Ancient Language
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The Ancient Language was at one time the language of all beings in Alagaësia, but was later used only by the elves and some humans, as well as the dwarves in the crowning of their king. It was the language of the Grey Folk, but then somehow they managed to tie their language with magic. It was used to command and regulate magic. Each act of magic was linked to a specific word; therefore, the more knowledge one had of the Ancient Language, the more magical ability.
It is impossible to lie in the Ancient Language; words spoken in the language were unquestionably true, although it was said that the elves were masters at saying one thing and meaning another (for example, the smith Rhunön said she would never make another sword, but she made one through Eragon). Because of the candid nature of the language, oaths of allegiance and similar compacts were usually conducted in it, ensuring they would not be broken.
Names in the Ancient Language were "true names" - the knowledge of one's true name was a source of power and control. On a related note, the real name of the Ancient Language - the knowledge of which would have been a great power in itself due to the language's ability to manipulate - was and still is unknown.
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[edit] History
The Ancient Language was first spoken by all beings, the Grey Folk being most proficient. They bound the language to the world to help them control magic and also made it impossible to speak lies in the language, after an accident concerning the language almost destroyed everything in Alagaësia. By the time of the Rider War, it was universally recognized as the elven language.
[edit] Real-world connections
Author Christopher Paolini based the Ancient Language on the languages of the ancient Norse and Celtic peoples. It is not certain which ones he used, however, since his statement on the origin of the name "Galbatorix" says that it is the combination of the Welsh words "galba" - meaning "big" - and "torix" - meaning "king". No such words (or even the letter 'x') exist in the Welsh language. In Paolini's own words:
"When I was writing the first draft for Eragon, I needed to invent a word that meant fire; it was supposed to come from an “ancient language” that is almost always used with magic." (Some very skilled masters of magic can use magic without using the language, although risking a stray thought or feeling distorting the results of the spell, which could be deadly.) "Since my parents owned a dictionary of word origins, I pulled it off the shelf and flipped through it. Eventually I found an obscure Old Norse word, brisingr, that meant fire, and I loved it so much, I decided to base the rest of my language on Old Norse. To find more words, I went online and dug up various Old Norse dictionaries, although I have been known to invent a word now and then when the story requires it! As far as the grammar and pronunciation of my “ancient language” go, they bear absolutely no resemblance to Old Norse as I wanted to give it my own twist." [1]
Many have criticized the Ancient Language, however, maintaining that it consists mostly of Old Norse words replacing English words in a sentence. The Ancient Language is almost translated to fit the semantic meaning of each English word exactly. The language when used by elves contains a number of suffixes to identify social standing, similar to Japanese honorifics.
Christopher Paolini has cited Ursula Le. Guinn's Earthsea books as "inspiration," so he probably got the idea of true names for people and things from there. (The language of Ged - the protagonist in Earthsea - and his race, has this same property like the Ancient Language).
[edit] Translations
[edit] The Ancient Language
[edit] Words
The Ancient Language will be first in alphabetical order, then the English word after it.
