Hen llinge is the language of Aen Seidhe elves. As it is one of the oldest languages still in use, it is referred to as the Old or Elder Speech while the lingua franca is Common Speech . It is used currently not only by elves, but also by mages and scholars. Sung versions of Elder Speech are used by dryads , sirens and nereids . Nilfgaardian and Skellige dialects both derive from Elder Speech.
Its vocabulary is based heavily on the Gaelic and Celtic languages of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, although in some cases Sapkowski has used also connotations with more "popular" tongues, like German and English. The two basic verbs, 'to be' and 'to have', are borrowed from Italian and Latin.[1]
Old Speech - Polish original text on Andrzej Sapkowski Zone
Dictionary [ | ] It should be noted that spelling of some words vary throughout the novels, due to dialectal differences or just author's mistakes.
A [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
a’báeth
kiss
a’taeghane
today
aard
misspeling of "ard"
aark, aark
phonetic presentation of the sound ravens/crows make
abb
river mouth
addan, adan
dance; dancer; dancing
aé
first person singular subject personal pronoun I (dryad dialect )
aedd
shard
aefder
later, after
aen
indefinite pronoun one, ones; of; for; from; to
aen’drean
enter?
aenye
fire, fiery
aep
in; of; son of; appears to be just general genitive, not marking solely hereditary ties
aép
in, to
aesledde
ride on a sledge/sled
aespar
shoot (verb.)
aëte
summer
aevon
river
aine
light (possibly enlightened )
an
small, minor, vague
an’givare
informer, spy
ard
up; upper; high; top; mountain; mountainous
arse
arse (UK), ass (US), butt
B [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
ban
peak?
beanna
woman
beann’shie
beann'shie , or banshee
blath
flower
blathan
garland; flowers
blathanna
Seems to be genitive: flowers', of flowers
blathe
the fifth savaed in the elven calendar ; possibly 'flowering'?
bleidd
wolf
bloed
blood
bloede
bloody, damn
Brokiloéne
of Brokilon, Brokiloni
C [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
caed
forest; grove
cáelm
calm, peaceful, quiet; slowly, quietly; calm, quieten
cáemm
come, go
caen
can (verb)
caer
castle; keep
cáerme
fate, destiny
carn
kurgan; barrow; burial mound
carraigh
rock
ceádmil
greet (in game appears as caed'mil; also as caedmill ), greetings
cerbin
raven
cinerea
Ilyocoris
coram
lion
col
col , mountain pass
craag
crag ?
creasa
must, necessity, obligation, inevitability
crevan
fox
D [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
d'yaebl
devil (in game both a sword and a wolf bear this name)
dearg
red
dearme
sleep; good night (phrase)
deireádh
end (noun)
deith
flame
deithwen
white flame
dh’oine
human (in game also in form dh'oinne )
dhu
black
dice
say; to speak
dol
dale; dell; vale; valley
drieschot
triangle
dwimmer
magic; sorcery
E [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
easnadh
sigh (ellylon )
elaine
fair, beautiful
ell
alder
elle
of alders, alder's
en
indefinite article (a/an)
en’leass
laced, tied (ellylon )
enid
daisy
ensh’eass
enchanting, enthralling, charming, glamourous (ellylon )
ess
be
esse
will be
essea
I am
esseath
you are
evall
horse
evellienn
every, all
F [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
feainn
sun; also the sixth savaed in the elven calendar
feainne
of sun, sunny
feainnewedd
Sun-Child, Child of the Sun
fen
fen (a low marshy/frequently flooded area), wetlands
foilé
frantic; mad
folie
frenzy
fraeren
brothers
G [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
gar’ean
note; consider
geas
curse; geis is a magical obligation/prohibition
gláeddyv
sword
gleann
bottom, low, valley
gleanna
of valley
glosse
look, observe?
gvalch’ca
falconess
gwen, gwyn
white (also -wen )
gynvael
ice
H [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
hael
greeting; health, safety, cure?
haela
medicine; drug?
hanse
Unit; group of friends
hav’caaren
hawker (s); based on Elder Speech word for 'rapacious'
hen
elder, old, oldest
I [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
ichaer
blood, gene
inis
island
invaerne
winter
ire
other, another
K [ | ] L [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
laeke
lake
lammas
maturing
lara
seagull
lionors
lioness (Skellige dialect )
llech
stone
Loc’hlaith
Lady of the Lake (ellylon )
luned
daughter / young girl
M [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
me
me, my, mine
meáth
meet
mid-
middle
milva
Red kite
minne
love (noun)
mire
look, observe?
