Maráylan

• Maharluini

Common Phrases in Maráylan:

1. Kamáya kay lan?
   How are you?
   Spoken as a friendly greeting, especially among kin or shipmates.
2. Ali ako makuháyo.
   I don’t understand.
   Used respectfully when needing clarification, often in trade or diplomacy.
3. Taráya na!
   Let’s go now!
   A rallying phrase, full of energy—used before journeys or action.
4. Gumánting ka.
   Be careful.
   A common farewell among those parting ways on dangerous paths.
5. Pamanwa tayá.
   We are family.
   Used literally and symbolically to affirm unity.
6. May hibígan dayán.
   There is danger there.
   A warning phrase, often whispered or spoken with urgency.
7. Salára para sa tulóng.
   Thank you for the help.
   Formal gratitude, often said after a rescue or favor.
8. Aláw maráy dagáy.
   The sea remembers.
   A poetic expression of fate or memory—used in eulogies or reflection.
9. Layáyo sa sangnáya.
   Journey into magic.
   Parting words for those leaving on a mystical or sacred quest.
10. Ali tayó dánaw.
    We are not near water.
    Often spoken with anxiety; water proximity is vital to the Maharluini.
11. May sangnáya sa hangín.
    There is magic in the wind.
    A phrase used by spirit-guides or weather-readers before rituals.
12. Kay salápan mo, gáyo.
    Your coin, please.
    Commonly used by merchants or boat hands when requesting payment.
13. San ang Laywán?
    Where is the ship?
    A traveler’s staple question at ports and crossings.
14. Kaílan dayán?
    Who is that?
    Inquiries about people, often spoken quietly with caution.
15. Tawara ako.
    Forgive me.
    Used with sincerity; a plea for pardon in both small and grave matters.

Common Idiomatic Sayings in Maráylan:

1. "Ali naglalayag ang bató."

“The stone does not sail.”
Used to describe someone unwilling or unable to change, evolve, or move forward.

Common/English equivalent: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Cultural root: Stones are sacred in Maharluini ritual, but immobile.

2. "May alat ang salitâ."

“The word has salt.”
Said when someone speaks truthfully or with emotional weight.

Common/English carryover: “That hit deep” or “There’s weight in your words.”
Root: Salt as both seasoning and preservation, truth that lasts.

3. "Hawak sa sinúlid ng bagyó."

“Holding onto a typhoon’s thread.”
Describes someone in a fragile or desperate situation.

Common/English evolution: “Hanging by a thread.”
Root: Navigating storms with fragile sails or bonds.

4. "Hindi lahat ng ningning ay liwánan."

“Not all that glitters is light.”
A warning that beauty or magic may be dangerous.

Common/English carryover: “Not all that glitters is gold.”
Root: Especially relevant in Frae where charm often masks corruption.

5. "May dagáy sa loob."

“There is a sea inside.”
Used to express deep grief or emotion hidden beneath the surface.

Common/English usage: “Holding a storm inside.”
Root: Emotional restraint is valued; feelings compared to tidal undercurrents.

6. "Kahit alon, may ugát."

“Even the wave has roots.”
Everything, even chaos, has a source or consequence.

Common/English carryover: “There’s a reason behind every action.”
Root: Philosophical perspective on cause and effect.

7. "Umiiyak ang aninó."

“The shadow is crying.”
Said when someone pretends to be fine but is clearly suffering.

Common/English version: “They’re putting on a brave face.”
Root: Shadows carry emotion in Maharluini belief.

8. "Sa ilalim ng dagáy, may tinig."

“Beneath the sea, there is a voice.”
Truths or secrets often lie hidden but still present.

Common/English form: “Still waters run deep.”
Root: A belief in the living sea, and the presence of ancestral voices beneath.

9. "Ang liwánan ay hindi laging sagót."

“Light is not always the answer.”
Used to remind others that not all problems are solved with optimism or exposure.

Common/English adaptation: “Not everything can be fixed with clarity.”
Root: Embraces the Maharluini comfort with mystery and shadow.

10. "Maglayág tayo, kahit walang bituín."

