Glossary of Dune (franchise)

{{Short description|none}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Glossary of ''Dune'' (franchise)}} This is a list of terminology used in the fictional [[Dune (franchise)|''Dune'' universe]] created by [[Frank Herbert]], the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1965).

''Dune'' word construction could be classified into three domains of vocabulary, each marked with its own [[neology]]: the names and terms related to the politics and culture of the Imperium, the names and terms characteristic of the mystic [[sodality]] of the [[Bene Gesserit]], and the barely displaced Arabic of the [[Fremen]] language. Fremen share vocabulary for [[Arrakis|Arrakeen]] phenomena with the Empire, but use completely different vocabulary for Bene Gesserit-implanted [[Messianism|messianic religion]].<ref name="7 Beauties">{{Cite book |title=The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction |first=Istvan |last=Csicsery-Ronay, Jr. |publisher=Wesleyan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVYxl5ued-oC&q=The%20seven%20beauties%20of%20science%20fiction%20by%20Istvan%20Csicsery-Ronay%2C%20Jr.%2C%20Istvan%20Csicsery-Ronay%20%28Jr.%29&pg=PA39 |date=November 28, 2008 |isbn=978-0819568892 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181807/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVYxl5ued-oC&q=The%20seven%20beauties%20of%20science%20fiction%20by%20Istvan%20Csicsery-Ronay%2C%20Jr.%2C%20Istvan%20Csicsery-Ronay%20%28Jr.%29&pg=PA39 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Due to the similarities between some of Herbert's terms and ideas and actual words and concepts in the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Hebrew language]]s {{mdash}} as well as the series' "[[Islam]]ic [[Subtext|undertones]]" and themes {{mdash}} a [[Middle East]]ern influence on Herbert's works has been noted repeatedly.<ref name="7 Beauties"/><ref name="Bahayeldin">{{cite web |url=http://baheyeldin.com/literature/arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune.html |title=Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' |last=Bahayeldin |first=Khalid |date=January 22, 2004 |access-date=July 21, 2009 |publisher=Baheyeldin.com |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512020025/http://baheyeldin.com/literature/arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune.html |url-status=live }}</ref> There are over eighty terms used of Arabic origin, several other loanwords from [[Indo-European languages]] such as German and Persian, and words from the North American [[Na-Dene language]] Navajo.<ref name="Singh 2024">{{cite magazine | last=Singh | first=Manvir | title=''Dune'' and the Delicate Art of Making Fictional Languages | magazine=[[The New Yorker]] | date=February 28, 2024 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/dune-and-the-delicate-art-of-making-fictional-languages | access-date=March 8, 2024 | url-access=subscription | archive-date=March 8, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308034106/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/dune-and-the-delicate-art-of-making-fictional-languages | url-status=live }}</ref>

==A== * '''Aba''' – A loose, usually black robe worn by [[Fremen]] women and [[Bene Gesserit]] sisters.<ref name="Terminology">{{cite book |author-link=Frank Herbert |last=Herbert |first=Frank |year=1965 |title=[[Dune (novel)|Dune]] |chapter=Terminology of the Imperium}}</ref> * [[Abomination (Dune)|Abomination]] – Bene Gesserit term for one who is [[pre-born]] and thus susceptible to being taken over by the ancestral personalities in [[Other Memory]].<ref name="Dune">Herbert, Frank (1965). ''Dune''.</ref> * [[Ajidamal]] (or Amal) – Disastrously-flawed synthetic [[Melange (fictional drug)|melange]] created by the [[Bene Tleilax|Tleilaxu]] [[Project Amal]] before the process of producing spice in [[axlotl tank]]s is perfected.<ref name="Prelude">[[Brian Herbert|Herbert, Brian]] and [[Kevin J. Anderson|Anderson, Kevin J.]] (1999-2001). ''[[Prelude to Dune]]''.</ref> * '''Akarso''' – "Plant native to Sikun (of [[70 Ophiuchi|70 Ophiuchi A]]) characterized by almost oblong leaves. Its green and white stripes indicate the constant multiple, condition of parallel active and dormant [[chlorophyll]] regions."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Arafel''' – The "cloud-darkness of holy judgment"<ref name="Emperor">Herbert, Frank (1981). ''[[God Emperor of Dune]]''.</ref> or "cloud darkness at the end of the universe;"<ref name="Emperor"/><ref name="Heretics">Herbert, Frank (1984). ''[[Heretics of Dune]]''.</ref> the end of mankind (as it was) averted by [[Leto II Atreides|Leto II]]'s [[Golden Path (Dune)|Golden Path]].<ref name="Emperor"/> * [[Axlotl tank]] – Biological tank in which [[ghola]]s and melange may be produced.<ref name="Messiah">Herbert, Frank (1969). ''[[Dune Messiah]]''.</ref> * '''Assassin's Handbook''' – "Third-century compilation of poisons commonly used in a [[War of Assassins]]. Later expanded to include those deadly devices permitted under the [[Spacing Guild|Guild]] Peace and [[Great Convention]]."<ref name="Terminology" />