mistle
waxwing , or mistle thrush , also one of the Rats
modron
mother (Skellige dialect )
morc
book, tome
morvudd
enemies
muire
sea
N [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
naev’de
nine of
neén
not
P [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
pavienn
ape
pest
pestilence, plague, blight
pherian
halfling, hobbit
pont
bridge
Q [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
que
that
quirk, quirk
phonetic representation of the sound sparrows make
R [ | ] S [ | ] T [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
taedh
bard, poet
tearth
fear
tedd
time, age, season
thaesse
shut up
tir
land
tirth
wild boar
tor
tower
tuathe
wisper (ellylon )
tvedeane
twelve, dozen
V [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
va
go
va faill
goodbye, farewell
vara
ware; goods?
vatt’ghern
witcher
veloë
fast, quick; quickly
voe’rle
stop, halt?
vort
further, away (from oneself), still
W [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
wedd
child
weddien
diminutive form of 'wedd', child; kiddo
wen
white (also as -wen)
woed, woéd, woedd
wood; forest
Y [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
yeá
so, yes
yghern
Giant centipede
yn
on, over, upon
ys
downward
Z [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
zireael
swallow (bird)
zvaere
swear (to take an oath)
Names [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
Aedd Gynvael
Shard of Ice
Aenyeweddien
Fire Child
Aen N’og Mab Taedh’morc
"Practices for a Young Bard"
Aen Elle
Alder Folk, People of the Alders
Aen Saevherne
Sage
Aen Seidhe
Hill Folk, People of the Hills
Aen Woedbeanna
Woman of woods, dryad
Aenyell’hael
Baptism of fire, also the name of a novel
Aevon y Pont ar Gwennelen
River of Alabaster Bridges, Pontar
Ard Carraigh
High Rock
Belleteyn
blossoming
Birke
Spring equinox ; the fourth savaed in the elven calendar
Ban Ard
Upper (peak?)
Ban Gleán
Lower (peak)?
Brokiloén
Brokilon
Caed Dhu
Black Forest/Grove
Caed Myrkvid
Myrkvid Forest/Grove
Caer a’Muirehen
Old Sea Keep; Keep of the Elder Sea (Blood of Elves , UK); Witchers' fortress
Ceann Treise
a cascade in Brokilon ; meaning uncertain, possibly "headstrong"?
Conynhaela
a magical cure which enables the rapid regeneration damaged or broken bones
Craag An
once a village, now a necropolis in Brokilon ; meaning uncertain
Dol Adalatte
Valley of Adalatte -river
Dol Blathanna
Valley of the Flowers
Duén Canell
The Place of the Oak
Glyswen
White River
Gwenllech
river: White Stones
Gwynbleidd
White Wolf
Imbaelk
Imbolc , germination; the third savaed in the elven calendar
Lammas
maturing; the seventh savaed in the elven calendar
Mear’ya
Maria, Mary (for some reason brings not so nice connotations[3]
Midaëte
Midsummer
Midinvaerne
Midwinter
Saovine
'Soul day'?; the first savaed in the elven calendar
Tor Lara
Tower of Gulls
Tor Zireael
Tower of the Swallow, Swallow's Tower
Velen
autumn equinox ; the eighth savaed in the elven calendar
Vrihedd
Freedom?
Xin'trea
Cintra in Elder Speech.
Phrases [ | ]
Elder Speech
English
Aen me Glaeddyv, zvaere a Bloedgeas, Ard Rhena, Lionors Aep Xintra!
By my Sword, I swear a Blood Oath, the Highest Queen, Lioness of Cintra! (Skellige dialect )
A d’yaebl aép arse
Into devil's ass
Ceádmil, Wedd Brokiloéne!
Greetings, Child of Brokilon!
Caelm, evellienn!
Calm down, everyone!
Caen me a'baethe?
Give me a kiss?
Dubhenn haern am glândeal, morc’h am fhean aiesin
My glare will pierce through darkness, my brightness will scatter the shadow
Elaine tedd a'taeghane
Lovely weather we're having.
Ess’creasa, sor’ca
It's necessary, little sister
Ess'tedd, esse creasa
It's time, it is necessary
Ess've vort shaente aen…
Sing me a song about...
Duettaeánn aef cirrán Cáerme Gláeddyv. Yn á esseáth
The Sword of Destiny has two edges. You are one of them
Gar'ean! N'te va!
Watch out! Don't go in there!
Glaeddyv vort, beanna
Drop the sword, woman
Glaeddyvan vort!
Drop the swords!
Ire lokke, ire tedd
Another place, another time
Lambert cáen me a’báeth aep arse
Lambert can kiss my ass
M'aespar que va'en, ell'ea?
Are you going to shoot me, or what?
Mir'me vara
Show me your goods.
N'aen aespar a me
Don't shoot me.
Naev'de aen tvedeane
Ten a dozen.
N'te dice'en
Don't say anything.
Que’ss aen me dicette, Enid? Vorsaeke’llan? Aen vaine?
What [would you say / are you saying??] to me, Daisy? Forsake them? In vain?
Squass’me
Excuse me; forgive me
Va'en aesledde, ell'ea?
We'll go for a sleigh ride, all right?
Va’esse deireádh aep eigean, va’esse eigh faidh’ar
Something ends, something begins
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