Elfquest Elfin Language Dictionary

The Elfin Phenomes, as used in this dictionary:

A : As in "Apple" for long A (as in "Lake"), use the sounds Eh and E together.

Ah: A as in "Avacado", O as in "On" or "Lost"

B : As in "Bend"

C : None. Use "K" or "S" where appropriate.

D : As in "Day"

E : As in "Eat"

Eh: E as in "Eddy" or "Elephant" Note that "Let" is pronounced "Leet" in English spelling!

F : As in "Fat"

G : As in "Goat"

H : As in "Hot" Also used silently in "ah", "Eh", and "Sh" to distinguish them.

I : As in "Tip"

J : As in "Jerk" or "James." Wolfriders soften it to the "Z" sound (like in the french name "Jean Valjean")

K : As in "King"

L : As in "Look"

O : As in "Orange" or "No"

P : As in "Pop"

Q : This letter is used like the "ch" in "chutzpah" or the german word "doch." It's an expression of belligerance or disgust. it can be used by itself or as a prefix on a word or syllable. If the elves need the normal "Q" sound, they use "kw" or "Kwuh"

R : Take the English "R", and add a little fluttering roll to it. Wolfriders elongate this slightly. Trolls use English "R"

S : As in "Sing"

Sh: As in "Shame."

T : Like a combination of English "T" and "S", almost a whistling sound. often slurs into any vowel that follows it (as in "Tyl")

Tl: Like the "tl" in "Tlingit" (Position your tongue just behind your front teeth, pressed against your gums, and make a sound halfway between "kl" and "tl" and you've got it.

u : U as in "Under", never as in "Universe" (Use "yw") Wolfriders soften it a bit, but not so much as to make an "ah" sound.

V : As in "Vixen"

w : As English W. Also used for "OO" as in "Zoo" Wolfriders whisper this sound when it's at the beginning of a syllable. It is NOT a repeatable phenome, but "WW" becomes an elongated "Woo" sound to distinguish it from "W" Humans in Djunland pronounce this sound as "V" and Humans in Sunholt pronounce it as "f"

X : None. Use "ks" or "z" where appropriate.

Y : When I or E is slurred with another letter (as in Tyl or Ray) this is indicated with a "y"

Z : Like English Z in "Zebra", but with the tongue further back in the mouth. Sort of halfway between "sh" and English "z." Trolls and Go-backs use English "Z"

* : This sound is made by pressing the tip of your tongue in the hollow of your pallete and, with your mouth open, pulling it away rapidly, creating a popping sound that sounds a bit like tapping a hollow wooden object with a stick (To find it for the first time, slide your tongue against the roof of your mouth, starting just behind your front teeth and moving back until you feel a little valley-like formation.) This sound is used as a verbal question mark. No known use of this sound in a name has ever been known, since that would make the name a question and could cause confusion (Bud and Lou come to mind...who's on first?) Like a question mark, the word or words containing this sound are always at the end of the sentance. If a vowel preceeds it in the same word, it ALWAYS slurs, with * coming at the beginning of the vowel.

^ : Indicates that the next syllable is raised in pitch slightly, either to indicate a missing (collapsed) consonant, or to differentiate the word from an identically pronounced word with different meaning.

Basic Sentance Structure is Subject Verb Object (I.E. The Troll Eats the Dreamberries.)

The rule of letter collapse: When making a compound word, or a word with prefixes and suffixes, if the first letter of the second part is the same as the last letter of the first part, the two will become one and the same, thus Dy (Fruit) with the suffix -yr (small) becomes "Dyr", not "Dyyr." I or E with Y collapse to a Y, as does IE or EI. This always happens to vowels, and most consonants. Thus, some puns are inevitable as vowels collapse, but some consonants double and prevent the pun from occuring. The Consonants that can double are B,D,G,J,K,P, and T. In names, for Euphonics reasons, consonants are rarely doubled (Otherwise, "Let tah" ("Healing Light") would become Let'tah and not Letah (English spelling Leetah)) This makes Leetah's name (ignoring Tonality) valid for either "Healing Light" or "Female Healer" though anyone who knows her personally would know which one is intended.

