A list of words used in Cull (and some other of Von’s books) that are not common English (or not English at all).

Feverwash: A chemical used to cleanse wounds, instruments, hands to prevent ‘fever’ (ie infection). Made from local plants etc.

Partner: When the war made it obligatory for young people to ‘mate’ and produce children without the (for New Texas) customary formalities of dating/courtship/engagement and the like some people protested that the resulting matches were not real ‘marriages’. One government official ended up using the word ‘partner’ in a public discussion as a way of speaking of the new relationship and the term stuck. Some people still use ‘husband and wife’ and other planets usually do (except Newtonia, which likes the  new term).

Partnére: A female ‘partner’.

Adelphe: New Genevan word for ‘sister’, used particuarly for sisters in law.

Cousine: Female cousin. (Haven’t you ever wondered why we have brother/sister, father/mother, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, but  not cousin/cousine? No? Well, I have 🙂 )