- abr - of
- ach - do, does
- adurna - water
- agaetí - celebration
- aí - a
- Aiedail - The Morning Star
- älfa - elf
- älfr - he
- älfrinn - she
- andlat - death
- arget - silver
- Argetlam - Silver Hand
- äenora - broad
- atra - may, let
- beorn - bear
- bjart - bright
- Bjartskular - Brightscales (an honorific for a dragon)
- blaka - flap/flapper
- blödh - blood
- blödhren - blood-oath
- böetq - broad
- brakka - reduce
- breoal - family, house
- brisingr - fire
- brunhvitr - white-browed
- burthr - birth
- burthro - born (past tense of birth)
- celöbra - honor
- celöbreya - honors
- Dagshelgr - Hallowed Day
- dag - day
- datia - mists
- dauth - death
- dauthleikr - mortal
- deloi - earth
- delois - a green-leafed plant with purple flowers
- deyja - die
- domia - dominance
- dras - city
- draumr - dream
- Drottning - Queen, Drottningu - Princess
- du - the
- dvergar - Dwarves
- ebrithil - master
- einradhin - v. resolved
- Edoc'sil - unconquerable
- edur - a tor, prominence
- eitha - go, leave
- ekar - oaken
- eka - I, me
- elda - gender-neutral honorific of great praise
- eldrvarya - burning
- eld hórnya - listeners
- eld jeirda - breaker
- eld moi - changer
- eom - to
- ero - was
- er - is
- esterni - good fortune
- ethgri - invoke
- evarínya - stars
- eyddr - v. empty
- eyreya - ears
- fairth - picture (more specifically, a picture taken by magical means)
- frá - from
- fram - forward
- fricai - friend plural. fricaya
- fells - mountains
- fethr - feather
- fethrblaka - bird (literally feather-flapper)
- finiarel - an honorific phrase for a young man of great promise
- freohr - death
- fyrn - war
- finna -find
- gala - chant, sing, scream, yell, etc.
- gánga - go
- garjzla - light
- gata - path, passage
- gath - v. unite
- gedwey - shining
- geuloth - v. dull
- grind - gate
- gülia - luck
- haldthin - thornapple
- haina - harm
- heill - heal
- helgr - hallowed, sacred
- Helgrind - The Gates to Death
- hjarta - heart
- hlaupa - run
- hljödhr - silent
- hugin - thought or Knowledge
- huildr - hold
- hvass - sharp
- hvitr - white
- iet - my (informal)
- ignasia - palm
- illian - happiness
- ilumëo - truth
- istalri - flame
- jierda - break, hit
- kalfya - calves
- knifr - knife
- kvetha - greetings
- kveykva -lightning
- kvaedhi - script
- kvistr - branch
- kodthr - catch
- kόpa - stare
- kona - woman
- könungr - king
- kyn - kind (as in race, mankind, elfkind, etc.)
- lam - hand
- laufsbläd - leaf
- laufsblädar - leaves
- lethr - leather
- Lethrblaka - a bat, the Ra'zac's mounts (literally leather-flapper)
- letta - stop (imperative)
- Letta du Bullts! - Stop the bullets!
- liduen - poetic
- Liduen-Kvaedhi - Poetic Script used by elves to write the Ancient Language.
- líf - life
- lífa - live
- losna - release, loosen
- ma'mor - unlock
- maela - quiet
- malthinae - to bind or hold in place; confine
- manin - memory
- moi - change
- mor'amr - open
- mor'ranr - peace
- nagz - blanket
- nalgask - a mixture of beeswax and hazelnut oil used to moisten the skin
- Nángoröth - Blasted
- neo - not
- nosu - us
- nuanen - beautiful
- ono - you
- orono - or
- onr - your
- oro - arrow, plural. orya
- orúm - serpent
- pömnuria - my (formal)
- rakr - mist
- ramr - strong
- raudhr - red
- rauthr - misfortune
- reisa - raise/lift
- ren - oath
- reona - reaper
- rïsa - rise (imperative)
- seithr - witch
- se - may
- sem - that
- Shur'tugal - Dragon Rider
- Shur'tugalar - Dragon Riders
- Silbena - Sighing
- sitja - sit
- sja - look, looking
- skölir - shield
- sköliro - shielded
- skul - scale
- skulblaka - dragon,scale flapper (literally)
- solus - sun
- sundablaka - The Beast,shadow flapper
- slytha - sleep
- stenr - stone
- stydja - rest, stay, remain
- sundavar - shadows
- sverd - sword plural. sverdar
- svit-kona - a formal honorific phrase for an elf woman of great wisdom
- taka - give
- tauthr - follow
- taune - take
- thelduin - v. rule over, v.reign
- thorna - those
- thornessa - this
- thringa - rain
- thrysta - thrust, compress
- togira - cripple
- treavam - tree
- un - and
- unin - in
- undir - under
- vandr-fodhr - ill-marked
- vanta - lack, need
- vanyali - magic (the dwarves took this word and used it to mean "elf".)
