Glossary

A glossary and translation of terms and words unfamiliar in The Old World

Affiga: the continent of Africa

Aiwa: the former state of Iowa, now a region in Meriga

Altan: town in Meriga, formerly Alton, IL

Ammers: town in Nuwinga, formerly Amherst, MA

Anarba: town in Meriga, formerly Ann Arbor, MI

Arksa: the former state of Arkansas, now a region in Meriga

Banroo Bay: large, ecologically rich estuary at the mouth of the Misipi River, named after the drowned city of Baton Rouge

Baraboo Sirk: the one circus to survive the end of the old world; for many years based in Baraboo, WI

Baspresden: vice president, a hereditary officer in the Merigan government

Bellem: village in Meriga, formerly Bethlehem, IN

Burners: guild responsible for cremating human remains and safely disposing of the ashes

Burning Land: most of the state of Pennsylvania, which is riddled by subterranean fires due to an inadequately tested fossil fuel extraction technology used in the last days of the old world

Cago: city in Meriga, formerly Chicago, IL

Cago Canal: formerly the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal, a canal running from Lake Mishga to the Ilanoy River

Cairline: the former state of North Carolina and the portions of South Carolina still above water, now part of the coastal allegiancies except for a small western portion belonging to Meriga

Calsag channel:  formerly the Cal-Sag or Calumet-Saganashkee Channel, a canal linking the Cago Canal with the Lilcammet River south of Cago

Cansiddi: city in Meriga, formerly Kansas City, MO; a garrison town, base of the Army of Suri

Chicamog: village in Meriga, formerly Chickamauga, GA

Circle: in Meriga, Nuwinga, Genda, and the coastal allegiancies, an organization of women who have had healthy babies; in Meriga and Nuwinga, a major center of political power, closely allied with the priestesses of Mam Gaia

Clums: town in Meriga, formerly Columbus, IN

Coastal allegiancies: independent semi-feudal, semi-anarchic society occupying the eastern seaboard of the former United States from Deesee south to Joja

Conda: village in Meriga, formerly Golconda, IL

Congrus: hereditary advisory body, part of the Merigan government in Sisnaddi

Cunnel: in Meriga, a member of the lower aristocracy; the term descends from “colonel”

Deesee: drowned ruin in the Lannic Ocean, formerly Washington, DC

Dell: an evil spirit in Merigan folklore

Duca: town in Meriga, formerly Paducah, KY

Durrem: town in the coastal allegiancies, formerly Durham, NC; site of a battle between Merigan and allegiancy forces

Elcart: town in Meriga, formerly Elkhart, IN

Elwus: Elvis impersonator, a common type of traveling entertainer in Meriga

Ensul: town in Meriga, formerly Evansville, IN

Febry: the month of February

Florda: legendary land drowned beneath the Gulf of Meyco, formerly the state of Florida

Fowain: town in Meriga, formerly Fort Wayne, IN

Genda: formerly Canada, a nation occupying most of the former eastern Canada

Greenlun: formerly Greenland, now a chain of ice-free islands in the Lannic east of Genda

Hiyo: the former state of Ohio, now a region in Meriga

Hudsen Straits: former Hudson River valley, flooded with salt water due to sea level rise

Ilanoy: the former state of Illinois, now a region in Meriga

Interruption of Continuity: program in the last years of the old world to construct computers and other technology that would remain viable for several centuries; abbreviated IOC

IOC: see Interruption of Continuity

Ipsee: town in Meriga, formerly Ypsilanti, MI

Jennel: in Meriga, a member of the upper aristocracy; the term descends from “general”

Jinya: the former state of Virginia, now part of the coastal allegiancies

Jirido: town in Meriga, formerly Cape Girardeau, MO

Joja: the former state of Georgia, divided between Meriga and the coastal allegiancies

Jonsul: town in Meriga, formerly Jonesville, MI

Josbro: town in Meriga, formerly Jonesboro, AR

Keelo: kilogram

Klom: kilometer

Lannic Ocean: the Atlantic Ocean

Lebna: town in Meriga, formerly Lebanon, KY

Lebnan: capital city of Nuwinga, formerly Lebanon, NH

Leedo: town in Meriga, formerly Toledo, OH

Leen: village in Meriga, formerly Saline, MI

Lekstun: town in Meriga, formerly Lexington, KY

Lom: llama, the most common large livestock in Meriga

Luwul: city in Meriga, formerly Louisville, KY

Madsen: town in Meriga, formerly Madison, IN

Mam: common title of respect for a woman; derived from “ma’am.”

Mam Gaia: the deity of the established religion in Meriga, the Earth understood as a goddess

Melumi: town in Meriga, formerly Bloomington, IN; see Versty.