Tonal quality: In the case of doubled collapsed consonants (especially if the missing consonant is one of the doublable ones), the missing consonant is indicated by raising the pitch of the syllable following the collapse. Thus Leetah's name would be pronounced Le^tah, and the word for a female healer is Letah (No tonal differentiation.) Unlike most Earthly languages, the last word of a question does NOT rise in pitch generally.

Repeating a verb adds a connotation of "Helping" or "Assisting" Thus, "shen shen" is "Help to let go", "emancipate", or "help to give birth."

Compound Nouns: Like "Lightbulb" or "Sunshine", these consist of two or more nouns stuck together. The proper order for doing so is "AB" where the full construction would be A of (the) B, so the word the sun villagers use for the sun (in English "daystar") would be "Star of the Day" The word for "Star" is, itself, a compund word, meaning "Little Light of the Night" so the whole construction is "Little Light of the night of the day." (Little Light)-(Night)-(Day)

Nouning a verb: Examples in English: Run > Runner; Cut > Cutter. Add the prefix Gry- (one who) or Dyn- (That which (is used for)) to the verb. So "Cutter" is Gryplitl (Literally "one who cuts") Another example: Dyntyltah is "That which gives light" and can refer to a fire, torch, the sun, or even an electric light bulb if the speaker encounters one. A verb can often modify a noun directly, in which case it preceeds the verb.

Verbing a Noun: Examples in English: Dream > Dreaming, rain > raining. Plot > plotting. Add the prefix Zah- (If an elf can do or make the thing without tools or magic) or Zym- (If the thing usually happens on its own, or requires something to start (like rain, fire, the wind, or an earthquake) This is a distinction between Elvish and English. In English, you would say "The wind is blowing today", while in elvish it's Okay to say "It's 'Wind'-ing today" instead.

Building a Noun construct: Adverbs come first, followed by the noun, followed by descriptions such as color, how many, and so on. For example, in English, you could say "The five red bouncing balls." In Elvish, this sentance would be "Bouncing Balls five red." If the balls belong to "John", the Elvish grammar would be "Bouncing Balls five red, John's." The noun is stated before the owner, and the "-it" posessive suffix is added to the owner/posessor. Remember that the number ALWAYS immediately follows the thing that it enumerates.

Presumed subject and object: Often, the subject and object of a sentance are obvious and need not be spoken. In one-to-one conversations, the presumed object is "you" and the Presumed Subject is "me." When talking to a large group, particularly as the leader, the presumed object is Us, and the presumed Subject is "We." It's not INCORRECT to speak the Pronouns "I", "You", "We", or "Us" in a situation where such would be assumed, but it would sound stilted and unnatural to a native speaker of elvish.

Obscenities and Vulgarisms: Elvish has no words that are, by themselves, vulgar. There are words for "Shit", "Penis", "Vagina", and so on, but none of them are considered even insulting. A male elf would be confused if you tried to insult him in the human manner by calling him a "Prick" or a "Dork." Trolls and Go-backs use "Dung" as an exclaimation, along the lines of "Uh oh..." To make an insult, curse or vulgarism in elvish involves creative use of the language. Trolls and Go-backs are best at it. Wolfriders rarely bother outside of combat, unless they truly despise someone, and even then they usually restrict their insults to comparing the subject unfavorably to some nasty animal (E.G. "Black Snake" and so on...) If an elf wants to curse something in general (like the equivalent of saying "That damned rock!" when you stub your toe, the suffix "-qahs" is the equivalent.

It should be noted that Elvish has nearly a dozen words for different types of love and affection, and only two (Typerish and tlosh) that refer to "Hatred" and "Evil" respectively.

Word List:

Bij=Here

Dak=The Dark, Darkness (also, the color black)

Deh=shall we? (Usually rhetorical, so no "*" is uncluded unless an answer is really desired.)

Dri= Water (Often refers generally to any potable beverage.)