- varda - watch over, guard
- Varden - Warders
- vardo - warded
- vel - easily
- ven - sight
- vindr - air, wind, twist, compress
- vinr - friend
- Vinr-Alfakyn - Elf-Friend
- vodhr - a male honorific of middling praise
- vöndr - a thick, straight stick
- vollar - plains, fields, ground
- vor - a male honorific for a close friend
- vrangr - wandering
- welden - forest
- wilae - will
- wiol - for
- waíse - be
- weohnata - will
- wyrda - fate
- Wyrdfell - elven name for the Forsworn
- yawë - a bond of trust
- Zar'roc -misery
- Zar'rac - pain
[edit] Phrases
- Agaetí Blödhren - Blood-oath Celebration
- Ach neo eitha orono ie wilae yauna onr lifa - Do not go or I will take your life.
- Aí varden abr du Shur'tugalar gata vanta. - A warden of the Riders lacks passage.
- älfr ach thornessa - He does this
- älfrinn ero aí koma ramrsja - She was a strong-looking woman.
- Atra du evarínya ono varda, Däthedr-vodhr. - May the stars watch over you, honored Däthedr.
- Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shur'tugal. - May good fortune rule over you, Eragon Dragon Rider.
- Atra esterní ono thelduin/Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr/Un du evarínya ono varda. - May good fortune rule over you/Peace live in your heart/And the stars watch over you. (an Elven greeting)
- Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skölir frá rauthr. - May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune.
- Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse sköliro frá rauthr. - May luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune.
- Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya. - May we be warded from listeners.
- boetq istrali! - Broad fire!
- Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka! - Reduce the magic that holds Saphira and me!
- Brisingr, iet tauthr. - Fire, follow me.
- Brisingr raudhr! - Red fire!
- Deloi moi! - Earth, change!
- Domia abr Wydra - Dominance of Fate (book)
- Draumr kópa - dream stare (scrying)
- Du deloi lunaea. - Smooth the earth/dirt.
- Du Fells Nángoröth - The Blasted Mountains
- Du Fyrn Skulblaka - The Dragon War (Dragons vs. Elves)
- Du grind huildr! - Hold the gate!
- Du Namar Auroboda. - The Banishing of the Names.
- "Du Silbena Datia" - "The Sighing Mists" (a poem song)
- Du Súndavar Freohr - Death of the Shadows
- Du Völlar Eldrvarya - The Burning Plains
- Du Vrangr Gata - The Wandering Path (literally, The Path Wandering)
- Du Weldenvarden - The Guarding Forest
- Eka eddyr aí Shur'tugal... Shur'tugal... Argetlam. - I am a Dragon Rider... Dragon Rider... Silver Hand.
- Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal! - I am a Rider and a friend!
- Eldhrimmer O Loivissa nuanen, dautr abr deloi/Eldhrimmer nen ono weohnataí medh solus un thringa/Eldhrimmer un fortha onr fëon var/Wiol allr sjon. - Grow O beautiful Loivissa, daughter of the earth/Grow as you would with the sun and rain/Grow and put forth your flower of the spring/For all to see.
- Eyddr eyreya onr! -Empty your ears!
- Fethrblaka, eka weohnata néiat haina ono. Blaka eom let lam. - Bird, I will not harm you. Flap to my hand.
- Fricai Anglát - death friend (a poisonous mushroom)
- Fricai onr eka eddyr. - I am your friend.
- Gala O Wyrda brunhvitr/Abr Berundal vandr-fodhr/Burthro lausblädar eja undir/Eom kona dauthleikr... - Sing O white-browed Fate/Of ill-marked Berundal/Born under oaken leaves/To mortal woman...
- Ganga aptr - Go backward.
- Ganga fram - Go forward.
- Garjzla, letta! - Light, stop!
- Gath sem oro un lam iet - Unite that arrow with my hand.
