Hen Llinge is the language of the 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 not only by elves, but also by mages and scholars. Sung versions of Elder Speech are used by dryads, sirens, and nereids. Nilfgaardian, Skellige and Zerrikanian dialects all derive from Elder Speech.

Real world origins

Its vocabulary is based heavily on the Celtic languages of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, although in some cases Sapkowski has used also connotations with more "popular" languages, like German and English. The two basic verbs, "to be" and "to have", are borrowed from Italian and Latin.[1]

The author invented the language for orcs and elves,[2] but so far only the latter have appeared in the official continuity.

For the purpose of Netflix's The Witcher, renowned linguist David J. Peterson recreated the Elder Speech as a fully developed constructed language. In contrast with Sapkowski's writings, Peterson's latinization of the language reflects the intended pronunciation, leaving the irregularities to the language's native script (which he had also invented). For example, inváerne is latinized as inveirne and Hen Llinge as Hen Linge.[3]

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Dictionary

A

Elder Speech English a'baeth kiss, to kiss ar of ard mountain, mountainous, upper, top, or "the highest" (From Irish: High) aark, aark phonetic presentation of the sound ravens/crows make abb mouth (of a river) addan, adan dance; dancer; dancing adhart[4] forward aé first person singular subject personal pronoun I (dryad dialect) aecáemm[4] to follow aedd shard, piece aefder later, after aen from, to, for, with, of, in, out of, at, by, down, in, into, until, on, like, as aen'drean enter? aenye fire aesledde ride on a sledge/sled aespar to shoot (from Italian: sparare) aëte summer (From French: été) aevon river (from Welsh: afon, Breton: avon) (glys in Nilfgaardian language) aep of (mostly used for marking hereditary ties) aép in, to aine light (possibly enlightened) an small, also an indefinite article: a, an an'givare informer, spy (From Swedish: angivare, a person who reports someone else's criminal actions) a'taeghane today arse arse (UK), ass (US), butt, rump

B

Elder Speech English ban peak, summit, place/village? (context dependent) (From Welsh: ban/fan) beag[4] little (From Irish: beag) beanna woman (From Irish: bean) beann'shie banshee (From Irish: bean sí) belean'graec[4] important (Possibly derived from Dutch: belangrijk) Birke the fourth savaed in the elven calendar, also Spring Equinox; related to birch tree blath flower (from Irish: bláth) blathan garland; flowers blathanna Genitive: flowers', of flowers (from Irish) blathe the fifth savaed in the elven calendar; possibly 'flowering'? bleidd wolf (From Welsh: blaidd) bloed blood, silly (From Dutch: bloed to mean "blood") (From German: blöd/bloed to mean "stupid") bloede bloody, gory, damn (UK: bloody hell) broggha[4], breoga[5] frog (From Welsh: broga) Brokiloéne of Brokilon, Brokiloni

C

Elder Speech English caed forest; grove (From Welsh: coed) cáelm calm, peaceful, quiet; slowly, quietly; calm, quieten cáemm to go, arrive caen can (verb) caer fortress, castle, keep (kaer in Skellige dialect) (From Welsh: caer) cáerme fate, destiny Cáerme Destiny carn kurgan, barrow, burial mound, cairn carraigh rock (From Irish: carraig) ceádmil greet (in The Witcher appears as caed'mil; also as caedmill), greetings (possibly from Irish greeting: Céad Míle (failte romhat) meaning "one hundred thousand (welcomes to you) ceas'raet[4] empire (of Nilfgaard) ceann head, tip; end (as in end point) (Irish: ceann) cerbin raven cinerea Ilyocoris col pass (mountain pass) (From Welsh: dol) coram lion conyn stalk (as in plant stem) (From Welsh: coesyn) craag rock/cliff (From Welsh: careg/craig) creasa must, necessity, obligation, inevitability, duty crevan fox

D

Elder Speech English daetre behind, back daerienn[4] sorceress, sorceresses darganfod[4] discover, discovery, discovered (From Welsh: darganfod) darl'len[4] read (From Welsh: darllen) dearg red (From Irish: dearg) (Ellylon) dearme sleep; good night (phrase) (From Italian: dormire) deien[4] to serve deireádh end (noun), last, finish (From Irish: deireadh) deith flame deithwen white flame dh'oine human (in The Witcher also in form dh'oinne) (from the Irish for person/people: duine/daoine) dhu black (From Welsh: du, Irish: dubh) dice to speak, to talk (From Spanish: dice) dol dale, dell, vale, valley (Welsh: dôl) d'yaebl devil (in The Witcher both a sword and a wolf bear this name) (From Spanish: diablo)

