A Lesson in Dragonspeak

[actualcactus]

Thank you so much for this amazing writeup! I've been so curious to learn more about the language and look forward to seeing the continuation!

[Makaijin]

This is all amazing stuff, but I have a request. Is it possible to add the IPA for the examples?

Like for example, with "sj sja[h]s" (vengeance), i'm guessing it's pronounced as [st͡ʃʰas] ?

Or from you description of "ft fta[h]r" (after/later), can i assume it's pronounced as [fθaʰɺ] ? Also, since you didn't really mention, I assume the "r" is an approximant, as having an aspirated [a] followed by a schwa wouldn't really make any sense.

Also from your description of "y dy[h]r" (differ/different), I assume the "y" is a palatal approximant, and since you mentioned it ending into a long vowel, the "r" would more of a schwa rather than a alveolar approximant. So I assume it sounds something close like this, [djʰə].

[Fernehalwes]

One correction

This should be "Forelands" given the examples

Thank you for that catch, Velox! Updated the file.

[Fernehalwes]

More importantly, I've got lore-related questions, in case you're still in the mood to respond.

1) To what extent do the spoken races understand dragonspeak?

The spoken races of Eorzea understand very little about dragonspeak. The fact that contact with most dragons has been sporadic (at best) over the past thousand years, has limited the amount of hands-on study. Because there is no written dragonspeak (other than what has been transliterated) there is really no practical reason to study the language (unless you are a linguist), as that aforementioned lack of contact with anyone who speaks the tongue limits where it can be used/practiced. Couple that with the lack of linguistic scholar-compiled documentation remaining in Eorzea (most all important tomes on dragonspeak contained in the Great Gubal library were taken back to the mainland when the Sharlayans abandoned their city-state) and the simple fact that dragonspeak is nigh on impossible to master without a few thousand years to spare...

The few lucky Eorzeans who have been granted a form of the Echo that allows their brains to decode languages...AND also have been lucky enough to also encounter a dragon in the past few years...are actually the closest anyone has been to the language in several centuries.

2) To what extent do the dragons themselves speak Eorzean?

It is safe to say most dragons can speak Eorzean. They've had a long history of dealing with many different cultures all unable to master dragonspeak, so matching the language of the other party ensures smoother communication. As for reasons why dragons will switch back and forth while speaking with you, well, that ultimately comes down to the mindset of the dragon your speaking with. Some dragons may not realize that you have the Echo, and therefore speak in Eorzean when you first meet (assuming you are like every other non-dragon being he/she has come in contact over the past several millenia). Some dragons may use Eorzea as a way of looking down on you--using your simplistic, underdeveloped language because they see you as equally simplistic and underdeveloped (thanks a lot, Middy). There are also times when a dragon may speak in Eorzean because you are accompanied by people who don't have the Echo. The opposite is also true--a dragon may use dragonspeak when he/she only wants you to know something, and not the people around you.

3) With reference to Q1, assuming that the average Eorzean doesn't understand dragonspeak, what are the chances that reference material can be found in repositories like the Great Gubal Library?

Like I mentioned earlier, the Sharlayans took all their best tomes when they packed up and headed back to their homeland. However, that's not to say there are not some left over. The Sharlayans felt it was best to leave quickly during the exodus, and left behind a lot of stuff (mostly tomes that they had duplicates of, or knew they already had other copies of back on the mainland). I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few books lying around that contained more juicy bits of information.

[PLitz]

So if "morn" translates to "death" in Eorzean. Would it be correct to assume that "akh" translates to "flare"? And if so, what does "afah" translate to?

[Anemone-aura]

Interesting!
Is there any chance I could read Japanse version of this article?

[Annana]

So if "morn" translates to "death" in Eorzean. Would it be correct to assume that "akh" translates to "flare"? And if so, what does "afah" translate to?

If I recall correctly, Akh Morn is "Death Circle" or "Circle of Death" and Akh Afah is "Eternal Circle" or "Circle of Eternity".

[Fernehalwes]

This is all amazing stuff, but I have a request. Is it possible to add the IPA for the examples?

Like for example, with "sj sja[h]s" (vengeance), i'm guessing it's pronounced as [st͡ʃʰas] ?

Or from you description of "ft fta[h]r" (after/later), can i assume it's pronounced as [fθaʰɺ] ? Also, since you didn't really mention, I assume the "r" is an approximant, as having an aspirated [a] followed by a schwa wouldn't really make any sense.

Also from your description of "y dy[h]r" (differ/different), I assume the "y" is a palatal approximant, and since you mentioned it ending into a long vowel, the "r" would more of a schwa rather than a alveolar approximant. So I assume it sounds something close like this, [djʰə].

I see that is your first post, Maikaijin! Thanks for coming out of the aether just to comment on the unique sounds of dragonspeak!

Your assumption that the Rs following aspirated vowels are approximants is correct. The best way to describe the sound would be a bass-heavy, throaty rumble that feels like it originates not in the layrnx, but somewhere deeper... It's safe to say that an accurate reproduction by a non-dragon is impossible, due to the difference in vocal fold make-up.

I've purposefully left out the IPA from my post (and the dictionary) because I wanted something that better represented the current state of Eorzean knowledge on the language. Like I mentioned in an earlier reply, information is scarce, and so even scholars on the subject are still mostly in the dark on the complex tongue's intricacies. It's not like they have access to devices that can easily record and analyze data...let alone access to the dragons who are speaking it. And even if a linguist did make his way into Anyx Trine without getting robbed by bandits, garroted by a Gnath, or pecked to death by a chocobo, I'm uncertain he'd succeed in getting Vidfonir to chat with him for a series of 8-bell sessions.

That said, I can say that what you came up with for sj, ft, and y are extremely close to what I have in my documentation. sj is tough, as there's a bit more going on than just st͡ʃʰ (which is already a lot), and the while the aspirated T in [ft] is close to θ, the airflow around the tongue is far more limited, which is why T was chosen as a simple transliteration (rather than TH).

Man... You can imagine what it's like trying to get a voice actor to follow these...

Again, thank you very much for your post. Answering queries like these is the best part of my job! Okay, not true. Going out for steak and craft beer with Yoshi-P is the best part of my job, but answering queries on the forums about phonation is a CLOSE second.

[Kayokane]

so are the nehd sorn gahr heretics(ne[h]d<no god> *assumed) of the Army of Hate/Anger or Leaders([n]ehd) of the Army of Hate/Anger? xD Based on the newly added dragonspeak dictionary both can be correct because the in-game name doesn't have the bracket notation. I want to assume they are the latter and not the former. :3

(it would probably be Hate Army Leader/Heretic if I wanted correct ordering wouldn't it?)

[Velox]

Thank you for that catch, Velox! Updated the file.

I think I found another two mistakes.

In the same quote, you say that Sohm Al (which was mispelled as Ahl in your post) translates to "eternal slumber." Eternal is "afa[h]" in dragonspeak. Sohm Al would translate to "the promised sleep/slumber."

Also in your abridged dictionary post, you have "peace" translating to "slumber" in dragonspeak. I'm assuming this isn't intended. :P