Dy=Fruit (General)

Dyr=Small Fruit (usually berries)

Dyw=Large Fruit

Dyrto=Nut (Small hard fruit)

Dyrmyz=Dreamberry (Small fruit of Dreams)

Dynzonah=Female reproductive organs (Literally, "That which females use to have sex")

Dynkirahn=Left

Dynkirven=Right

Dynkir=Hand

Daklwi=Night

Dynzonro=Male Reproductive organs

Dynplitl=Edge (as of a knife or axe)

Ehkt=A rock.

Eri=Be Friends

Eah=Yes (Answer to a question)

Erish=Friendship

Ehk=Of, with, or related to rocks.

Ehktnwpw=Planet, world (Literally "Immense round stone")

Ehktnwpwtlit=Moon, Satellite (That which is "Posessed by" a planet. The elves refer to the two moons of Abode as "Ehktnwpwtlit Vah" and "Ehktnwpwtlit Teah", making them "Mother" and "Daughter")

Feh=Smell, Odor (Not necessarily unpleasant)

Fah: Organized group (Pack, Tribe, etc.)

Fahw: City-state, Nation

Fahnw: Race, Species (Tool and language users only)

Geh=Air

Gehsahr=Wind (Gale)

Gehsh = Wind in general

Gehsw=Gentle breeze, zephyr

Ginhwl=green

Gwneh=Edge, Boundary (as of a cliff or precipice, but includes the edge of a territory/country)

Han=Fire

Iksij=Sky

Iks=Above

Jahn=Yellow

Kwr=Red

kir=Touch, caress, pat

Kinok=Nothing, The number "Zero."

Kirsh=Love (romantic)

Kwrjahn=Orange (Literally red-yellow.)

Lwi=Time for, time of

Lwitah=Daytime

Lwidak=Nighttime

Let=Healer, also the Healing power as a noun. "Healer" can also be Grylet, but Let is understood to mean "Healer" universally.

Matleh=Troll

Myz=Dream, Fantasy

Grysahmyz=Dreamer

Mawl=Human

Myn=Excellent, good

Meh = Artwork (General)

Mehk=Stone Artwork, Sculpture

Mehhwl=Wood artwork, carving

Grysahrzo=Glider (one)

Grynosah=Student

Noj=There

No=Eat, consume (Also means "Learn")

Nosah=To Learn (More formal than simply "No")

nah=No (Answer to a question)

Nefah=Wolf

Nwj=Now

No*=Where (Question, Locative)

Ni*=how (Question)

Na*=Why (Question)

Nw*=When (Question)

Ohlin=Enjoy something, "Like"

Plitl=Cut (V)

Pensahr=Arrow

Penahr=Sharpen

Pensahrahr=Bow

Pensahrahrw=Crossbow (Large bow)

Pensahrahrnw=Balista (VERY large bow)

Qo'ir=Dung

Qofeh=Stench, Foul Odor, Stink

Rah=Still, Motionless

Rahnlwi=An hour (Elfin Equivalent, about a tenth of the day or night)

Rehk=A day

Rehy=Home (Used when "Sywynsahnwzwahn" would be too long)

Resahr=dance

Rahl=Chief

Rahldahi=Lord

Shij=Inside, within

Sah=Wisdom, Memories, knowledge

sij=Everywhere, All over

Sahr=Move (As a suffix, means "Move fast" by itself, it just means "Move")

Sahrzo=Move Smoothly, Glide

Sahrahr=Throw, Shoot, Fire (As an arrow, bullet, etc.)

Shen=Set free, release, let go, give birth to

Shreah=Sleep Sywrahzan=Place where sorrow ends (English translation: Sorrow's End.)

Sywynsahnwzwahn=Dwelling Place, Abode, Home (Considered too formal for anything but poetry)

Sywrehy=Dwelling place, Home (General use)

Trehs=Mark, spot

Tw=Eyes

Tyl=Give (combined with another word, particularly a noun, it takes on the meaning of a gift or present (That which is given.))

Ti=Child (General or unknown)

Tiro=Boy

Teah=Girl

Tish=Love (As child for parent)

Tah=Light

Tahiriksij=Star (little light of the sky.)