E

Elder Speech English easnadh sigh (Ellylon) eate summer eigean necessary, must, have to (From Irish: is éigean) eimyr hedgehog elaine fair, beautiful (From Irish: álainn) elle of alder(s) ell'ea okay, alright, correct (interrogative) en indefinite article (a/an) en'leass laced, tied (Ellylon) enid daisy ensh'eass enchanting, enthralling, charming, glamorous (Ellylon) ess to be, is (From Italian: essere / Latin: esse) esse will be, will (From Italian: essere / Latin: esse) essea I am (From Italian: essere / Latin: esse) esseath you are (From Italian: essere / Latin: esse) evall horse (From French: cheval) evellienn everything, all, everybody, everyone evn'gesaen[4] ambassador

F

Elder Speech English feainn sun; also the sixth savaed in the elven calendar feainnewedd Sun-Child, Child of the Sun fen meadow, pasture foilé frantic, mad (From Italian/: folle) folie frenzy (From French folie) fraeren brothers ? (perhaps from Italian: fratelli)

G

Elder Speech English gaeth gate, portal ? gàidh (genitive: gaidth)[4] garden gar'ean note; consider; be careful geas curse; geis is a magical obligation/prohibition in Irish mythology. Also; geas, geasa geehaet[4] hard ghar[4] word gláeddyv (plural: glaeddyvan) sword (From Welsh: cleddyf) glean bottom, low (From Welsh: glan) gleanna valley, possibly genitive: valley's, of valleys gloir[4] glory (From French: gloire) glosse to look, watch, stare gvaern[4] mistress gvalch'ca Falka / Falcon gwen, gwyn white (also -wen) (From Welsh: gwyn) gwent, gwynt[4] wind (From Welsh: gwynt) gwennelen alabaster (in genitive?) gwyd[6] sycamore maple gwynbleidd White wolf gynvael ice

H

Elder Speech English hael greeting (long life to...); health (From English: hail, hale) haela medicine; drug? hanse unit, armed group of friends, gang (From English: hanse) hav'caaren hawker(s); based on Elder Speech word for 'rapacious' (greedy) hen old, oldest (From Welsh: hen) herba[4] herb het[4] it, that (From Dutch: het) holl[4] all (From Welsh: holl)

I

Elder Speech English ichaer blood, (from Ancient Greek: ιχώρ; ichor: blood of the Gods, an ether golden fluid, toxic to humans) imbaelk sprouting inis island (From Irish: inis) invaerne (in) winter (From Italian: inverno)

K

Elder Speech English kelpie kelpie

L

Elder Speech English laeke, loc lake (from Irish: loch) laith lady (Ellylon) lara seagull ledwedd[4] painting lionors lioness (Skellige jargon) llamas maturing llinge language, tongue (from Italian: lingua) loa'then[4] hate (From English: loathing) loc'h lake (Ellylon) (from Irish: loch) Loc'hlaith Lady of the Lake (Ellylon) luned daughter / young girl

M

Elder Speech English marw[4] dies, die (From Welsh: marw/meirw) (from Irish: maradh) me me, my, mine (From Irish; mé, meaning I) meáth meet mid- middle, in the middle of milva kite (bird) (from Latin: Milva) mire look, observe (From Spanish: mira) mistle waxwing, or mistle thrush, also one of the Rats minne love (noun) modron mother (Skellige jargon) morc book, tome muire sea (From Italian: mare)

N

Elder Speech English na or (From Irish: ná) naev'de nine of (From Italian: nove di) neén no, not nell'ea am i wrong? (interrogative, negative form of ell'ea) ninnau[4] we, us; ourselves (From Welsh: nina/ninau) n'te do not

P

Elder Speech English pavienn ape pest pestilence, plague, blight pherian Halfling, hobbit (from Sindarin: perian, plural periannath) pont bridge (From Welsh: pont)

Q

Elder Speech English que that (From Italian: che, French: qui/que) quirk, quirk phonetic representation of the sound sparrows make

R

Elder Speech English raenn run rhena queen rhenawedd[4] queen's daughter/son, princess/prince ? Roethainne[4] Redanian ruadhri riders, horsemen (Ellylon)

S

Elder Speech English salah[4] to pray (From Arabic: صَلَّى (ṣallā)) saov spirit, soul, ghost? savaed One eighth of the year in the elven calendar scoia'tael squirrel(s) (From Italian: scoiattolo) seidh hill, mound (From Irish: Sidhe) seidhe of hills, hill's (From Irish: Sidhe) shaent sing (From French: chanter) sidh elf (dryad dialect) (From Irish: Sidhe) sledd sled sor'ca little sister spar shoot (verb) (From Italian: sparare) spar'le (order) fire; attack squaess excuse (squaess'me - forgive me. From Italian: scusami); to forgive stráede road, path (From Welsh: stryd/From Italian: strada) sh'aente to sing (From French: chanter)

T

Elder Speech English taedh bard, poet te you tearth fear tedd time, age, season thaesse shut up thu[4] you (Nilfgaardian language) (From French: tu) tir land, ground; country (From Welsh/Cornish/Breton/Irish: tir) tirth wild boar tor tower (From Italian: torre, From Welsh: twr, From Irish: túr) torc'h power (Ellylon) treise strength, vigour, power tuathe whisper (Ellylon) tvedeane twelve, dozen twe[4] two

