This article summarizes what is understood about Ayleidoon (sometimes known as Elvish[1]), the language used by the Ayleids.
Ayleidoon Origins and AftermathEdit
The language of the Ayleids, like other Elven languages, shares a common ancestry with the Aldmeris language. Because of this, Ayleidoon shares many words with the other languages of Mer, such as "Bal", which means "stone" in both Dark Elvish and Ayleidoon. These qualities are only present between the languages of Mer.
In the aftermath of the Alessian Slave Rebellion, as the Ayleids migrated and split up, distinct regional dialects began to form. The language of Men (modern Cyrodilic or Tamrielic) appears to have been partially based on the dialect of Ayleidoon found in Cyrodiil, resulting in that variant being referred to as "Old Cyrodilic". Another variation that arose was unique to the Ayleids who lived in Valenwood, possibly influenced by the cultural exchange between the Ayleids and the local Bosmer.[2][3]
Ayleid SettlementsEdit
Below are the names (and their translated meanings, where available) of all known Ayleid settlements throughout Tamriel.
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Ayleid GrammarEdit
- Possessive Case: When referring to something's ownership of an object, an "e" is added to the end of the noun. This applies no matter where the noun is placed in relation to the object in question. For example, "Umarile Abasel" would translate to "Umaril's Forbidden Hall." "[The] Forbidden Hall of Umaril", however, would translate to "Abasel av Umarile". Notice that the added "e" is often used after the preposition "av" when denoting possession, although this is seemingly not always the case.
- Plurals: When referring to more than one object, an "i" is added to the end of the word. For example, "Sel" ("hall") becomes "Seli" ("halls"). The ending "is" is added to words that end in vowels such as "varla" which means star becoming "Varlais" meaning stars. This can also be seen in "brelye" meaning beech tree and its plural "brelyeis" meaning beech trees. Using this logic "mora" meaning a wood should become "morais" meaning woods.
- Compound Words: The Ayleid language is largely composed of compound words. These words are typically a combination of adjective + noun or noun + noun. In the latter case of two nouns (Noun1Noun2), it is normally safe to assume that the word means "Noun2 of Noun1", as in the word "Ceysel" ("shadow"+"hall"), which translates to "Hall of Shadow." When a compound word becomes plural, the normal rules apply. Note that "i" at the end of a word in a compound only denotes plurality of the word it is placed after. For example, the word "Laloriaran" is made up of the words "La" ("time"), "Lor"("dark") and "Aran"("King"). The "i" at the end of "Lori" presumably denotes plural. This means that "Lalori" becomes "dark times" instead of "dark time", which would be "Lalor". "Laloriaran" therefore means "King in dark times".
- Imperatives: In the Ayleid language, imperative verbs generally have "-voy" as a suffix. Sometimes, the imperative is identical to the infinitive.
- Definite Article The Ayleid language does not normally use a definite article. Therefore, "aran" might mean "a king" or "the king". However, when a definite noun is part of an adverbial phrase, particularly after an imperative verb, the article "an" can be added before the noun (e.g. "Epevoy an anyadena pado an sunnand", "Speak the life-treaty before the blessed-stone")*.
- * "An" should be read as "the" when translated, but the two words might not be entirely synonymous.
Ayleid DictionaryEdit
Below is a list of known Ayleid words that were, for the most part, extracted from the names of ruins found in Cyrodiil. Definitions are provided when known. Because of the large number of compound words in the Ayleid language, many words in the list will have similar parts.
AEdit
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BEdit
CEdit
DEdit
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EEdit
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FEdit
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GEdit
HEdit
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IEdit
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JEdit
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KEdit
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LEdit
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MEdit
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NEdit
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OEdit
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PEdit
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REdit
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SEdit
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TEdit
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VEdit
WEdit
YEdit
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Sentences, Proverbs and IncantationsEdit
From the Lore:Ayleid Reference Text and Denel:
- Av molag anyammis. — "From fire, life."
- Av latta magicka. — "From light, magic."
- Av mafre nagaia. — "From frost, death."
- Magicka sila. — "Magicka shines/waxes."
- Magicka loria. — "Magicka darkens/wanes."
