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Hello everyone. I'm Stardreamer... and basically I love fantasy. After reading the Lord of the Rings at age 13, I decided that I also love writing fantasy. I now have two completed rough drafts, one finished draft that is in the query process, and I'm having fun writing new drafts.
Now, I know this sounds an aweful lot like an introduction. Why? Because, in a way, it is. I'm new around here, but I already love what I'm seeing, and after reading a few of the threads, I got inspired to post one of my own.
In the novel I'm writing titled "Eldrie", I have several differend laguages, most of them incomplete linguistically, but already being spoken in the book. Yes, I use some of the traditional fantasy creatures (elves, dwarves, centars, etc...) but I also have some non-traditional creatures.
We'll start with the Eldrie. "Eldrie" is the the singular and plural elvish form of the word "star". At the moment I won't go into why the book is titled Eldrie because that would just plain take too long. This post is titled "Etaric" though, because the correct celestial word for star is "Etar" (singular) or "Etar'ah" (Plural). "Etar" is the general form of the word. "Etahn" is the male version, and "Etahl" is the female version. (the plural forms would be etahn'ah and etahl'ah)
Compared to the elvish language (which at this point is much more complete than this one), Etaric is only drafted into a loose form. However, Etaric is a much more complicated language than Elvish. Each word means something, but not nessisarily in the way that we think of that thing.
Here are a few examples:
1) Eúrt-mar : (the “éu” sound is pronounced like a mix between the sounds of “er” and “ur”… I really can’t better describe it…) there is no exact translation into English for this word. The closest one can come is covered over in your birthplace, or, covered over in soil. Quite literally, “buried”. Still, the word means more than that, as its original rough translation clearly states. Dakore used this word in his etaric song in chapter 3. There are other words that could be translated into the English word, “buried”, but each one translates to a different degree.
2) Vhén = (“vh” makes a sound similar to a mix between a “v” and a “gh” or “ċh” sound… at least, that’s the closest I can describe it. It’s made by making the “v” sound, at the same time maybe trying to make the “gh” sound in the back of the throat.) the phrase “has been” to the closest it can be translated. A phrase meaning in a time previous, the (something being spoken of) was or did something in the past, but (perhaps) is so, or is doing so, no longer. (if you can work your way through and understand it...*silly grin*)
3) Éyċhahr = the etaric equivalent to the English word “morning” or “dawning”. Means literally, “dawn-time”
4)Nélíen = “new-life” or “birth”. Also, “New Waking”, which is the etaric spring season. In Dakore’s song, the kind of “strung-together” phrase, eúrt-mar-fé’nélíen replaces the English word “planted”. This is because, that phrase literally translates to, “buried for new-life” Which is the same basic principle of the word “planted” in the English form when referring to a seed or vegetation of any kind.
I actually have written part of a song that one of my characters (Dakore) sings. It is incomplete, but it was fun to compose it, especially with the language so loosely based. I've written other songs in elvish, which are lots of fun to sing, especially when no one really knows what you're saying. *silly grin*.
So, what d'ya think?
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