A Lesson in Dragonspeak

[Wadoka]

Fern is the first world-maker I've come across, who has the longest-lived race, attempt the most spare language. Everyone else likes to go the other way... Hoom, hom...

[Nalien]

Given what we know now and what we know of Mor Dhona, it could be a bastardization like Mourn. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say it was a corrupted form of "mor[n] doh a[n]," roughly translating into "I, who has forgotten death." This would be alluding to the immortality of Midgardsormr who resided there.

Of course, I'm really grasping here.

I'm more incline to think it is referencing the significance of Mor Dhona as (apparently) the wellspring of Hydaelyns aether, it is a location which discards death by bringing forth life.

[Geist]

I'm more incline to think it is referencing the significance of Mor Dhona as (apparently) the wellspring of Hydaelyns aether, it is a location which discards death by bringing forth life.

Yes, I could see that approach working, if we take Silvertear Lake as Eorzea's more or less literal "cradle of life" (as in the place where aether concentrates/surges forth). I haven't tried my hand at the dictionary yet, but I guess we might end up getting interesting results for some concepts such as the Lifestream.

Again, thanks a bunch Ferne!... You've certainly made this Paladin happy.

[Nalien]

Thinking about it, I'm wondering if Mor Dhona might be similar to Esh Thom, in that it was the Allagans attempt at Dragonspeak... I say that mostly because of the "na", which apparently emphasizes an order... As a place name that doesn't quite fit, and as something coming from Midgardsormr? Well, he might be immortal, but I don't see him ordering that lifestyle on anyone else... Quite the opposite if he is going to help us combat the Ascians... Maybe it's meant as more of a "Hey, don't worry about dying!" sort of thing? IDK...

Allagan in origin though? Well, that is where the seat of their Empire was, an Empire which they believed would be everlasting. Then you have Xandes, who was literally revived from the dead... "Forget Death!" certainly seems like the message Crystal Tower and Xandes would be putting out, intentionally or not. Just like Esh Thom, we also have some bitter irony in the naming too; Xandes couldn't forget death, it's what drove him mad in the end and ultimately undid his Empire...

Actually, I guess that sort of works even if the Allag didn't name the place... They arrogantly thought they got the meaning behind the name, perhaps even why they built Crystal Tower there, but it's precisely because they didn't that they were undone.

The fact that Xandes literally couldn't forget death, and Mor Dhona could loosely translate to "Forget Death!"... There just has to be something there...

[Amortis]

BytsTRyBBiT MitRytI IXynRtt? Hai?

Ja, §äorytynM ÐRÁKKÆR, FtnnytM Byórðæár? eh?

Sie Saeth ja hest, Hai? grin.

[Lolopika]

This is really awesome Fern, Dravanian seems really fascinating!

By the way can you help me grasp the other lyrics of the Heavensward trailer song? I know that part of it has been confirmed, and that's the english part + the last lines: Dys an sohm in - Rhos an kyn - Sah djahs afah an - Mah morn narr ( I hope the spelling is right ^^).

Still, I can't figure out the part right after the appearance of the dragon on the bridge, and the part before the Dravanian lyrics I posted. I really love that song and I would like to know those missing lyrics that I can't find anywhere, so please help me, Dravanian Master!

[Linoa06]

I love that this guide is actually backed by sound linguistic theories (though I would nitpick on one or two things, especially the sociolinguistic parts), and yet is dumbed down enough to be accessible and understandable by anyone even without any specific education in any field of linguistics.

Great job

[erinarbleizez]

interesting to see on the dictionary that the dragons who lives thousand of years consider hydaelyn as something without life... (le[h]s)

[Ashkendor]

Hmm... so the new dungeon for 3.3 is simply named "Sad Apology"? I'm interested to see the lore behind it...

[Nalien]

Hmm... so the new dungeon for 3.3 is simply named "Sad Apology"? I'm interested to see the lore behind it...

My guess? It's the lair of Ratatoskr, and the name is related to what happened to her... Plot twist, I'm guessing she wanted Thordan to do what he did, but Nidhogg walked in on it and went nuts... I'd guess Ratatoskr wanted to sacrifice herself to give Thordan the means to combat Ascians? Ascians probably told Nidhogg to go check out what was happening too... As usual, they twisted history for their own means...

Sohr Khai is where Nidhogg was meant to go, where Ratatoskr left her last will and testament to apologize and explain to him... Thus we go there for obvious reasons...

Counter theory though; We call it Sohr Khai because that's what Estinien calls it... We go there and it's his "Sad Apology", 3.1 we did have Nidhogg flying for "skies unknown", after all... Although that's clearly part of Churning Mists, so I'm not sure why it would be unknown...