Memfis: city in Meriga, formerly Memphis, TN

Meriga: nation occupying the midwestern and southern parts of the former United States; the name derives from "America"

Meyaplis: city in Meriga, formerly Minneapolis, MN; a garrison town, headquarters of the Army of Misota

Meycan Empire: see Meyco

Meyco: formerly Mexico, an empire comprising the historic nation of Mexico, the southwestern quarter of the former United States, central America, and portions of northern South America

Mishga: the former state of Michigan, now a region in Meriga

Misipi River: the Mississippi River

Misota: the former state of Minnesota, now a region in Meriga

Mister: common title of respect for a man; also, a fully trained and qualified member of a guild

Munsa: village in Meriga, formerly Munster, IN

Namee: tsunami

Naplis: city in Meriga, formerly Indianapolis, IN

Nardiga: the continent of Antarctica, now ice-free, forested, and inhabited

Nashul: city in Meriga, formerly Nashville, TN

Neeonjin country: the northwestern coastal regions of North America, including parts of the former Washington and Oregon states and the province of British Columbia, settled by refugees from Japan in the 22nd century of the old calendar; “Neeonjin” derives from the Japanese word Nihonjin, “Japanese person”

Noksul: city in Meriga, formerly Knoxville, TN; a garrison town, the base of the Army of Tenisi

Norj: formerly Norway, one of the few parts of Europe not conquered by the Arabs in the 21st and 22nd centuries of the old calendar

North Ocean: formerly the Arctic Ocean

Nuber: village in Meriga, formerly Newburgh, IN

Nuwabnee: town in Meriga, formerly New Albany, IN

Nuwinga: formerly New England, a nation extending from the Hudsen Straits to the Lannic Ocean

Nyork: the former state of New York, now a region in Meriga

Oggis: the month of August

Old Believer: a Christian, as distinct from a worshipper of Mam Gaia

Old world: in Meriga, the common name for the era of industrial civilization

Orrij: ruin in Meriga, formerly Oak Ridge National Laboratories, TN

pancake, to: in ruinman slang, to collapse vertically, rather than falling over to one side

Pen: the former state of Pennsylvania, mostly abandoned due to underground fires; see Burning Land, Wes Pen

Pickers: guild responsible for sorting through trash for recyclable materials

Pisba: city in Meriga, formerly Pittsburgh, PA; a garrison town, the base of the Army of Wes Pen

Player: in Meriga, an idiomatic term for musician

Poyen: village in Meriga, formerly Napoleon, OH

Prentice: apprentice

Presden: president

Proo: town in Meriga, formerly Peru, IL

Rocalan: town in Meriga, formerly Rock Island, IL

Rosh: formerly Russia, one of the few parts of Europe not conquered by the Arabs in the 21st and 22nd centuries of the old calendar

Ruinmen: guild responsible for demolishing old world buildings and selling the metal for scrap

Rutlen: town in Nuwinga, location of Nuwinga’s Versty

Sanlarrun Strait: former Saint Lawrence Seaway, greatly expanded by sea level rise

Sanloo: city in Meriga, formerly Saint Louis, MO

Semba: the month of December

Senamee: centimeter

Shanuga: city in Meriga, formerly Chattanooga, TN

Sirk: circus

Sisnaddi: capital city of Meriga, formerly Cincinnati, OH

Skeega: town in Meriga, formerly Muskegon, MI

Sowben: town in Meriga, formerly South Bend, IN

Suri: the former state of Missouri, now a region in Meriga

Suri River: the Missouri River

Tar: guitar

Tenisi: the former state of Tennessee, now a region in Meriga

Toba: the month of October

Tomic River: the Potomac River

Troplis: town in Meriga, formerly Metropolis, IL

Troy: city in Meriga, formerly Detroit, MI

Tucki: the former state of Kentucky, now a region in Meriga

tween: intersexed person, a common genetic mutation in Meriga

twenty: idiomatic for twentieth birthday, the cutoff age for Circle membership

Url: village in Meriga, formerly Earle, AR

Versty: center of higher education; the versty in Meriga islocated in Melumi, the one in Nuwinga is located in Rutlen. See ''Melumi, Rutlen''

Wanrij: village in Meriga, formerly Walnut Ridge, AR

Wes Pen: the western quarter of the former state of Pennsylvania, the only inhabitable portion; see Burning Land

Wesfa Jinya: the former state of West Virginia, now a region in Meriga

Wobbish River: the Wabash River

Yami: legendary drowned city in the lost land of Florda, formerly Miami, FL

Yoree: town in Meriga, formerly Peoria, IL