Tahiriksijsahr=Meteor (Star moving fast)

Tahiriksijsw=Planet as seen in the sky (Star moving slowly)

Tahiriksijlwitah=Day Star (Sun folk term for the sun.)

Tyr=Blood

Ti=Please

Tyrsahr=Alive

Tyrlwi=A very short time (Seconds or less)

Tyrah=Dead

Tymfeh=Pleasent smell, Perfume

Tleh: Hole

Tlehw: Tunnel

Tlehnw: Cavern, Cave

Tli=Sibling

Tliro=brother

Tliah=sister

Tliro Vuit=Uncle (Usu. Tliro Vahit (Mother's Brother) or Tliro Vroit (Father's Brother))

Tliah Vuit=Aunt (Usually, will be Tliah Vahit (Mother's Sister) or Tliah Vroit (Father's Sister))

Tlosh=Evil (Literally Never-love, loveless)

Tlyks=Below

Typerish=Hate (Literally Reverse friendship)

Vi=Warrior

Vro=Father

Vu=Parent (Gender Neutral, as in Nivu Na* "where are your parents?")

Vah=Mother

Ver=Brown

Hwl=of, with, or related to plants (usually trees, but can mean any plant)

Hwlt=Plant or Tree

Hwltw=Tall Tree

Hwltir=bush

Ven=Hunter

Vush=Love (As parent for child)

Wrah=Sorrow

Wrahzan=Sorrow Ends

Wlinsahrzo=The Gliders as a tribe

Wyl=Truth, Honesty

wt=hump, bump

wtehk=Hill

Wtehkw=Mountain

Wl=tool

Wlin=People, Folk

Wlintahiriksijlwitah=Sun Folk (Quite a mouthful in Elvish.)

Wynsahnwzwahn=Dwell, stay, remain

Yu=farmer

Yw=Appearance, looks like

Ywah=The Shape of

Ywahr=To change the Shape of, to mold (Either by hand or by magic)

Zuthwlt=Stick (A piece of wood)

Zuthwltpen=Spear (Literally, a sharp piece of wood)

Zuthwltpenir=Lance

Zuthwltpenw=Pike (Long sharp piece of wood)

Zuri=Noise, racket Zus=blue

Zuskwr=purple

Zymhan=Burning

Zahr=Quick, Fast

Zon=Join, Merge, become one, have sex.

Zonsh=Sexual Desire...passion

Zahmyz=Dreaming

*=Give me an answer (Yes/No)

**=What is that, Explain that (both * are the same pitch)

*^*=Who did that? Who is that? (Second * is higher pitched)

lwi=A short time (A few minutes)

lwi=A Month

Numbers: Inside a sentance, elves give the prefix Kin- and the suffix -nok to separate numbers from the rest of the sentance. To say "Zero" an elf will say simply "Kinok" (nothing) because there is no verbal difference between Kin-nah-nok and Kin-ahn-nok (they both collapse to Kinahnok, which means "eight.") a decimal point is dah.

If you're only talking about a decimal, start the number with dah- instead of kin-.

0:nah 1: pah 2:tah 3:rah 4:kah 5:sah 6:jah 7:bah 8:ahn

9:ahp 10:aht 11:ahr 12:ahk 13:ahs 14:ahj 15:ahv 16:tahn

Note that 8 is "ahn" That is, "ah (eight) and nah (nothing)", making ahnah. The final 'ah' in numbers larger than 7 is always truncated unless you're learning or there is a decimal place. Here is a more useful chart:

Octal	Elvish	Octal	Elvish	Octal	Elvish
00	nah	10	ahn	20	tahn
01	pah	11	ahp	21	tahp
02	tah	12	aht	22	taht
03	rah	13	ahr	23	tahr
04	kah	14	ahk	24	tahk
05	sah	15	ahs	25	tahs
06	jah	16	ahj	26	tahj
07	bah	17	ahb	27	tahb

"Blood of Ten Chiefs" would thus be Tyr nirahlit kinahtnok (Literally, "Blood possessed by chiefs numbering ten.") The number always immediately follows the thing that it refers to.

