Qerkossian Shore

The Qerkossian Shore is a region of space defined by the Covenant as being located around the border of the later-established domains of the August Realms and the Scattered March. Located in relative proximity to the Y'Deio system, it was once part of the Holy Ecumene's periphery, settled a few centuries before the discovery of the Kig-Yar. It was once a key holdfast in the Covenant frontier, housing notable outpost-worlds (such as Jakat'haar and Ishebannai) that later seeded colonies in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand of the Siakar Expanse.

Etymology
"Qerkossian Shore" is the region's name translated to UNSC-standard English; the -an suffix is a more or less direct translation of the native -mu adjectivizing suffix. The name is not in standard Qerenoka, as evidenced by the /rk/ consonant cluster, but it is a relatively accurate transliteration of the form used in the particular Ikanoro dialect spoken on Radiant Zenith. The UNSC first learned of the name through scholars from that world, and it has been scarcely encountered in other sources. However, it can be inferred that the standard dialect version, which would have been recorded in ministerial archives, would most likely be accurately romanized as "Q'erukoshi". Despite this, most sources choose to use the now more common Zenither Ikanoro form, as the name seems to be fairly obscure outside some of the colonies that can trace their origins to the region. Due to linguistic drift over time, the name has also evolved into divergent forms, such as "Qeruukos" and "K'eekosi", in and near the Qerkossian Shore itself. Similar curiosities can be found in many native Covenant names, which have allowed the UNSC to piece together a complex but patchy and conjecture-laden picture of the Holy Ecumene's dialectal and linguistic variety.