Paolini, Christopher - Inheritance Trilogy, Book 2 - Eldest (v1.5) (97 page)

square miles of each other.

While this is of great historical interest, practically it often leads to con-

fusion as to the correct pronunciation. Unfortunately, there are no set

rules for the neophyte. Each name must be learned upon its own terms,

unless you can immediately place its language of origin. The matter grows

even more confusing when you realize that in many places the spelling

and pronunciation of foreign words were altered by the resident popula-

tion to conform to their own language. The Anora River is a prime ex-

ample. Originally anora was spelled äenora, which means broad in the

ancient language. In their writings, the humans simplified the word to

anora, and this, combined with a vowel shift wherein äe (ay-eh) was said

as the easier a (uh), created the name as it appears in Eragon’s time.

To spare readers as much difficulty as possible, the following list is

provided, with the understanding that these are only rough guidelines to

the actual pronunciation. The enthusiast is encouraged to study the

source languages in order to master their true intricacies.

PRONUNCIATION:

Aiedail — AY-uh-dale

Ajihad — AH-zhi-hod

Alagaësia — al-uh-GAY-zee-uh

Arya — AR-ee-uh

Carvahall — CAR-vuh-hall

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Dras-Leona — DRAHS lee-OH-nuh

Du Weldenvarden — doo WELL-den-VAR-den

Ellesméra — el-uhs-MEER-uh

Eragon — EHR-uh-gahn

Farthen Dûr — FAR-then DURE (dure rhymes with lure )

Galbatorix — gal-buh-TOR-icks

Gil’ead — GILL-ee-id

Glaedr — GLAY-dur

Hrothgar — HROTH-gar

Islanzadí — iss-lan-ZAH-dee

Jeod — JODE (rhymes with code )

Murtagh — MUR-tag (mur rhymes with purr )

Nasuada — nah-SOO-ah-dah

Nolfavrell — NOLL-fah-vrel (noll rhymes with toll )

Oromis — OR-uh-miss

Ra’zac — RAA-zack

Saphira — suh-FEAR-uh

Shruikan — SHREW-kin

Sílthrim — SEAL-thrim (síl is a hard sound to transcribe; it’s made by

flicking the tip of the tongue off the roof of the mouth.)

Teirm — TEERM

Trianna — TREE-ah-nuh

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Tronjheim — TRONJ-heem

Urû’baen — OO-roo-bane

Vrael — VRAIL

Yazuac — YAA-zoo-ack

Zar’roc — ZAR-rock

THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE:

adurna — water

Agaetí Blödhren — Blood-oath Celebration

Aiedail — The Morning Star

Argetlam — Silver Hand

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.

Atra guliä un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skölir fra rauthr. — May

luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune.

Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya. — Let us be warded from listeners.

Bjartskular — Brightscales

blöthr — halt; stop

Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka! — Reduce the magic that

holds Saphira and me!

brisingr — fire

Dagshelgr — Hallowed Day

draumr kópa — dream stare

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Du Fells Nángoröth — The Blasted Mountains

Du Fyrn Skulblaka — The Dragon War

Du Völlar Eldrvarya — The Burning Plains

Du Vrangr Gata — The Wandering Path

Du Weldenvarden — The Guarding Forest

dvergar — dwarves

ebrithil — master

edur — a tor or prominence

Eka fricai un Shur’tugal. — I am a Rider and friend.

elda — a gender-neutral honorific of great praise

Eyddr eyreya onr! — Empty your ears!

fairth — a picture taken by magical means

finiarel — an honorific for a young man of great promise

Fricai Andlát — death friend (a poisonous mushroom)

Gala O Wyrda brunhvitr/Abr Berundal vandr-fódhr/Burthro laufsblädar

ekar undir/Eom kona dauthleikr. . — Sing O white-browed Fate/Of ill-

marked Berundal/Born under oaken leaves/To mortal woman. .

gánga aptr — to go backward

gánga fram — to go forward

Gath sem oro un lam iet. — Unite that arrow with my hand.

gedwëy ignasia — shining palm

Gëuloth du knífr. — Dull the knife.

haldthin — thornapple

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Helgrind — The Gates of Death

hlaupa — run

hljödhr — silent

jierda — break; hit

kodthr — catch

Kvetha Fricai. — Greetings, Friend.

lethrblaka — a bat; the Ra’zac’s mounts (literally, leather-flapper)

letta — stop

Letta orya thorna! — Stop those arrows!