==B== * '''Baliset''' – "Nine-stringed musical instrument, lineal descendant of the [[zither|zithra]], tuned to the [[Chusuk]] [[musical scale|scale]] and played by strumming. Favorite instrument of Imperial troubadours."<ref name="Terminology" /> [[Gurney Halleck]] is a master at playing the baliset in the series.<ref name="Dune"/> In [[David Lynch]]'s [[Dune (1984 film)|1984 adaptation of ''Dune'']], a cosmetically altered [[Chapman Stick]] was used to portray the instrument.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reilly|first=Jim|title=StickMan: The Story of Emmett Chapman and the Instrument He Created|publisher=Two Handed Press|year=2015|isbn=978-0991872916|location=Calgary, Alberta, Canada}}</ref> In the miniseries ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune]]'', the baliset resembles a renaissance-era [[lute]], with the pegbox bent back almost 90°. A real-world version of the baliset has been created, divided into two sections, the treble played with the right hand, and the bass the left. Unlike a guitar, each hand can play either chords or separate notes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tommcmahon.ca/baliset/|title=Baliset|website=Tom McMahon.com|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-date=April 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421161205/http://www.tommcmahon.ca/baliset/|url-status=live}}</ref> * '''Bashar''' – Military rank, slightly above a traditional [[Colonel]] and primarily used for military leader of a planetary subdistrict; alternately, Colonel Bashar, or Supreme Bashar for a military's most senior commander.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Bene Gesserit]] – Secretive and powerful [[matriarchy|matriarchal]] order whose members possess extraordinary physical and mental powers.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Bene Tleilax]] (or Tleilaxu) – Secretive and powerful [[patriarchy|patriarchal]] race known for their genetic manipulation technologies.<ref name="Messiah"/> * [[Buddislam]] – Term for those religions derived from a syncretic fusion of [[Religious denomination|denominations]] of [[Buddhism]] and [[Islam]]. * '''Burseg''' – Military general.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Butlerian Jihad]] – Mankind's "crusade against [[computer]]s, [[thinking machines (Dune)|thinking machines]], and conscious [[robot]]s."<ref name="Terminology" /> The term [[jihad]] is of Arabic origin.<ref name="Singh 2024"/>

==C== * '''Caid''' – "Sardaukar officer rank given to a military official whose duties call mostly for dealings with civilians; A military governorship over a full planetary district; Above the rank of Bashar but not equal to a Burseg."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Caladan''' – Ancestral homeworld of House Atreides. A lush, [[Ocean world|oceanic]] planet with a wet, [[Temperate climate|temperate]] climate, Caladan had served as the Atreides’ home for at least twenty-six generations at the time of the [[Dune (novel)|first novel]]. * '''Carryall''' – Aircraft used on [[Arrakis]] to "transport large [[Melange (fictional drug)|spice]] mining, hunting and refining equipment."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Chairdogs''' – Living and partially sentient creatures created by the Tleilaxu, which are used for seating and possess the ability to shape themselves to fit their occupant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/dune-part-two-omit-chairdogs/|title=''Dune''{{'s}} Weirdest Creatures Probably Won't Be in the Movies|first1=Timothy|last1=Donohoo|first2=James|last2=Lynch|date=January 24, 2024|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=January 29, 2024|archive-date=May 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520211644/https://www.cbr.com/dune-part-two-omit-chairdogs/|url-status=live}}</ref> * '''Chakobsa''' – Language on Arrakis, used by the [[Fremen]] for rituals and other purposes, inspired by the [[Chakobsa|Caucasian hunting language of the same name]].<ref name="Dune"/><ref name="LAR">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Los Angeles Review of Books]] |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-secret-history-of-dune/#! |first=Will |last=Collins |title=The Secret History of ''Dune'' |date=September 16, 2017 |access-date=October 20, 2017 |archive-date=October 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021060026/https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-secret-history-of-dune/#! |url-status=live }}</ref> The language was further developed by [[David J. Peterson]] and Jessie Peterson for the films ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' (2021) and ''[[Dune: Part Two]]'' (2024).<ref>{{cite web|first=Marc|last=Tracy|author-link=Marc Tracy|date=March 23, 2024|title=The Invention of a Desert Tongue for ''Dune''|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/movies/dune-language-fremen.html|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240323170919/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/movies/dune-language-fremen.html|archive-date=March 23, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Manvir|last=Singh|date=February 28, 2024|title=''Dune'' and the Delicate Art of Making Fictional Languages|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/dune-and-the-delicate-art-of-making-fictional-languages|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240319224623/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/dune-and-the-delicate-art-of-making-fictional-languages|archive-date=March 19, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Sarah|last=Shachat|date=1 March 2024|title=Constructed Languages Don't Always Make It into a Finished Film — but ''Dune: Part Two'' Shows Why They Should|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/dune-fremen-langauge-how-to-speak-1234958145/|website=[[IndieWire]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250108113835/https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/dune-fremen-langauge-how-to-speak-1234958145/|archive-date=January 8, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> * '''Chaumas''' (or Aumas) – "Poison in solid food as distinguished from poison administered in some other way."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Chaumurky''' (or Musky) – "Poison administered in a drink."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[CHOAM]] (Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles) – the "universal development [[corporation]] controlled by the [[Padishah Emperor|Emperor]] and Great Houses with the [[Spacing Guild|Guild]] and [[Bene Gesserit]] as silent partners."<ref name="Terminology" /> This corporation essentially controls the economy of the known universe, with [[share (finance)|shares]] and [[board of directors|directorships]] determining each House's income and financial leverage. * '''Cogitor''' – One of several ancient philosophers whose brains are transplanted into fluid-filled canisters so that they can analyze the universe indefinitely.<ref name="Legends">Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. (2002-2004). ''[[Legends of Dune]]''.</ref> * '''Communinet''', '''ComNet''' or '''Comms''' – A local planetary communications network. Similar to [[wireless]] [[radio]] communications, it relies on [[electromagnetic radiation]] to transmit audio and other information. Used by the Atreides and Harkonnen forces to communicate and issue battle commands. * '''Cone of silence''' – Sound-deadening "field of a distorter that limits the carrying power of the voice or any other vibrator by damping the vibrations with an image-vibration 180 degrees out of phase."<ref name="Terminology" /> Used for privacy, the field does not visually obscure lip movement.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Coriolis storm''' – [[dust storm|Sandstorms]] on Arrakis in which "winds across the open flatlands are amplified by the planet's own revolutionary motion to reach speeds up to 700 kilometres per hour."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Crysknife]] – Weapon made from the tooth of a [[sandworm (Dune)|sandworm]] from Arrakis.<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Cutterray''' – "Short-range version of a [[lasgun]] used mostly as a cutting tool and surgeon's scalpel."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Cymek]] – Type of [[cyborg]]; specifically, a human brain implanted into a large, weaponized machine body.<ref name="Legends"/>

