To speak of how one "wins" at hauissh is probably a misnomer born of looking at the pastime through the human mindset: it is nearly as erroneous as speaking of "winning" at cricket— the human game that comes closest to hauissh in its (unspoken) expression of the idea that gameplay for its own sake is much more important than a result, of whatever kind. Like cricket, a bout of hauissh can go on for days or weeks, can be called on account of bad light (i.e., atmospheric conditions so bad that not even cats can see each other: rare), will often stop (repeatedly) for meals, and can run up extravagant scores that sound really impressive when you talk about them afterward, but which are actually indicative of neither group really being able to get the better of the other, no matter how long the process continues. The record duration for a single bout of hauissh was set in 1716 (the actual date being either in January or February, but uncertainty involved with the Gregorian calendar shift and its coordination with the People's timekeeping makes a definite date unavailable). Six cats located in the town of Albstadt-Ebingen, then in the duchy of Württemberg and now in southern Germany, began a bout that lasted until 1738, and was completed by five of their great-grandchildren. The bout was forced to end in a draw because of a local outbreak of the plague, which killed what was judged a "threshold" number of the competitors.
The game (to People interested in it) naturally has profound philosophical and even mystical meaning. One saying is that "Rhoua plays best," the indication being that the Queen, in Her aspect of "Winking" Rhoua, can by definition see all People without being seen Herself, and that the Game is therefore a metaphor for life… which is (come to think of it) exactly what ehhif say about baseball, and soccer, and nearly every other sport down to tiddledywinks.
ON OTHER MATTERS
The nonwizardly aspects of the New York Public Library's CATNYP online cataloguing system can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://catnyp.nypl.org/
Please do not query the librarians about the Online "MoonBook" Project, as all but a few of the staff have no knowledge that it exists, and those staff who do know are required to deny its existence.
Readers interested in more information about wizardry might like to look at the following books by the same author:
So You Want to Be a Wizard
Deep Wizardry
High Wizardry
A Wizard Abroad
And for more information about new developments in the "Wizards' " universe, as well as for pictures of cats who looks suspiciously like some of the principals in this book, curious readers with Web access may wish to visit the following site:
http://www.ibmpcug.co.uk/~owls/homeward.html
Chapter Note
*in The Unadulterated Cat (Gollancz, 1989)
A Very Partial Ailurin Glossary
A
aahfaui (n) the "presence" quality in hauissh
Aaurh (pr n) another of the feline pantheon: the "Michael" power, the Warrior; female
aavhy (adj) used; also a proper name when upper case
ahou'ffriw (n) the Canine Word; key, or "activating," word for spells intended for use on dogs and other canids
Auhw-t (n) "the Hearth": the Ailurin/wizardly term for what humans refer to as "Timeheart"— the most senior/central reality, of which all others are mirrors or variations
Auo (pr n) I
auuh (n) stray (perjorative)
auw (n) energy (as a generic term); appears in many compounds having to do with wizardry and cats' affinity for fire, warmth, and energy flows
auwsshui'f (n) the "lower electromagnetic" spectrum, involving quantum particles, faster-than-light particles and wavicles, subatomics, fission, fusion, and "submatter" relationships such as string and hyperstring function
D
D does not appear by itself as a consonant in Ailurin, only as a diphthong, dh.
E
efviauw (n) the electromagnetic spectrum as perceived by cats
ehhif (n) human being, (adj) human
eiuev (n) veldt: a large open space. As a proper noun, Eiuev, "the Veldt" means the Sheep Meadow in Central Park
eius'hss (n) the "control" quality in hauissh
F
ffrihh (n) refrigerator (cat slang: approximation)
fouarhweh (n) a position in hauissh, described as "classic" by commentators
fvais (n) a medium-high voice among cats; equates with "tenor"
fwau (ex) heck, hell, crap
H
Hauhai (n) the Speech
hauissh (n) the Game
he'ihh (n) composure-grooming
hhau'fih (n) group relationships in general
hhouehhu (v) desire/want
Hhu'au (pr n) The Lion-"God" of Today; nickname for ehhif "Patience," one of the carved stone lions outside the New York Public Library main branch
hihhhh (excl) damn, bloody (stronger than vhai)
hiouh (n) excreta (including both urine and feces)
hlah'feihre (adj) tortoiseshell (fur)
houff (s n) dog
houiff (pl n) dogs
Hrau'f (pr n) daughter of Iau, the member of the feline pantheon most concerned with creation and ordering it; known as "the Silent"
hruiss (n) fight, in compounds with words for "tom-fight," etc.
hu (n) day
hu-rhiw (id) "day-and-night"; idiom for a black-and-white cat
hwaa (n) drink
hwiofviauw (adj) the "upper electromagnetic," meaning plasma functions, gravitic force, etc.; "upward"
I
iAh'hah (n) New York: possibly an approximation of the English name
Iau (pr n) the One; the most senior member of the feline pantheon; female
Irh (pr n) one of the feline pantheon; male (Urruah refers to his balls)
O
o'hra (n) opera (approximation)
R
ra'hio (n) "radio"; A feline neologism
Reh-t (n, abstract) the future; also, the name for the Lion-Power guarding it, the Invisible One of the Three guarding the steps to the New York Public Library main branch
rhiw (n) night. Many compounds are derived from this favorite word, including the name Rhiow (the actual orthography would be rhiw'aow, "nightdark," but the spelling has been simplified for the purposes of this narrative).
rioh (n) horse (but in the countryside, also ox, or any other animal that works for humans by carrying or pulling things; "beast of burden"). A cat with a sense of humor might use this word as readily for a taxicab, shopping cart, or wheelbarrow.
rrai'fih (n) pride relationship implying possible blood ties
ruah (adj) flat
S
sa'Rráhh (pr n) the ambivalent feline Power; analogous (roughly) to the Lone Power
Sef (pr n) the Lion-"God" of Yesterday; nickname for "Fortitude," one of the lions outside the New York Public Library main branch
sh'heih (n) "queen," unspayed female
siss (n) urine; a "baby word" similar to ehhif English "pee pee," and other similar formations
sshai-sau (adj) crazy
sswiass a pejorative: "sonofabitch," bastard, brat, etc.
sth'heih (n) "tom," unneutered male
U
uae (n) milk
ur (n) nose
Urrua (pr n) the Great Tom, son and lover of Iau the Queen (from the older word urra, "scarred")
urruah (id) "flat nose" (compound: from ur'ruah)
V
vefessh (n) water; also (adj) the term cats use to indicate the fur color humans call "blue"
vhai (adj) damn, bloody
Diane Duane, The Book of Night With Moon
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