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

Alternate Transliteration

 1 

Foduiiz
July 7, 2014

Ahnok, pah.

At some point Bethesda decided certain runes needed double letters to be represented in the Latin alphabet. These diphthongs (aa, ah, ei, ey, ii etc.) give Dovahzul a unique appearance even when written with Latin letters. I decided to play around with different transliterations. The general trend here is that double vowels use a macron accent (ā) and vowel-consonant combos use an acute accent (á):

  • ah : á
  • ey : é
  • ii : Ä«
  • ir (unchanged as it uses an 'r')
  • oo : ō
  • uu : Å«
  • ur (again, unchanged)

This results in some interesting looking scripture...

  • vir bo nÄ«, zémái?

Extract from The Mighty Foduiiz, Death of an Empire:

  • JorÄ«n fāst árk gerik med pusojurre nol leret. Lot ven volk hÄ«m ol hind los sizān. Ä€n dová genun. 

Unrelenting Force Wall:

  • het nok fāl válok
    dénmār do dovágoltz
    árk Än fus do unslād
    rágol árk vulom

What do you guys think? Post your own transliteration methods here!

Guur fah nu. 

 

by Foduiiz
July 7, 2014

Ahnok, pah.

At some point Bethesda decided certain runes needed double letters to be represented in the Latin alphabet. These diphthongs (aa, ah, ei, ey, ii etc.) give Dovahzul a unique appearance even when written with Latin letters. I decided to play around with different transliterations. The general trend here is that double vowels use a macron accent (ā) and vowel-consonant combos use an acute accent (á):

  • ah : á
  • ey : é
  • ii : Ä«
  • ir (unchanged as it uses an 'r')
  • oo : ō
  • uu : Å«
  • ur (again, unchanged)

This results in some interesting looking scripture...

  • vir bo nÄ«, zémái?

Extract from The Mighty Foduiiz, Death of an Empire:

  • JorÄ«n fāst árk gerik med pusojurre nol leret. Lot ven volk hÄ«m ol hind los sizān. Ä€n dová genun. 

Unrelenting Force Wall:

  • het nok fāl válok
    dénmār do dovágoltz
    árk Än fus do unslād
    rágol árk vulom

What do you guys think? Post your own transliteration methods here!

Guur fah nu. 

 


paarthurnax
Administrator
July 7, 2014

Here's my version, more for fun than any sort of accuracy. This is largely based on the spellings of Old English, where "c" is /k/ and "y" is approximately /u/. I also wanted to simplify it so only one type of accent mark (the macron) is used.

Vowels:

  • a : æ
  • o : Å
  • u : y
  • aa : ā
  • ii : Ä«
  • ah : Äh
  • uu : 'y
  • ur : yr
  • ir : ir
  • oo : Å«
  • ey : Ä“

Consonants:

  • j : ch
  • k : c
  • q : k
  • y : j

Resulting in:

  • het nōk fāl vāhlōk
    deinmār dō dōvāhgōlz
    āhrk Än fys dō ynslād
    rāhgōl ārk vylōm

  • ChōrÄ«n fāst āhrk geric med pysōchyrre nōl leret. Lōt ven vōlk hÄ«m ōl hind lōs sizān. Ä€n dōvāh genun. 

by paarthurnax
July 7, 2014

Here's my version, more for fun than any sort of accuracy. This is largely based on the spellings of Old English, where "c" is /k/ and "y" is approximately /u/. I also wanted to simplify it so only one type of accent mark (the macron) is used.

Vowels:

  • a : æ
  • o : Å
  • u : y
  • aa : ā
  • ii : Ä«
  • ah : Äh
  • uu : 'y
  • ur : yr
  • ir : ir
  • oo : Å«
  • ey : Ä“

Consonants:

  • j : ch
  • k : c
  • q : k
  • y : j

Resulting in:

  • het nōk fāl vāhlōk
    deinmār dō dōvāhgōlz
    āhrk Än fys dō ynslād
    rāhgōl ārk vylōm

  • ChōrÄ«n fāst āhrk geric med pysōchyrre nōl leret. Lōt ven vōlk hÄ«m ōl hind lōs sizān. Ä€n dōvāh genun. 


