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 conotations 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
A
Elder Speech
English
a'baeth
kiss
a'taeghane
today
aard
misspeling of "ard"
aark
floe
aark, aark
phonetic presentation of the sound ravens/crows make
abb
river mouth
addan, adan
dance; dancer; dancing
aedd
shard
aefder
later, after
aen
of; for; from; to
aen'drean
enter?
aenye
fire, fiery
aep
in; 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
banshee
blath
flower
blathan
garland; flowers
blathanna
Genitive: flowers', of flowers
blathe
the fifth savaed in the elven calendar ; possibly 'flowering'?
bleidd
wolf
bloed
blood
bloede
bloody, damn
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 ?
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
dwimmer
magic; sorcery
E
Elder Speech
English
easnadh
sigh (ellylon )
elaine
fair, beautiful
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
feainnewedd
Sun-Child, Child of the Sun
fen
fen (a low marshy/frequently flooded area), wetlands
foilé
frantic; mad
folie
frenzy
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
inis
island
invaerne
winter
K
Elder Speech
English
kelpie
kelpie
L
Elder Speech
English
laeke
lake
lammas
maturing
lara
seagull
lionors
lioness (Skellige dialect )
llech
stone
luned
daughter / young girl
M
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
Elder Speech
English
saov
spirit, soul, ghost?
savaed
One eighth of the year in the elven calendar
scoia'tael
squirrel(s)
seidhe
elf
shaent
sing
sidh
elven?
sledd
sled
sor'ca
little sister
spar
shoot (verb)
spar'le
(order) fire; attack
squaess
excuse (squass'me - I apologize); forgive
straede
road, path
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
weddin
diminutive form of 'wedd', child; kiddo
wen
white (also as -wen)
woed, woéd, woedd
wood; forest
Y
Z
Elder Speech
English
zireael
swallow (bird)
zvaere
swear (to take an oath)
Names
Notifications