If you are new to the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series, the easiest way to get started is to read the series novels first, and then move on to the Legends of Lasniniar. A Visitor's Guide to the Elves of Lasniniar may be read at any point, but is best enjoyed after reading at least the novels.
Warning! These references include spoilers for later novels in the series. Proceed at your own risk.
The Common Tongue is the first language of Greater Humans, and is usually understood as a second language by the other races, although less so by those who have limited interactions with those not of their own kind. The various tribes of Lesser Humans each have their own dialect, which is derived from Common.
The language of the Sea Folk is unknown to outsiders. No record of translation exists.
The Elven Tongue is the oldest of all the languages, having been brought to Lasniniar by the elves when they fled Ralvaniar. Many place names in Lasniniar are Elvish in origin as a result.
Greater Humans often name their children in the Elvish fashion, in memory of more peaceful times when the elves were close allies. Otherwise, the language has fallen into disuse among them and even scholars have forgotten it.
A is ‘a’ as in ‘fare’ when following a vowel in the first syllable, otherwise ‘a’ as in ‘far’.
E is ‘ee’ as in ‘steep’ when preceding a vowel, ‘e’ as in ‘step’ when before a consonant, and ‘a’ as in ‘ape’ when it is the last letter in a word.
I is ‘ee’ as in ‘steep’ when preceding a vowel or when it is the last letter in a word, otherwise ‘i’ as in ‘pin’.
O is ‘o’ as in ‘low’ when following a vowel or the letters K or L, or when it is the last letter in a word, otherwise ‘u’ as in ‘fun’.
U is always ‘oo’ as in ‘stool’.
Y is always ‘y’ as in ‘yellow’, NOT like in ‘symptom’.
C is always hard and pronounced as ‘K’, NEVER ‘S’.
G is always hard as in ‘green’, and NOT soft as in ‘rage’.
N is always emphasized.
R is always clipped, as in the pronunciation of the Spanish word ‘rapido‘.
TH is always soft, as in ‘think’, NOT hard as in ‘then’.
adan: old/elder
adar; adain; adari: elves; elf; elven
adarim: sprites (Ancient Elvish, always plural)
adil: lord, suffix for male names (eg. Daranadil)
alfia: silver
andir: wisdom/wise
arana; arani; aran: songs; song; singing
arin: wind
aron: man, suffix for male mortal names (eg. Golaron)
balas: mist/misty
bascuru: forgotten
beli: wild
Beliadar; Beliadain: Wild Elves; Wild Elf
cari: lost
Cariadar; Cariadain: Lost Elves; Lost Elf
Carisina; Carisin: Lost Ones; Lost One
Carivanyar: The Lost Wanderer
curu: learnéd
Curusina; Curusin: Learnéd Ones; Learnéd One
dali: divide
daran: earth/land, used in names of geographic regions (eg. Adar Daran)
Daranadar; Daranadain: Earth Elves; Earth Elf
darian; daria: isles; isle, suffix for island names (eg. Rasdaria)
darili: sand
daro: deeps (underground)
delari: swamp
dira: fens
eadros; eadro: hills; hill, used in hill names (eg. Vila Eadros)
eran; era: eyes; eye
eru: watch, watcher
erumari; erumar: watchtowers; watchtower (eg. Belierumar)
fal: young
falan: fey
falas: pass
Falnun; Falnuna: Lesser Humans; Lesser Human
felara: quicksilver (Ancient Elvish)
feo: vast
feria: sorrow
