Tangor Responds

APE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

David Bruce Bozarth


Edgar Rice Burroughs created an "ape" language for the Tarzan books. The words appeared in a number of the Tarzan novels. The Ape-English dictionary displayed here is taken from the Whitman edition of Tarzan of the Apes.

LEGEND
ANIMALS OR CREATURESPLANTS
PEOPLE, BODY PARTSWORLD, ENVIRONMENT
APEENGLISH
alight
abboy
abalubrother
abuknee (kneel)
adulose
alarise
ambafall
aralightning
aradspear
argofire
aroshoot, throw, cast
attail
atanmale
balgolden
balubaby
balu-denstick, branch, limb
bandelbow
barbattle
baradeer
bengreat
boflat
bolganigorilla
buhe
bunddead
bundolokill
burcold
bussofly
butorhinoceros
b'wanghand
b'yathead
b'zanhair
b'zeefoot
dakfat
dak-lullake
dakothick
dako-zanmeat, flesh
danrock, stone
dan-dostop
dangohyena
dan-lulice
danobone
dan-sopunut
dentree
dum-dumtom-tom, drum, gathering
durohippopotamus
ehomuch
eho-danhard
eho-kuthollow
eho-lulwet
eho-nalatop
esrough
etalittle
eta-gogowhisper
eta-kohowarm
eta-nalalow
etaradarrow
gared
galulblood
gandowin
gashtooth, fang
gimlacrocodile
goblack
gogotalk (buffalo)
gomrun
gomanganinegro
gom-lulriver
gorgrowl
gorgobuffalo (moon)
goromoon
gree-ahlike, love
gustomach, belly
gugufront
gumadosick
gundchief
histah (hista)snake
homany
hodenforest
hohotantribe
hortaboar
hotanclan
ho-walavillage
ho-wa-ushaleaves
hulstar
jaboshield
jarstrange
kagoda?Do you surrender?
kagoda!I do surrender!
kalmilk
kalanfemale
kalocow
kalumother
kambojungle
kandoant
kargomiddle, center
kasjump
kluhen
klu-kalegg
komighty
kobhit
kohohot
korwalk
korakkiller
kordodance
ko-sabormighty lioness
kotatortoise
kreeg-ahbeware,danger
kree-gorscream
kudusun
kuthole
lanright
lanasting
lanomosquito
latnose
litusharp
lobkick
lotface
lufierce
lufoside
lulwater
lul-korswim
lustongue
madolame
malyellow
manganigreat apes
manumonkey
meetarain
moshort
mushe
nalaup
neetabird
nenebeetle
nesengrasshopper
nobrook
numalion
nurlie (untruth)
olowrestle
omlong
omtaggiraffe
paccozebra
palcountry (hunting grounds)
pambarat
pansoft
pandthunder
pandanoise
pandarloud
pand-balu-denrifle
pan-lulweep
pan-voweak
pastarfather
pelevalley
pisah (pisa)fish
pohungry
popoeat (also so)
pormate
por-atanhusband
por-kalanwife
rakyes (also huh)
ralasnare
rambalie down
randback
reaword
remcatch
reptruth
roflower
rotalaugh
rycrooked
ry-balu-denbow
saborlioness
satokind
sheetapanther, leopard
skavulture
skreewild-cat
sopufruit
sordbad
tahigh, tall
tagneck
tanwarrior
tandno, not
tandadark
tandakthink
tand-hofew
tandlanleft
tand-litudull, blunt
tand-luldry
tand-naladown
tand-pandasilent, silence
tand-popostarve
tand-rambaget up
tand-unkstay
tand-utorbrave
tand-vulpempty
tan-klurooster
tantorelephant
ta-palhill
tarwhite
tar-bursnow
tarmanganiwhite men
thomouth
thubheart
tongani (tongoni)baboon
torbeast
trostraight
tubright
tubbroken
uborthristy
uddrink
ugbottom
ughokay
uglahate
ungo (unga)jackal
unkgo
unk-nalaclimb
ushawind
utcorn
utorfear, afraid
vanwell
vandogood
vedmountain
vomuscle
voo-dumdance
voo-voosing
vulpfull
wagreen
walaneat, hut, home, house
wangarm
wappiantelope
wa-ushaleaf
whuffsmoke
wothis
wobthat
yadear
yangswing
yateye
yatolook, see
yelhere
yelandthere
yofriend
yudcome
yutstab, gore
yutocut
zagirl
za-balusister
zanskin
zeeleg
zorin
zubig
zu-dak-lul (za-dak-lul)ocean
zugorroar
zu-kutcave
zutout
zu-vostrong