High Speech

The High Speech is the language used by the gunslingers of In-World. It is an ancient language spoken by gunslingers and those who remember the time before the world moved on. It is instinctively understood by Eddie Dean, Jake Chambers and Susannah Dean; it is implied that this understanding is telepathic through Roland Deschain.

The opposite is the Low Speech, very similar to a bastardized form of English. Most of the signage and day to day interactions in In-World are in the Low Speech.

Very few people speak the High Speech during the series due to "the world moving on".

Glossary

A-E

An-Tet

"The Field of None"

—An intimate emotional link among those linked by the same destiny, or close conference

—Can also imply sexual intimacy

Anti-Ka

—A force that works against one's destiny

Aven Kal

—Literal: lifted on the wind, carried on the wave

—What happens when a Beam wants to communicate with someone

Aven-Car

—Carrying a kill and preparing it into something else

Aye

—An affirmative response; yes

Bondsman

—One who is bound to serve their dinh or ka-tet

Can Callah

—Angels

Canda

—The distance which assures a pair of outnumbered gunslingers will not be killed by a single shot

Can-Char

—Death Gods

Can Ka-No Rey

—The field of roses surrounding the Dark Tower.

Can-tah

—Little gods, tiny stone carvings

Can-tam

 —Doctor-bugs

Char

—A root word meaning death

Charyou Tree

—Root word char. Human sacrifice to punish sins and bring good crops

See main article: Charyou Tree

Commala

—Celebration of the harvest season (also has many non-High Speech slang meanings)

Chassit

—An old High Speech word for the number nineteen (19)

Chissit

—An old High Speech word for the number eighteen (18)

Chussit

—An old High Speech word for the number seventeen (17)

Dan-Dinh

—To turn over one's insoluble problems to one's dinh

Dan-Tete

—Little savior

Dash-Dinh

—Religious leader

Delah

—Many

Dinh

—Lord, leader

F-J

Gan

—The creator of the universe, analogous to God

See main article: Gan

Glammer

—Enchantment or magic

Gook

-A deep well

Graf

—A strong apple beer

See main article: Graf

Gunna

—All of one's worldly possessions

See main article: Gunna

Heartbox

—The internal box which produces all of man's feelings of love and sadness, joy and regret

Hile

—A formal Mid-World greeting or summons

Irina

—The healing madness that comes after loss

K-O

Ka

—Destiny or fate

See main article: Ka

Ka-Dinh

—Leader of ka-tet

Kal

—More forceful version of "kas", hurricane or tsunami

Ka-Mai

—Ka's fool, someone with hope but no real choices; also, "fool of ka-tet"

Ka-Me

—Opposite of ka-mai, ka's wiseman

Kammen

—Chimes

Kas

—Wind

—Wave

Ka-Shume

—Feeling that ka-tet is about to break

Ka-Tel

—Class of apprentice gunslingers

Ka-Tet

—A group of people summoned and bound by ka

See main article: Ka-Tet

Kes

—Strength

Ki'Box

—The internal box which houses all of man's selfish drives, petty jealousness, and the nastiest, darkest secrets of their souls

Khef

—Water of life

—The sharing of thoughts between members of ka-tet

—Life force

Manni

—A religious group

See main article: Manni

Ma'Sun

—War-chest; a collection of weapons

Mia

—Mother

P-T

Popkin

—Sandwich

Prim

—The sea of primal chaos that the universe arose from. It has receded since the universe has progressed

See main article: Prim

Rustle

—To take a woman by force, to rape

-sai

—A polite suffix meaning Sir or Ma'am

Seppe-Sai

—The death-seller

Sh'veen

—Side-wife

-soh

—A polite suffix directed to younger persons, similar to the Japanese -chan; used in place of -sai

Te-ka

—Destiny's friend (only used in Low Men in Yellow Coats)

Telamei

—To gossip about someone whom one shouldn't

Tet

—A group of people with the same interests and goals; abbreviation of ka-tet

Tet-fa

—A friend of a ka-tet, but not an actual member

Tet-ka can Gan

—Navel

Thankee

—Thank you

Thinny

—A "weak spot" in reality where the barrier between worlds has grown unstable

See main article: Thinny

Thoughtbox

—Colloquial: The internal box which hatches all the head's ideas and dreams

Twinner

—A doppelganger of a person found in a different level of the Tower

See main article: Twinners

U-Z

Uffi

—A shapeshifter

See main article: Uffi

Urs-A-Ka Gan

—The song of the Bear; the cry or scream of the Bear

Ves'-Ka Gan

—The song of the Turtle