==D== * '''D-wolves''' – Guardians of the [[Sareer]] on [[Arrakis]] in the time of [[Leto II Atreides]]; ferocious wolves descended from Gaze Hounds and ordinary wolves, "noted for their keen eyesight."<ref name="Emperor"/> * '''Damper, Ixian''' – Portable device which hides words from anyone without the proper coded translator, and projects distortions that hide the precise movements of lips and the sounds of voices. It is described as a "black disc" buoyed midair by [[suspensor (Dune)|suspensors]].<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Deathstill''' – Fremen device used to extract all moisture from a living or dead human or creature.<ref name="Dune"/> This is traditionally done to reclaim precious water from the dead, who no longer require it; but in ''[[Children of Dune]]'' the device is used as a method of execution. * '''Distrans''' – [[Steganography|Steganographic]] device producing a "temporary [[neural network|neural]] [[Imprinting (psychology)|imprint]] on the nervous system of ''[[Bat|Chiroptera]]'' (bats) or birds. The creature's normal cry then carries the message imprint, which can be sorted from that [[carrier wave]] by another distrans."<ref name="Terminology" />

==E== * '''Elacca drug''' – Narcotic produced from the "blood-grained" elacca wood of Ecaz; users' skin shows a characteristic [[carrot]] color. The drug's effect is to remove most of the will to self-preservation; commonly used to prepare slave [[gladiator]]s for the ring.<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Ego-likeness''' – Portraiture of one or more people, reproduced through a shigawire projector, that is capable of showing subtle movements said to convey the mannerisms and ego essence of the subjects.

==F== * [[Face Dancer]]s – Creatures created by the Bene Tleilax that are able to mimic other humans exactly and go undetected by all known means, except by Bene Gesserit Truthsayers.<ref name="Messiah"/> * '''Famine Times''' – Years after the reign of Leto II, marked by chaos and famine on many worlds, that led to the Scattering.<ref name="Emperor"/> * '''Faufreluches''' – "The rigid rule of class distinction enforced by the Imperium. 'A place for every man and every man in his place.'"<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Fedaykin''' – {{IPAc-en|f|ɪ|ˈ|d|aɪ|k|ɪ|n}}<ref name="Pronunciation">{{Cite web |url=http://www.usul.net/books/sounds.htm |title=Audio excerpts from a reading of ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert |publisher=Usul.net |access-date=October 6, 2010 |archive-date=November 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111172515/http://www.usul.net/books/sounds.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> "Fremen death [[commando]]s; historically: a group formed and pledged to give their lives to right a wrong."<ref name="Terminology" /> In ''Dune'', they are personally trained by, and fiercely loyal to, [[Paul Atreides]].<ref name="Dune"/> The term is derived from the Arabic [[Fedayeen]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Herbert |first=Frank |title=Dune, 40th Anniversary Edition (Dune Chronicles: Book 1) |chapter=Afterword: by Brian Herbert (2005)|year=1965|publisher= Ace Books, NY|isbn=0-441-01359-7 |pages=523–525 }}</ref> * '''Filmbook''' – A shigawire imprint, used for training and education, which carries a mnemonic pulse that imprints information and corresponding images in the reader's mind.<ref name="Terminology"/> * [[Fish Speaker]]s – All-female military force created by [[Leto II Atreides]] to enforce his rule over the known universe.<ref name="Emperor"/> * '''Fogwood''' – Plant native to Ecaz, capable of being shaped by thought alone.<ref>Herbert, Frank (1965). ''Dune'', ''Terminology of the Imperium'' (Ecaz).</ref> * '''Foldspace''' – An extra-dimensional region outside of [[spacetime]] accessible using a Holtzman drive, and traversable only by Guild Navigators who have ingested vast amounts of the psychotropic drug melange. * [[Fremen]] – "Native" inhabitants of Arrakis.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Fremkit''' – Fremen desert survival kit. Notable contents include an inflatable [[stilltent]], a sand [[Snorkeling|snorkel]], a [[Thumper (Dune)|thumper]], and [[maker hooks]].<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Frigate''' – A class of spacecraft employed as both a [[Troopship|troop carrier]] and a [[battleship]]. It was said that all the frigates and transport ships of House Atreides occupied a single corner of a Guild Heighliner’s immense cargo hold. * '''Futar''' – Primitive and fierce humanoid creatures, a genetic mix of human and cat, artificially created by the [[Bene Tleilax]] out in the Scattering to hunt [[Honored Matres]]. Introduced briefly in ''[[Heretics of Dune]]'' and appearing in ''[[Chapterhouse: Dune]]'', the species are brought as captives to the "million planets" by the Honored Matres, who keep them as pets.<ref name="Heretics"/><ref name="Chapterhouse"/> Futars use their voice-like scream to immobilize Honored Matres, but the scream has no effect on the Bene Gesserit.<ref name="Hunters"/>