fini: shroud
gali: withered
galid: make, craft
glaurinu; glaurin: dragons; dragon
gol: shadow
Goladar; Goladain: Shadow Elves; Shadow Elf
goro: wasted
halas: haven
hamad; hamadi: mountains; peak, used in mountain names (eg. Hamadi Glaurin)
hamudi; hamud: caves; cave
huras; hura: hunters; hunter
iadro; iadra: fair (m); fair (f) (in appearance)
iar: shining
iara: white
ion: hope
iro: folk
kore: forsworn
Koresina; Koresin: Forsworn Ones; Forsworn One
lamas; lama: mirrors; mirror
lasni: rebirth/reborn
Lasniniar: The Realm of Rebirth, the continent that is the elves’ current home
lavi: north, northern
levni: vessel
Levniquenya: Vessel of the Quenya
lin: light
Linadar; Linadain: Light Elves; Light Elf
loda: errant
luni: moon
lynia: lady, suffix for female names (eg. Andirlynia)
lys: flame, fire
Lysiro: Fire Folk
mal: rush
malia: rapid/fast/quick
mari; mar: towers; tower, used in tower names (eg. Mar Arin)
mela: forest, wood, prefix for forest names (eg. Melaquenya)
Meladar; Meladain: Wood Elves; Wood Elf
meliar: tree
meru: home
nal: city, precedes city names (eg. Nal Nungalid)
nelar: shifting
niar: world/realm
nimrili; nimril: shells; shell
non: rise/rising
nonia: slip
num: strong, strength
nun; nuna: mortals; mortal
Nunadan: Greater Humans
Nundaran; Nunadaran: dwarves; dwarf
nungalid; nunagalid: craftspeople; craftsperson
oroma; orom: fangs; fang
pelo; pela: plains; plain, used in plain names (eg. Pelo Goro)
Quenya: source of all life and magic (no English equivalent)
Quenyadar; Quenyadain: Quenya Elves; Quenya Elf
rali; ral: streams; stream
ralla: rolling
ralva: twilight, twilit
Ralvaniar: The Twilit Realm, the elves’ island of origin
ras: body of water (ocean, lake, sea), used in body of water names (eg. Suloras)
Rasadar; Rasadain: Sea Elves; Sea Elf
Rasiro: Sea Folk
rasna: bay, used in bay names (eg. Rasna Luni)
rasni: pool
riel: maiden, suffix for female names (eg. Lodariel)
ril: river, prefix for river names (eg. Riliara)
salimara; salimar: dreams; dream
sav: face
silva: sun
silvanon: sunrise, dawn
silvaran: sunset
sina; sin: ones; one
sinstari: night
sinta: sky, heavens
Sintadar; Sintadain: Sky Elves; Sky Elf
Sintari: The Fallen One
sintatorim; sintator: sky horses; sky horse
stari: dark, darkness
Stariquenya: Dark Quenya, title for the stolen portion of the Quenya that is corrupted by Saviadro
starmo: foul
sulo: stagnant
tala; tal:borders; border
tari: fallen
tel: barrier
telan; tela: stars; star
telari: starlight, starlit
tiag: jagged
torim; tor: horses; horse
urgan; urga: ogres; ogre
urki; urk: trolls; troll
valan; vala: waves; wave
valion: hidden
vanya: wandering, wander
vanyar: wanderer
varsil: catalyst (Ancient Elvish)
vila: south, southern
wyn: maid, suffix for female names
yabron; yabro: goblins; goblin
ylsaria: chaos (Ancient Elvish)
The Dwarven Tongue is only spoken by dwarves and is never taught to outsiders.
A is always pronounced ‘a’ as in ‘far’.
E is always pronounced ‘e’ as in ‘step’.
I is ‘i’ as in ‘ill’ when preceding the letters L and N, otherwise it is ‘ee’ as in ‘leer’.
O is always ‘o’ as in ‘low’.
U is always ‘oo’ as in ‘stool’.
G is always hard, as in ‘green’, and NOT soft as in ‘rage’.
H is guttural, almost a ‘kh’ sound.
