Shyriiwook was alanguage of theWookiees, others of which includedThykarann andXaczik.[4] The language consisted of growling and howls, and thus was difficult for anyone not a Wookiee to speak or learn and was also rough on theirthroat.[5] In particular, it was hard forhuman throats to make the warbling whines and growls that made up the Shyriiwook language. Nevertheless, it was possible for a human to master the language after taking on the effort of learning it.[6] Complicating things further was the fact that Wookiees were physically unable to speak anything but Wookiee languages, making communication a common barrier.[7] It had over one-hundred-and-fifty words for wood,[5] and many words for bloodshed.[8]
"The people are Wookiees, their language is Shyriiwook." "Noted, genius. Do you understand what our Wookiee friend here is saying in his native tongue of Shyriiwook?" "… No."
HumanJedi KnightNib Assek learned how to speak Shyriiwook specifically so she could take the WookieeBurryaga Agaburry as herPadawan.[6]Sabine Wren was capable of speaking a smattering of Shyriiwook, but lost her voice after annoyingGarazeb Orrelios for aday, serenading him in Shyriiwook.[3]Hondo Ohnaka was able to speak some Shyriiwook, capable of quoting many Wookiee proverbs.[10]
Han Solo was capable of understanding it, as he understood whatChewbacca was saying.[11] When he first met Chewbacca, the pair became friends when they helped each other escape theImperial Army, after Solo showed Chewbacca he was on his side, by speaking to him in Shyriiwook.[12] The criminalCorbus Tyra, who posed as Solo's fatherOvan during a mission to find avaluable urn with him and Chewbacca, did not understand nor speak Shyriiwook. All the same, he came to suspect the word "Harro" translated to "yes" based on the context Chewbacca used it within.[13]
MajorHarter Kalonia, who served as aphysician in theResistance, was fluent in Shyriiwook.Rey was able to learn Shyriiwook due to her interaction with offworlders onJakku.[14]Beaumont Kin was another human with the Resistance who knew the language andtranslated for others, though his skills were somewhat out of practice as of theblockade of Kashyyyk[15] and he struggled to understand other Wookiee dialects.[16]
Examples[]
"You're wasting your breath. I don't speakShyriiwook." «Hurr. Gghh haaa.» That's aflight trajectory…How did—are youtracking that ship somehow?" «Harro.» "I don't know what "harro" means, but I'mguessing it's something like "yes"." «Harro.»"
Rrashrakrrykap karaaa arrarakkyysh. ("Rid us of this menace.")[19]
Yyyuurrrrrrruuunghh. (Roughly translated, "What theHutt is going on in here and who do I have to whomp to make it stop?")[17]
Vlarrrr muurrrgh rrgggg lurrrr. Brrr-annn gooowwrrrgh. (Loosely translated, "Find a really big weapon for me," though sounds much more poetic to native Shyriiwook speakers.)[17]
Rowrigghh hrmkuhhrnnn. ("The trees are life," roughly, though difficult to understand even to those who understood Shyriiwook, and of particular importance in Wookiee culture.)[17]
Hhhummghhra nwurrr rowrigghh. (A Wookiee saying, also related to trees and paths and destiny.)[17]
Yarrhh rrrrrrrunnnn mmonnrgh. (An old Wookiee expression that talks about being present to catch a Wookiee who slips out of a tree.)[17]
Nyrrrrnyrrrr. Gronnnnnnda murrrrrg hhhuurrhuurr! ("Look at theholovid. There's clearly a door built into the statue. We just need to get there and get inside before theworm grabs us again!")[17]
Nyrrr. Rumk nyrr. ("No, just hold on for aminute.")[17]
Brooonaughhh rruug rrruo. (Loosely translated, "That's what you get for sending me on a pet-sitting job.")[17]
Grroooogrrraaaawrrrrrrrrmph. (An old Wookiee proverb, roughly translated inGalactic Basic Standard as "People often mistakenly judge a tree by its branches, but a wise Wookiee knows its strength is in its roots.")[10]
Grrrrraaaarrrrr. (Hard to translate, but essentially an apology for a companion's behavior.)[10]
For the2018Star Wars Anthology filmSolo: A Star Wars Story, screenwritersLawrence andJon Kasdan wrote Chewbacca's dialogue translated to English in the script, so Han Solo actorAlden Ehrenreich could understand what was being said.[26] The roars of Chewbacca's Shyriiwook were originally created by sound designerBen Burtt using recorded bear sounds. ForSolo: A Star Wars Story, additional recordings were made of a grizzly bear and a seal, among other animals, and, with some audio manipulation, were used to expand Chewbacca's vocal range.[27]
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A New Home"
"Ghosts of Kashyyyk, Part 1" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 27
Everyone Needs a Wookiee Hug on Valentine's Day onStarWars.com(backup link)