Books History Geography CharactersItems Prophecies TemplatesThis dictionary was compiled by Aaron Bergman in 1998 and remains one of the best Old Tongue references. It is reproduced here in its entirety.
Aaron,
Since it disappeared from the UT website, we have been unable to find an official copy of The Compleat Old Tongue on the web to link and we do not have current contact information for you. If you happen to see this, please drop us a line and let us know if we have your permission to keep this copy on EWoT (in which case we will acknowledge the permission) or not (in which case we will remove it).
A compilation of the documents of me, BAClubb, Mark, and Andrea Leistra. Also drawn upon is the long letter that Don Harlow was nice enough to send. I compiled, typed, and edited this document. I did not, however, find most of the words. Robert Jordan has written a letter on the subject. It is available here. Many people have also sent e-mails with words and other suggestions.
In an attempt to provide a definition for the majority of cases, certain linguistic assumptions were made that seem to be characteristic of the majority, although not all, of the Old Tongue statements in the series. These are assumptions about word order. The first is the characteristic word order of the sentence: predicate-verb-subject. Many of the sentences follow this with the notable exception of "Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin." In my opinion. For more information on this exception, see the corresponding entry. It has been suggested that I also assume that the adjective would precede the noun, but there are numerous examples that seem to contradict this, so I have elected not to do this. By looking at the cross-referenced phrase, one can draw one's own conclusions. Many assumptions have also been made based on the idea that "an", "in" and "en" all seem to indicate pluralization. One of the major problems with attempting to compile this list is that I do not believe that Mr. Jordan made an effort to provide a basis for the Old Tongue until after The Eye of the World. This is evidenced by the failure of phrases like "Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin" to follow established word order. Jordan has said that this is not true, however.
After thinking about it, I have decided to not include phrases from the Language of the Fourth Age, the Ogian Language and the Trolloc Language.
Key: ? indicates uncertainty Words and fragments: a = /preposition or article/ a'dam = the leash /see "dam"/ a'vron = watcher /see "vron"/ aan = one aan'allein = one man /see "aan" and "allein"/ aethan ?= shelds /see phrase "aethan dor"/ aiel = dedicated ailen = ??? /see "ta'maral'ailen"/ ain ?= is /see note 1/ al = the /or/ of the al'cair'rahienallen = the golden dawn hill /see "cair", "rahien" and "allen"/ alcair = the golden /see "cair" algai'd'siswai ?= the fighters of spear /see "gai" and "siswai"/ alantin = brother aldazar = the eagle /see "dazar"/ aldieb = westwind algode = cotton allein = man allen ?= hill allende = ??? /see phrase "Muad'drin..."/ aman ?= dragon an = /pluralization/ /see note 2/ angreal = /tool of the power/ aridhol = ??? /a city of the second covenant/ asa = you asmodean = ??? /contraction of real name?/ aso = it atha ?= person atha'an ?= peoples /see "atha" and "an"/ aven ?= call avende = tree avendesora = the Tree of Life avendoraldera = Cutting/Sapling of Tree of Life ayende = release/freedom baha = ??? /see "nar'baha"/ balthamel = ??? /a Forsaken/ bajad = ??? /see phrase "bajad drovja"/ be'lal = ??? /a Forsaken/ bekkar ?= blood ca = ??? /see "ca'lyet"/ ca'lyet = do come /conjugation of "to come"/ cab ?= free /see note 3/ caba = horse caba'donde = a horse to ride /see "caba", "donde"/ caba'drin = cavalry/horsemen caballein = free man /see "cab" and "allein" and note 3/ cadin ?= clothes /see "cadin'sor"/ cadin'sor = working clothes cair = gold cal = red caldazar = red eagle /see "cal" and "dazar"/ calhar = red hand /see "cal" and "har"/ calichniye = welcome car = chief car'a'carn = Chief of Chiefs carai = for the honor /or/ honor carn = chiefs chalinda = sweet girl choss = ??? con = banner concion = summons conje = a type of needle cour = trap /see "cour'souvra"/ cour'souvra = mindtrap cor = night corenne = return cova = owner /see "mia'cova"/ covale ?