==G== * '''Galach''' – Universal language of the [[Dune (franchise)|''Dune'' universe]].<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Ghola]] – A type of [[clone (fictional being)|Clone]] grown in an [[axlotl tank]] from genetic material retrieved from the cells of a deceased subject.<ref name="Messiah"/> * '''Giedi Prime''' (later '''Gammu''') – Homeworld of House Harkonnen. A dark, barren planet covered in buildings, factories, industrial plants and a heavy layer of pollution. This resulted in a low level of photosynthesis, leading to a severe lack of oxygen and the extinction of most animal and plant life on the planet’s surface. * [[Glowglobe]] – "[[Suspensor (Dune)|Suspensor]]-buoyed illuminating device, self-powered (usually by organic batteries)."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Golden Lion Throne''' – Refers to both the physical throne upon which the Padishah Emperor sits, as well as the figurative position of the Emperor as the head of the Landsraad Council and ruler of the Known Universe. * [[Golden Path (Dune)|Golden Path]] – Leto II's strategy to prevent humanity's destruction.<ref name="Children">Herbert, Frank (1976). ''[[Children of Dune]]''.</ref> * '''Gom jabbar''' – "Specific poison needle tipped with meta-[[cyanide]] used by Bene Gesserit Proctors in their death-alternative test of human awareness."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Great Convention''' – "Universal truce enforced under the power balance maintained by the [[Spacing Guild|Guild]], the Great Houses, and the Imperium. Its chief rule prohibits the use of [[Atomics (Dune)|atomic weapons]] against human targets."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Guild Navigator]] – Melange-mutated humans able to safely navigate interstellar space (using [[prescience (Dune)|prescience]]) in ships called [[Heighliner]]s.<ref name="Dune"/>

==H== * '''Handlers''' – Humanoid race who bred and trained Futars to hunt [[Honored Matres]].<ref name="Chapterhouse">Herbert, Frank (1985). ''[[Chapterhouse: Dune]]''.</ref> * '''Harvester''' (also Harvester Factory or Crawler) – "Large (often 120 metres by 40 metres) spice mining machine ... [with a] buglike body on independent tracks."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Heighliner]] – Enormous carrier [[starship]]s used by the Spacing Guild for [[interstellar travel]].<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Holtzman effect]] – Scientific phenomenon that makes (among other things) instantaneous space travel and defensive force shields possible.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Honored Matres]] – Violent matriarchal order formed in the Scattering.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Hunter-seeker''' – "Ravening sliver of suspensor-buoyed metal guided as a weapon by a nearby [[remote control|control console]]; common [[assassination]] device."<ref name="Terminology" /> Floating in mid-air, it kills by entering the body and following nerve pathways to vital organs. A hunter-seeker is employed in ''Dune'' in an assassination attempt on [[Paul Atreides]].<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Hypnobong''' – Device in the shape of a concave base that induced a drug-like state. According to Reverend Mother [[Lucilla (Dune)|Lucilla]] it is outlawed in most of the civilized worlds.<ref name="Heretics"/>

==I== * '''Inkvine''' – "Creeping plant native to [[Giedi Prime]] and frequently used as a whip in its slave pens. Victims are marked by beet-colored tattoos that cause residual pain for many years."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Ixian damper''' – Portable device which hides words from anyone without the proper coded translator, and projects distortions that hide the precise movements of lips and the sounds of voices. It is described as a "black disc" buoyed midair by [[suspensor (Dune)|suspensors]].<ref name="Heretics"/> * [[Ixian Probe]] – Device used to capture the thoughts of a person (living or dead) for analysis; can be blocked by the substance [[Shere (Dune)|shere]].<ref name="Heretics"/>

==J== * '''Judge of the Change''' – "An official appointed by the [[Landsraad]] High Council and the [[Padishah Emperor|Emperor]] to monitor a change of [[fiefdom|fief]], a [[kanly]] negotiation, or formal battle in a [[War of Assassins]]. The Judge's arbitral authority may be challenged only before the High Council with the Emperor present."<ref name="Terminology" />

==K== * '''Kaitain''' – New homeworld of House Corrino (following the environmental destruction of Salusa Secundus) and capital of the Corrino Empire. Kaitain is also the location of the Imperial Court and Golden Lion Throne, as well as the meeting place of the Landsraad Council. * '''Kanly''' – "Formal [[feud|feud or vendetta]] under the rules of the [[Great Convention]] carried on according to the strictest limitations". Derived from {{lang|tr|kanlı}}, a Turkish word for a blood feud between Islamic tribes of the Caucasus.<ref name="Terminology" /><ref name="LAR" /><ref name="Singh 2024" /> * '''''Kralizec''''' – Long-foretold "Typhoon Struggle" or final "battle at the end of the universe".<ref name="Children"/> * '''Krimskell fiber/Krimskell rope''' – "The 'claw fiber' woven from strands of the ''hufuf'' vine from Ecaz. Knots tied in krimskell will claw tighter and tighter to preset limits when the knot-lines are pulled."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Kwisatz Haderach]] – "The Shortening of the Way" or "The one who can be two places simultaneously". Bene Gesserit label applied to "the unknown for which they sought a genetic solution: a male Bene Gesserit whose organic mental powers would bridge space and time."<ref name="Terminology" /> Originating from the Hebrew word [[kefitzat haderech]].<ref name="Singh 2024"/>

