Dwergan

Dwarvish

An Avlissian language by Orleron, KinX, Vergilius and Deider

A Dwarvish Grammar Primer

Simple Sentences

Dwarvish follows the word order structure of English to determine the function of a word in the sentence. This is the subject-verb-object word order. For example:

I buy a shield.
Mich caufoch washelg. = I buy shield.

Dwarvish is a simple but robust language. The particles ?a? and ?the? do not exist in dwarvish. Dwarvish also has no verb tenses. This means that the following sentences?

I buy a shield.
I bought a shield.
I will buy a shield.

are all translated as: Mich caufoch washelg.

Dwarves usually understand through the context of a sentence which tense is intended. When the meaning is ambiguous, dwarves use time words to clarify. For example.

Mich caufoch washelg voromlag.
I bought a shield yesterday.

Mich caufoch washelg nairlag.
I will buy a shield tomorrow.

Dwarvish has no plural forms. So again the sentences?

I bought a shield.
I bought shields.

are both translated as: Mich caufoch washelg.

Again, dwarves usually understand from the context of the conversation, but in ambiguous situations numbers or adjectives are used. For example:

Mich caufoch dwei washelg.
I bought two shields.

Mich caufoch vieluth washelg.
I bought many shields.

Speaking of adjectives, as in English adjectives are placed in front of the nouns they modify.

Mich caufoch dwei beddegh washelg voromlag.

I bought two old shields yesterday.

Negative sentences are also simple. To make a negative sentence, add the word for no, ?nae,? before the verb.

I did not buy a shield yesterday.

Mich nae caufoch washelg voromlag.

I will not buy a small shield tomorrow. I will buy a big shield.

Mich nae cauloch klein washelg nairlag. Mich cauloch grobbi washelg.

Dwarves have a very tight-knit clan and guild-based culture. As such, they understand each other very well, to the point that they can often finish each others? sentences. So when it would be understood, the subject is sometimes omitted from a sentence. For example:

I bought a shield = 'mich caufoch washelg,' but many dwarves would simply say 'caufoch washelg.'

Pronouns and 'to be'

In English, the personal pronouns change when converted from subject to object (I versus me, for example). This is not the case in dwarvish.

I/me ? mich

We/us ? wair

He/him ? ee

She/her ? ie

It ? edh

You ? daibh

They/them ? siad

This ? ses

That ? din

Example sentences:

We bought old armor.

Wair caufoch beddegh pantsung.

They attacked us.

Siad anspoch wair.

You killed him!

Daibh mabtoch ee!

She will not bless me.

Ie nae behnoch mich.

In many languages the verb ?to be? is irregular. Not in dwarvish. The dwarvish verb ?aeoch?, to be, does not change.

I am a dwarf.

Mich aeoch dwerven.

She is not nice.

Ie nae aeoch gehagh.

Gorethar is a good deity.

Gorethar aeoch gude deigott.

Chapter 3: Expressing Possession

There are two ways to show possession in dwarvish. The first uses the conjunction 'ov,' which means 'of.'

Veld Ov Vurbren aeoch heir.

The Fields of Fire are here.

Verifoch mich ov haut.

I sold my house.

The second is even simpler. Just combine the words signifying the owner and the possession:

Verifoch michhaut.

I sold my house.

Michwashelg aeoch beddegh.

My shield is old.

Fifur killed my friend.

Fifur mabtoch michvruend.

Imperatives

Dwarvish verbs are not conjugated. The only exception is when it comes to giving commands. All dwarvish verbs end with ?och. Dropping ?och from a verb results in its imperative form.

Rauf! Rauf!!

Run! Run!!

Dlomm heir

Come here.

Nae versa!

Don't die!

Mabt siad!

Kill them!

Expressing Desires

The verb 'wofeloch' means 'to want.'

Wofeloch washelg.

I want a shield.

Ee wofeloch michhaut.

He wants my house.

Wofeloch ceudert gude dwergen!

I want a hundred good dwarves!

'Wofel' is a dwarvish noun meaning 'desire, want.' When 'wofel' precedes a verb, the following expression can be made:

Mich wofel caufoch washelg.

I want to buy a shield.

Ie wofel fascoch madeugh.

She wants to see her mother.

Mich nae wofel mabtoch daibh.

I don?t want to kill you.