Foduiiz
July 8, 2014

Interesting! I think you missed some k : c changes though. Let me FTFY.

ChōrÄ«n fāst āhrc geric med pysōchyrre nōl leret. Lōt ven vōlc hÄ«m ōl hind lōs sizān. Ä€n dōvāh genun. 

I particularly like the u : y change. I think it adds a lot of character to the text and really resembles old English.

by Foduiiz
July 8, 2014

Interesting! I think you missed some k : c changes though. Let me FTFY.

ChōrÄ«n fāst āhrc geric med pysōchyrre nōl leret. Lōt ven vōlc hÄ«m ōl hind lōs sizān. Ä€n dōvāh genun. 

I particularly like the u : y change. I think it adds a lot of character to the text and really resembles old English.


Foduiiz
July 8, 2014

How about using even more letters, rather than accents... (Warning: gets a bit silly)

Vowels:

  • a : a
  • aa : aa
  • ah : aaa
  • ei : ee
  • ey : eee
  • i : i
  • ii : ii
  • ir : iii
  • o : o
  • oo : oo
  • u : u
  • uu : uu
  • ur : uuu

Consonants:

  • j : dj (imagine 'j' is /Ê’/)
  • k : c
  • g : cc
  • m : nn
  • p : bb
  • q : ccc
  • t : dd
  • v : ff
  • w : v
  • x : cs
  • z : ss

Hmm...

Djoriin faasdd aaarc cceric nned bbusodjuuure nol leredd. Lodd ffen ffolc hiinn ol hind los sissaan. Aan doffaaa ccenun.

hedd noc faal vaaaloc
deeennnaar do doffaaagolddz
aaarc aan fus do unslaad
raaaccol aaark ffulonn

by Foduiiz
July 8, 2014

How about using even more letters, rather than accents... (Warning: gets a bit silly)

Vowels:

  • a : a
  • aa : aa
  • ah : aaa
  • ei : ee
  • ey : eee
  • i : i
  • ii : ii
  • ir : iii
  • o : o
  • oo : oo
  • u : u
  • uu : uu
  • ur : uuu

Consonants:

  • j : dj (imagine 'j' is /Ê’/)
  • k : c
  • g : cc
  • m : nn
  • p : bb
  • q : ccc
  • t : dd
  • v : ff
  • w : v
  • x : cs
  • z : ss

Hmm...

Djoriin faasdd aaarc cceric nned bbusodjuuure nol leredd. Lodd ffen ffolc hiinn ol hind los sissaan. Aan doffaaa ccenun.

hedd noc faal vaaaloc
deeennnaar do doffaaagolddz
aaarc aan fus do unslaad
raaaccol aaark ffulonn


Sahkrahfaas
July 9, 2014

I'm not too good with accents. I'd rather go with the extra letters, however ridiculous it is.

Z'y Ælduin. Zõc sãhrõt dõ nãn cõ lein.

Dõvãhcin, dõvãhkin, nãl õc zin lõs vãhrin. (My tablet won't type the right i)

S'ym ãhrc mõrãh.

 

Ssuu Alduin. Ssocc saaarodd do naaan ko leen.

Doffaaakiin, doffaaakiin, naal ok ssin los ffaaariin.

Suunn aaarcc nnoraaa.

I find the accents harder to remember, but that's just me. I'm not suggesting to use the extra letters, though!

by Sahkrahfaas
July 9, 2014

I'm not too good with accents. I'd rather go with the extra letters, however ridiculous it is.

Z'y Ælduin. Zõc sãhrõt dõ nãn cõ lein.

Dõvãhcin, dõvãhkin, nãl õc zin lõs vãhrin. (My tablet won't type the right i)

S'ym ãhrc mõrãh.

 

Ssuu Alduin. Ssocc saaarodd do naaan ko leen.

Doffaaakiin, doffaaakiin, naal ok ssin los ffaaariin.

Suunn aaarcc nnoraaa.

I find the accents harder to remember, but that's just me. I'm not suggesting to use the extra letters, though!

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