Liduen Kvaedhí — Poetic Script

Losna kalfya iet. — Release my calves.

malthinae — to bind or hold in place; confine

nalgask — a mixture of beeswax and hazelnut oil used to moisten the

skin

Osthato Chetowä — the Mourning Sage

Reisa du adurna. — Raise/Lift the water.

rïsa — rise

Sé mor’ranr ono finna. — May you find peace.

Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass! — May your swords stay sharp!

Sé orúm thornessa hávr sharjalví lífs. — May this serpent have life’s

movement.

skölir — shield

Skölir nosu fra brisingr! — Shield us from fire!

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sköliro — shielded

skulblaka — dragon (literally, scale-flapper)

Stydja unin mor’ranr, Hrothgar Könungr. — Rest in peace, King Hroth-

gar.

svit-kona — a formal honorific for an elf woman of great wisdom

thrysta — thrust; compress

Thrysta vindr. — Compress the air.

Togira Ikonoka — the Cripple Who Is Whole

the Varden — the Warders

Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur’tugal. — Upon my word as a Rider.

Vinr Älfakyn — Elf Friend

vodhr — a male honorific of middling praise

vor — a male honorific for a close friend

Waíse heill. — Be healed.

Wiol ono. — For you.

wyrda — fate

Wyrdfell — elven name for the Forsworn

yawë — a bond of trust

zar’roc — misery

THE DWARF LANGUAGE:

Akh sartos oen dûrgrimst! — For family and clan!

Ascûdgamln — fists of steel

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Astim Hefthyn — Sight Guard (inscription on a necklace given to Er-

agon)

Az Ragni — The River

Az Sweldn rak Anhûin — The Tears of Anhûin

Azt jok jordn rast. — Then you may pass.

barzûl — to curse someone with ill fate

Barzûl knurlar! — Curse them!

barzûln — to curse someone with multiple misfortunes

Beor — cave bear (elf word)

dûrgrimst — clan (literally, our hall/home)

eta — no

Etzil nithgech! — Stop there!

Farthen Dûr — Our Father

Feldûnost — frostbeard (a species of goat native to the Beor Mountains)

Formv Hrethcarach. . formv Jurgencarmeitder nos eta goroth bahst Tar-

nag, dûr encesti rak kythn! Jok is warrev az barzûlegûr dûr dûrgrimst, Az

Sweldn rak Anhûin, môgh tor rak Jurgenvren? Né ûdim etal os rast knur-

lag. Knurlag ana. . — This Shadeslayer. . this Dragon Rider has no place in

Tarnag, our holiest of cities! Do you forget the curse our clan, The Tears

of Anhûin, bears from the Dragon War? We will not let him pass. He is. .

grimstborith — clan chief

grimstcarvlorss — arranger of the house

Gûntera Arûna — Gûntera Bless

Hert dûrgrimst? Fild rastn? — What clan? Who passes?

hírna — likeness; statue

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hûthvir — double-bladed staff weapon used by Dûrgrimst Quan

Ignh az voth! — Bring the food!

IIf gauhnith. — A peculiar dwarf expression that means “It is safe and

good.” Commonly uttered by the host of a meal, it is a holdover from

days when poisoning of guests was prevalent among the clans.

Ingeitum — fire workers; smiths

Isidar Mithrim — Star Rose

Jok is frekk dûrgrimstvren? — Do you want a clan war?

knurl — stone; rock

knurla — dwarf (literally, one of stone)

Knurlag qana qirânû Dûrgrimst Ingeitum! Qarzûl ana Hrothgar oen

volfild — He was made a member of Clan Ingeitum! Cursed is Hrothgar

and all who—

knurlagn — men

Knurlhiem — Stonehead

Knurlnien — Heart of Stone

Nagra — giant boar, native to the Beor Mountains

oeí — yes; affirmative

Orik Thrifkz menthiv oen Hrethcarach Eragon rak Dûrgrimst Ingeitum.

Wharn, az vanyali-carharûg Arya. Né oc Ûndinz grimstbelardn. — Orik,

Thrifk’s son, and Shadeslayer Eragon of Clan Ingeitum. Also, the elf-

courier Arya. We are Ûndin’s hall-guests.

