Elven

Descended from the Sylvan tongue of the gods and beings beyond the plane, Elven, named after its progenitor, the elves, has existed for tens of thousands of years and is among the oldest languages on the continents of Varia and the Feylands. Though it has experienced generational changes, each iteration of Elven has managed to sustain most of its lexicon and syntax throughout the eras. Furthermore, though Elven is among the younger of the "fey-influenced" languages—at least by present estimations—it has served a more integral part to the development of magical theory and control in Zentrem than any other humanoid-based language.

— Myzara Voel an Mielde, Feylandian linguist and scholar

Elven is the predominant language of Zentrem's elven races. Spoken extensively in the Feylands and Varia, different dialects of Elven exist throughout the entire world. The language developed from Sylvan, a language brought to Zentrem by the fey that first settled in the continent of the Feylands. The bulk of Elven's creation is associated with the Feylandish god, Faenorias, who adapted the Sylvan language for more intimate use in the manipulation of magic. When the humanoid race of elves took to using magic, they further developed the magical language for common use, leading Elven to become their official language.

Common Phrases

Greetings

ari
"greetings" or "hello"; standard colloquial greeting


ba'el vu
"good day, how are you?"; standard greeting with more consideration, usually more informal with the truncation of "how are you" in Elven

Farewells

enda
"bye" or "finished"; standard colloquial farewell


fil'ael ar zem
"until next time"; when used with strangers or unfamiliar individuals, formal farewell; when used with close individuals (family/friends/etc.), an endearing or hopeful good bye

Insults

cirdu
means "raccoon"; used as a way to refer to wood elves in a derogatory manner


Lorvsgoel vu
translates to "The gods' wrath upon you!"; considered one of the most extreme insults in Elvish culture


Deal a'ovaelitir!/
means "[go] wilt in solitude!; a particularly notorious insult, especially in the Kingdom of the Evergreens where its use is often considered inexcusable


deorni
roughly means "broken half"; a derogatory term for individuals of only partial elven ancestry

Swear Words

Lorvsgoel
translates to "The gods' wrath!"; used in exclamation