R is clipped like in Elvish, but heavier.
arga; argan: elves; elf
bara; bar: roots; root
barag; baragu: trolls; troll
bil: polished
bol: south, southern
daram: jagged
darga: forsworn
delana; delan; delano: wanderers; wanderer; wandering
dogal: haven
Dogalmoludu: Dwarfhaven
falmara; falmar: traitors; traitor
fidara; fidar: forges; forge
fundo: fallen
gal: great
galzamad; galzamadu: Greater Humans; Greater Human
garmul: sunset
golud; goludu: ogres; ogre
grisha; grishan: goblins; goblin
halga; halgan: mountains; mountain
hamlug: pass
hilgura; hilgur: tunnels; tunnel
iamo: slipstream
igla; iglan: rivers; river
khalid: flame
khamud: cave
Khamudkir: the Lone Cave
kiru; kir: ones; one
Kirfundo: The Fallen One, Saviadro’s title
Kirudarga; Kirdarga: Forsworn Ones; Forsworn One
labod: north, northern
Lazmir; Lazmiru: Learnéd (p); (s), title
lo: deep
Lomolud: Dwarvendeep
malg: gold, golden
molud; moludu: dwarves or dwarven; dwarf
mul: sun
nal: home
Nalmolud: Dwarvenhome
narilgu; narilga: diamonds; diamond
nogu: narrow
orgu: barrier
palodu; paloda: sapphires; sapphire
rallu; ralla: jewels; jewel
raz: watch
Razmoludu: Dwarfwatch
rin: maker
rugu; rugo: stone; stone
torgu; torga: roads; road
tralan: silver
zaga: daddy
zamad; zamadu: humans; human, also refers to Lesser Humans
zol: wind
The Black Tongue is the second-oldest language after Elvish. It was originally spoken by the dark creatures of Ralvaniar. Later, it became the tongue of Saviadro, Arinmalia, and their minions. Now only trolls, ogres, and goblins speak it fluently.
Darkling Men and Arinmalia’s drakhalu and changelings learn it only as a second or third language, after their own original dialect and the Common Tongue. As a result, many of the dark creatures are forced to speak a bastardized version of the Black Tongue, combined with Common, in order to make themselves understood by their Darkling Men and drakhal peers.
A is always pronounced ‘a’ as in ‘far’.
E is always pronounced ‘e’ as in ‘step’.
I is always ‘ee’ as in ‘leer’.
O is always ‘o’ as in ‘low’.
U is always ‘oo’ as in ‘stool’.
G is always hard, as in ‘green’, and NOT soft as in ‘rage’.
R is rolled, like the letter rr in the Spanish ‘perro‘.
Z is pronounced as ‘ts,’ as in the Japanese ‘tsunami’ when it is the first letter of the word, otherwise it is ‘z’ as in ‘maze’.
ashu; ash: ones; one
azmul: empty
bruluku; bruluk: trolls; troll
chamdu; chamdun: mortals; mortal, also refers to Lesser Humans
chazudu; chazud: towers; tower
darkhali; darkhala: streams; stream
darkhalu; darkhal: rivers; river
drakhalu; drakhal: vampires; vampire
gaz: fire
grimbaku; grimbak: goblins; goblin
khashad: lord, master, Saviadro’s title when capitalized (first ‘h’ is dropped in compound words if preceded by a prefix ending in a consonant)
khashada: mistress, Arinmalia’s title when capitalized (first ‘h’ is dropped in compound words if preceded by a prefix ending in a consonant)
khlavad: death
markhulu; markhul: body of water plural; singular, (ocean, lake, sea), used in body of water names
maruku; maruk: pools; pool
mir: rush
Nambatul: the tainted Quenya (Stariquenya in Elvish)
nar: dark
narchamdu; narchamdun: Darkling Men; Darkling Man/Woman
Narashu; Narash: Dark Ones; Dark One, title of the Forsworn
orag: first (born), eldest, title of Vlazkashad if capitalized
oragchamdu; oragchamdun: Greater Humans; Greater Human
orashadu; orashad: drakes; drake
orashu; orash: dragons; dragon
prochamdu; prochamdun: dwarves; dwarf
prokhalu; prokhal: mountains; mountain
puloku; pulok: plains; plain
saradokhulu; saradokhul: wastes; waste
shadvaru; shadvar: elves; elf
slavu; slav: dreams; dream
trembl: trick, tricky
Tremblashu; Tremblash: Tricky Ones; Tricky One, title of the Learnéd
uroku; urok: ogres; ogre
vlaz: night
vorslovu: forgotten
zash: black
zukhul: forest
