Thuum.org

A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Thuum.org

A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Question Board


NidGrozeinVothniTalos
January 24, 2014

Reposted:Contractions

I forgot to login before posting.Krosis.

 

Drem yol lok.Long time user,first time using the forum.

I'm not trying to nit pick,I understand the translator isn't going to be perfect.I'm just wondering if I'm right on this translation.

My friend recently introduced me to the song "Hail to the King" by Avenged Sevenfold that (because of my long-term obssesion) immediately made me think of Skyrim. I began to wonder if the song would sound good in Dovahzul,so I used the translator for the first few lines.

I thought it turned out really well,but noticed the translator couldn't translate "I'll".I went to the dictionary and I was unable to find it.Ever since beating the game the third time,I assumed all forms of "I" to be "Zu'u" because Alduin's dying words are "Zu'u unslaad!Zu'u nis oblaan!" (I'm eternal!I cannot die!).Because Zu'u is used as both "I'm" and "I",would it be safe to assume there is no need in a helping verb following?

Category: General


2


Tinvaakfuntkoraavaan
March 21, 2014

It's not a bad joke because it would be too soon, but because Dovahzul has far less redundant words than English and in many cases a different syntax structure. "I am eternal" and "I eternal" are semantically equal - there is no difference in meaning. The "am" is still obligatory in English because English syntax does not allow for a sentence without a verb (so we fill the gap with an auxiliary verb that now has no meaning in and of itself in the given context) - Dovahzul on the other hand does not share such grammatical constrictions.

But http://thuum.org/learn/grammar/nouns.php says it better than me.


1


paarthurnax
Administrator
January 24, 2014

Depending on the context you might not need a helping verb. Dovahzul doesn't have contractions like "I'll" or "I'm" so if you wanted a literal translation you'd have to split it up like "I will" or "I am". Here you might want to keep "will" because "I have it cut from your head" means something rather different than "I will have it cut from your head".

The cool (or challenging!) thing about translating songs is that you can play with the lyrics to make them fit the language and the verse. "Watch your tongue, I'll have it cut from your head" would literally translate to "Lingraav hin sahkren, zu'u fen lost nii vey nol hin klov." Unless you can speak really fast, it's going to be rough to make this work!

So, perhaps we switch things up and translate this line to "Lingraav sahkren uv lost nii vey nol hin klov". This literally means "Watch (the) tongue or have it cut from your head". It's close to the original and fits to the rhythm.


0


NidGrozeinVothniTalos
January 24, 2014

Thank you,Paarthurnax.Now the only problem I'll be facing is everytime I defeat Alduin,I'll be thinking of him saying "I eternal!I cannot die!".Surely now you can say you're happy;he had the grammer of a modern day high schooler.


0


NidGrozeinVothniTalos
January 24, 2014

I'm sorry,it's much too soon to joke like that.