Dune, Frank Herbert’s richly written novel, has an extremely rich world. By adapting this mythological story, Denis Villeneuve obviously had to use the vocabulary specific to this world invented by the American author. Arakis, Harkonnen, Bene Gesserit, Sardaukar… many words that may seem completely esoteric to a newcomer discovering this work.
To help you find your way and shine in society, here is a short glossary that explains the meaning of terms inherent in the world of Dune. Note that Frank Herbert was inspired by many terms of Arabic or Saharan origin for his vocabulary related to the desert world.
Arbiter of change
The Arbitrator of Change is appointed by the Landsrad High Council and the Emperor to oversee the change of fiefdom, settlement, or battle in the Assassin War. The authority of an arbitrator can only be contested before the High Council and in the presence of the Emperor.
Arrakis
Arrakis is the planet on which the story takes place. Nicknamed Dune, it is a desert planet completely covered in sand and rocks.
Araquine
Arakin is simply the capital of the planet Arakis.
Atreides
Atreides refers to a noble family that rules one of the main houses that form part of a feudal interstellar empire. This name is a reference to Atreus, the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus in Greek mythology.
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit Order is a women’s organization. The latter exercised political and religious influence in the empire’s society for centuries. Operating in the shadows as the Deep State, Bene Gesserit seeks to lead humanity to its own ends.
This group, whose origins and motivations remain a mystery, intensely trains the body and mind to achieve superhuman abilities. Bene Gesserit” comes from the Latin bene, meaning “good,” and gesserit, the third person singular form of the verb gero (“to act, to act”) in the future tense. Bene Gesserit can therefore be translated as “one who does well”.
Protects
A shield is an essential element of a fighter’s weapon in the world of Dune. It stops any aggression, the speed of which exceeds nine centimeters per second. This eliminates any ranged weapons (including arrows, projectiles, and grenades) and requires fencers to parry the blow. In Villeneuve’s adaptation, the shield is represented by a sort of force field generated by a wrist-mounted device.
kaladan
In the Dune universe, Caladan is the 3rd planet in the Delta Pavon system. It is the ancestral castle of House Atreides. They lived on Kaladan for 26 generations. They then emigrated to Arakis to rule Spice there at the behest of Shadam IV.
The seeker-killer
The seeker-killer is a lethal needle mounted on repulsors and remotely controlled by a teleoperator. This is one of the main weapons of assassins. This weapon has a weak point: the force field confuses the micro-camera, forcing the operator to find a way through movement.
You can survive by standing up to the seeker killer and then hitting him when the camera is panned the other way. His vision is based on movement like a certain T-Rex!
Coriolis
The Coriolis storm is one of the major meteorological events on the planet Arakis. It is an extremely powerful sandstorm with winds reaching up to 700 kilometers per hour.
distilled
Distillate is a suit worn by Fremen. This distinctive outfit contains the recycling system necessary to survive in the desert of Arrakis. Distillation allows body fluids to be restored without losing a single drop of water. Its filtration system allows its owner to drink the water thus processed. Talented!
spices / mixture
Spice, also called Mixture, is a substance produced on the planet Arrakis by the sandworms it secretes. This is a kind of drug with the ability to prolong life and strengthen the immune system.
Spice also allows guild navigators to travel interstellar. This leads to a form of prior knowledge without which fast interstellar travel is impossible.
Feidakin
The Fedakin are the elite warriors of the Fremen; They are particularly protective of Paul Atreides.
Freman
The Fremen are the pioneer people of Dune, descendants of the nomadic Zensun. They form tribes that have overcome the harsh living conditions in the Arrakis desert. The Fremen declared themselves the Freedom of Dune. Their name comes from the English Freemen (Fremen). True denizens of Dune, they won’t let anyone try to drive them off their planet.
framekit
A Fremkit is simply a survival kit made by the Fremen.
Giedi Prime
Giedi Prime is the only planet orbiting the star 36 Ophiuchi B. It is the original stronghold of the Machiavellian House of Harkonnen, the sworn enemy of the House of Atreides. Giedi Prime is a mostly barren planet. It revolves around the faint sun.
Gom Jabari
Gom Jabbar is a poisoned needle used to pass the test of humanity. It is coated with meta-cyanide and is used by the Rectrices of the Bene Gesserit. This name means “high enemy”.
Harkonnen
The Harkonnens are a noble family, part of the great houses of the Landsrad. Harkonnen home on the planet Giedi Prime. They are centuries-old enemies of the House of Atreides. Their members, like Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, are ruthless and greedy for wealth. Their world is like them: cold and hostile. The inhabitants live almost in slavery in giant industrial cities.