==L== * [[Landsraad]] – The Assembly of all nobles in the Imperium.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Lasgun]] – Handheld energy weapon, technically a "continuous-wave laser projector;"<ref name="Terminology"/> also '''lasegun'''. * '''Laza tiger''' – A breed of tiger brought to [[Salusa Secundus]] "almost eight thousand years" before the events of ''[[Children of Dune]]''. "Genetic manipulation of the ancient Terran stock had erased some of the original tiger features and refined other elements. The fangs remained long. Their faces were wide, eyes alert and intelligent. The paws were enlarged to give them support on uneven terrain and their sheathed claws could extend some ten centimeters, sharpened at the ends into razor tips by abrasive compression of the sheath. Their coats were a flat and even tan which made them almost invisible against sand."<ref name="Children"/> * '''Levenbrech''' – A military rank that is roughly in between a sergeant and a lieutenant.<ref name="Children"/> * {{Anchor|Lisan al Gaib}}'''''Lisan al Gaib''''' – (Arabic: لسان الغيب - 'The tongue of the unseen') The Fremen term for an off-world prophet or messiah, applied to Paul Atreides in ''Dune''. It is "The Voice from the Outer World" and is outlined in Fremen messianic legends heavily influenced by the Bene Gesserit's [[Missionaria Protectiva]]. It is also translated as the "Giver of Water". A phrase of Arabic origin meaning "Tongue of the Unseen", also title of [[Hafez]].<ref name="Singh 2024"/> * '''Litter''' – A kind of [[stretcher]] or [[cart]] that uses anti-gravity [[Suspensor (Dune)|suspensors]] to hover above the ground. Used by Harkonnen troopers to transport Paul and Jessica to a waiting ornithopter in the [[Dune (novel)|original novel]]. * [[Little Maker]] – The "half-plant-half-animal deep-sand vector of the [[Arrakis]] [[sandworm (Dune)|sandworm]]", whose "excretions form the [[pre-spice mass]]."<ref name="Terminology"/> Also known as "sandtrout," they represent an early stage in the life cycle of the worm. They can link the cilia on the edges of their bodies to encapsulate pockets of free subsurface water, which is lethal to fully grown worms. * [[Lost Tleilaxu]] – Offshoot race of the [[Bene Tleilax]], formed in the Scattering.<ref name="Hunters">Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. (2006) ''[[Hunters of Dune]]''.</ref>

==M== * '''Mahdi''' – "In the Fremen [[messiah|messianic]] legend, 'The One Who Will Lead Us to Paradise;'"<ref name="Terminology" /> applied to Paul Atreides by the Fremen when they determine that he is their messiah. The term [[Mahdi]] is the same as that used in [[Islam]] for a messianic figure who will appear shortly before the Day of Judgment in [[Islamic eschatology]]. * '''Maker hooks''' – "The hooks used for capturing, mounting, and steering a sandworm of Arrakis."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Maula pistol''' – "Spring-loaded gun for firing poison darts; range about 40 metres."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Melange (fictional drug)|Melange]] – Known colloquially as "the spice", a highly-addictive drug essential to space travel, extended life, and therefore to the survival of the universe.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Memocorder''' – Tiny handheld device described as "a dull black Ixian artifact whose existence crowded the proscriptions of the Butlerian Jihad".<ref name="Emperor"/> * [[Mentat]]s – Individuals trained as "human computers,"<ref name="Terminology" /> their minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytical ability. * [[Missionaria Protectiva]] – An arm of the Bene Gesserit charged with spreading contrived myths, prophecies and superstition on primitive worlds so that the Bene Gesserit may later exploit those regions.<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Muad'Dib]] – "The adapted [[kangaroo mouse]] of Arrakis, a creature associated in the Fremen earth-spirit mythology with a design visible on the planet's second moon. This creature is admired by Fremen for its ability to survive in the open desert."<ref name="Terminology" /> In ''Dune'', [[Paul Atreides]] takes "Muad'Dib" as his Fremen name, which takes on greater significance when he is perceived as a [[messiah]]. The term originates from the word {{lang|ar|مؤدب}} (''muʾaddib'') meaning "teacher" in Arabic.<ref name="Singh 2024"/> * [[Muadru]] – Ancient religion predating the [[Old Empire (Dune)|Old Empire]] before the Time of the [[Titan (Dune)|Titans]].<ref name="Legends"/>

==N== * '''na-Baron''' – Noble title given to a [[Baron]]'s heir-apparent.<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[No-chamber]] – Construct that hides anything inside from prescient and oracular vision, as well as other methods of detection.<ref name="Heretics"/> * [[No-ship]] – No-chamber in spaceship form, with enough limited prescience to be capable of interstellar travel without a Guild Navigator.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Nullentropy''' – Technology akin to the [[science fiction]] concept of [[Stasis (fiction)|stasis]], in which the natural processes of time, such as decomposition, are ceased. In this way, perishable matter such as food and even human cells may be stored for millennia and remain undamaged.<ref name="Chapterhouse"/><ref name="Heretics"/>

==O== * '''Obliterators''' – Weapons of mass destruction stolen by Honored Matres from their "outside enemy". They combust the atmosphere of a planet, and subsequently its surface.<ref name="Hunters"/> * [[Orange Catholic Bible]], or OCB – The primary orthodox religious text in the universe, a [[syncretism|syncretic]] fusion of all significant religious concepts in the historical record, created by an [[ecumenical council]]. Its supreme commandment is considered to be: "Thou shalt not disfigure the soul."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Other Memory]] – The combined ego and memories of all female ancestors, which a Bene Gesserit may be trained to access.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Ornithopter (Dune)|Ornithopter]] (or 'Thopter) – "Aircraft capable of sustained wing-beat flight in the manner of birds;"<ref name="Terminology" /> one of the primary modes of transportation on the [[desert planet]] [[Arrakis]].<ref name="Dune"/>

