Friday 4 February 2011

Some extracts of the Dwarvish Language (Kroltz)

"Old Dwarve."

"Here is a selection of Dwarvish words I learned over a very enjoyable keg of Fjoar with an elderly Dwarve in Stordonafagel.  Strictly speaking the words are 'Krotlz', that is the language spoken over most of the former empire of the Ottarol Dwarves (who are themselves 'Dwarves of Rock' if we are being strictly taxonomic, and not to be confused with either the Sand-Dwarves of the southern deserts or the Ice Dwarves of the isle of Yeno). 

The slightly erratic nature of the words collected can be excused both through the strength of the Fjoar and the senility of the Dwarve (whose name I never did attain). The pronunciation wasn't helped by the Dwarves lack of teeth...

To find such an elderly Dwarve so close to the surface was something of a surprise, but this was Stordonafagel, and really nothing can surprise one about this outrageous and anarchistic mine.

To talk of grammar is a boring pass-time unworthy of my hang-over, needless to say it is reasonably similar to the Common Tongue.  You will get by trying that, any way.

"Maul val urinol melgul!" as my elderly Dwarvish drinking companion would say!

Or was it "Maul val melgul urinol"?" 


[As I delve into Faadon's basket I am sure I will come across more Kroltz words, and will add them to this post as I do.] 


The Common Tongue in to Dwarvish Krolz -  


Common
Dwarvish
-’s
-ul
Algal brew (alcoholic)
Fjoar
All unconquered lands in the time of the empire.
Ärolgoganott
Alloy
Chilal
Anvil
Nazoural
Arsenic
Foryen
Bay
Jaðod
Big (wide)
Gos
Black
Kurick
Blood
Maurd
Boar-backed surface house
Prokðain
Border
Kuln
Breath
Palk
Bridge
Tørsk
Bright/colourful
Stord
Canal
Jourch
Cap
Ðarl
Cauldron
Melg
Child
Korri
Chisel
Ngal
Clean / whole / safe
Yan
Crystal
Jain
Death (the spirit and the thing)
Maul
Deep
Sjo
Defensive family home
Brocken
Defensive hole
Borgoch
Defensive tower
Broghaw
Dry
Urinol
Dwarvish leader, first emperor. [19344 - 19438AC]
Gogia
Eagle
Gothöll
Eater
Ndgar
Empire
Gorgastot
Face / Honour
Karn
Forest
Druck
Fortified cave complex
Chugörg
Frail
Ðræleng
Give
Mosta
Goat
Shork
Goat Daemon
Make
Goblin
Furdich
Goblin daemon
Molk
God spirit
Jíraspölk
Goddess Spirit
Jíraspurl
Gold
Åsen
Gorge
Garth
Grait
Mjork
Grand eating/meeting hall
Hjørig
Hair
Galn
Hall complex
Slesvig
Hammer
Körra
Haunt
Nill
Haunted
Nillurg
Haunter
Nilla
Head waters
Jod
Hidden
Olingskog
High
Salen
Hills
Rene
Holding
Prild
Horn
Darrað
Horse
Nir
Ice
Thor
Inside
Ninkas
Iron
Garil
Iron clad cart
Gariminch
Island
Kveln
King (post empire)
Gogan
King (pre-empire)
Dugach
Kingdom
Goganott
Lake
Toc
Larder / stockroom
Aga
Law & protection
Garm
Leader
Archgalm
Lodge hole
Bak
Low
Vig
Many
Voll
Mine
Grintok
Mist
Shear
Moor
Snorri
Mountain
Träs
Name
Son
Natural cave
Chanagan
Noble, royal.
Oða
North
Nordemrie
Oak
Barg
Of
Val
Of (belonging to)
Gau
Open to the sky
Kglalg
Outside
Nendes
Palace
Ona
Path, minor road
K’drass
Peace
Tusk
Pebble
Surgol
Pike
Vuldeg
Pit shaft
Cargor
Poison / harmful
Yen
Promise / oath
Ärol
Quarry
Fägel
River
Fwndeyk
River (Old pronunciation)
Föndek
Rock / land
Ott
Shield
Ureck
Short for Chugörk
Görk
Silk
Mārt
Sky
Lalk
Slave
Ludnaun
Slaveholding (imperial)
Prildän
Slope
Arakon
Slopes
Arakonul
Small
Oge
Small foot track or pass
Chamach
Smith
Borðalm
Smoak
Shgor
Spirit
Spur
Stone (a -)
Valg
Stone (the substance)
Nörd
Store hole
Uearkven
Strong
Gdraling
Surfaced road
Ramach
Tall
Lidn
The
Nitt
To
Kay
To make with metal.
Borð
Tortoise
Eck
Tribe
Nemoin
Truth
Ðu
Tythe
Havamál
Underworld
Hellig
United
Nuldurg
Vein of crystal
Yansk
Warrior
Chaic
Watch tower
Krowg
Water sodden
Bríg
White
Forn
Whole
Su
Wild
Mward
Wind
Melg
Wolf
Njál
Woman
Günk
Womb
Angünga
World
Ottsu




