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A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Thuum.org

A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Conlang - Algothri

 1 

paarthurnax
Administrator
May 7, 2013

I've started developing a new constructed language for personal use.  I thought I'd share some details here because I always find the creation process interesting.

The language is called High Algothri and is spoken by a nomadic warrior-people who live in the far north and are descended from dragons.  They're similar to the Wildlings in A Song of Ice and Fire in that they live in the north and are very free-spirited  They have kings, but swear fealty by choice, not by law.

Influences on the High Algothri include German and Old English, much like Dovahzul, but features very different spellings, pronunciations, and grammar.

The Algoths value actions and deeds above all else, so the grammar and sentence structure are centralized around verbs.  The first two things I usually start out with when making a new language are pronouns and verb conjugation.  High Algothri is unique in that it combines both of these together, which we'll see below.

by paarthurnax
May 7, 2013

I've started developing a new constructed language for personal use.  I thought I'd share some details here because I always find the creation process interesting.

The language is called High Algothri and is spoken by a nomadic warrior-people who live in the far north and are descended from dragons.  They're similar to the Wildlings in A Song of Ice and Fire in that they live in the north and are very free-spirited  They have kings, but swear fealty by choice, not by law.

Influences on the High Algothri include German and Old English, much like Dovahzul, but features very different spellings, pronunciations, and grammar.

The Algoths value actions and deeds above all else, so the grammar and sentence structure are centralized around verbs.  The first two things I usually start out with when making a new language are pronouns and verb conjugation.  High Algothri is unique in that it combines both of these together, which we'll see below.


paarthurnax
Administrator
May 7, 2013

First, some pronuncations:

  • e + vowel = y + vowel, "eo" = "yo", "ea" = "ya", "eu" = "yu"
  • vowel + e = vowel with umlaut, "oe" = "ö", "ae" = "ä", "ue" = "ü"
  • consonat + r = consonant + "ir", "nr" = "nir", "kr" = "kir"
  • "e" at the end of a word is pronounced like "uh", also is the plural suffix
  • thh = tht, vothhe is pronounced as "voth-tuh"
  • shh = shs, voshhe is pronounced as "vosh-suh"
  • kk = German "ch"

So, a name like "Eolke" would be pronounced like "Yol-kuh".  "Nreutthe" would be pronounced like "near-youth-tuh".

by paarthurnax
May 7, 2013

First, some pronuncations:

  • e + vowel = y + vowel, "eo" = "yo", "ea" = "ya", "eu" = "yu"
  • vowel + e = vowel with umlaut, "oe" = "ö", "ae" = "ä", "ue" = "ü"
  • consonat + r = consonant + "ir", "nr" = "nir", "kr" = "kir"
  • "e" at the end of a word is pronounced like "uh", also is the plural suffix
  • thh = tht, vothhe is pronounced as "voth-tuh"
  • shh = shs, voshhe is pronounced as "vosh-suh"
  • kk = German "ch"

So, a name like "Eolke" would be pronounced like "Yol-kuh".  "Nreutthe" would be pronounced like "near-youth-tuh".


paarthurnax
Administrator
May 7, 2013

Verbs are conjugated by subject and by tense.  All verbs end in "-oth", and then this changes accordingly.  Two suffixes get added onto the root of the verb, first the subject suffix, then the tense suffix.

first p. sin.   -o, first p. pl.   -u
sec p. sin.    -e, sec p. pl.     -eo
third p. sin. -i, third p. pl.  -a

present simple / present progressive    -s
simple past                                            -st
present perfect                                      -d
past progressive                                    -t
future simple                                         -l

So, let's take the verb "elgoth", meaning "to slay", and the noun "vakkr", "dragon":

elgos vakkre - I slay the dragons.                               elgost vakkre - I slew the dragons.
elgus vakkre - we slay the dragons.                           elgod vakkre - I have slain the dragons.
elges vakkre - you slay the dragons.                          elgot vakkre - I was slaying the dragons.
elgeos vakkre - you (pl.) slay the dragons.                elgol vakkre - I will slay the dragons.
elgis vakkre - he/she/it slays the dragons.
elgas vakkre - they slay the dragons.

As shown above a lot can be said with very little.  My concern at this point would be making sure nouns can't get confused for verbs.

by paarthurnax
May 7, 2013

Verbs are conjugated by subject and by tense.  All verbs end in "-oth", and then this changes accordingly.  Two suffixes get added onto the root of the verb, first the subject suffix, then the tense suffix.

first p. sin.   -o, first p. pl.   -u
sec p. sin.    -e, sec p. pl.     -eo
third p. sin. -i, third p. pl.  -a

present simple / present progressive    -s
simple past                                            -st
present perfect                                      -d
past progressive                                    -t
future simple                                         -l

So, let's take the verb "elgoth", meaning "to slay", and the noun "vakkr", "dragon":

elgos vakkre - I slay the dragons.                               elgost vakkre - I slew the dragons.
elgus vakkre - we slay the dragons.                           elgod vakkre - I have slain the dragons.
elges vakkre - you slay the dragons.                          elgot vakkre - I was slaying the dragons.
elgeos vakkre - you (pl.) slay the dragons.                elgol vakkre - I will slay the dragons.
elgis vakkre - he/she/it slays the dragons.
elgas vakkre - they slay the dragons.

As shown above a lot can be said with very little.  My concern at this point would be making sure nouns can't get confused for verbs.


paarthurnax
Administrator
May 7, 2013

For sentence structure, it goes subject-verb-object like English, although it really can't be thought of this way with the subject and the verb being one word.  There aren't separate words for adjectives or adverbs.  Instead, you take a noun and suffix it with "-ge" (of) or "-ve" (with).  These can either precede or follow the nouns or verbs they describe.

So, if you wanted to say, "I'm viciously slaying the red dragon", it would be phrased like "I'm slaying with viciousness the dragon of red."  If you're using a noun for the subject, you would word it as English would intuitively have you, "Eolke slays the dragon", but in Algothri it would really read as "Eolke, she slays the dragon".

If "vakkr" is "dragon", "elgoth" is "to slay", "gan" is "viciousness", and "raug" is "red", then:

Elgos ganve vakkr raugge!

Anyways, just thought I'd share.  Lok, Thu'um.

by paarthurnax
May 7, 2013

For sentence structure, it goes subject-verb-object like English, although it really can't be thought of this way with the subject and the verb being one word.  There aren't separate words for adjectives or adverbs.  Instead, you take a noun and suffix it with "-ge" (of) or "-ve" (with).  These can either precede or follow the nouns or verbs they describe.

So, if you wanted to say, "I'm viciously slaying the red dragon", it would be phrased like "I'm slaying with viciousness the dragon of red."  If you're using a noun for the subject, you would word it as English would intuitively have you, "Eolke slays the dragon", but in Algothri it would really read as "Eolke, she slays the dragon".

If "vakkr" is "dragon", "elgoth" is "to slay", "gan" is "viciousness", and "raug" is "red", then:

Elgos ganve vakkr raugge!

Anyways, just thought I'd share.  Lok, Thu'um.

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