Conjunctions, Conditionals, and Explaining Reasons

Conjunctions can be used to combine simple sentences into complex ones. Conjunctions are used in dwarvish exactly as they are in English. A list of common conjunctions follows:

And : ind

Because : wegoir

But, yet : bach

If : wem

Or : nad

Famoch tighmann ind caufoch washelg voromlag.

I went to the store and I bought a shield.

Anspoch din muc bach ee nae versaoch.

I attacked that orc but he didn?t die.

Verifoch michtuxt ov staidh wegoir edh aeoch flamh.

I sold my steel axe because it was dull.

Wair desufoch aalen nad leanr.

We will drink ale or beer.

The word 'wem' can be used with the adverb ?mann?, which means ?then,? to form conditional sentences.

Wem famoch tighmann, mann caufoch nudh washelg.

If I go to the store, then I will buy a new shield.

The conjunction 'wegoir,' which means 'because,' can be used to explain reasons.

Famoch tighmann voromlag wegoir wofel caufoch nudh washelg.

I went to the store yesterday because I wanted to buy a new shield.

Prepositions

Prepositions come before the words they modify, as in English. Below is a list of common dwarvish prepositions:

Above : ciob

After : nair

Before : vorom

Behind : hintacht

Below : fon

By : de

For : cal

From : bhon

In front of : coivern

In, inside : ain

Of : ov

On : oin

To : chau

With : meit

Examples:

Moan aeoch ciob Galdos, bach nae faschoch.

The moon is above Galdos, but I never see it.

Michbreakel aeoch ain haut, hintacht miedlach.

My pickaxe is in the house, behind the forge.

Muc dlommoch bhon fon garnel.

The orcs came from below the tunnel.

Drop your weapon on the road!

Grib daibhwaffen oin stragenaan!

I bought this shield for you.

Caufoch ses washelg cal daibh.

Asking Questions

In written dwarvish, interrogative questions start with a question word and end with a rune that denotes that the question is a sentence. This rune is analogous to the English question mark. Also similar is the fact that when dwarves speak a question they end the sentence with a rise in tone. In other words, asking a question in dwarvish is the same as asking one in English. Below is a list of dwarvish question words:

Who : cor

What : cas

When : cuan

Where : co

Why : cashalb

How : cie

How much, how many : cieliol

Which : celch

Cor aeoch din lelbfing?

Who was that half-elf?

Cas aeoch ses waffen, ind co aeoch dlommoch bhon?

What is this weapon, and where did it come from?

Why did you attack me?

Cashalb daibh anspoch mich?

Which shield do you like, the red or the blue one?

Celch washelg daibh wofeloch, rodh nad blorm?

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses use the appropriate question word to best describe the noun they modify. In English, where ?that? is used the word for ?what,? ?cas,? is used instead. For example:

The elf who killed my father

Fing cor mabtoch michvadeugh

The ore that I smelted yesterday

Merz cas mich leagoch voromlag.

The stronghold where they fought the battle

Hochbol co siad neutoch shlegh

When I was a boy, I wanted a long beard.

Cuan mich aeoch laddie, wofeloch buang feubart.

Time expressions

A list of common dwarvish time words is detailed below:

Second : dakun

Minute : pairgen

Hour : stuair

Day : lag

Week : woach

Month : mionat

Year : jahdna

Today = this + day = ses + lag = seslag

Yesterday = before + day = vorom + lag = voromlag

Tomorrow = after + day = nair + lag = nairlag

Similar compound nouns are used to modify the words for week, month, and year. Thus ?voromjahdna? means 'last year' and 'nairmionat' means 'next month.'

More time expressions can be used by combining time words, numbers, and certain prepositions. For example:

Two seconds ago = two second before = dwei dakun vorom

Five years from now = five year after = conf jahdna nair

In twenty-four hours = twenty-four hour inside = dweideihn-veith stuair ain

Come to Deglos in two days.

Dlomm Deglos dwei lag ain.

I learned Elvish ten years ago.

Leornoch finglen deihn jahdna nair.

Culture note: 'mionat' is translated as 'month,' but many dwarves live their entire lives underground and hence never seen the moon. 'Mionat' does not describe an actual lunar cycle, but rather the length of time of the birth and death cycle of a type of glowing fungus that grows in the Underdark. The life cycle of this fungus roughly corresponds to one month.

Saying 'I Can'

In dwarvish the word 'urkit' means 'ability.' When urkit precedes a verb it forms the grammatical expression 'I can (verb).' For example:

Mich urkit fascoch daibh.

