Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Jeroen Hendrickx)
Subject: Sperethiel
Date: Sat Apr 14 16:25:00 2001
Considering Sperethiel, how much (appart from the
vocabulary in Tir Tairngire) of the language is
actually discribed (on phonetical, semantic, and
grammatical level)?

What I know (from Tir Tairngire):

- Verb forms: the present tense and the imperative
voice:
-> seem like there's only one class of verbs
-> uses subjunctive voice for modal purposes (like
old-english, if I'm right)

- Declension:
-> according to Shadowbeat (p.16)Sperethiel has a
dozen declension forms.
-> Tir Tairngire only states four (Nominative,
Genetive, Dative, Accusative). (Eight if counting
Plural forms)
-> Sperethiel uses prefixes for declension, with the
notable exception of nominative plural which has an
affix.

More Questions:
-> is "M'aela j-taam querm talar!" (Harlequin's back)
Sperethiel or is it in the "Elder Language"?
-> Are there any Sperethiel sentences in the SR novels
or adventures? (I do own most sourcebooks, but I don't
have any novels, and only a couple of adventures.)
(only interested in the full sentences, not page
references.)
-> Are there any discriptions, references to
sperethiel in Earthdawn products?
-> Has FASA thought further than the basics provided
in Tir Tairngire and described the whole language (or
it's Celtic corruption)?
-> Has anyone tried (or bothered) to write a serious
grammar/vocabulary for Sperethiel?
-> Is anyone interested in doing so? (or am I the only
nut around here?)

-G|rsom

====Mandragon: Fantasy Archief
Art, tekeningen of wat je het ook wil noemen

____________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @*****.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
or your free @*****.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie
Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Phil Smith)
Subject: Sperethiel
Date: Sun Apr 15 04:15:01 2001
I've posted this before but can't be bothered to sift through the archives
for a URL :)> Any additions would be welcome.

Sperithiel Glossary

This topic came up on the ShadowRN list a while ago, very little came of it,
but I started me off searching for other Sperithiel terms. If there's any I
have missed please mail me with them. More kudos than you can shake an elf
at to Josh (ShadowRN ED Guru) who compiled most of these for me from his
healthy ED collection and inspired me to buy Denzins Of Earthdawn Volume 1
even though there was no way in hell I could persuade my group to play ED,
almost as much kudos to Gurth for the same reasons substituting Tir Tangire
for Denizens of ED.

Sperithiel is the elven language, spoken in Tir Tangire. Despite FASA's
statement that it has nothing to do with any other language, it owes a lot
to the Celtic linguistic group (Tir is "land" in both Gaelic and Sperithiel)
and a little to the Romantic languistic group (qua has roughly the same
meaning in both Sperithiel and French). It was brought into the sixth world
by the Immortal Elves (Harlequin and his ilk), who in turn speak a language
that pre-dates the fourth world. Unfortunaty, only the elven line of dragon
kin lived beyond the second world (if there were anything but elven
dragonkin), so there are no immortal dwarves to teach us the main language
of ED, although if and when the Windlings, Obsidimen and T'scrang come back
they will bring with them their own languages as well as dwarven.

As it says in SR3; just because Sperithiel is the elven language, it does
not mean that all elves speak it, or that folks from the other races do not;
think of it as the language of Tir Tangire (although in the Tir English is
the tongue of buisness and every day life). It is commonly used by magical
students (universities give preference to sutudents with a mastery of
Sperithiel for courses in Thaumagurgy), is spoken by all imortal elves, it
is the language of politics and acedemia in Tir Tangire, use of Sperithiel
greetings and partings are considered quite chic in America and Eurpoe and
any followers of the Path Of The Wheel will find it difficult to reach
Tesrae ti'Mellakabal without having a word for it.

Sperithiel is a very plesant language to hear. It is made up of graceful
and beautifully complimentry sounds. The intonation and context of the
words alter their meanings and reflect the relative positions of the speaker
and the lsitener; surfice to say that it is a complicated language. It is
also a language rapidly changing to fit modern culture and everyday life.

This list is made up mainly of the one from the Denzins Of Earthdawn Volume
1 (both the glosary and the elven culture chapter), along with my additions
from various SR books (not least the Tir Tangire Book), one or two from the
ED BBB, a few from the novels and one or two unofficial ones from various SR
and ED websites. I have found some words which I left out because they
entail things which have dissapeared from rith'im since ED.

Verb Forms
Conjugate verbs using affixes

Indicative Voice
Present Tense
Singular
Fist Person -- -ar
Second Person (Formal) -- -it
Second Person (Familiar) -- -ist
Third Person -- -at
Plural
First Person -- -aris
Second Person (Formal) -- -it
Second Person (Familiar) -- -ist
Third Person -- -at
Imperative Voice
Singular -- -o
Plural -- -osa
Second Person (Formal) -- -int
Second Person (Familiar) -- -intas
Third Person -- -asta

The subjunctive has many forms. Most common are the Normative (standard
could/should/would constructions), Speculative and Poetic.

Noun Forms
Declension of nouns is be context, prefix, or both. The following rules are
the only guideline.

