“Roda and the Wolf” language

8 pgs. Appeared first time [COLOR] in Heavy Metal #83 (1984). Reprint [COLOR] in Werewolf (1984).
Story/Color/Art: Richard Corben (signed as Corben, 1983). Lettering: printed (Heavy Metal).

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Unknown language: The language used in this story could be Tagalog which is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Also it could be Esperanto or Portugese. One posibility is also Javanese which is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. [wikipedia]

Update 2019: According to the Google Translator it sounds like Hausa language. The ancestral language of the Hausa people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Central Africa, Hausa is mostly spoken throughout southern Niger and northern Nigeria. [wikipedia]

“Roda” is very suitable name for the protagonist in this story. It leads thinking to “red” but it is also in Latin “wheel”. Roda the red head (cf. Red Riding Hood) is constantly running, escaping.

Page 1:

Roda and the Wolf. No spoken words.

Page 2:

Men after Roda: “Ni mortu! Ka naga!” [“ni” might be “no”, “mortu” has prob. connection to the “death” or “murder”, “ka naga” might be “hunt her down”]

Page 3:

Hooded Man: “Ni kordu, Roda. San waza.” [“ni kordu” in this case sounds like “don’t be afraid” or something]
Hooded Man: “No zagwok tan mago lok.” [this line might mean that “people who are after Roda are not (yet?) around”]
Hooded Man: “Ti nekro mangalod tu zumba si grinda.” [according Google Translator, this line might mean, something like “if you want to escape (?) go to grinda, “grinda” > “grandma”]

Page 4:

Grandma: “Roda, se com du mok?” [this might be, “Roda, is that you?”]

Page 5:

Roda: “Si grinda son ku na wagu.” [something about “grazy”, “grinda” > “grandma?”]
Grandma: “Tuma si lago comdu wan si doma.” [Translator does not help much but this might be something like, “you are as welcome as your home”, “doma” > “house” or “home”, “si doma” > maybe “your home”]
Roda: “Tan mu su maga wan do.” [maybe she asks why grandma is in the bed]
Grandma: “Si du magalad, ko di luna.” [probably she asks Roda to give something, or tells she’s hungry]
Roda gives Grandma a hot soup.
Grandma: “Kanku no muuda lan gotly me.” [maybe she thanks Roda to be a good girl?]

Page 6:

Roda: “Ganto su ayes mo grinda.” [Oh grandma, why your eyes are so big?]
Grandma: “Waza kon ayesdu Roda.” [“That I can see you, my Roda.”]
Roda: “Ganto su sodocs mo grinda.” [“Oh grandma, why your ears are so big?”]
Grandma: “Waza kon sodow, Roda.” [“That I can hear you, my Roda.”]
Roda: “Ganto su smase, mo grinda.” [“Oh grandma, why your nose is so big?”]
Grandma: “Waza kon smaseu, Roda.” [“That I can smell you, my Roda.”]
Roda: “Ganto su dentac, mo grinda.” [“Oh grandma, why your teeth are so big”]
Grandma: “Waza kon magadent mo Roda, mo Roda!” [“That I can eat you, my Roda, my Roda!”]

Page 7: No spoken words.

Page 8:

“Grinda!” [“Grandma”]