I have the ability to see you.

I can see you.

Wair nae urkit vercaloch!

We cannot lose!

Gerunds

Perhaps the hardest thing for foreigners to understand about dwarvish is gerunds. Just as dwarvish verbs do not distinguish between tenses, they also do not distinguish the gerund form. So 'see', 'to see,' and 'seeing' are all expressed by the word 'fascoch.' This sometimes creates sentences that are hard for non-dwarves to understand, such as:

Desufoch aalen aeoch gude.

Drinking ale is good.

Vercaloth aeoch versaoch.

To lose is to die.

Expressing Likes and Dislikes

The verb meaning 'to like' is 'mesikoth.' The verb meaning 'to hate' is 'fuasoch.'

I like winter, and I hate summer.

Mich mesikoth vinter, ind mich fuasoch zommer.

The imperative forms of the above verbs are also nouns meaning ?preference? and ?dislike.? When they precede a verb the following grammatical construction is formed:

Mich mesik leagoch merz.

I like to smelt ore.

Mich fuas faichoch hochbol.

I hate guarding the stronghold.

Expressing Past Experiences

The noun 'iarfah' mean 'experience.' When it precedes a verb it forms the following grammatical construction:

Mich iarfah famoch Le'Or T'Nanshi.

I have the experience of going to Le'Or T'Nanshi.

I have been to Le'Or T'Nanshi before.

Ee iarfah fascoch nudh gebuid michpantsung?

Has he seen my new yellow armor before?

Cor iarfah famoch Mikona dri jahdna ain?

Who's been to Mikona in the past three years?

Similes and Metaphors

The adjective 'cealich' means 'similar to.' It can be used to form similes, such as:

My mother's beard is black like iron.

Michmadeugh ov feubart aeoch wabh cealich iarsen.

That human fights as hard as adamantium!

Din muine anspoch chart cealich ababel!

Though dwarves do like a good drinking song, dirge, battle ballad, or limerick, they are not fond of metaphor. In fact, they do not use metaphor in their language.

Adverbs

Adverbs always precede the verb they modify. Here is a list of common dwarvish adverbs: Also : auscht

Always : aozeit

Never : noer

Often : trit

Only : unzig

Seldom : senamh

Sometimes : uairmal

Then : mann

I always drink ale before a battle.

Aozeit desufoch aalen vorom shlegh.

Attack the heart only!

Ansp trit herzode!

I never think about the orcs I have killed.

Noer nae smenoch muc cor mich mabtoch.

Adjectives can be made into adverbs by adding ?-in? at the end of the word. Again, adverbs always precede the verb they modify.

She spoke quickly.

Ie lunellin sprucoch.

When he saved me, I felt deep gratitude.

Cuan ee rabhoch mich, toimin fothloch altach.

Passive Voice

Dwarves are a people who believe in actions. This attitude is expressed in their language. In dwarvish there is no passive voice. To quote a famous dwarf linguist, 'Passive voice is for wussies.'

Using the verb 'ferdoch'

'Ferdoch' means simply 'to make.' But dwarves rarely use the verb in its naked form. Being a race of smiths, dwarves almost always combine the verb 'ferdoch' with the noun for the material used in whatever was made. For example:

Mich staidhferdoch washelg.

I made a shield (out of steel).

Mich mitbelferdoch faircham nairlag.

I will make a mithril hammer tomorrow.

Cor iarsenferdoch nudh ambnean?

Who made the new (iron) anvil?

Common Expressions

Last but not least, a list of common expressions in dwarvish for general use:

Hello ' Gorr!! (this is an abbreviation of a phrase that means ?Gorethar bless you?)

Goodbye : gudein rois (lit. trans. : 'journey well')

How are you? : chart faircham? (lit. trans. : 'is your hammer hard')

I am well : lichaba! (abbr. of 'cealich ababel', 'like adamantium!')

Thank you : altach

You?re welcome : kleinmerz ('it's just a small ore?)

Holy smokes, great scott! : ach!