“We sail, even without stars.”
Said to encourage perseverance despite uncertainty or loss of guidance.

Common/English version: “We go on, even in the dark.”
Root: Navigational metaphor; stars as lost ancestors or hopes.

11. "Binibigkas ng hangín ang mga lihím."

“The wind speaks secrets.”
Warns against speaking too freely; someone may be listening.

Common/English evolution: “Walls have ears.”
Root: Spirits and gossip are both carried by the sea breeze.

12. "Isa lang ang laywán, pero marami ang bangkâ."

“There is one ship, but many boats.”
A saying about shared goals among diverse people or efforts.

Common/English form: “Many paths, one destination.”
Root: Collectivist ethos and seafaring imagery.

13. "Walang paníkam ang dalísay."

“Purity bears no curse.”
A reassurance that sincerity and integrity are protections.

Common/English version: “Truth fears no trial.”
Root: Magical worldview where curses need spiritual entry points.

14. "Ang anáya ay hindi pa dagáy."

“The child is not yet the sea.”
Used to say someone is still growing or learning.

Common/English form: “Still wet behind the ears.”
Root: The sea symbolizes experience and depth.

15. "Laging may aninó sa ilálim ng iláw."

“There is always shadow beneath the light.”
A reminder that every good thing holds potential danger or complexity.

Common/English carryover: “Every light casts a shadow.”
Root: Integral to Maharluini spiritual balance between darkness and light.

Other Idioms:

1. "To salt your own sail"

Meaning: To sabotage your own journey or plans.
Usage: “Don’t salt your own sail just to prove a point.”
Root: Sails soaked in seawater deteriorate faster. Salting one’s own sail is a metaphor for prideful or self-defeating choices.

2. "As quiet as a sunken bell"

Meaning: Completely silent, possibly ominously so.
Usage: “When the storm passed, the ship was as quiet as a sunken bell.”
Root: Maharluini temple bells lost in sea raids are believed to still chime in the afterworld. The silence is eerie, not peaceful.

3. "To sail on another’s stars"

Meaning: To rely entirely on someone else’s guidance or fate.
Usage: “He’s not thinking, just sailing on another’s stars.”
Root: Maharluini navigators interpret the stars individually; relying on another’s chart is dangerous, even disrespectful.

4. "To throw your shadow ahead"

Meaning: To act boldly or prematurely assert control.
Usage: “She threw her shadow ahead before the tide turned.”
Root: Based on the belief that one’s shadow (anínó) reflects spiritual intent. Projecting it ahead symbolizes claiming what is not yet yours.

5. "To fish with a broken hook"

Meaning: To try something with faulty tools or planning.
Usage: “He’s trying to barter with nothing—fishing with a broken hook.”
Root: In a culture where fishing is survival, using a broken hook is a symbol of futility and desperation.

6. "Like a candle in a tidepool"

Meaning: Extremely vulnerable, ephemeral.
Usage: “That alliance won’t last; it’s a candle in a tidepool.”
Root: Candles were once used for spiritual offerings by tide-priestesses. In tidepools, they’re quickly extinguished.

7. "To have sea-iron in your veins"

Meaning: To be resilient and determined.
Usage: “She has sea-iron in her veins; no storm will shake her.”
Root: Metaphor for the Maharluini who survived slavery, exile, and rebellion. Sea-iron represents will hardened by salt and suffering.

8. "To drift with your anchor down"

Meaning: To move without direction due to personal baggage or fear.
Usage: “He can’t let go of the past; he’s drifting with his anchor down.”
Root: Ships dragging anchors risk tearing themselves apart—so too with people who move while clinging to the past.

9. "To sing salt into the wound"

Meaning: To make pain worse while pretending to help.
Usage: “You’re not comforting her; you’re singing salt into the wound.”
Root: Maharluini healing often involves chants, but wrong words—or truth too early—can reopen emotional wounds.

10. "To wrap your net around the moon"

Meaning: To chase something unreachable.
Usage: “Another love letter? He’s still wrapping his net around the moon.”
Root: A poetic reference to unrequited love or impossible dreams; inspired by night fishing superstitions.

