Contributor's Manual
A major focus of this site is the creation of new words for the language. The following are rules and guidelines for submitting new words. Keep these in mind so the review process can go as smoothly as possible!
Spelling
Words in the dragon language are by and large spelled exactly as they are pronounced. The language doesn't use silent letters and rarely uses double consonants. A good rule of thumb is if a letter can be removed without changing the pronunciation of a word, then it should be removed. All words must:
- Be capitalized.
- Use only the letters listed in the Dragon Alphabet.
- No umlauts, acutes, accents, or any other special symbols.
- Use apostrophes only between uu as in the words Thu'um and su'um.
Word Type
Word type denotes which part of speech a given word is (noun, verb, etc.). If you are unsure, check a dictionary for its English translation. Sometimes a word can be multiple parts of speech. If so, simply select which part of speech will be most commonly used.
Canon Level
As the dragon language expands, it is important for us to know the source of each word. For this, we use the term canon level to distinguish between words from the game and other official sources, and words created by fans. There are four canon levels.
Canon
A canon word is a word whose definition is given directly through The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or other official sources, such as the official game guide. If submitting a canon word, please provide a source for your word that the moderators can verify.
Semi-Canon
A semi-canon word is a word based on or derived from a canon word. For example, the word Sahsun, "village", is a fanmade word based on the canon word Sahsunaar, "villager". Because it is based on a canon word, it is semi-canon.
Using canon or semi-canon affixes will not make a word semi-canon. The word Vokorah, "disbelieve", is non-canon. Even though the prefix vo- is canon, its root is the non-canon word Korah.
Semi-canon words also include words found in Skyrim or other official sources whose definitions are guessed or unknown. For example, the word Tuum, "within", is displayed on banners within High Hrothgar that read "Lok Bo Thu'um Tuum." This is guessed to be a translation of the phrase "Sky Above, Voice Within." Since an official translation for Tuum is unknown, it is semi-canon.
Non-Canon
A non-canon word is a word that has no correlation with any existing canon words or semi-canon words.
Non-canon words and above must remain rooted to Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls universe. Words for things or concepts that cannot be found in The Elder Scrolls universe have a special canon level.
Modern
Modern words are words for things or concepts that cannot be found in Skyrim or The Elder Scrolls. These include words such as "airplane", "phone", or "computer". Modern words must be made from existing words that are non-canon or above. This type of word will always be listed as "modern" no matter what other words it uses for a root.
Modern words do not include place names, brand names, or other real-world names, or names from other fictional works. Modern words also do not include terms specific to real-world cultures, such as holiday names or religious terminology that is otherwise not found in The Elder Scrolls.
When submitting a canon, semi-canon, or modern word, be sure to cite a source or which word(s) your word is derived from. This makes reviewing a submission much easier rather than having us try to hunt down and guess which words you used!
Definition
A word's definition should consist of its English translation, or longer explanation if necessary. Translations should be capitalzed and separated by either commas or slashes.
Root Word
If your word is derived from another word, this is the entry number of the root word. You can find a word's entry number in its dictionary entry, after its author and publish date.
Word Notes
This is the place to write any additional information you would like others to know about your word, and will be printed in its dictionary entry. For example, it is helpful to know which existing words your own word is based off of.
Submission Notes
Submission Notes are for you to tell the reviewer any commentary you have on your word, such as how you came up with it. Submission notes are for the submission process only and aren't printed in the dictionary entry once published.
Submitting Name Translations
As a general rule, translations for names will not be accepted. These should be transliterated into the language if no unique name exists. For example, "Oblivion" becomes Oblivion, "Alik'r" becomes Alikr, and "Vivec" becomes Vivek. Arguments can be made for additional name translations.
When Should I Submit A Word?
If you have an idea for a word, you should submit it if it is:
- Not currently in the dictionary and no close synonyms exist.
- A synonym/homonym but has a meaning or connotation significantly different from an existing word.
- A compound word that has a unique meaning that couldn't be obtained from simply putting the words together. For example, the word Qethsegol is translated to mean "stone", but it literally means "bone of the earth". Its meaning isn't a literal translation of its compound.
- A conjugation, plural, or altered form of an existing word that can't be derived from the existing grammar, or is a case special to that particular word. For example, the past participle of the verb Mah, "to fall", is Mahlaan instead of Mahaan.
When Should I Not Submit A Word?
Do not submit a word if it is:
- Already in the dictionary.
- A compound word with the exact meaning of the words it's derived from. There can be exceptions, but most of the time these don't require dictionary entries.
- A conjugation, plural, or altered form of an existing word that can be derived from the existing grammar. For example, Jun, "king", and its plural form, Junne, do not need separate entries.
How The Submission Process Works
All words are reviewed by a moderator. When this happens depends on availability, but in most cases submissions are reviewed within a day or less.
Three things may happen to your submission during review.
Submission Is Accepted
Submissions that are accepted will be immediately published in the dictionary under the appropriate canon level. You might not receive feedback on an accepted submission if nothing was changed.
Submission Is Accepted With Edits
During review, a moderator may make changes to your submission to help better fit it into the dictionary. This may include minor changes such as correcting the word type or canon level, editing the spelling, or more major changes such as changing the root word. In these cases the moderator will provide feedback on why the changes were made. For major changes, a moderator may decline instead and ask your opinion on the changes first. If you disagree with any changes made to your submission, we encourage you to respond to the reviewer with your thoughts.
Submission Is Declined
A submission will be declined if it doesn't follow the rules above or can't be edited in a way that will fit it into the dictionary. You will receive feedback from the moderator on why your submission was declined. A moderator may also decline your submission in order to gain your feedback on suggested changes.
For additional help with submissions, see the FAQ, or if you can't find an answer to your question, seek out the nearest friendly moderator.