==P== * '''Palm lock''' – "Lock or seal which can be opened only by contact with the palm of the human hand to which it has been keyed."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Phibian''' – Primitive and [[Amphibian|amphibious]] humanoid creatures, a genetic mix of human and fish, created out in the Scattering. First mentioned in ''[[Chapterhouse: Dune]]'', they have been brought as captives to the "million planets" by the [[Honored Matres]].<ref name="Chapterhouse"/> In ''[[Hunters of Dune]]'', Phibians are described as having bullet-shaped heads and lean and streamlined bodies, taller than humans and slick green skin that "shines with oily iridescence". Capable of breathing underwater as well as on land, they are used by the Honored Matres on [[Buzzell (Dune)|Buzzell]] to harvest valuable [[soostone]]s from the sea.<ref name="Hunters"/> * '''Plasteel''' – Extremely tough form of steel, "stabilized with stravidium fibers grown into its crystal structure."<ref name="Terminology"/> * '''Plaz''' (or windowplaz) – Synthetic glass, used for windows (especially in aircraft and spaceships) due to its superior strength.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Poison snooper''' – "Radiation analyzer within the olfactory spectrum and keyed to detect poisonous substances."<ref>Herbert, Frank (1965). ''Dune'', ''Terminology of the Imperium'' (Snooper, Poison).</ref> Said to resemble a dead spider that hangs limply over a table. * '''''Powindah''''' – [[Tleilaxu]] term for all outsiders, whom they consider "unclean" sinners and heretics.<ref name="Heretics"/> * ''[[Prana-bindu]]'' – Training providing a Bene Gesserit with complete muscle control (''Prana nervature'' relates to nervous system control).<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Prescience (Dune)|Prescience]] – Form of [[precognition]], based in genetics but made possible by use of the drug [[melange (fictional drug)|melange]].<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Pre-spice mass]] – The "stage of fungusoid wild growth achieved when water is flooded into the excretions of Little Makers. At this stage, the spice of Arrakis forms a characteristic 'blow', exchanging the material from deep underground for the matter on the surface above it. This mass, after exposure to sun and air, becomes melange."<ref name="Terminology"/> * [[Ixian Probe|Probe, Ixian]] – Device used to capture the thoughts of a person (living or dead) for analysis; can be blocked by the substance [[Shere (Dune)|shere]].<ref name="Heretics"/> * [[T-Probe|Probe, T]] – Device used to capture the thoughts of a person (living or dead) for analysis; unlike an [[Ixian Probe]], it cannot be blocked by the substance [[Shere (Dune)|shere]].<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Pundi rice''' – "A mutated rice whose grains, high in natural sugar, achieve lengths up to four centimeters; chief export of [[Caladan]]."<ref name="Terminology" />

==Q== * [[Qanat]] – "Open canal for carrying irrigation water under controlled conditions through a desert."<ref name="Terminology" />

