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

It should be noted that spelling of some words vary throughout the novels, due to dialectal differences or just author's mistakes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elder Speech English ichaer blood, gene inis island invaerne winter ire other, another

Elder Speech English kelpie kelpie Ker’zaer [2] Emperor (Nilfgaardian dialect)

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

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

Elder Speech English naev’de nine of neén not

Elder Speech English pavienn ape pest pestilence, plague, blight pherian halfling, hobbit pont bridge

Elder Speech English que that quirk, quirk phonetic representation of the sound sparrows make

Elder Speech English raenn run rhena queen (Skellige dialect) ruadhri raiders (ellylon) Roethainne [2] Redanian

Elder Speech English saov spirit, soul, ghost? (See: Wikipedia:Samhain#Etymology) savaed One eighth of the year in the elven calendar scoia’tael squirrel(s) seidh hill, mound seidhe of hills, hill's shaent sing sidh elf (dryad dialect) sledd sled sor’ca little sister spar shoot (verb) spar’le shoot him squaess excuse; forgive stráede road, path

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

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

Elder Speech English wedd child weddien diminutive form of 'wedd', child; kiddo wen white (also as -wen) woed, woéd, woedd wood; forest

Elder Speech English yeá so, yes yghern Giant centipede yn on, over, upon ys downward

Elder Speech English zireael swallow (bird) zvaere swear (to take an oath)