- Gath un reisa du rakr! - Unite and raise the mist!
- Gedwëy ignasia - shining palm
- Gëuloth du knífr! - Dull the Knife!
- Jierda theirra kalfis! - Break their calves!
- Kuldr, rïsa lam iet un malthinae unin böllr. - Gold, rise to my hand and bind into an orb.
- Kvetha Fricai - Greetings, friend.
- Letta orya thorna! - Stop those arrows!
- Liduen Kvaedhí - Poetic Script
- Losna kalfya iet - Release my calves.
- Manin! Wyrda! Hugin! - Memory! Fate! Thought!
- Moi stenr! - Stone, change!
- Nagz reisa! - Blanket, rise!
- Nen ono weohnata, Arya Dröttningu. - As you will, Princess Arya.
- Osthato Chetowä - the Mourning Sage
- Reisa du adurna. - Raise/Lift the water.
- Ristvak'baen - Place of Sorrow (baen--used here in Urû'baen, the capital of the Empire--is always pronounced bane and is an expression of great sadness/grief)
- Sé mor'ranr ono finna - May you find peace.
- Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass! - May your swords stay sharp! [Note: Sverð, in Icelandic, also means sword, sitja means to sit, and hvass means sharp.]
- Sé orúm thornessa hávr sharjalví lífs. - May this serpent have life's movement.
- Skölir nosu fra brisingr! - Shield us from fire!
- Skulblaka, eka celöbra ono un malabra ono un onr Shur'tugal né haina. Atra nosu waíse fricai. - Dragon, I honor you and mean you and your Rider no harm. Let us be friends.
- Stenr reisa! - Raise stone!
- Stenr, rïsa! - Stone, rise!
- Stydja unin mor'ranr, Hrothgar Könungr. - Rest in peace, King Hrothgar.
- Thorta du ilumëo! - Speak the truth!
- Thrysta adurna - Compress the water.
- Thrysta deloi - Compress the earth.
- Thrysta vindr - Compress the air.
- Thverr stenr un atra eka hórna! - Traverse stone and let me hear!
- Togira Ikonoka - The Cripple Who Is Whole
- Tuatha du orothrim - Tempering the fool's wisdom (level in the Riders' training)
- Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal. - Upon my word as a rider.
- Vinr Älfakyn - Elf Friend
- Waíse heill! - Be healed!
- Wiol ono. - For you.
- Wiol pömnuria ilian. - For my happiness
All adjectives are used after nouns (ex. 'the strong woman' would literally translate as 'the woman strong').
[edit] Connections
By using simple knowledge it is also possible to find out other words in the Ancient Language.
Such as:
- Fethrblaka = bird/Feather-flapper
- Lethrblaka = Ra'zac's mounts/Leather-Flapper
- Skulblaka = Dragon/Scale-Flapper
So, Fethr means Feather, Lethr means Leather, Skul means Scale, and -blaka means flap.
Also, the word sundablaka--shadowflapper--appears in the Eragon movie.
[edit] Sentence Construction
Descriptions are placed after the object they describe. The most common mistake made by people trying to speak the Ancient Language is to place adjectives before nouns. Example: "Aí skulblaka ramr" means "a strong dragon", but literally translates as "a dragon strong".
Unlike in English, descriptions can be placed in any order following the object. Example: "Aí oro ramr hvitr" (a strong, white arrow) can also be rendered as "aí oro hvitr ramr" (a white, strong arrow).
Aside from descriptions, the structure of a sentence in the Ancient Language is usually the same as it would be in English. Example: "Gath un reisa du rakr" would literally translate as "unite and raise the mist". No restructuring of the sentence was required.
There are no participles (e.g. walking, swimming) in the Ancient Language. Verbs are either past simple (e.g. walked, swam), present simple (e.g. walk, swim) or future simple (e.g. will walk, will swim). Example: "I am following" would have to be rendered as "I follow" (Eka tauthr) in the Ancient Language; "I was following" as "I followed" (Eka tauthro) and "I will be following" as "I will follow" (Eka weohnata tauthr).