Dwarvish Krolz in to the Common Tongue - 



Dwarvish
Common
- ul
-’s
Aga
Larder / stockroom
Angünga
Womb
Arakon
Slope
Arakonul
Slopes
Archgalm
Leader
Ärol
Promise / oath
Ärolgoganott
All unconquered lands in the time of the empire.
Åsen
Gold
Bak
Lodge hole
Barg
Oak
Borð
To make with metal.
Borðalm
Smith
Borgoch
Defensive hole
Bríg
Water sodden
Brocken
Defensive family home
Broghaw
Defensive tower
Cargor
Pit shaft
Chaic
Warrior
Chamach
Small foot track or pass
Chanagan
Natural cave
Chilal
Alloy
Chugörg
Fortified cave complex
Ðarl
Cap
Darrað
Horn
Ðræleng
Frail
Druck
Forest
Ðu
Truth
Dugach
King (pre-empire)
Eck
Tortoise
Fägel
Quarry
Fjoar
Algal brew (alcoholic)
Föndek
River (Old pronunciation)
Forn
White
Foryen
Arsenic
Furdich
Goblin
Fwndeyk
River
Galn
Hair
Garil
Iron
Gariminch
Iron clad cart
Garm
Law & protection
Garth
Gorge
Gau
Of (belonging to)
Gdraling
Strong
Gogan
King (post empire)
Goganott
Kingdom
Gogia
Dwarvish leader, first emperor. [19344 - 19438AC]
Gorgastot
Empire
Görk
Short for Chugörk
Gos
Big (wide)
Gothöll
Eagle
Grintok
Mine
Günk
Woman
Havamál
Tithe
Hellig
Underworld
Hjørig
Grand eating/meeting hall
Jaðod
Bay
Jain
Crystal
Jíraspölk
God spirit
Jíraspurl
Goddess Spirit
Jod
Head waters
Jourch
Canal
K’drass
Path, minor road
Karn
Face / Honour
Kay
To
Kglalg
Open to the sky
Körra
Hammer
Korri
Child
Krowg
Watch tower
Kuln
Border
Kurick
Black
Kveln
Island
Lalk
Sky
Lidn
Tall
Ludnaun
Slave
Make
Goat Demon
Mārt
Silk
Maul
Death (the spirit and the thing)
Maurd
Blood
Melg
Cauldron
Melg
Wind
Mjork
Great
Molk
Goblin demon
Mosta
Give
Mward
Wild
Nazoural
Anvil
Ndgar
Eater
Nemoin
Tribe
Nendes
Outside
Ngal
Chisel
Nill
Haunt
Nilla
Haunter
Nillurg
Haunted
Ninkas
Inside
Nir
Horse
Nitt
The
Njál
Wolf
Nörd
Stone (the substance)
Nordemrie
North
Nuldurg
United
Oða
Noble, royal.
Oge
Small
Olingskog
Hidden
Ona
Palace
Ott
Rock / land
Ottsu
World
Palk
Breath
Prild
Holding
Prildän
Slaveholding (imperial)
Prokðain
Boar-backed surface house
Ramach
Surfaced road
Rene
Hills
Salen
High
Shear
Mist
Shgor
Smoke
Shork
Goat
Sjo
Deep
Slesvig
Hall complex
Snorri
Moor
Son
Name
Spur
Spirit
Stord
Bright/colourful
Su
Whole
Surgol
Pebble
Thor
Ice
Toc
Lake
Tørsk
Bridge
Träs
Mountain
Tusk
Peace
Uearkven
Store hole
Ureck
Shield
Urinol
Dry
Val
Of
Valg
Stone (a -)
Vig
Low
Voll
Many
Vuldeg
Pike
Yan
Clean / whole / safe
Yansk
Vein of crystal
Yen
Poison / harmful

9 comments:

  1. ahh, their grammar is similar.. but also boring...