Os il dom qirânû carn dûr thargen, zeitmen, oen grimst vor formv edaris

rak skilfz. Narho is belgond. . — Let our flesh, honor, and hall be made as

one by this blood of mine. I do pledge. .

otho — faith

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Ragni Hefthyn — River Guard

Shrrg — giant wolf, native to the Beor Mountains

Smer voth. — Serve the food.

Tronjheim — Helm of Giants

Urzhad — cave bear

vanyali — elf (The dwarves borrowed this word from the ancient lan-

guage, wherein it means magic. )

Vor Hrothgarz korda! — By Hrothgar’s hammer!

vrron — enough

werg — an exclamation of disgust (the dwarves’ equivalent of ugh )

THE URGAL LANGUAGE:

Ahgrat ukmar. — It is done.

drajl — spawn of maggots

nar — a gender-neutral title of great respect

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Kvetha Fricäya.

As with many authors who undertake an epic the length of the Inheri-

tance trilogy, I have found that the creation of Eragon, and now Eldest,

has become my own personal quest, one that has proven every bit as

transforming as Eragon’s.

When first I conceived Eragon, I was fifteen—not quite a boy and not

yet a man—just out of high school, unsure of what path to take in life,

and addicted to the potent magic of the fantasy literature that adorned

my shelves. The process of writing Eragon, marketing it across the world,

and now finally completing Eldest has swept me into adulthood. I am

twenty-one now and, to my continual astonishment, have already pub-

lished two novels. Stranger things have occurred, I’m sure, but never to

me.

Eragon’s journey has been my own: plucked from a sheltered rural up-

bringing and forced to rove the land in a desperate race against time; en-

during intense and arduous training; achieving success against all expecta-

tions; dealing with the consequences of fame; and eventually finding a

measure of peace.

Just as in fiction when the determined and well-meaning protagonist—

who really isn’t all that bright, now is he?—is helped along his way by a

host of wiser characters, so too have I been guided by a number of stu-

pendously talented people. They are:

At home: Mom, for listening whenever I need to talk about a problem

with the story or characters and for giving me the courage to throw out

twelve pages and rewrite Eragon’s entrance into Ellesméra (painful); Dad,

as always, for his incisive editing; and my dear sister, Angela, for deigning

to reprise her role as a witch and for her contributions to her doppel-

gänger’s dialogue.

At Writers House: my agent, the great and mighty Comma Master,

Simon Lipskar, who makes all things possible (Mervyn Peake!); and his

brave assistant Daniel Lazar, who keeps the Comma Master from being

buried alive underneath a pile of unsolicited manuscripts, many of which

I fear are the result of Eragon.

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At Knopf: my editor, Michelle Frey, who has gone above and beyond

the call of duty in performing her job and has made Eldest so much bet-

ter than it would have been otherwise; publicity director Judith Haut, for

once again proving that no feat of promotion is beyond her reach (hear

her roar!); Isabel Warren-Lynch, art director nonpareil who, with Eldest,

has exceeded her previous accomplishments; John Jude Palencar, for a

cover painting that I like even better than the one for Eragon ; copy chief

Artie Bennett, who has done a splendiferous job of checking all the ob-

scure words in this trilogy and probably knows more than I do about the

ancient language, although his Urgal is a mite weak; Chip Gibson, grand

master of the children’s division at Random House; Nancy Hinkel, pub-

lishing director extraordinaire; Joan DeMayo, director of sales (much ap-

plause, cheers, and bowing!) and her team; Daisy Kline, who with her

team designed the wonderful and eye-catching marketing materials; Linda

Palladino, Rebecca Price, and Timothy Terhune, production; a bow of

thanks to Pam White and her team, who have helped to spread Eragon to

the four corners of the world; Melissa Nelson, design; Alison Kolani, copy

editing; Michele Burke, Michelle Frey’s dedicated, hardworking assistant;

and everyone else at Knopf who has supported me.

At Listening Library: Gerard Doyle, who brings the world of Alagaësia

to life; Taro Meyer for getting the pronunciation of my languages just

right; Jacob Bronstein for pulling all the threads together; and Tim Dit-

low, publisher of Listening Library.

Thank you all.

One more volume to go and we shall reach the end of this tale. One

more manuscript of heartache, ecstasy, and perseverance. . One more co-

dex of dreams.

Stay with me, if it please you, and let us see where this winding path

will carry us, both in this world and in Alagaësia.

Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!

Christopher Paolini