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List of terms (1880)

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Battlestar Galactica Terminology


Both Colonials and Cylonics employ a distinct nomenclature of military jargon, colloquialisms, sayings, and technical terms to create a culture distinctly "alien" to the audience, but transposing a "steampunk" flavor and sensibility.

This article serves to organize and summarize this terminology, leading to different articles if the term needs to be further expanded upon.

Honorifics and Ranks

Honorifics and titles are organized based on rank position, and not alphabetically. Some ranks and honorifics may be equal under certain conditions.
  • Colonial Empire
    • Archduke: A title of nobility, just a step or two beneath the top-most level of leadership nobility. Example: Adama.[1]
    • Crown Prince/Prince: A title of nobility, ascribed typically to the son of an archduke. Example: Apollo.[1]
    • Fleet Admiral: A military title of someone who leads a fleet. Example: Tigh.[1]
    • Lady: A title of nobility, subordinate to an archduke. Example: Athena.[1]
    • Admiral: A military rank. The commanding officer aboard the aethership Atlantia held this rank.[1]
    • Lord: A title of nobility. Example: Lord Cain of Pegasus.[1]
    • Count: A title of nobility. Example: Count Iblis.[1]
    • Flight-Commander: Military rank of a flier.[1]
    • Flight-Lieutenant: A military rank of a flier. Example: Starbuck.[1]
    • Lieutenant: A military rank. Example: Jolly.[1]
  • Cylonic Empire
    • Imperious Leader: The supreme rank given by Baltar to himself following his exile.[1]

Colloquialisms

  • felgercarb: Expletive, similar to "crap."
  • frack: Expletive, similar to "shit."
  • galmonging: Expletive, possibly similar to "asshole" or "God damned."
  • Hades: Hell. Used in an exclamatory manner, e.g. "The Hades I am."[2]

General Jargon

  • aether: Outer space.[1]
  • aetherdrive: Interstellar drive.[2]
  • aether message: Transmission sent through the aether.[3]
  • aetherprison: Prison transport, e.g. Proteus.[1]
  • aethership: Vessel operating in the aether.[1]
  • aetherspace/aethervoid: A form of hyperspace, allowing travel over vast distances. Phasing out of the aethervoid leads ships into the aether.[2] Also known as aeptherspace.[3]
  • babbage: Computer. One such babbage is Lu-c-fer.[4][1]
  • basestar: Capital ship of the Cylonic fleet.[3]
  • bubble memory: Form of computer memory.[5][6]
  • bubbleship: Vessel that operates in the aether. Lady Athena has such a ship.[1]
  • cavorite: Material used in the hulls of aetherships, as well as thrusters.[2][7]
  • clockwork: Used to describe the mechanical operation of Cylonic Knights, as dictated by the use of springs, gear trains, like that of a clock.[1] (See: Clockwork.)
  • Colonial Army: Armed forces of the Twelve Colonial Empires.[2]
  • credits: Currency used on Rising Star.[2]
  • Cylonic: Name of the robotic creations of Professor Baltar.[1]
  • hivemind: Network for Cylonic communications.[3]
  • plexi-crystal: Transparent material used in the creation of Viper canopies.[1]
  • punchcard: Means to program instructions into machinery, typically featuring holes that are punched into a card. (See: Punchcard.)[1]
  • punchcode: The language recorded on punchcards.[2]
  • Quorum: Leadership body of the Twelve Colonies.[1]
  • Raider: Fighter ship of the Cylonic fleet.[3]
  • retroblaster: An energy-based weapon effective against Cylonic Knights.[2]
  • solium: Fuel used by aetherships.[1]
  • solium core: Reactor of aetherships.[1]
  • solium drive: Engine of aetherships.[2]
  • tylium: Fuel used by the "hearts" of the Cylonic Knights.[1]
  • Viper: One-man fighter ship of the Colonial Empire.[1]
  • Warrior: Soldier of the Colonial Empire.[1]

Sayings

  • "By whrrr command": A Cylonic response to accepting an order.

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Term introduced in Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 1.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Term introduced in Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 2.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Term introduced in Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 3.
  4. "Babbage" is named after Charles Babbage, whose designs for the Analytical Engine were the first instance of a computer, even though it was not built until much later.
  5. Term introduced in Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880 4.
  6. Bubble memory is a form of non-volatile computer memory that was rendered quickly obsolete by the mid 1980s.
  7. "Cavorite" is the fictional substance with effects that defy gravity, named for the material created by the fictional Mr. Cavor from H. G. Wells The First Men in the Moon. See: gravitational shielding.