= owned one /see "da'covale"/ cuanda = ??? cue = heart cueran = ??? cuebiyar = heart cuebiyari = hearts /see "cue" and phrase "valdar cuebiyari"/ cuendillar = heartstone d = of da ?= superlative /see phrase "da'es daemar" and "da'shain"/ da'covale = person who is owned da'es ?= great /see phrase "da'es daemar"/ da'shain ?= true peace /see note 4 and phrase "da'shain aiel"/ da'tsang = despised one dadaranell = ??? /see phrase "mafal dadaranell"/ daemar = game /see phrase "da'es daemar"/ daghain = fear /see phrase "Mordero..."/ dai = battle /see note 4/ daishar = glory /perhaps literally "battle blood"/ dal = bowl dam = leash damane = leashed one /see "dam" and "aan"/ dar = ??? /see phrase "Muad'drin..."/ dar = sister darei = spears dareis = spear dazar = eagle demandred = ??? /a forsaken/ deveniye = majesty din = brother diynen = sounder /see "diynen'd'ma'purvene"/ diynen'd'ma'purvene = Sounder of the Horn /see phrase "Nosane..."/ do ?= over /a preposition/ doon = ??? /see phrase "seia doon"/ domashita ?= warms /see phrase "Ninte..."/ domorakoshi = language /see phrase "Nosane..."/ don = ??? /see "gai'don"/ donde ?= to ride /see "caba'donde"/ dor ?= red /see phrase "aethan dor"/ dornat = some sort of hunting creature dore ?= dancer /see "n'dore"/ dovie = /rel. to luck/ /see "dovie'andi" and "dovienya"/ dovie'andi ?= dice /see phrase "Dovie'andi..."/ dovienya = luck drelle = river of drin = soldiers drovja = ??? /see phrase "bajad drovja"/ duadhe ?= water duente = holds /see phrase "Mordero..."/ dyo = by e = and en = /pluralization/ /see "jeade'en", "shae'en" and note 2/ es = ??? /see phrase "da'es daemar"/ ellisande = rose of the sun faile = falcon far = of ga ?= is /see phrase "Kodome..."/ gai = battle /See note 4/ gai'don = ??? /see phrase "tarmon gai'don"/ gai'shain = pledged to peace in battle /see note 4/ gaidin = battle brother /warder/ /see "gai" and "din"/ govane = what /see phrase "Nosane..."/ graendal = ??? /a forsaken/ hael = ??? /see "m'hael"/ hailene = forerunners hame = mountain /See phrase "Hama N'dore"/ har = hand haran ?= hand of /see phrase "Shaidar Haran"/ hei = always in ?= /pluralization/ /see note 2/ inde = no /or/ not /general negation/ iro = we /see phrase "Nosane..."/ isain = is /see note 1/ isainde = isn't /contraction/ /see "isain" and "inde"/ isha ?= betrayer /possibly no 'a'/ ishamael = betrayer of hope /a Forsaken/ /see "isha" and "mael"/ jeade = /contranction of "jenn" and something?/ /see "jeade'en"/ jeade'en = true finder jegal = scaled animal jenn = truly /or/ true jhin = ??? /see "so'jhin"/ ji = honor kardon = green skinned fruit from a leafless spiny plant kiserai = glory kjasic = expletive kodome ?= here /see phrase "Kodome..."/ lanfear = daughter of the night /a forsaken/ logoth ?= waiting /see phrase "shadar logoth"/ los = forward lyet = ??? /see "ca'lyet"/ m = ??? /prefix?/ /see "m'hael" and "m'taal"/ m'hael = leader m'taal ?= dogs /see phrase "shae'en m'taal"/ ma = the /see "diynen'd'ma'purvene"/ ma'vron ?= watchers over the sea /contraction/ /see "miere" and "vron"/ machin = ??? /see phrase "machin shin"/ mad = ??? /see "sha'mad"/ mael = hope mafal = ??? /see phrase "mafal dadaranell"/ mahdi = seeker mahdi'in = seeker(s) /suffix is pluralization?/ mai = maiden(s) man = /related to sword or blade/ /see "mandarb", "manshima"/ mandarb = blade manetheren = mountain home manetherendrelle = waters of mountain home /see "manetheren" and "drelle"/ manshima ?= sword /see "man", phrase "Suravye..."/ maral = ??? /see "ta'maral'ailen"/ marath ?= those who must /see "marath'damane"/ marath'damane = those who must be leashed /see "damane"/ mashadar = the creature in Shadar Logoth /see "shadar"/ mashiara = beloved of heart /or/ a love lost mera ?= nothing mera'din = brotherless mesaana = ??? /a forsaken/ mi = my mia = my mia'cova = my owner miere = ocean/waves misain = am /see note 1/ moghedien ?= spider /a forsaken/ mordero = death /see phrase "Mordero..."/ Moridin = the grave /as in death/ moridin = grave /or/ tomb muad = foot muad'drin = ??? /see "muad" and "drin"/ muaghde ?