Once you get to octal 77 (63 in decimal) you reach "Vahv", which is "Vah ah's and Vah" Adding one to that would give you 100 in octal, which would be "Ahnahn" (eight eights and nothing) This can continue indefinitely. The number 3441324 (octal) would be "rahkahkahpahrahtahk" or, in a sentance, "kinrahkahkahpahrahtahknok" To insert a decimal place, put in the decimal place prefix dah- as if it were a digit. (So, 7531.42 (octal) would be "kinbahsahrahpahdahkahtnok."

Such numbers, fortunately, very rarely come up in causual conversation. stand alone fractions like "a Half" (dahknok) or "a Quarter" (dahtnok) are more common. Because of their comonality, the -nok affix is often ommited, leaving the hearers to realise from the context that "a half" (dahk) or "A quarter" (Daht) is meant.

Estimates: When the exact number is unknown, the elfin equivalent of scientific notation is used. The suffix -nik on a number indicates that it is the number of Octal 0-s that follow an octal 1. Thus, Kinpahnik means "About 10", Kinkahnik means "About 10000", and Kintahtnik means "about 10000000000000000000000" (All in Octal.) Estimates are often only given in orders of octal magnitude. To Multiply the order of magnitude, simply state the multiplier before the magnitude number. So, to say (In octal) .53 * 8^7 (This is the same as 5.6 * 8^4, but elvish multipliers for Scientific notation always start with a decimal point), you say "dahsahrnok kinbahnik" which is much easier than saying "kinsahrahnahnahnahnahnok."

Prefixes and Suffixes: These are the prefixes and suffixes of elvish:

Word changers: These affixes alter the nature of the word.

One who (Verb)s: Gry- (Verb becomes a Noun)

(Noun)-ing: Zah- (If an elf can do or make the thing without tools or magic)

(Noun)-ing: Zym- (If the thing usually happens on its own, or requires something to start (like rain, fire, the wind, or an earthquake)

Something that is used to/for (Verb): Dyn-

Tending towards, like: -nyk (As in Ticklish, Reddish yellow, Childish, Foolish, etc.)

Do this (an order): -tat Changes a normal verb into an imperitive.

Place where, place of: Syw- Changes the word into a place-reference noun.

Invert, Reverse (Not): Typ- Turns a word into it's opposite (Love becomes hate, build becomes destroy, Heal becomes injure, etc.)

Do not do (something): Wyn-

Reverse (Undo): Nan- Only verbs. Implies that the verb is now being Un-done (what was given is taken away, etc. This only works if the verb was done in the first place. You can't use this prefix on something that was never done. An example would be "unfill." You could use this if you filled up a glass with water, and then dumped it out. You didn't drink the water, so to pour it out, you "unfill" it.

Carrier of, bearer of: ah- (Note that both this and the feminine suffix have the same root. A female IS a bearer (of children.) The difference is subtle, and the convention is that as a prefix it (usually) means "One who carries" or "one who bears" while as a suffix it (usually) means "Female" or "Feminine." (Ahdri's name means "water bearer")

Adjective affixes:

Little, Small, Diminutive, short (plants or objects): -ir

Little, small, Diminutive, short (Animals and intelligent beings): Jeh-

Big, Large, huge, long: w- (On an adjective, and then means "Very" instead of "big"), -w (On other words.)

Truly Humongous, Giant, Great in size: -nw

Feminine (like a female): -ah (Replaces "U" if there is one, otherwise, it simply appends.)

Masculine (Like a male): -ro (Replaces "U" if there is one, otherwise simply appends.)