Damn! : verlooghlag! ('forsaken day')

Excuse me : vercalwoarg (lit. trans. : 'lose your anger')

Dictionary

Nouns:

English/Common Dwarvish

ability urkit

adamantium ababel

adult Volwach

ale aalen

alloy mearung

ally Verbond

altar clagta

anger, wrath woarg

anvil ambnean

armor pantsung

arrow pieil

axe tuxt

back (of torso) hintug

balance eveich

bandit raubicht

bartender buftander

battle shlegh

beard feubart

beer leanr

bellows bualg

boulder grobbiges

bow bevergung

boy laddie

castle kargh

child kindligh

coal guhle

copper cupbel

Council raad

desire, want wofel

dew daegh

drum trollan

dwarf, dwarven dwergen

Elf (sing.), Elven fing

elven (language) finglen

experience iarfah

Fall, autumn stherz

father vadeugh

field veld

fire vurbren

fish vish

forest bosfich

forge miedlach

friend vruend

friendly fruendlich

fruit frucht

girl lassie

gnome gnom

god, deity deigott

gold gald

goodbye gudein rois

gratitude, thanks altach

grove hain

guard grimnigh

guild, clan treun

hair haar

half lelb

half-elf lelbfing

halfling berrynkind

hammer faircham

haven, safe place zehebben

heart herzode

here heir

hole lowl

house haut

human muine

ingot caagen

inn gestagh

iron iarsen

journey reisegh

keep (small castle) reikost

leaf bleagh

leather ledar

magic zatagh

metal meghe

mine gruan

mithril mitbel

moon moan

mother madeugh

night naght

No nae

now jenugh

obligation verpiach

orc muc

ore merz

passage durrak

pickaxe breakel

platinum plabel

potion trankplaagh

pound pfent

purpose zwos

raven rabgang

recommendation moyemb

road stragenaan

rock, stone gesraig

Sea aibheis

season jahrozen

shadow schadeugh

shield washelg

silver airbel

something ietwas

spice beschuld

Spring lentuzt

steel staidh

store, merchant tighmann

stranger vreud

stronghold hochbol

Summer zommer

sun szonne

tavern schanke

thank you altach

there doer

thing ding

time zijd

tourist touregh trade (noun) handel traveler reisgander tree beum tunnel garnel undead versanae way weg weapon waffen Welcome velkom Winter vinter wood fiolz Yes aye

Verbs:

English/Common Dwarvish to attack anspoch to be aeoch to bless behnoch to buy caufoch to come dlommoch to die versaoch to dig, mine ruamhoch to do neutoch to drink desufoch to eat esithoch to feel fothloch to fly ilieoch to go, to walk famoch to hate fuasoch to have teuwoch to hope horboch to journey roisoch to kill mabtoch to know kaithnoch to learn leornoch to like, enjoy mesikoch to lose vercaloch to love griboch to make ferdoch to open fosoffoch to recommend moyempoch to run raufoch to save rabhoch to say sairoch to see fascoch to sell verifoch to sing cronnoch to smelt leagoch to speak sprucoch to stand stehoch to think smenoch to want, to need wofeloch to watch, to guard faichoch to win gebuihoch

Adjectives:

English/Common Dwarvish acceptable annedeagh agile aglich all allegh any irgnig armed bewapnend bad shlect big grobbi black wabh blue blorm brown dhaun deep toim dull flamh enduring karagh fast lunell few beparr forsaken verloogh full vollen good gude green grurn hard chart long buang many vieluth new nudh old beddegh pleasant, nice gehagh purple purcur red rodh shallow seilach sharp biorarf short gorurz similar to cealich slow songsam small klein soft weoth white weel yellow gebuid young juch

Adverbs:

English/Common Dwarvish also auscht always aozeit maybe foddecht never noer often trit only unzig seldom senamh sometimes uairmal then mann

Numbers:

English/Common Dwarvish one eaon two dwei three dri four veith five conf six se seven siechd eight oht nine naun ten deihn hundred ceudert thousand taumil

Conjunctions:

English/Common Dwarvish although obged and ind because wegoir but, yet bach if wem or nad

Time Indicators:

English/Common Dwarvish second dakun minute pairgen hour stuair day lag week woach month mionat year jahdna today seslag yesterday voromlag tomorrow nairlag

Question Words:

English/Common Dwarvish who cor what cas when cuan where co why cashalb how cie how much, how many cieliol which celch

Pronouns:

English/Common Dwarvish I/me mich we/us wair he/him ee she/her ie it edh you daibh they/them siad this ses that din

Prepositions:

English/Common Dwarvish above ciob after nair before vorom behind hintacht below fon by de despite tratz during wroid for cal from bhon in front of coivern in, inside ain of ov on oin to chau with meit