= meat n'dore ?= dancers /See phrase "hama n'dore"/ nar = ??? /see "nar'baha"/ nar'baha = fool box nei ?= knife /see phrase "sovin nei"/ ni = ??? /see phrase "Kodome..."/ niende ?= lost /see phrase "Sa souvraya..."/ ninte = your ninto = your no = me /first person singular pre-verb direct object pronoun/ nosane = speak /see phrase "Nosane..."/ oosquai ?= whiskey /or some other alchoholic beverage/ ordeith = wormwood pas = none /see phrase "Mordero..."/ purvene = horn /see "diynen'd'ma'purvene"/ rahien = dawn rahvin = ??? /a forsaken/ rhadiem = ??? /see phrase "Muad'drin..."/ rhyagelle = those who come home sa = /superlative prefix/ sa ?= in /see phrase "Sa souvraya..."/ sa'angreal = very strong Power channel /see "sa" and "angreal"/ sa'sara = "superlative" dance /see "sa" and "sara"/ sag ?= time /see "sagain"/ sagain = it's time /see "sag", "ain" and phrase "Dovie'andi..."/ sai = /related to power/ saidar = female half of power /see "sai" and "dar"/ saidin = male half of power /see "sai" and "din"/ sam ?= destroyer sammael = destroyer of hope /a forsaken/ /see "sam" and "mael"/ sar = she sara = dance /see "sa'sara"/ se = themselves /reflexive pre-verb pronoun/ segade = cactus seia = ??? /see phrase "seia doon"/ semirhage = ??? /a forsaken/ sene ?= as/like /see phrase "Sene..."/ serenla = stubborn daughter sha = ??? /see "sha'mad"/ shaidar = dark /see phrase "Shaidar Haran"/ sha'mad = ??? /see phrase "sha'mad conde"/ shadar = shadow /see phrase "shadar logoth", "mashadar"/ shae ?= dog /see "shae'en"/ shae'en ?= dogs /see phrase "shae'en m'taal"/ shaiel = she who is dedicated /see aiel/ shain ?= peace /see note 4/ shambayan = chamberlain shan ?= lord shar ?= blood /see "tai'shar" and "daishar"/ shari ?= bloods /plural of "shar"/ shatayan = chatelaine shen = band shoufa = dustveil sin = he siswai = spear siswai'aman = spear of the dragon so = ??? /see "so'jhin"/ sofar = ??? so'jhin = /hereditary upper servants of the blood/ sor ?= working /see "cadin'sor"/ sorda = rat sorei = runner(s) sovin ?= hands /see phrase "sovin nei"/ souvra = mind /see "cour'souvra"/ souvraya = my own mind /see phrase "Sa souvraya..."/ sovya ?= another /see phrase "Sene..."/ staera = copper scraping stick sul ?= holder /see "sul'dam"/ sul'dam = leash holder /see "dam"/ suravye = ??? /see phrase "Suravye..."/ sursa = chopsticks t'mat ?= tomato ta = /rel. to pattern/ ta'maral'ailen = web of destiny /around ta'veren/ /see "ta"/ ta'veren = focal point of pattern /see "ta"/ taal = ??? /see "m'taal"/ tai ?= true /see "tai'shar"/ tai'shar = true blood tain = /plural of "tai"/ taishite = ??? /see phrase "Suravye..."/ tarmon ?= last /see phrase "tarmon gai'don"/ tcheran = a strategy game tel'aran'rhiod = world of dreams /or/ unseen world ter = ??? /see "ter'angreal"/ ter'angreal = object that directs or uses one power /see "angreal"/ ti = to tia = to toh = obligation/duty tovya = roll /probably third person plural reflexive form/ tsag = expletive tsang ?= hated one /see "da'tsang"/ tuatha = /contraction involving "atha"./ tuatha'an = Traveling People /see "tuatha" and "atha'an"/ vadin = bar/barrier val ?= guard /see "valdar" and "valon"/ valdar = /rel. to "guard"/ /see "val" and phrase "valdar cuebiyari"/ valdon ?= that guards /see "val" and phrase "tar valon"/ vron = watcher(s) wansho = builder(s) ya = my own /suffix/ /see "souvraya"/ ye = I zemai = maize or corn
Note 1: "Misain", "isain" and "ain" all appear to be forms of the verb "to be".
Note 2: According to Jordan, the -n or -i suffix can both mean pluralization.
Note 3: "Caballein", it has been suggested, might be a contraction of "caba" and "allein" meaning "horseman". The use of it as "free man" would then be a cultural thing. This would avoid the creation of the new word "cab" meaning "free".
Note 4: "Dai" and "gai" seem to both mean battle. Also, "Da'shain" and "Gai'shain" are very much alike. "Shain" seems to mean something along the lines of "sworn to peace". There is also "Dai Shan" which sounds somewhat alike but means "Battle Lord". Draw your own conclusions.
Aaron Bergman
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