Noble: -dahi

Narrow, skinny, sharp: -pen

Delicate, Graceful: -re

Wide, rounded, dull: -pw

Bright (As in color, not intelligence): Gin-

Dim, Dull (Color): Zahn-

Strong: -rosh

Moving, in motion, (fast): -sahr

Moving, in motion, (slow): -sw

Weak: -rir

Edible: -eta

Poisonous: -qt

Hard: -to

Soft: -Zo

Never: tlo-

Always: -wzwan

Continuing, ongoing: -Zwan

Pleasant: Tym-

Good: Myn-

Unpleasant: Qi-

Disgusting: Qo-

Belligerant: Qah-

Plural (General use): Ni- (When the number is either cited in the sentance, or is completely unknown. If you have a guess as to the general number (more than one), use Nu- or Na-)

Plural (A few): Nu- (Only with Generalizations, not with acutal numbers)

Plural (Many): Na- (Only with Generalizations, not actual numbers)

Future Tense (Later): -Zwn

To Be (Verb) (Present Tense. Usually assumed, but not improper): -Zun

Past Tense: -Zehn

Stops, ends: -Zan

A piece of (Broken off): Zut-

A part of (Still attached): -Dah

To make (Construct something): -tl

to Do (something): -tleht

To change (something): -ahr

Owner of, Posessor of (Something), Relationship to (someone): -it (Works like the English "'s" in "Bob's motorcycle" or "Betty's Husband, John." Lifemates are usually designated by simply using the -it suffix when both names are known. There is no cultural preference (For the elves) as to which of the two names would contain the -it, though if one of them is the acting or acted upon noun in the sentance, their name should come first, and the second name would have the -it.)

To be owned by (someone): -tlit (only used if the owner is not mentioned in the sentance (Unknown, General, or obvious) appended to any sentient species word (Elf, Troll, Human, a propper name, etc.) it takes on the connotation of "Slave" and is avoided in this context by most elves (Though Winnowill, Trolls and humans would have no problem with it.)

Some prefixes and suffixes can stand alone as words, and can then be modified themselves. For example, "wah" is "Very Feminine" and is often used to compliment a woman for exceptional beauty. Elves don't prize "Machoness" like humans do, so "wro" doesn't mean "manly." Instead, it is simply the masculine equivalent of "wah", and would be used to say, basically, "You're very handsome." Usually, wro and wah would only be used to a member of the opposite sex, but to each his own.

Making animal names: Elves make animal names descriptive. Building an animal name for the first time is a favorite passtime for the Wolfriders.

First comes a prefix that says what sort of animal it is (sometimes omitted, especially by wolfriders, because the nature of the animal is often obvious.) This prefix comes before all others in an animal name:

Zw- : Mamalian Vegetarian Quadruped

Ne- : Mamalian Carnivore Quadruped (Canine)

Me- : Mamalian Carnivore Quadruped (Feline)

Ve- :Mamalian Omnivore Quadruped (Bears, etc.)

Ma- : Mamalian Omnivore Biped (Monkeys, apes, etc.)

Mw- : Mamalian vegetarian Biped

Ta : Mamalian carnivore Biped

Zi : Mamalian flyer (Bats) no other distinction in the prefix.

Aro- : Avians (all birds)

Se- : Reptillian quadruped No food preference in the prefix.

Stl- : Reptillian slitherer (Snakes) No food preference in prefix.

Sa- : Reptillian biped No food preference in the prefix.

A Noun or verb comes next...some samples, and what they mean in animal names:

wt: Having a hump

tleh: Burrowing

wl: tool using

fah: Pack Hunter

fyt: Solitary Hunter

fitl: Scavenger

gash: Tame

Some Examples:

Arore : Graceful Bird

Jehnefah : Little wolf, Wolf Cub

Stldak : Black Snake

Wy^nowyl : Do not consume truth

Le^tah : Healing Light

Zuthwltpenir Kwr : Red lance

Trehs Kwr : Red mark

Zuthwltpenw : Pike

Gryplitl : Cutter

Dynplitl Kintnok : Two Edge

You can see why most of these are in English in the comics.

Here are the only complete sentances available from the comics. Since I have no translation of their meaning, the completion of the dictionary project is stalled.

Clearbrook: Sugash! Sugash! Zhieu fahn tho!

Treestump: Baba-baba Dahn sozreen tyl, deh?
           #### #### #### ####### gift, shall we?