”. Most often refers to the legendary Sir Tomás Gariçeir, greatly-admired and much-missed former citizen of Talossa, whose expertise in and contributions to the development of the Talossan language are second only to those of Ben himself. |
| Treisour | A Talossan wordlist, but especially the list of Talossan words officially recognised by the CÚG. Originally taken from the title of the work Treisour del Glheþ Talossan, or Treasure of the Talossan Language, R. Ben Madison’s definitive Talossan dictionary. With roughly 30,000 entries, it is one of the most comprehensive lexicons ever created for a constructed language. Madison last published the 1997 edition of the Treisour. A new and up-to-date online Treisour is maintained by the CÚG at Talossan.com. |
| Túischac’h | The Talossan title for the Speaker of the Cosa (the lower house of the national parliament). The Túischac’h is appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister when a Cosa is first seated after an election. |
| Üc | Talossan for “yes”. |
| Uppermost Cort | The highest (and at this time, the only) Cort of the Kingdom of Talossa. The Uppermost Cort consists of three Justices, appointed for life; the one who has served longest is designated the “Senior Justice” and the others the “Puisne Justices”. The Uppermost Cort hears all lawsuits and trials in the Kingdom, and rules on the Organicity of laws and practices. |
| l’Úrðeri dal Naziun | Talossan for “the Order of the Nation”. L’Úrðeri dal Naziun is the most prominent Order of Chivalry in Talossa. Knights of the Order are decorated with the “Per la Naziun”. |
| l’Úrðeri del Glhimba Purpül | Talossan for “the Order of the Purple Tongue”. L’Úrðeri del Glhimba Purpül is an order of knighthood created to recognize outstanding linguistic accomplishments. The Order has only two members, Sir Tomás Gariçeir and Sir Iustì Canun. |
| “Uréu q’estadra sa” | Talossan for “I propose that it should be so”, the formula with which a member of the Ziu introduces and signs proposed legislation. In the plural, “Noi urent q’estadra sa”. |
| UrN | Abbreviation for “l’Úrðeri dal Naziun”, the Order of the Nation. Knights of the Order often append “UrN” to their signatures. |
| UWM | The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, the Cestour name for Talossa’s largest seat of higher learning, known to Talossans as the University of Talossa. |
| VOC | Abbreviation for “Vote of Confidence”. In each Clark, each member of the Cosa is asked whether he desires that the Government should continue in power, and must answer Yes (Üc) or No (Non). If the number of No votes ever equals or surpasses the number of Yes votes, the Cosa is immediately dissolved and a new election called to begin on the 15th of the next month. |
| VSM | Abbreviation for “Vaißal da Sieu Maxhestà”, Talossan for “His Majesty’s Ship”. “VSM” is prefixed to the names of ships of the Royal Talossan Navy. |
| Vuode | One of the provinces of the Kingdom of Talossa. |
| The Vuode Wall | A term used primarily by citizens of the Talossan Republic (2004-2012) to refer to the boundary they considered to exist between the Republic and the Kingdom of Talossa, and figuratively to refer to all impediments to the two groups working together. |
| Witt (or The Witt) | Short for “Wittenberg”. |
| Wittenberg | 1. In general, the Kingdom of Talossa’s whole set of discussion boards. Since June 2004, Wittenberg has been located at http://talossa.proboards32.com. The current Proboards version is the 11th incarnation of Wittenberg, and is therefore sometimes referred to as “Wittenberg XI”. 2. Specifically, the “General” discussion board at that same site. |
| Wittiquette | Proper, correct, or acceptable behaviour for posting on Wittenberg. |
| Ziu | The bicameral legislature (or parliament) of the Kingdom of Talossa. The upper house (the Senate or Senäts) is made up of one Senator for each province. The lower house (the Cosa) comprises 200 seats, of which no Member may hold more than 30. The Ziu has its own dedicated discussion area on Wittenberg, where only Senators and MCs can post. |
| Zog salute | The official salute of Talossa. It consists of holding the right arm with palm extended (as if to make a fascist salute), but with the arm bent back across the chest. It is considered bad form to giggle while making the Zog salute. |
| Zooks! | In Talossan, “Zux!” A Talossan-English interjection heard more frequently among Talossans than is usual in English-speaking countries. It expresses surprise, astonishment, or wonder. |
| ZPT | The Zefençadéirs del Päts Talossán, or “Defenders of the Land of Talossa”. A former political party; prominent among its members were Xheralt Cona and Marc Moisan. The ZPT became entirely defunct when Cona and Moisan renounced their citizenship in August 2005. |