- Suna ye sunnabe. — "Bless and blessed be."
- Barra agea ry sou karan. — "Wear lore as your armor."
- Agea haelia ne jorane emero laloria. — "Wisdom learned by pain is a reliable guide in dark times." [literally, "Terrible wisdom never betrayed the loremasters."]
- Va garlas agea, gravia ye goria, lattia mallari av malatu. — "In the caverns of lore, ugly and obscure, shines the gold of truth."
- Vabria frensca, sa belle, sa baune, amaraldane aldmeris adonai. — "The foaming wave, so thunderous, so mighty, heralds the lordly Elves."
- Nou aldmeris mathmeldi admia aurane gandra sepredia av relleis ye brelyeis ye varlais. — "Our exiled Elven ancestors heard the welcoming gifts of peace in the streams and beech trees and stars." ["Mathmeldi" means literally "from-home-driven."]
From Umbacano:
- Av Sunna Tam Riel arctavoy an Arpen Aran malaburo! — "Upon this bright crown acknowledge [the] Noble [ie, True] King loving-vassalage."
- Av Auri-El ye Tamri-El dellevoy an Arpen Aran tarnabye! — "By Auriel and Tamriel, grant [imperative] [the] Noble [ie, True] King passage."
From Umaril the Unfeathered:
- Heca! — "Begone!/Stand aside!"
- As balangua, Ehlnada racuvar! — "By my power, the mortal gods shall be cast down!"
- Abagaianye Ehlnadaya! — "I do not fear your [mortal] gods!"
- Rahtan Pelinale na anda! — "Pelinal's reach is long!"
- Asma bala ni hilyat sino? — "By what power [do] you follow me here?"
- Man kana mitta abasel Umarile? — "Who dares enter Umaril's forbidden hall?"
- Pelinal na vasha. Sa yando tye. — "Pelinal is gone [dead]. So also [will] you [be]."
- Shanta, ehlno. Tyavoy balangua! — "Come, mortal. Taste my power!"
From the Ayleid Ghost:
- Ma seate … auta! Auta! — "What [saete] … disappear! Disappear!"
- Tarcellanen? — "Did I endure?" or "Did [you] endure/resist me?"
- Ge epea veyn! Eve as gravia lambe ye lael. — "It speaks to me! But(?) by ugly tongue and throat."
- Ne goria! Heca! Delia ye metana Gandra Lambe, sino. — "Not obscure/secret! Begone/Stand aside! Go(?) and take [the] Gift Tongue, here/there."
From the Fragmentae Abyssum Hermaeus Morus:
- Hyrma MORA pado ADA oia NAGAIA aba AGEA cava APOCRA dena GORIA gandra ARCAN — "Herma MORA before (THE) GOD(S) eternal DEATH forbidden KNOWLEDGE [cava] [APOCRA] treaty OBSCURED gift MAGIC"
Which can be understood as a great shortening of this much longer incantation:
"Hermaeus Mora, elder than Ada, Abyssal Cephaliarch, hearken to the plea of this unworthy, for I come to barter for knowledge denied. That which I seek is named on this parchment, which I consume in your honor, O Demon of Knowledge. For my desire to know is beyond reckoning, and in recompense, whatever price is named shall be met."
From the Loriasel Tablets Notes:
- Epevoy an anyadena av Irraie pado an sunnand. — "Speak the life-treaty of Irrai before the blessed-stone."
- Can an canomora racuvarima. — "Call the Daedric herald who was cast down."
- Arctane va ceye av Irraie. — "Accept the shadow of Irrai."
- Malatu ye nemalatuis shauta ry relle asva relleis. — "Truth and not-truth come as water within many-waters."
GalleryEdit
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As oiobala Umarile, Ehlnada racuvar. - By the eternal power of Umaril, the mortal gods shall be cast down.
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Ayleid runes on a stone tablet
NotesEdit
- "Tel Var" is supposedly an adaptation of the Ayleidoon word for "Silver Star",[UOL 4] which would imply that the original Ayleidoon word was similar, albeit slightly different (probably "Tel Varla").