==R== * '''Rachag''' – A "caffeine-type stimulant from the yellow berries of Akarso."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Residual poison''' – "Innovation attributed to the Mentat [[Piter De Vries]] whereby the body is impregnated with a substance for which repeated [[antidote]]s must be administered; withdrawal of the antidote at any time brings death."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Reverend Mother (Dune)|Reverend Mother]] – Bene Gesserit who has survived a ritual wherein she consciously transforms a toxic dose of melange into a non-poisonous substance at the molecular level, thereby raising herself to a higher level of awareness and enabling her to access Other Memory.<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Rossak drug]] – A precursor to the Water of Life, used by the Sisterhood of Rossak to unlock Other Memory.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/dune-prophecy-valya-harkonnen-explained/|title=Who Is Valya Harkonnen in ''Dune: Prophecy''?|first=Julio|last=Bardini|date=May 19, 2024|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=May 23, 2024|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525005538/https://collider.com/dune-prophecy-valya-harkonnen-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==S== {{redirect|Sietch||Sech (disambiguation)}} * '''Salusan bull''' – Fierce and very aggressive creature with compound eyes and multiple horns, used in [[bullfighting]] on [[Caladan]] and originating from [[Salusa Secundus]].<ref name="Prelude"/> * '''Salusa Secundus''' – Original homeworld of House Corrino. Later devastated by atomics, it eventually became the Emperor’s prison planet and a training ground for his elite Sardaukar military forces. * [[Sandworm (Dune)|Sandworm]] – Giant sand-dwelling creatures native to Arrakis. Called ''Shai-Hulud'' (and sometimes Little Maker) by the Fremen and worshipped as deities.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Sapho''' – "High-energy liquid extracted from barrier roots of Ecaz. Commonly used by [[Mentat]]s who claim it amplifies mental powers. Users develop deep ruby stains on mouth and lips."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Sardaukar]] – Ferocious "soldier-fanatics" of the [[Padishah Emperor]], later disbanded by Leto II.<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Sareer]] – Last desert of Arrakis in the time of [[Leto II Atreides]], location of his Citadel; guarded by D-wolves.<ref name="Emperor"/> * [[Sayyadina]] – Among the Fremen, the Sayyadina ("Friend of God" in Chakobsa) is a priestess who has not yet passed within to become a Reverend Mother. When a Sayyadina undergoes the [[spice agony]], another is then consecrated into the Sayyadina to continue the line of succession.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[The Scattering (Dune)|Scattering, The]] – Event after the reign of Leto II in which trillions of people left the settled worlds of the [[Old Empire (Dune)|Old Empire]], striking off into unknown space.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Semuta''' – "Second narcotic derivative (by crystal extraction) from the burned residue of elacca wood [from Ecaz]. The effect (described as timeless, sustained ecstasy) is elicited by certain atonal vibrations referred to as semuta music."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Servo-receiver''' – A communications device worn in the ear. In ''Dune'', Shaddam wears one during the Battle of Arrakeen to receive updates on the battle. * [[Sandworm (Dune)|Shai-Hulud]] – Fremen name for the sandworms of Arrakis.<ref name="Dune"/> Originating from the Arabic words meaning "thing of eternity" ({{Lang|ar|شيء خلود}} ''šayʾ khulūd'').<ref name="Singh 2024"/> * '''Shere''' – A substance which, when present in the body at high enough concentrations, will block the use of an [[Ixian Probe]] (but not a [[T-Probe]]) from recovering memories.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Shigawire''' – "Metallic extrusion of a ground vine (''Narvi narviium'') grown only on [[Salusa Secundus]] and III Delta Kaising. It is noted for extreme tensile strength"<ref name="Terminology" /> and is used as a recording medium as well as a [[garrote]] weapon. * '''Sietch''' – Cave warren inhabited by a Fremen tribal community; in the Fremen language, "Place of assembly in time of danger."<ref name="Terminology" /> The name was borrowed from the [[sich]] of [[Zaporozhian Cossacks]].<ref name="LAR"/> * '''Sietch orgy''' (or sietch tau orgy) – "The culmination of the Fremen Water of Life ritual. Once a Reverend Mother has converted the water from its poisonous state, the Fremen then drink of the changed water, which has narcotic properties." Fremen partaking in the ritual "receive release from some of their pent-up emotions" and wild dancing or even sexual activity may occur.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Siridar''' – A planetary governor.<ref name="Vladimir">{{cite book |last=Herbert |first=Frank |title=Dune |url=https://archive.org/details/dune0000herb |url-access=registration |chapter=Appendix IV: The Almanak en-Ashraf (Selected Excerpts of the Noble Houses): Vladimir Harkonnen |year=1965 }}</ref> * '''Slig''' – A livestock animal which is the hybrid of a large [[slug]] and a pig, created by the Tleilaxu and considered a culinary delicacy.<ref name="Heretics"/> The Tleilaxu themselves do not consume the animals, having designed them to facilitate what they see as the degrading decadence and spiritual bankruptcy of all cultures but their own. * '''Solari''' – The official [[currency]] and principal [[Legal tender|monetary unit]] used throughout the Corrino Empire and, presumably, the Known Universe. Often used in parallel with spice as a form of payment. Implied to still be in use at the time of the accession of Leto II, as well as in the years following his death. * '''Solido''' – "Three-dimensional image from a solido projector using 360-degree reference signals imprinted on a shigawire reel."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Soostone''' – Valuable iridescent gem produced on [[Buzzell (Dune)|Buzzell]] by the abraded carapaces of monoped sea creatures called Cholisters, much in the manner of [[pearl]]s.<ref name="Heretics"/> * [[Spacing Guild]] – Powerful organization with a monopoly on space travel and transport due to their [[Guild Navigator|Navigators]].<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Melange (fictional drug)|Spice]] – Common name for melange, a highly-addictive drug essential to space travel, extended life, and therefore to the survival of the universe.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Spice agony]] – Fremen version of the ritual used by the Bene Gesserit to create Reverend Mothers, using the [[Water of Life (Dune)|Water of Life]] instead of melange.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Starship Lighter''' or '''Space Lighter''' – A class of spacecraft that functions similarly to a ferry or barge, and serves to shuttle people and cargo between a larger ship such as a Guild Heighliner and a planet’s surface. * '''Steersman''' – Title given to Guild Navigators.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Stillsuit]] – "Body-enclosing garment" of Fremen design which performs the "functions of heat dissipation and filtering bodily wastes," as well as retaining and reclaiming moisture.<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Stilltent''' – "Small, scalable enclosure of micro-sandwich fabric designed to reclaim as potable water the ambient moisture discharged within it by the breath of its occupants."<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Stone burner]] – [[Atomics (Dune)|Atomic weapon]], the explosion and radiation of which can be precisely adjusted depending on the desired effect. A stone burner with sufficient fuel can burn through the crust of a planet to the mantle or core, potentially causing a release of energy destroying the surface of the planet on which the weapon is deployed. Stone burners emit "J-Rays," a form of radiation that has a side effect of destroying the eyes of anyone surviving the initial radiation blast.<ref name="Messiah"/> * '''S'tori''' – Tleilaxu concept, derived from Japanese [[satori]] (悟り), spiritual awakening. "To achieve s'tori, no understanding is needed. S'tori exists without words, without even a name."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/chapterhousedune00herb/page/84|title=Chapterhouse: Dune|last=Herbert|first=Frank|date=1987-07-01|publisher=Ace|isbn=9780441102679|location=Princeton, N.J.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/chapterhousedune00herb/page/84 84]|language=en|url-access=registration}}</ref> * '''Suboid''' – Bioengineered Ixian workers.<ref name="Prelude" /> * [[Suk School]] – Prominent [[medical school]] whose doctors are the universe's most competent and trusted; those who have received the "Suk Imperial Conditioning" bear a diamond tattoo on their foreheads, wear their hair in a special silver ring, and are incapable of inflicting harm. However, the fallibility of Suk training is proven in ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1965) when [[Vladimir Harkonnen|Baron Vladimir Harkonnen]] and his twisted Mentat [[Piter De Vries]] manage to subvert this conditioning and coerce Suk [[Wellington Yueh|Dr. Wellington Yueh]] into helping him in his attempt to destroy [[House Atreides]].<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Suspensor (Dune)|Suspensor]] – Any of a number of 'hovering' devices which utilize the "secondary (low-drain) phase of a Holtzman field generator" to nullify [[gravitation|gravity]] "within certain limits prescribed by relative mass and energy consumption."<ref name="Terminology" /> In ''Dune'', the obese [[Vladimir Harkonnen|Baron Harkonnen]] uses suspensors to support his massive weight.<ref name="Dune"/> Hunter-seekers also use suspensor fields for propulsion, which make them slippery and hard to grasp.<ref name="Dune"/>

