As far as I know, it’s never used. Instead, it’s usually replaced by the words “kriff” or “kark” (which are generally used the exact same). There’s a section for slang and expletives on the Vocab List, which is linked in my bio, in case you’d like to see more options.
~ Jacen
I don’t know of any instances of wooden doors on highly industrialized planets like Coruscant, but certainly they’re used on worlds where wood is more plentiful or cheaper than durasteel (or where the technology to build the pneumatic doors common on most worlds is not readily available). However, knowing High Human Culture, it probably would have been considered a status symbol for rich families to have wood furnishings, providing it was wood of a certain quality and rarity.
Generally, doorbells (called door annunciators) must be pressed to make a noise. Otherwise, on streets with a lot of foot traffic, the alarm would sound from people just waking by.
Hope that helps!
~ Jacen
I’ve seen a lot of people using “Standard” for the universal language in Star Wars. It’s Basic, people, not Standard.
Yup! It’s always Basic, Galactic Basic, or Galactic Standard. Never just Standard.
In some of the older EU books, like the X-Wing series, it is just called e-mail or mail. There is such a thing as a hololetter, but that uses holographic images so it’s probably not quite what you’re looking for. By and large, communications aren’t really done by text, although plenty of people refer to sending messages without showing us how. The various rebellions throughout the timelines are particularly known for sending messages by word of mouth or by personally delivering datacards with information on them, and never sending transmissions. If you really need a text-based message, your best bet might be to just refer to it as a message and keep it vague.
I hope something here works for you!
~ Jacen
A hypospray, hypo-syringe or just hypo is the in-universe equivalent of a syringe, which is an option in the real world to take a blood sample. A tourniquet is tied around the upper arm, the skin (usually on the inner elbow or back of the wrist) is cleaned, in this case with a disinfectant pad or spray, and then the needle is inserted into a prominent vein. While it’s not specified whether those injectors actually use needles, needles are canonical objects and there are really no other normal ways to draw blood.
As a sidenote, the most widely used diagnostic equipment would be forms of a medisensor or a mediscan unit, which don’t need blood samples to operate. Even toxin detectors don’t actually need a sample, they just scan the subject. You may not even need to draw blood for whatever purpose you’re asking for.
Hope that helps!
~ Jacen
For those who don’t know, I’ve been working on a list of star wars vocabulary to be used as reference. It’s finally ready to go, and you can find it here.
It’s also linked in my navigation tab, and in my bio (for those on mobile). Use it whenever you want, and don’t be afraid to suggest that something be added. Thanks to everyone who has already either suggested stuff or sent in asks about terminology! I hope you all find this useful.
Good luck to everybody with their writing!
~ Jacen
Mental illnesses are very rarely mentioned by name in Star Wars. The only instances I’ve seen (which have all been in Legends), the illness was called by the same name it is in our universe. Psychosis, OCD and Multiple Personality Disorder (an outdated and inaccurate term) are all mentioned. I couldn’t be sure, but it seems very likely that if PTSD was mentioned, it would just be called PTSD.
~ Jacen
tips for writing Star Wars fanfic/Star Wars roleplay things
- it’s not concrete; it’s duracrete
- viewports are the windows on ships
- not a plane; ship or speeder
- it’s not steel; it’s durasteel
- books are rare; holorecords or datapads
- it’s not a glass pane it’s transparisteel
- caf is the equivalent of coffee
- it’s not paper it’s a flimsi
- medcenter is a hospital
Star Wars can be very similar to things we’re already used to, but getting familiar with some of these terms can make your writing really fit in with the universe
This is brilliant! Here’s another:
It’s not a movie; it’s a holovid
It’s not a phone or cell; it’s a holocom or communicator or just comm (unit). You normally comm someone instead of call them.
Searching our standard terms in Wookieepedia will normally provide you with one or several in-universe alternatives. The other items exist, they’re just either archaic terms or really low-tech versions of what’s commonly used (like concrete is a real thing, but just extremely less durable and strong than the more advanced and common duracrete).
I’ve seen ‘permacrete’ used in the latest books as well.
Back in the day weren’t the “glass” windows on x-wings and ships called like invisa-steel or something? That stuck in my head from the Thrawn trilogy I think. I remember sitting there in deep contemplation over how the hell you make the molecule chains in metal transparent and worrying about carbon chains and shit because what’s what you do in 10th grade.
I remember seeing med center used as medbay and sickbay as well, and dishwasher as sonic dishwasher? (correct me if wrong tho, I can’t remember v well). But here’s some more:
bandaids = bacta patches
bathroom = refresher
watch/clock = chrono
first aid kit = medpack, medkit
motorcycle = speeder bike, swoop bike
camera = holocamera
internet = holonet
shower = sonic shower(?)Correct any of these if they’re wrong ;P also they’re all legends I think and I’m not sure if any of them are in new canon.
I love this, because it’s not condescending or pretentious…just fans letting newer fans know ways to improve their fic. I love the films, but I haven’t been able to get access to so many of the books and comics yet (even though they’re waiting in my Amazon cart for pay day), so this is awesome. And I’ve basically been living on Wookieepedia lately, too!
I can’t find a canon instance of it but
refrigerator = conservator
I just know I’ll be needing some of those in the future.
@writebetterstarwars maybe add those to your list?
Thanks @pomrania! In the meantime, I’m sure you guys could use this list.
Honestly, you could pretty much use any small animal. Probably one from your character’s homeworld or somewhere else they’ve spent time, and possibly something vaguely feline, in order to follow the real-life expression. A nexu could be a good one to use. I know you write for Rebels a lot, so perhaps a loth-cat, a sabercat or a puffer pig. I’m sure mynocks would make a pretty bad sound when strangled, and most people know what mynocks are. One more thing, off the top of my head, could be the shriek-hawk from Mandalore. These kinds of expressions usually vary from planet-to-planet and culture-to-culture, so feel free to ask again if you need something specific to one world.
I hope that helps!
~ Jacen
These are words I’ve either had to look up for myself, or saw them written wrong in fics that otherwise had decent spelling. Directly copy-pasted from the file I keep for myself. Heavily weighted towards SWR terms, as that’s the fandom (sub-fandom?) I write in for the most part.
capitalized: Jedi, Sith, Rebellion (some contexts), Outer Rim, Padawan
lower-case: holocron, stormtrooper, dark side
unknown capitalization: various race names; the word for “referring to the Empire”; master (when used to refer to a Jedi’s relation; such as, what Obi-wan was to Anakin)
planets: Malachor, Mustafar, Atollon, Dathomir, Jedha, Mandalore, Ryloth, Lira San
names: Zeb’s last name (Orrelios), the Bendu
not sure how to spell: crystal in the lightsaber (kyber), alphabet (Aurebesh), that one fruit (meiloorun)
other stuff: “datapad” is one word, TIE fighter, medbay (one word), clone trooper (two words, no caps), comlink
other stuff I need to look up: Zeb’s weapon-thing, communication device, caffeine beverage
Thank you for sending this! I’ll get these added to the list
Write Better Star Wars 