    ReplyDelete
  2. You will have to set out how and what needs to be tackled as I have no idea about grammar - The main fun I get from languages is taking previously invented bits of language and combining them in weird ways to make new words - E.G. today I invented Eckidad for a trilobite type creature, combining elements of Eck (tortiose) and Darradd (horn)(i think - cant remember now!)

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  3. While Chilal = Alloy was somehow related to Khild = value/equal to.

    What is the purpose, by the way, of 'THE'? Is it ever necessary?

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  4. I'm fairly sure 'the' does not appear in every language, it is quite usefull if you want to show that something is definitive 'the bible' as opposed to any old book. you could easily remove it from a created language, it would sound odd to us, because we use 'the' all THE time, but that doesn't make it necessary.

    OK so I rambled a bit on the other post. Thing to do are:
    >decide what your categories of language are, so we have (at the simplest level) 'verb', 'noun', 'adjective', 'other'. This is not true of every language and certainly need not be considered ideal.
    >decide which categories are necessary to form a meaningful unit. Although not totally consistently English uses 'noun + verb' as the smallest unit as in 'a thing + what it is doing' because once we get passed early childhood we don't tend to just name things (as in point and say 'cow'). Children tend to start their 'two-word utterances' with either noun+verb or noun+adjective, as in 'cow eating' or 'cow brown'.
    >decide how what order they appear in changes the function, as in 'can you help' vs 'you can help'... but it can be more interesting like perhaps there's the option of swapping things like 'sky is blue' to 'blue sky is' which could change it from a statement about the general nature of the sky, to make blue the important bit, which would define it as 'specifically now the sky is blue, which means it isn't raining or the night time.'

    I think those steps would make a language, especially since it is a very strict language so you don't need to mess around with anything. Of course it will become confused (for us as english speakers) by the choices you have made about vocab, which is great. So Yan and Yen as you have defined them are based on a different view of the world to what our language gives. I suppose the way I can simply explain what I mean is, we say 'sky' both to mean 'a clear sky', 'a night sky' and 'an overcast sky', but another culture might perceive those things as different. That could make phrases like 'the sky is blue' redundant, because the sky is only ever blue, if there are clouds, or a sunset, or it's night time it's something different. That's purely a case of translation though...i think.

    Does any of this make sense?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, making sence, but requiring some concentration... I think a printing out of these conversations and a pen and paper are in order...

    I do have a way of useing the language I have created so far (Kroltz) and implementing all the changes you have come up with - I found a note the other day saying that Kroltz is merely the surface language. The deeper kingdom and queendom languages would probably be very different in structure though sharing some of the same sounds. The similarity of Kroltz to English is easily explained - English is Magish and also Common - the language used almost everywhere as a trade language. Hence Kroltz would be a bastardized form of deeper Dwarvish that the surface dwellers (and users of Common) had adopted.

    So, we need a deeper language or two (I hesitate to suggest Sjo Kroltz or Kroltz Sjo - isn't 'Deep' a purely descriptive word? - I think they may need descriptive words - they will need to be able to differentiate between different things very clearly being focused artisans - but then maybe they would just have a vast vocabulory without much linking - e.g. the Kroltz of lower places having its own name rather than 'deep kroltz' [of course current kroltz should be surface kroltz, deep kroltz would just be Kroltz]- lets call it Songarm for now - from Name Law - we will need to change that at some point...)

    So, if you wish you could start drawing up a definitive set of language rules (feel free to choose rules as you will, baring in mind the industrial hierarchical society they live in), and then a new dictionary, or I could do it some time (probably not for a short while). Wish I was better at this - the idea of how a language works without descriptive words completely befuddles me - new groupings and meanings (like yen and yan) is much more easy!

    Right, now, breakfast and attempting to write coherently...

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you email me anything you have time and inclination to write I will post them here as their own post.

    Do you want a character? Bare in mind your writing has got to have found its way to Faadon Naano (a sea-elvish explorer, map-maker and sort of anthropologist). He is likely to have contacts everywhere, but unless you want to only write about Kroltz, or Dwarves, I suggest you would keep them rather fluid and adaptable - you could be a researcher, or simply a corespondent of Faadons who has a similar lifestyle...

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  7. This would be amazing, although given the heavy work load this term i may not appear very fast, or be able to work stuff out very fast. I think the first few things I send should be documents I've left in cities that you've found, then later on I may actually meet you, that way I don't have to decide anything straight away. I've been ill the last few days, hence the silence.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good plan....

    Get well soon - and this blog is ongoing, so no rush at all

    ReplyDelete