- Ayleidoon sounds similar to the languages of Faerie and Nymph, but the connection shares no vocabulary.[63]
- Uncivilized "wild elves" were originally intended to be encountered as enemies in Daggerfall, who could be non-hostile to players fluent in Elvish, before they were cut from the game.[1]
- Ayleidoon is used as a direct predecessor and translator for Falmer. Calcelmo's Stone in Skyrim has many words from Falmer that are used to help translate Dwemer as well, meaning that translations for all of these rely on the Ayleidoon language.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b Elvish skill in Daggerfall
- ^ a b The Wild Elves — Kier-Jo Chorvak
- ^ Eminaire's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f g Count Verandis Ravenwatch's dialogue in ESO
- ^ a b c d Glories and Laments — Alexandre Hetrard
- ^ a b c d Bisnensel: Our Ancient Roots — Scholasticus Incognitus
- ^ a b c d Eld Angavar loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b Garlas Agea loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b Hectahame loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b c Laeloria loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b c Lipsand Tarn loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b c Cleansing of the Fane
- ^ a b Molavar loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b c Naril Nagaia loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b Nonungalo loading screen in ESO
- ^ a b Fire's Grip
- ^ a b The Adabal-a — Morihaus
- ^ a b Janus' Journal — Janus
- ^ a b Silyanorn Ruins loading screen in ESO
- ^ Irrai's dialogue during Eyes of Azura in ESO
- ^ a b c d Ravenwatch Research: Veawend Ede — Count Verandis Ravenwatch
- ^ a b Narsis Dren's dialogue during Ayleid Altercations in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Umaril the Unfeathered's dialogue in Oblivion: Knights of the Nine
- ^ a b Moranda zone names in Oblivion
- ^ a b Hireling messages from Sixul the Thorough in ESO
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Ayleid Reference Text — Raelys Anine
- ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 5
- ^ a b The Monomyth
- ^ a b Aedra and Daedra
- ^ Laeni's dialogue during The Voice of the Village in ESO
- ^ a b c The achievements "Echoes of Wisdom/Life/Death" from the Waking Flame Achievements being unlocked by acquiring the Crystal Animus Agea/Anya/Nagaia (respectively)
- ^ a b The Song of Pelinal, v 1
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nilata Search Plan
- ^ a b c d e f g The Remnant of Light — Beredalmo the Signifier
- ^ a b c d Stone Guardian's dialogue during Puzzle of the Pass in ESO
- ^ a b c Angalayond
- ^ a b c Baron Wylon Montclair's dialogue during Dream-Walk Into Darkness in ESO
- ^ a b c d e Umbacano's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ a b c [Set Translation of Umbacano's speech 1]
- ^ Queen Ayrenn's full Elvish title, "Ayrenn Arana Aldmeri", translates to "Queen Ayrenn of the Aldmeri Dominion" and adjectives come after their noun
- ^ a b The Truth in Sequence — Deldrise Morvayn, Fourth Tourbillon to the Mainspring Ever-Wound
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Loriasel Tablet Notes
- ^ a b Nenalata zone names in Oblivion
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ayleid ghost's dialogue during A Mysterious Curio in ESO
- ^ Belda in Oblivion
- ^ Ceyran, Warlord of Rulanyil's Fall — Merethic Society
- ^ a b [Set Translation of Umbacano's speech 2]
- ^ a b c The Prophet's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ a b The Song of Pelinal, v 2
- ^ a b Online:Loremaster Celarus
- ^ Umaril's Radiance Guar name in ESO
- ^ a b c d Magic from the Sky — Irlav Jarol
- ^ Larelleis
- ^ Wynaldia's dialogue during The Lightless Remnant in ESO
- ^ Umaril's Radiance Wolf name in ESO
- ^ a b c Denel's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ a b Stone Tablets item description in Blades
- ^ a b c Remanada
- ^ Bartholomew's Theory
- ^ Saresea's dialogue in ESO: Scribes of Fate
- ^ Umaril's Radiance Elk name in ESO
- ^ Umaril's Radiance Senche name in ESO
- ^ A Scholar's Guide to Nymphs — Vondham Barres
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.