Languages

First Tongue

Onrilv, qaer fhilvashai, dan waur fey ai prenelen
Vra nan fey lan yaivan, tun rifh haln la odelen

Those are the first two lines of a song sung by Freya Qyr, and, at a later point in the story, by a Grey Witch. Qaer Fhilvashai, which translates as 'Little Puppet', is in the First Tongue of Arya.

Probably even the authors have lost track of just how many different languages have been mentioned in the story. There are even more that aren't mentioned. But the most common one, and the only one into which the characters' lines are occasionally translated, is the First Tongue. Such phrases as fhainaer feyt (my lord) and fhaine feyt (my lady) are often used in chapters dealing with the nobility.

The First Tongue has a simple grammar and most of its sounds are those used in English. The spelling is different, and unlike in English, all the letters are pronounced. It shares words with the other Two Tongues that make up the main languages of Arya, and borrows a good many from Gyan.

Pronunciation Guide

q - k (never used before a consonant)
k - k (always used before a consonant)
y - used as a vowel: ee, as a consonant: pronounced as in yellow
r - trilled by nobility, but commoners pronounce it as in English
f - f, as in fence
fh - th, as in clothes
th - pronounced as above, but only used in names
s - s, as in sin
sh - sh, as in shine
c - ts
kh - ch, as in child
jh - ch, as in Bach
ey - ay, as in day
ai - i, as in time
i - i, as in kitten
a - ah, as in father or a, as in appear
e - eh, as in red
o - o, as in only
au - o, as in or
u - u, as in rune
aer - air, as in to air one's opinions

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