U

Elder Speech English uniade[4] union, uniting, joining; merger (From Welsh: Uniad)

V

Elder Speech English va go (From French/Italian: va) va'en trip, journey vaer'trouv[4] to hope, to trust va fáill goodbye, farewell vara wares; goods (Possibly from Swedish: vara) varh'he[4] bitch vatt'ghern witcher veloë fast, quick; quickly (From Italian/French: veloce) 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 (From Welsh: Wen/wyn) woed, woéd, woedd wood; forest (From Welsh: Coed/Coedwig, also English: wood)

Y

Elder Speech English y of yeá yes, so yghern[4] Giant centipede ymladda[4] combat, fight (From Welsh: Ymladd) yn on, over, upon, one ys downward, from below ysgarthiad[4] shit, excretion

Z

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

'

Elder Speech English 'ere here (Dryad dialect)

Names

Phrases

Elder Speech English Aen me Glaeddyv, zvaere a Bloedgeas, Ard Rhena, Lionors Aep Xintra! By my Sword, I swear Blood Oath, the Highest Queen, Lioness of Cintra! (Skellige jargon) Ayd f'haeil moen Hirjeth taenverde.[4] Conquer with courage rather than strength. A d'yaebl aép arse A devil up your arse Bloede pest Bloody plague (imprecation) Caelm, evellienn! Calm, everyone![8] Caemm 'ere! Come here! (Dryad dialect) Caen me a'baethe? Give me a kiss?[8] Ceádmil, Wedd Brokiloéne! Greetings, Child of Brokilon! Dubhenn haern am glândeal, morc'h am fhean aiesin My glare will pierce through darkness, my brightness will scatter the shadow Duettaeánn aef cirrán Cáerme Gláeddyv. Yn á esseáth The Sword of Destiny has two edges. You are one of them Elaine tedd a'taeghane[8] Lovely weather we're having. Literally: a nice time today En'ca minne Little love (a term of endearment/pet name, akin to 'darling') Ess've vort shaente aen...[8] Sing me a song about... Feainne Ichaer[4] Sun's blood Gar'ean! N'te va![8] Watch out! Don't go in there! Glaeddyv vort, beanna Drop the sword, woman Glaeddyvan vort! Drop the swords! Herba zireael[4] Swallow's herb Ire lokke, ire tedd Another place, another time Ledwedd varlledu cyall, no ghar[4] Paintings should convey emotions, not words (Ellylon) Lambert caen me a'baeth aep arse Lambert can kiss me in the ass N'aen aespar a me[8] Don't shoot me Nell'ea. T'en pavienn, Aen Seidhe. No way. You're an ape, elf. Ni'l ceim siaar[4] Don't let them escape (Ellylon) N'te dice'en[8] Don't say anything N'te va Do not go / stop / halt M'aespar que va'en, ell'ea?[8] Are you going to shoot me or what? Mir' me vara[8] Show me your goods Que'ss aen me dicette, Enid? Vorsaeke'llan? Aen vaine? What [would you say / are you saying??] to me, Daisy? Forsake them? In vain? Que glosse? What are you looking at? Que l'en pavienn, ell'ea? You're just an ape, yeah? Que suecc's? What's going on? Squass'me Excuse me; forgive me Thaess aep Shut up va fáill goodbye Va vort a me, Dh'oine. N'aen te a dice'n. Get away from me, human. I won't say anything to you. Va'en aesledde, ell'ea?[8] We'll go for a sleigh ride, alright? Va'esse deireádh aep eigean, va'esse eigh faidh'ar Something ends, something begins

Writings

Elder Speech English Darl'len, Aen Seidhe![4] Neen evelienn Scoia'tael marw. Cáemm aep woedd, holl Aen Seidhe. Darganfod an uniade ninnau. Ymladda dh'oine. Ess'tedd, esse creasa.[4] Read, Aen Seidhe! Not every Scoia'tael is dead. Come to the woods, all Aen Seidhe. Discover and join us. Fight the humans. It is time, it will be the place. Elaine blath, Feainnewedd Dearme aen a'caelme tedd Eigean evelienn deireadh Que'n esse, va en esseath Feainnewedd, elaine blath Beautiful flower, Sun Child Dream of/in a calm time Everyone must end Thus it will be, gone you are Sun Child, beautiful flower Va fail, elaine - caed'mil, folie! Glaeddyv dorne aep t'enaid, bunn'droh ithne i'yachus[4] Good bye beauty, hello madness. Sword thorn of soul, [unknown, ithne may relate to Irish "ith" or eat, i'yachus may relate to Irish "iach" or "eo"] Thomas Moreau, Professor Ellas k'havani allder aen Dol Naev'de, ellas allder n'corrason. Glorsann a'Aelirenn.[4] Thomas Moreau, Professor Salvation lies not in Dol Naev'de [Valley of the Nine] but in our hearts. Glory be to Aelirenn.

References