Singular
Normative -- root word with no prefix.
Genitive -- ti-
Dative -- context or to- (long "o" as in "toe")
Accusative -- context or te- (there is an accent over the e. Rhymes with
"say")
Plural
Nominative -- affix -sa
Genitive -- si-
Dative -- context or so- (long "o" as in "toe")
Accusative -- context or se- (there is an accent over the e. Rhymes with
"say")

a -- (conj.) Or
ado -- (adj.) New
adomorel -- (n.) Newly born child, literally "new life"
bagh -- (n.) Daughter, often used as a suffix, -bagh meaning "daughter of
(or "of the") (noun)", hence Tesebagh; daughter of the Dragon
belet -- (adj.) Passionate
Beletre -- (n.) The Passionate, this term technicly refers to followers of
the gods of ED, but is often applied to idol worshipers or occasionally
shamen
Bratch Gheal -- (n.) Paladins; the High Prince's bodyguard in Tir Tangire.
brehon -- (n.) judge
catharel -- (n.) Night one; an elf with a strange skin colour; non-night one
individuals exist with pale green or irridescent, pearly coloured skin but
they are rare
carronasto -- (n.) Stillness; non-motion
carromeleg -- (n.) The elven martial art
cele -- (n.) A non-elf (*there is an accent over the second "e")
celenit -- (n.) Insulting form of "cele" (*again, accent over the second
"e")
ceneste -- (adj.) Forasken
chaele -- (n.) Days
Cinanestial -- (n.) "Skywing," the Tir Tangire national airline
cirolletishs -- (n.) Traveller
cirolle -- (v.) To travel
co -- (prep.) To (*shifts to "con" before a vowell)
consortis -- (n.) Advisor, in a modern sense this commonly refers to
individuals within a corporate structure
dae -- (adj.) Loose
daron -- (v.) To die
desach -- (n.) Change
desachyn -- (adj.) Changed/changing individual; a less insulting word for an
ork or troll than wineg
draesis -- (n.) Wheel
dresner -- (n.) Assistant
eorin -- (n.) Wise; scholars of elven spiritualism in ED, in SR this term is
applied to teachers, priests ect
ekiti -- (n.) Home
faskit -- (n.) Legal code; law
goro -- (n.) Outsider, one who is not a Tir subject; a stranger/tourist
goronagee -- (n.) One apart; especially an elf not part of an elven group
goronagit -- (n.) Insulting form of "goronagee"
goronit -- (n.) Barbarian (insulting). This word has entered trendy English
slang
-ha -- (adj.) Suffix indicating emphatic repetition
heng -- (v.) To speak or understand a language
heron -- (v.) To be alive; to exist
irenis-- (n.) Casteless, indicating no rank
im -- (v.) To be
imiri -- (n.) Memory of something; memorial (see also tarislar)
-it -- Derisive suffix, becomes "-nit" after a vowell
ke -- "of the", changes to "k'" before a vowell
Laes -- (n.) The memory-erasing drug used by the Tir on people who manage to
get across the border (*there is an accent over the "e")
laesyn -- (n.) Someone whose behaviour or memories has been artificially
altered (usually by magic)
laro -- (n.) Son, like daughter, often used as a suffix
li -- (formal) Interrogative affix
li-ha -- "Isn't that so?"
llayah -- (adv.) Literally, "I agree with you" or "I will do it."
lossel -- (n.) One whose lover is like themselves; homo/bisexual
makkaherinit -- (n.) A young and foolish person
makkalos -- (n.) Stupidity
makkanagee -- (adj.) Willfully stupid
masa -- (n.) Birth
mawr -- (n.) Bond; obligation
medaron -- (n.) Death
meleg -- (v.) To feel in a physical manner
Mellakabal -- (n.) Shining Ones; used exclusively in Tesrae ti'Mellakabal;
Nirvana/heaven for followers of The Path Of The Wheel in Tir Na nOg, it
refers to a specific metaplane
meraerth -- (n.) Warrior
mes -- (n.) Path
milessaratish -- (n.) Servant-soldier; bondsman. In current usage, a field
agent or undercover operative
mis -- (v.) To follow
mistish -- (n.) Follower
morkhan -- (n.) A fornicator of swine
morel -- (n.) Life
nage -- (adj.) Willful (*accent on the "e")
-nagee -- (adv.) Willfully
niach -- (n.) Child
niach mawryn -- (n.) Duty of single parents to bring up a child; directly
translates to one who is "child bonded"
od -- (conj.) And
ozidan -- (v.) To leave behind
pechet -- (prep.) Except for
perest -- (v.) To have
perritaesa -- (n.) Scholar; sage. This word is increasingly being used to
mean shaman
qua -- (informal) Interrogative affix
rae -- (n.) (informal) An elf (*accent on the "e")
raegh -- (n.) Lord (non-specific), in crude Sperithiel this has become a
term for anyone who holds a Comital Rank or higher, it is more commonly used
in Mes ti'Raegh; a path follower who has reached the Path Of The Righ.
raen -- (n.) (formal) One who is of the people, an elf (*accent on the "e")
resp -- (v.) To listen
reth -- (n.) Elf. Literally, "listener of harmony."
reth'im -- (n.) Elven culture. Literally, "To be a listener of harmony."
-ri -- Interrogative suffix, also used rhetorically. ("Is that not so?")
rillabothien -- (n.) An unresolved chord in music. Poetically, an unresolved
situation in a relationship
rinelle -- (n.) Rebel; deserter (*accent on the final "e")
sa -- (adj.) Strict/orthadox
sae'retar -- offensive expletive (along the same lines as fuck you!)
sallah -- (n.) Silence; non-speech
samriel -- (n.) Discomfort, implying necessary discomfort as in medical
treatment
se -- Positive beneficial prefix
seorach -- (n.) Divorce, translates directly to sundering
serathilion -- (n.) Attraction that cannot be denied. Demanding desire
serulos -- (n.) Machismo; childish masculinity
sersakhan -- (n.) Friend
seterin -- (n.) Morning , hence se'seterin; bright morning; a greating in
Sperithiel
shatatain -- (n.) A combat stance of carromeleg
shay -- (n.) Forest
sielle -- (adv.) Yes. Literally, "it is the way of things." (also used to
mean thank you)
speren -- (n.) Harmony; peacefulness
sperethiel -- (n.) 1. Speech 2. "Sperethiel" Elvish; the elven language
Taengele -- (n.) An elven liquer made with honey and anise (there is an
accent over the first and last "e")
tarislar -- (n.) Rememberance
teheron -- (n.) Life; existence
tech -- (interj.) Common curse word equivalent to "damn" or "drek"
(*accent
on the "e")
teleg -- (v.) Maintain a comdition. ("telego carronasto" -- keep still)
telenetishta -- (n.) Scholars
telene -- (v.) To learn
telenyn -- (n.) Student
tese -- (n.) Dragon
Tesetelinestea -- (n.) Wizard Island in the center of Crater Lake. No
accuracte translation for this word has ever been given (although Shaeffer
in the TT Sourcebook thinks it means "Skull Of The Dragon" (there is an
accent over the final "e")
Tesetilaro -- (n.) Son of the Dragon; (dragonkin?) Silverblade gives this
name to Talon in Ragnarock
tesrae -- (n.) Citadel or holding
thelem -- (n.) Law of nature (occasionally physics)
thiel -- (n.) Music. Poetically, a pleasant sound
ti -- (prep.) Of. Shifts to t' before a vowel
tir -- (n.) Land
-tish -- (adj.) Suffix. One who, as in "one who (verbs)" or "one who is a
(noun)". Often an "i" is inserted between a consonant and the suffix, as in