11. "To hold the tide in a clay cup"

Meaning: Trying to control something far beyond your power.
Usage: “He thinks he can control the council; he’s holding the tide in a clay cup.”
Root: Tidewater rituals once involved clay vessels; they always cracked. This reminds listeners of their limits.

12. "To row with broken oaths"

Meaning: To continue forward after betrayal, with lingering guilt or damage.
Usage: “He escaped, but he’s rowing with broken oaths.”
Root: Oaths are sworn on boat keels; breaking one was once punishable by binding a person to an oar.

13. "Like a storm in a prayer shell"

Meaning: Someone who appears calm but hides destructive power.
Usage: “Don’t trust her calm face; she’s a storm in a prayer shell.”
Root: Shells are used for prayers and communication with spirits. A cursed shell is a subtle, deadly weapon.

14. "To mend sails in the dark"

Meaning: To attempt repairs or healing without proper knowledge.
Usage: “We’re mending sails in the dark. We don’t know the curse’s source.”
Root: Ships once cursed during storms were mended without light for spiritual reasons. Results were rarely good.

15. "To sleep under an enemy’s roof"

Meaning: To exist in a false alliance or dangerous truce.
Usage: “You’re making deals with them? You’re sleeping under an enemy’s roof.”
Root: Refers to the time when Maharluini refugees were given ‘hospitality’ by those who later betrayed them.

Female Names (Babáyan)

1. Liyana – “Calm sea breeze” (soft, graceful, wind-touched)
2. Sumaya – “Joy in the rain” (from suma, “joy” + ya, “rain”)
3. Mayao – “Hopeful dream” (from maya, “spirit” + yo, “dream”)
4. Kalina – “Star-lit wave” (from kali, “wave” + na, “star”)
5. Nareya – “She who sings to spirits” (ritual or spiritual role)
6. Diyana – “Daughter of the dawn” (from diya, “dawn”)
7. Selayen – “She who speaks with tides” (from se, “speak” + layen, “tide”)
8. Halura – “Keeper of embers” (from halu, “keep” + ra, “fire’s heart”)
9. Miraya – “She who walks the mist” (evoking mystery and magic)
10. Anira – “Pearl of the south” (from ani, “pearl” + ra, “south”)

Male Names (Lalákan)

1. Arelan – “He who returns with the tide” (from are “return” + lan “tide”)
2. Talon – “Deep current” (a metaphor for strength beneath calm)
3. Dumaro – “Storm’s son” (from duma “storm” + ro “son”)
4. Kailo – “He who wanders” (rooted in layo, “to go”)
5. Maruken – “Sea-blooded” (from maru, “sea” + ken, “bloodline”)
6. Sayorun – “One with swift sails” (from sayo “fast” + run, “sail”)
7. Baynan – “Voice of the coast” (from bay, “shore” + nan, “speak”)
8. Ilaryo – “Watcher of the sky” (from ilar, “watch” + yo, “sky”)
9. Galitan – “Wrath of the waves” (evoking a warrior’s might)
10. Tayren – “First flame” (from tay, “first” + ren, “fire”)

Gender-Neutral Names (Haláwan)

1. Mayao – “Hopeful dream”
   A name associated with visionaries, dream-guides, and spiritual navigators.
2. Lioran – “Tide-bearer”
   Derived from lio (carry) + ran (tide), used for sailors, messengers, and scouts.
3. Sawan – “Voice of rain”
   Evokes gentleness and musicality, often given to artists and singers.
4. Talma – “Quiet strength”
   Common among healers and guardians, those who protect without fanfare.
5. Eluya – “One who listens”
   A revered trait in Maharluini culture, often tied to wisdom and mediation.
6. Bayano – “Born of the shore”
   Used for children born during coastal migrations; symbolizes resilience.
7. Halinor – “Light through shadow”
   A poetic name given to those born during eclipses or storms.
8. Nimara – “Stone and bloom”
   Symbolic of balance—earth and life, strength and grace.
9. Orinay – “Wanderer of the wind”
   Popular among traveling sages, mapmakers, and messengers.
10. Kawira – “One who remembers”
    Used for memory-keepers, storytellers, or children with names passed down.