Imperius
The universe of Dune centers on a giant, aristocratic galactic empire called the Imperium. It is ruled by Emperor Shadam IV of Corino. Arrakis is the hub of the Imperium as it is the only planet that produces the famous Spice.
Chris
Chris is the holy dagger of the Fremen. It is made in two versions, fixed and unstable, from sand worm teeth. An unstable blade breaks from the electric field of the human body. Fixed daggers are processed for storage. These two versions do not exceed twenty centimeters in length.
Kwisatz Haderach
Kwisatz Haderach means “short cut” in the Dune world. The name probably derives from a Hebrew term of Talmudic and Kabbalistic origin meaning “the narrowing of the way.” The Sisters of the Bene Gesserit have been trying for thousands of years to create Quisat Haderach through genetic lines, especially those of the House of Atreides.
The Bene Gesserit claim that even Haderach could access the memories of his ancestors. This vast amount of information would allow him to develop a form of prophecy that would allow him to see the future.
Landsrad
The Landsraad is a political organization, a kind of parliament, that unites the major and minor houses of the known world. It has a very important political-economic role in the empire. Its representatives work with the Emperor or other organizations such as CHOM (Combination of Honest Ober-Merchants) or the Space Guild.
Lisan-al-Ghaib
Lisan-al-Ghaib means “the voice from elsewhere”. In Fremen messianic legends, he is a foreign prophet, a messiah. This term is sometimes translated as “giver of water”. The term is derived from the Arabic “lisan” meaning “the tongue” and “al Ghaib” meaning “the hidden” or “unseen”.
Mahdi
The Mahdi is a kind of guide, like the Messiah. The Fremen considered Paul Atreides the Mahdi upon his arrival in Arrakis.
hammer
A hammer is a Fremen device in the form of a spring-loaded rod. Used to attract sand worms. It is an indispensable aid for travel and wilderness survival.
Mentat
Mentat refers to a class of Imperium citizens trained in higher logic. They are also called “human computers”. A mentee is trained to use observational and reasoning skills to an extreme level. In this way, they can infer from a few pieces of information the entire environmental context that surrounds them.
Missionaria Protectiva
Missionaria Protectiva is a mass manipulation technique used by the Sisters of Bene Gesserit. This process involves using their mystical influence in the population to spread false secret knowledge consisting of myths and superstitions. Thus, from generation to generation, they develop the foundations of religion, which they can orient according to their goals.
Muaddib
This is a kangaroo mouse that has adapted to the harsh conditions found on peanuts. Associated with Fremen mythology, this small animal is admired by desert tribes for its ability to adapt to a hostile environment.
Ornithopter
Ornithopters (or Orniss) are indoor atmospheric vehicles that resemble our terrestrial helicopters. On the Araks, they are especially used for traveling in the desert and for harvesting spices. Ornis fly like birds, flapping their wings. They have rockets that can be fired occasionally to provide extra power, such as when taking off or slowing down.
Paracompass
A paracompass indicates local magnetic anomalies. It is used when maps are available and when the planet’s magnetic field is particularly unstable.
Drum sand
This is a layer of sand, the density of which is such that hitting the surface produces a characteristic sound of a drum.
Sardaukari
The Sardaukari are fanatical soldiers loyal to Emperor Shadam IV. They undergo merciless military training that develops their brutality while eliminating their instinct for self-preservation. From childhood they are taught to use cruelty and terror. Each sardaukar is equal to ten regular Landsraad fighters.
Siech
Siech is a Chakob word, the language of the Fremen. It means “the place where we gather in times of crisis”, and by extension, any Fremen habitat. These are isolated places in the desert, a kind of oasis that allows the Fremen to live despite the hostile conditions on the planet Arakis.
Shai-Hulud
Shai-Hulud refers to these giant sandworms, which range in size from several hundred meters to several kilometers and live only in the Arakis deserts. The Fremen call them Shai-Hulud, meaning “Old Man of the Desert”, “Old Father of Eternity” or “Grandfather of the Desert”. To them, worms are the masters of the desert and part of the spice cycle and the entire planet.
Solar
The Solar is the currency of the Imperium, the value of which is determined by the Guild, the Landsrad, and the Emperor.
voice
“The Voice” is a mental manipulation technique specific to the Bene Gesserit organization. It allows followers to choose certain harmonies of their voice to control the person. The latter will do whatever you command.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