==T== * [[T-Probe]] – Device used to capture the thoughts of a person (living or dead) for analysis. [[Shere (Dune)|Shere]] only prevents the T-Probe from recovering memories directly (as it does for the [[Ixian Probe]]) and does not impede any of the other features. The model created by the operation of this probe can be interrogated to give an idea of how the person would have reacted to a set of stimuli, possibly giving insight into a shere-loaded prisoner.<ref name="Heretics"/> * '''Tachyon net ''' (or tachyon web) – Technology (involving [[faster-than-light]] [[tachyon]] particles) used by [[Daniel and Marty]] in their attempt to track and capture the [[no-ship]] ''[[Ithaca (Dune)|Ithaca]]''.<ref name="Hunters"/> * [[Thinking machines (Dune)|Thinking machines]] – Intelligent and sentient machines "created in the likeness of a human mind" and thus abolished in the Butlerian Jihad.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Thalim''' – Star of the single planet system of the Tleilaxu. * '''Thopter''' ([[Ornithopter (Dune)|Ornithopter]]) – "Aircraft capable of sustained wing-beat flight in the manner of birds."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Thorse''' – A six-legged pack animal bred for its stability.<ref name="Emperor"/> * '''Thumper''' – "Short stake with a spring-driven clapper at one end", placed in the sand to 'call' sandworms, who are attracted to vibration and sound.<ref name="Terminology" /> * [[Titan (Dune)|Titans]] – Ancient dictators whose brains were transplanted into fearsome, weaponized machine bodies to achieve [[immortality]].<ref name="Legends"/> * [[Bene Tleilax|Tleilaxu]] (or Bene Tleilax) – Secretive and powerful patriarchal race known for their genetic manipulation technologies.<ref name="Messiah"/> * [[Truthsayer]] – Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother "qualified to enter truthtrance and detect insincerity or falsehood".<ref name="Terminology" />

==U== * '''Umma''' – "One of the brotherhood of prophets; a term of scorn in the Imperium, meaning any 'wild' person given to fanatical prediction."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Usul''' – Fremen word, meaning "The strength at the base of the pillar."<ref name="Terminology" /> This is the secret "sietch name" (known only to his tribe) given to Paul Atreides upon his joining the Fremen.

==V== * '''Verite''' – Will-destroying narcotic from Ecaz that "renders a person incapable of falsehood."<ref name="Terminology" /> Originating from the French word for "truth"<ref name="Singh 2024"/> * [[The Voice (Dune)|The Voice]] – Training that allows the Bene Gesserit "to control others merely by selected tone shadings of the voice."<ref name="Terminology" />

==W== * '''Wali''' – The name the Fremen give to an untried youth.<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''War of Assassins''' – Regulated form of warfare between noble houses, intended to "reduce involvement of innocent bystanders." The rules require "formal declarations of intent and restrict permissible weapons."<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Water of Life''' – Toxic liquid exhalation of a drowning sandworm, used by Fremen Reverend Mothers in the [[spice agony]].<ref name="Terminology" /> * '''Water rings''' – Metal rings wore by Fremen women to indicate the amount of water possessed by their households.<ref name="Dune"/> * [[Weirding way]] – Fremen term for Bene Gesserit abilities, in particular the specialized [[martial art]] component of ''[[prana-bindu]]''.<ref name="Dune"/> * '''Whale fur''' – Valuable commodity noted to be the original source of [[House Harkonnen]]'s wealth.<ref name="Vladimir"/> [[Princess Irulan]] is described wearing whale fur multiple times, including during her meeting with her fellow conspirators in ''[[Dune Messiah]]''.<ref name="Prelude"/> The ''[[Prelude to Dune]]'' prequel series establishes it to be the fur of the Bjondax whales of [[Lankiveil]], a planet controlled by the Harkonnens.<ref name="Prelude"/> * '''Windowplaz''' (or simply '''plaz''') – Synthetic glass, used for windows (especially in aircraft and spaceships) due to its superior strength.<ref name="Prelude"/> * '''Windtrap''' – Type of [[air well (condenser)|air well]] "placed in the path of a prevailing wind and capable of precipitating moisture from the air caught within it, usually by a sharp and distinct drop in temperature within the trap."<ref name="Terminology" />

==Y== * '''Yali''' – "A Fremen's personal quarters within the sietch."<ref name="Terminology" />

==Z== * [[Zensunni]] – Ancient religious sect, ancestors of the Fremen.<ref name="Dune"/> {{See also|Zen|Sunni Islam}}

==See also== * [[List of technology in the Dune universe|List of technology in the ''Dune'' universe]]

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glossary Of Dune Terminology}} [[Category:Dune (franchise)|Terminology]] [[Category:Wikipedia glossaries|Dune]] [[Category:Wikipedia glossaries using unordered lists]]