When two nouns are joined together to form a single noun, the descriptive noun comes first, as it does in English. Example: "Fethrblaka" (bird) is a combination of the nouns "fethr" (feather) and "blaka" (flapper).
[edit] Prefixes
äf-: gives words a malignant connotation. For example, "taka" (give) becomes "äftaka" (steal).
eld-: changes verbs into nouns of action. For example, "jierda" (break) becomes "eld jierda" (breaker).
[edit] Suffixes
-ar: pluralises nouns ending on consonants. If the noun already ends with "r", place an "a" before it. For example, "draumr" (dream) becomes "draumar" (dreams). However, if the noun already has a vowel before the "r", the suffix "-ya" is used. For example, "edur" (tor) becomes "edya" (tors).
-í: changes verbs ending with any letter (except for "i" and "r") to past tense. For example, "haina" (harm) becomes "hainaí" (harmed).
-o: forms the past tense of verbs ending with "i" and "r". For example, "skölir" (shield) becomes "sköliro" (shielded).
-r: gives nouns a masculine connotation. For example, "älf" (elf) becomes "älfr" (male elf), which is also he in the Ancient Language.
-s: makes nouns possessive. For example, "könungr" (king) becomes "könungrs" (king's).
-sja: adds "-looking" to the end of adjectives. For example, "ramr" (strong) becomes "ramrsja" (strong-looking).
-ya: pluralises nouns ending on vowels. It also replaces the last vowel. For example, "agaetí" (celebration) becomes "agaetya" (celebrations). If the "-ya" interferes with the word's pronunciation, the vowel it would normally replace isn't removed. The vowels "a" and "i" are usually changed to "e". For example, "celöbra" (honour) becomes "celöbreya" (honours).
[edit] English To Ancient Language
Articles, Conjunctions, Auxiliary Verbs, Prepositions
a: aí
am: eddyr
and: un
are: eru
backward: aptr
be: waíse
did: achí
do: ach
does: ach (the same as "do", see above)
for: wiol
forward: fram
from: fra
have: hávr
in: unin
is: er
let: atra
may: sé
not: néiat
of: abr
that: sem
the: du
this: thornessa
those: orya
to: eom
under: undir
up: audr
upon: vel
was: ero
were: erní
will: weohnata
with: medh
Pronouns
All: allr
I: eka
he: älfr
me: eka
my (formal): pömnuria
my (informal): iet
she: älfrinn
their: theirra
they: therr
those: thorna
us: nosu
you: ono
your: onr
Nouns
Aiedail: the morning star
air: vindr
arrow: oro
banishing: aurboda
bat: lethrblaka
bird: fethrblaka
blanket: nagz
blood: blödh
blue, deep-throated lily that grows in the Empire: loivissa
bond of trust: yawë
Brightscales: Bjatrskular (honorific title for dragons)
brow: brun
cactus found near Helgrind: talos
calves (as in cow) : kalfya
calves (as in leg) : kalvis
celebration: agaetí
city: dras
cripple: togira
daughter: dautr
day: dag
death: anglát, freohr
dominance: domia
Dominance of Fate (book): Domia abr Wyrda
dragon: skulblaka
Dragon Rider: Shur'tugal
dream: draumr
dwarves: dvergar
ears: eyreya
earth: deloi
elf: älfa
elf-kind: älfakyn
elf-woman: älfa-kona
fabric made by cross-weaving wool and nettle threads: lámarae
family: breoal
fate: wyrda
feather: fethr
flame: istalrí
flower: fëon
fire: brisingr
fool's wisdom: orothrim
forest: welden
Forsworn: Wyrdfell
friend: fricai, vinr
gate: grind
gold: kuldr
good fortune: esterní
