Kobaïen (constructed language)

Kobaïen (Kobaïan) is a constructed language, devised beginning in 1969 by French composer and drummer Christian Vander, who has extensively utilised the language in the lyrical composition of music performed by his prog-rock zeuhl band Magma. The language has been transcribed in the Latin alphabet with frequent use of diacritical marks, while the spoken form has been described as essentially incantational with comparisons made to contemporary Germanic, Slavic, and Latin speech, and the language on the whole features frequent instants of onomatopoeia.

Kobaïan-language Records

• Magma (1970), Magma  — also released under the title Kobaïa
• Magma (1971), 1001° Centigrades 
• Magma (1973), Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh  — "Destructive Mechanical Commando"
• Magma (1974), Ẁurdah Ïtah  — "Dead Earth"
• Magma (1974), Köhntarkösz 
• Magma (1976), Üdü Ẁüdü 
• Magma (1978), Attahk 
• Magma (1984), Merci 
• Magma (1989), Mekanïk Kommandöh  — "Mechanical Commando"
• Magma (2004), K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria) 
• Magma (2009), Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré 
• Magma (2012), Félicité Thösz 
• Magma (2014), Rïah Sahïltaahk 
• Magma (2015), Šlaǧ Tanƶ 
• Magma (2019), Zëss  — "Master" / "Maître"

Kobaïen to French & English

Kobaïen	Français	English
andaksik	déverser	to pour (out), spill (out); to pour (into), flow (into)
archïw	archive	archive
antsik	demander	to ask (for), request
blüm	peuple	people
bradïa	parler	to speak, talk
bünder	pilier	pillar
brus	racine	root
da	la, le, les	the
de	de	of, from
dë	du	of the, from the
destruktïw	destructeur	destructive; destroyer, shatterer
deuhl	inonder	inundate, flood
dewa	arbre	tree
di	la, le (?)	the
dihhël	vie	life, living
dindol	spectre	ghost; spectrum
dö, döel	tu	you
doïa	pas (négation)	not (negation)
dondaï	ange de vérité	angel of truth
dewëlëss	étendue	extent, scope, expanse
dreïak	hypocrisie	hypocrisy
drest	éclater	to burst, erupt, explode
dros	de	of, from
dün	cœur	heart
dusz	ton	your
eden	sans	without
egeulsik	cycle	cycle
egeun	pauvre	poor
ëk	qui, que, qu'	that, which; who, whom
ëktah	héros (le)	heroes (the)
ëmgalaï	apocalypse	apocalypse
essi	mer	sea
etnah	hérédité	heredity
falt	sueur	sweat, perspiration
fennh	lames	blades
flöë	fille	girl
fu	un, une	a, an
fü	à, au	at
fuh	à	at
funërarïum	funérarium	funeral
fur	pour	for
furwolt	tandis	while, whilst
fuẁest	avive	swift
ğensünk	compassion (je compatis)	compassion
geun	pauvre	poor
glao	sang	blood
gorkeulhzennh	convulsion	convulsion
hamtaahk	haine	hate, hatred
hamtaï, hamataï	salut, salutation, saluer	greeting, greetings, to greet
hell, hel	vie	life, living
heldesz	goutte	droplet
hindits	péniblement	painfully
hiẁeusz	veine	vein
hoï	un (1)	a
host	abois (aboyer)	bark (to bark, bay, cry)
hür !	salut à toi !	greetings to you!
hummahn	humain	human
hündin	infini	infinite
hurt	premier	first
inwa	attendre	to wait (for)
ïnstaï	constante	constant
is	comme	like
ïtah	terre	earth, land
kahnt	chants	songs
kalain	passion	passion
klawiehr	claviers	keyboard, keypad
kobaia	éternel	eternal, everlasting
kommandöh	commando	commando
korusz	chorus	chorus
kosmïk	univers	universe
krematöhm	crématoire	crematory, crematorium
lëm	bruit	noise
lëmworitstëm	sombrer	to sink (into)
lah	air	air
lantsëm	spectre	spectre, ghost
lantsei	s'échapper	to escape, elude
lidenté	fortune	fortune
lihns	pluie	rain
linsinh	translucide	translucent
loff	perd (perdre)	lost (to lose)
lohessi	s'étirer	to prolong, stretch out
loï	assoiffé	thirsty
lud	il	he
luszt	perler	to bead, pearl
mëm	en, dans	in
malaẁëlëkaahm	incantation	incantation
manëh	ensemble	together
mekanïk	mécanique	mechanical
meletsi	parfum	perfume
mennh	fumet	fume (odour)
met	dessus, au-dessus	above
meurhdëk	vengeance	vengeance (revenge)
meurhdëm	venger	revenge
muss	sève	sap (of a plant); vital essence
muzïk	musique	music
nansei	jamais	never
noszfeuhl	interminable	endless, interminable
otsilennhetë	imaginaire, imagination	imaginary, imagination
rait, raïtah	brasier, brûler	conflagration, inferno; to burn
reugh	mange	eat
rinstë	prisonnier	prisoner
rogh	écorce	bark (as of a tree, plant)
rownah	purge	purge, purgation
rugh	broie (broyer)	crushed, ground (to crush, grind)
runhdê	imperturbable	imperturbable, unflappable
saaht	angoisse	anguish
setnait	sein	breast, bosom
seẁolaẁen	silence	silence
sinowi	échine	spine, spinal column
sïrï	cri	cry, scream, shout
slibenli	flot	flow
s'noszfeulh	interminable	interminable, endless, unending
soïa	nuit	night
soẁïleï	débile	stupid, defective
sruhditt	hurle	howl, yell
stöht	miroir	mirror
stauhi	cendres	ashes
steuh	vers	toward
straïn	déchirer	to tear
strowis	forgea	(he/she/it) forged, falsified
süms	rien	nothing
s'hündin	infini	infinite
sünh	est, être	is, to be
sünk	sort (destin)	fate (destiny)
sürra	pur	pure
tendiwa	âme	soul
theusz	temps	time
triwen	flétrir	to wither
tüdüwan	menteur	liar, mendacious
ud	son (possessif)	his/hers/its (possessive)
üd	se, son	himself/herself/itself, his/hers/its
übea	fruit	fruit
umennh	respirer	to breathe
ümdëm	océan	ocean
undazir	vision	vision
udenstaï	dépourvu	deprived
ünsaï	passe	past
urfakt	dernier	last, previous
urwa	violence	violence
uz	et	and
walomendêm	univers	universe
warreï	pourquoi	why
weulh	vagues	wave
wï	où	or
wlasik	pardon	pardon (as in “beg your pardon”, “excuse me”); apologies, sorry
wöl	de, depuis	from, since
wurdah	mort	death, dead
wurdin	néant	nothingness, nothing, nil
zain	cerveau	brain
zanka	soleil	sun
zess	maître	master
zeuhl	musique céleste, musique des forces de l'univers ou puissance de l'esprit	celestial music, music of the forces of the universe or power of the spirit
zort	hargne	foul mood, aggressiveness
zunh	son	sound
zur	toi	you