"telegitish" (keeper).
veresp -- (v.) To reply, to answer
versoniel -- (n.) Asshole
versakhan -- (n.) An enemy
wineg -- (n.) An ork or troll. (Insulting, as "troglodyte")
-ya -- (mod.) A negator suffix
-yn -- (mod.) One who is subject to (noun), eg "mawryn"; one who has an
obligation to forfill or "serathilionyn"; one who is passionatly in love
zarien -- (n.) Zen-like satori state

Phil
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Zebulin Magby)
Subject: Sperethiel
Date: Sun Apr 15 13:10:01 2001
Anyone know what language the line in Shadowtech "Aert Mae, yog aire un
Twinkie!" is? Beyond that, what does it mean? (I'm thinking something along
the lines of "F**k me, you are a Twinkie!" or something like that...

Zebulin


_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @*****.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Ahrain Drigar)
Subject: Sperethiel
Date: Sun Apr 15 14:30:01 2001
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeroen Hendrickx <jhendr51@*****.co.uk>
Subject: Sperethiel


> Has anyone tried (or bothered) to write a serious
> grammar/vocabulary for Sperethiel?

Personallty, I use Tolkeen's Guide to the Languages of Middle Earth (not
exact title I know). Now it doesn't match to anything in SR so far, but It
does give more than enough, IMHO, to add alot of flavor to a game. And
enough to make cognative sentences too!

I can (re)post the ISBN when I get home, if wanted.

Ahrain

> ====> Mandragon: Fantasy Archief
> Art, tekeningen of wat je het ook wil noemen
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get your free @*****.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
> or your free @*****.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie
>
>
Message no. 5
From: shadowrn@*********.com (shadowrn@*********.com)
Subject: Sperethiel
Date: Mon Apr 16 01:05:03 2001
On Sun, 15 Apr 2001 10:12:50 -0700 "Zebulin Magby" <zebulingod@*****.com>
writes:
> Anyone know what language the line in Shadowtech "Aert Mae, yog aire
> un
> Twinkie!" is? Beyond that, what does it mean? (I'm thinking
> something along
> the lines of "F**k me, you are a Twinkie!" or something like
> that...

No, no, you got it all wrong. It's "Aunt Mae, you are a Twinkie."
Obviously the source of the quote didn't like Spiderman...
;)

--
D. Ghost
Profanity is the one language all programmers know best
- Troutman's 6th programming postulate.
________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Sperethiel, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!