Soul Seeker (The World of Lasniniar Book 1) (56 page)

Z
is pronounced as
ts
as in the Japanese
tsunami
when it is the first letter of the word, otherwise it is
z
as in
maze
.

Languages of Lasniniar

The Common Tongue/Common

The Common Tongue is the first language of Greater Men, and is usually understood as a second language by the other races, although less so by those who have limited interactions with those not of their own kind. The various tribes of Lesser Men each have their own dialect, which is derived from Common.

The Elven Tongue/Elvish

The Elven Tongue is the oldest of all the languages, having been brought to Lasniniar by the elves when they fled Ralvaniar. Many place names in Lasniniar are Elvish in origin as a result.

Greater Men often name their children in the Elvish fashion, in memory of more peaceful times when the elves were close allies. Otherwise, the language has fallen into disuse among them and even scholars have forgotten it.

adan
: old/elder

adar/adain/adari
: elves/elf/elven (
Linadar
=Light Elves,
Quenyadar
=Quenya Elves,
Sintadar
=Sky Elves,
Goladar
=Shadow Elves,
Meladar
=Wood Elves,
Rasadar
=Sea Elves,
Daranadar
=Earth Elves,
Beliadar
=Wild Elves)

adil
: lord, suffix for male names

alfia
: silver

andir
: wisdom/wise

arana/arani/aran
: songs/song/singing

arin
: wind

aron
: man, suffix for male mortal names

balas
: mist/misty

bascuru
: forgotten

beli
: wild

cari
: lost

curu
: learnéd (
Curusina
=Learnéd Ones,
Curusin
=Learnéd One)

dali
: divide

daran
: earth/land, used in names of geographic regions (
Adar Daran
=Land of the Elves,
Daran Nunadan
=Land of Greater Men,
Daran Falnun
=Land of Lesser Men)

darian/daria
: isles/isle, follows island names (eg.
Rasdaria
=Isle of the Sea)

daro
: deeps (underground)

dira
: fens

eadros/eadro
: hills/hill, used in hill names (eg.
Eadros Balas
=Hills of Mist)

eran/era
: eyes/eye

eru
: watch/watcher

erumari/erumar
: watchtowers/watchtower (
Belierumar
=Watchtower of the Wild,
Erumar Nunadaran
=Dwarfwatch)

fal
: young

falan
: fey

falas
: pass, used in pass names (eg.
Telanfalas
=Pass of Stars,
Vila Falas
=Southern Pass, etc.)

feo
: vast

feria
: sorrow

fini
: shroud

gali
: withered

galid
: make/craft

glaurinu/glaurin
: dragons/dragon

gol
: shadow

goro
: wasted

halas
: haven

hamad/hamadi
: mountains/peak, used in mountain names (eg.
Hamad Lys
=Mountains of Fire,
Tel Hamad
=Barrier Mountains, etc.)

hamudi/hamud
: caves/cave, used in cave names (eg.
Sin Hamud
=Lone Cave)

huras/hura
: hunters/hunter

iadro/iadra
: fair (m)/fair (f) in appearance

iar
: shining

iara
: white

ion
: hope

iro
: folk

kore
: forsworn (
Koresina
=Forsworn Ones,
Koresin
= Forsworn One)

lamas/lama
: mirrors/mirror

lasni
: rebirth/reborn

lavi
: north/northern

levni
: vessel (
Levniquenya
=Vessel of the Quenya)

lin
: light

loda
: errant

luni
: moon

lynia
: lady, suffix for female names

lys
: flame/fire

mal
: rush

malia
: rapid/fast/quick

mari/mar
: towers/tower, used in tower names (eg.
Mar Ras
=Tower of the Sea)

mela
: forest/wood, prefix for forest names (eg.
Melaquenya
=Forest of the Quenya)

meliar
: tree

meru
: home

nal
: city, precedes city names (eg.
Nal Nungalid
=City of Craftsmen)

nelar
: shifting

niar
: world (
Lasniniar
=World of Rebirth,
Ralvaniar
=World of Twilight)

nimrili/nimril
: shells/shell

non
: rise/rising

nonia
: slip

num
: strong/strength

nun/nuna
: mortals/mortal (
Nundaran
=dwarves,
Nunadan
=Greater Men,
Falnuna
=Lesser Men)

nungalid/nunagalid
: craftsmen/craftsman

oroma/orom
: fangs/fang

pelo/pela
: plains/plain, used in plain names (eg.
Pelo Goro
=Wasted Plains)

quenya
: source of all life and magic (no English equivalent)

rali/ral
: streams/stream, prefix for stream names (eg.
Ralibascuru
=Forgotten Streams)

ralla
: rolling

ralva
: twilight/twilit

ras
: body of water (ocean/lake/sea), used in body of water names (eg.
Sintaras
=Sky Lake)

rasna
: bay, used in bay names (eg.
Rasna Luni
=Bay of Moon)

rasni
: pool, used in pool names (eg.
Rasni Salimara
=Pool of Dreams)

riel
: maiden, suffix for female names

ril
: river, prefix for river names (eg.
Rilralnonia
=Slipstream River)

salimara/salimar
: dreams/dream

sav
: face

silva
: sun

silvanon
: sunrise/dawn

silvaran
: sunset

sina/sin
: ones/one

sinstari
: night

sinta
: sky/heavens

stari
: dark/darkness

starmo
: foul

sulo
: stagnant

tala/tal
: borders/border

tari
: fallen (
Sintari
=Fallen One)

tel
: barrier

telan/tela
: stars/star

telari
: starlight/starlit

tiag
: jagged

urgan/urga
: ogres/ogre

urki/urk
: trolls/troll

valan/vala
: waves/wave

valion
: hidden

vanya
: wandering/wander

vanyar
: wanderer (
Carivanyar
=The Lost Wanderer)

vila
: south/southern

wyn
: maid, suffix for female names

yabron/yabro
: goblins/goblin

The Dwarven Tongue/Dwarvish

The Dwarven Tongue is only spoken by dwarves and is rarely taught to outsiders.

arga/argan
: elves/elf

bara/bar
: roots/root

barag/baragu
: trolls/troll

bil
: polished

bol
: south/southern