Otyugh/English Lexicon

The otyugh is a very strange monster. Being big, irascible, alien creatures that smell like literal shit and who mostly want to shovel garbage into their mouths and be left alone, few scholars have plumbed the depths of otyugh intelligence. Nevertheless, otyughs are capable of language and have their own form of polite etiquette. Indeed, many seem to understand a great deal of common speech (although they are either unable or unwilling to speak it). The next time you expect to go crawling around in otyugh territory, be sure to bring along this handy pocket phrasebook. The polite delver may avoid suffering ingestion, indignity, or a fatal blow from the otyugh’s horny feeding-palps.

Otyugh Lexicon

Hello, Yes: “Ugh”

Go Away: “Oigh-ugh”

Many/Big/Very/Good: “Oigh”

No/Bad/Small: “Hoigh”

Otyugh: “Otyugh”. Note: confusingly, otyughs use this to mean both “I” and “you” when talking to each other  

Non-Otyugh (Friendly): “Hoi-tugh-yugh”. Note: the literal meaning here is something like “not-food-person” or “thing I shouldn’t eat”. A friendly otyugh might simply void its bowels, this being a neighborly act among coprophagous monsters.

Non-Otyugh (Hostile): “Oi-tugh-yugh”. Note: literally “food-person”.

Good Food: “Oi-tugh”

Bad Food: “Hoi-tugh” or “ugh-blug”

Do You Have Food?: “Yo-tugh?” Or more emphatically “Yo-tugh? Yug?”

Hungry/More: “Yug-yug”

Water: “Gulug-yug”

Darkness: “Oigh-ugh”. Note: literally something like “good-yes”. Otyughs are most comfortable in the dark, so this may be a misunderstanding or mistranslation from a lantern-carrying scholar.

Light: “Yaawm”. Note: again, this may be a mistranslation. “Yaawm” may well be a general expression of anger or discomfort (see below).

Fire: “YAAAWM”

Back Off: a kind of high-pitched whistling noise, usually accompanied by a spray of lilac-scented mist from the otyugh’s scent gland.

I’m Going To Kill You: “BRAAAAAAAAAAWM”. Note: typically accompanied by a truly overpowering lilac fug as the otyugh fully vents its scent gland. Perhaps even more obviously, an otyugh at this pitch of rage is likely charging down the tunnel at you.

I’m Uncomfortable/Hurt/Upset: “Hoigh, hoigh”. Note: often accompanied by sharply-scented submissive urination.

Sample Conversation:

“Ugh. Oigh. Oi-tugh. Yug-yug. Oigh. Hoigh. Oigh-ugh” = “Hello. I’m well. That’s good food. I want more. Yes, much more. You don’t have any more? Go away”.

This could have been prevented