InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Settle the Score ❯ Vocabulary ( Prologue )

Settle the Score
by Chri

Inuyasha has kept most of his life secret from his friends. After a fight, he admits to Kagome that he can't remember parts of it. Step by step, they stumble deeper into the remains of Inuyasha's past.

The fic is rated for violence and some mature themes. The pairings will be the standard one's, although Inuyasha and Kagome will have a very rough start (there won't be much happening until later in the fic). There won't be any soulmates, or mysterious powers of love, instead I will make a more realistic attempt, with an Inuyasha who is haunted/hunted by his past, and very reluctant to go into a relationship with anyone.

The story is unfolding slowly, so please don't get impatient. See it as a positive aspect because this fic WILL be long. The real plot won't unfold until later, because a good part of this fic is used to set up the scenes. Inuyasha's past in this fic will partially be made up by me, there will be a few twists in the story, and in some parts it will be quite dark, though it's not intended to be a dark fic. Reviews and critiques are appreciated, as long as you tell me what you like/don't like.

I will try to keep Japanese words at a minimum, but I won't translate words like youkai (I think demon doesn't really fit), names (Houshi-sama, Tetsusaiga, etc.) or any other words I think better to leave Japanese. If you don't know a word, there's a dictionary just a page down from here :)

There will be spoilers if you didn't see the anime past episode 60. I can't write a story without going into detail on some scenes, so don't read further if you don't know Ryuukotsusei (the big bad dragon). The story will be taking place after the Ryuukossei-incident, so Inuyasha knows about his transformation and the Bakuryuuha, but no barrier-cutting or almost defeated Narakus.

Inuyasha doesn't belong to me. Instead he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi who has invented everything and therefore has really earned to own everything. Everything said, go on to the next chapter (except you want to read the vocabulary) :)

Vocabulary

Japanese words used in the fic, in alphabetic order :

Baba - Rude way to say old woman. Can also be used as suffix (i.E. Kaede-baba)

Chibi - Someone/thing with a very small body, often used for small children etc.

Chichi-ue - Old way to address ones father.

Goshinboku - Literally "Sacred Old Tree". The tree that Inuyasha was sealed to by Kikyou. Also the tree at Kagome's shrine (it endured the centuries)

Haha-ue - Old way to address ones mother.

Hai - Yes.

Hakama - Hope that's the right term for trousers, please correct me if it's not.

Hanyou - Half-youkai (-> see youkai). Child between a human and a youkai.

Haori - Jacket.

Hijin Ketsusou - Literally "Airborne Blade Blood Claw". Have also seens them mentioned simply as "Claws of Blood".

Hiraikotsu - Literally "Flying Bone". Sango's giant boomerang.

Houriki - Priestly powers.

Houshi - Monk. Miroku (arguably) is one. Sango often calls him Houshi-sama (-> see -sama)

Inu - Dog. (Inuyasha means Dogdemon)

Jiji - Rude way to say old man. Can also be used as suffix (i.E. Myouga-jiji)

Kanji - Japanese letter (usually means a complete word), or generally a Japanese script. They have more than one, by the way; Kanji is only one of them.

Kata - "Ritualized" training of different forms. There are katas for almost everything.

Katana - The cool japanese swords.

Kazaana - "Air Void". Miroku often shouts this word when he unseals his curse.

Kaze no Kizu - Literally "Wound of the Wind". Have also seen it mentioned as "Cutting Wind". The first special move of the -> Tetsusaiga

Kimono - Japanese clothing

Miko - Priestess. I use both words (bear with me)

Ojii-san - Polite way to say old man. (-> see -san)

Osuwari - Sit. Command for a dog. Kagome's word to pacify Inuyasha.

Naginata - Weapon similar to an European halberd: It's a long pole ending in a blade. Good in defending small hallways because of the superior reach.

Ronin - Masterless Samurai. They were quite a problem in the -> Sengoku Jidai.

Sankon Tetsusou - Literally "Soul Scattering Iron Claw". Inuyasha's standard claw attack.

Sengoku Jidai - Warring States Era. It was around 1500 A.D. It's the time where Kagome is traveling through the well.
If you want to know more, there are some really good Japanese histroy pages out there.

Shikon no Tama - Literally "Jewel of Four Souls". You should have heard of that one :)

Taijiya - Youkai exterminator

Taiyoukai - Greater Demon (-> Youkai). Inuyasha's father was one. I'm not sure if Sesshoumaru is one, too.

Tengu - A forest spirit, part man, part bird. It lives in trees and is known for mischief. Infamous for their trickery, they don't like being tricked in turn.

Tetsusaiga - Literally "Steal Cleaving Fang". Inuyasha's transforming sword.

Youkai - Demon. I don't like the translation, because I think they are more something like personifications of certain things (i.E. dead mothers, dogs, wolfs, combs, the list goes on), but there is no better word. But most of them are evil. I will be using both terms.

Suffixes :

-chan - The standard "cute" suffix. Generally used with the names of small children or younger girls; also occasionally used affectionately by boyfriends/girlfriends to refer to each other.

-kun - Generally used to refer to social equals or slight inferiors, particularly younger males.

-sama - Honorary suffix, meaning something like Lord/Lady. Used when being extremely polite or more commonly towards people far socially superior (I have heard it almost isn't used in modern Japanese)

-san - The basic "Mr."/"Ms." suffix; not gender specific. Used to refer to roughly social equals, or as an all-purpose polite suffix.