greetings: kvertha
Hallowed Day: dagshelgr
hand: lam
harm: haina
happiness: ilian
heart: hjarta
heart of hearts: Eldunarí
hell: hel
ill: vandr
king: könungr
knife: knífr
leaf: laufsbläd
leather: lethr
life: líf
life’s (as a genetive noun): lifs
light: garjzla
lightning: kyeykva
elven liqueur: faelnirv
luck: guliä
magic: vanyalí
master: ebrithil
memory: manin
misery: zar'roc
misfortune: rauthr
mist: rakr, datia
mixture of beeswax and hazelnut used to moisten the skin: nalgask
morning: Chetowä
Morning Star: Aiedail
mortal: dauthleikr
mountain: fell
movement: sharjalví
name: nama
oath: ren
orb: böllr
palm: gedwëy
path: gata
peace: mor'ranr
picture created through magic: fairth
Place of Sorrow: Ristvak’baen
plains: völlar
princess: dröttingu
purple-flowered plant: delois
rain: thringa
sage: osthato
scale: skul
script: kvaedhi
serpent: orúm
shadows: súndavar
shield: skölir
silver: arget
Silver hand: Argetlam
sorrow: baen
Spine: Carthungavë
Spring: vara
stars: evarínya
stick: vöndr
stone: stenr
sun: solus
sword: sverd
The Burning Plains: Du Völlar Eldvarya
The Dragon War: Du Fyrn Skulblaka
The Guarding Forest: Du Weldenvarden
The Sighing Mists (a poem song): Du Silbena Datia
The Wandering Path: Du Vrangr Gata
The Warders: Varden (probably should have “Du” infront but it is not commonly known that way)
thornapple: haldthin
thought: hugin
tree: traevam
truth: thorta
type of bonding between a dragon and Rider: indlvarn
prominence: edur
war: fyrn
warden: varden
water: adurna
witch: seithr
wolf: garm
word: eïnradhin
woman: kona
Verbs and Adjectives
awaken: vakna
beautiful: naunen
bind: malthinae
blasted (as in cursed): nángoröth
baby: burthr
born: burthro
break; hit: jierda
bright: bjart
brighten: naina
broad: böetq
burn: eldrvarya
catch: kodthr
change: moi
die: deyja
dull: gëuloth
empty: eyddr
find: finna
flap: blaka
fly: flauga
follow: tauthr
go: gánga
hallowed: shelgr
halt: blöthr
harm: haina
healed: heill
hear: hóna
hold: huildr
honour: celöbra
ill: vandr
invoke: ethgrí
lack: vanta
leave: eitha
live: lífa
marked: fodhr
mean: malabra
mourning: chetowä
need: vanta
oaken: ekar
poetic: liduen
quiet: maela
raise: reisa
red: raudhr
reduce: brakka
release: losna
rest: stydja
rise: rïsa
rule: thelduin
run: hlaupa
scale: skul
see: sjon
sharp: hvass
shining: ignasia
sighing: silbena
silent: hljödhr
sing: gala
sleep: slytha
smooth: lunaea
speak: ilerneo
stare: kópa
stay: sitja
steal: äftaka
stop: letta
strong: ramr
take: taka
temper: tuatha
thank: elrun
thicken: thaefathan
thrust: thrysta
traverse: thverr
unconquerable: edoc'sil
under: undir
unite: gath
unlock: ma'mor
wandering: vrangr
ward: vard
warded: vardo
warders: varden
watch: varda
white: hvitr
whole: ikonoka
Prefixes and Suffixes
Alfa-kona: elf woman (may be used as a suffix)
Elda: a gender-neutral honorific suffix of grear praise, attached with a hyphon.
Finiarel: an honorific suffix for a young man of great promise, attached with a hyphon.
Svit-kona: a formal honorific for an “alfa-kona” of great wisdom.
Vodhr: a male honorific suffix os middling praise, attached with a hyphen.
Vor: a male honorific for a close friend
Other
put forth: fortha
[edit] External links
- The Ancient Language Compendium, a complete and accurate guide to the Ancient Language.
