Difference between revisions of "Old Tongue"

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
(page creation)
 
(touch up)
 
(27 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Old Tongue''' is the language used by the [[First Men]] before the arrival of the [[Andals]]. It is still used in the far reaches beyond [[the Wall]].<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 7|Chapter 7]], Jon</ref>
+
[[File:Allan Douglas Mance.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Mance Rayder]] can sing in the Old Tongue, art by Allen Douglas © Fantasy Flight Games]]
 +
The '''Old Tongue''' is a language brought to [[Westeros]] by the [[First Men]] during their migration over twelve thousand years ago. It is a coarse language, harsh and clanging.{{Ref|ASOS|15}} The language is all but extinct in the [[Seven Kingdoms]], where the [[Common Tongue]] has become dominant. In the lands [[beyond the Wall]], however, the Old Tongue is still spoken by [[giants]]{{Ref|ADWD|44}} and most [[wildlings]].{{Ref|ASOS|15}}
  
==Terms==
+
==Language==
* 'Magnar' - means Lord
+
The Old Tongue is the language spoken by the [[First Men]] of old,{{ref|ACOK|51}}{{ref|TWOIAF|The North}} the current [[giants]],{{ref|ACOK|51}}{{ref|ASOS|64}} and [[free folk]] tribes{{ref|ASOS|15}} such as the [[Thenns]].{{ref|ASOS|26}} Only a few terms and translations are known from this language, as [[George R. R. Martin]] has not developed the actual language. On the developing of languages for ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', Martin has explained:
  
==References and Notes==
+
{{Quote|... I don't have a whole imaginary language in my desk here, the way [[w:J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] did<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2010/04/12/klaatu-barada-nicto/ Klaatu Barada Nicto…], April 12, 2010</ref> ... Tolkien was a philologist, and an Oxford don, and could spend decades laboriously inventing [[w:Elvish languages (Middle-earth)|Elvish]] in all its detail. I, alas, am only a hardworking SF and fantasy novel, and I don't have his gift for languages. That is to say, I have not actually created a [[High Valyrian|Valyrian language]]. The best I could do was try to sketch in each of the chief tongues of [[known world|my imaginary world]] in broad strokes, and give them each their characteristic sounds and spellings.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1250/ Yet More Questions], July 22, 2001</ref>}}
{{references}}
 
  
 +
Houses descended from the First Men tend to have simple, short names, often descriptive.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1428/ Event Horizon Chat], March 18, 1999</ref> Examples include the [[north]]ern names [[House Stark|Stark]], [[House Wull|Wull]], [[House Umber|Umber]], and [[House Stout|Stout]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The North}}
 +
 +
The First Men had their own writing system of the Old Tongue. In addition, they also had a [[Runes|runic writing system]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}}
 +
 +
==Known translations==
 +
Several names of terms and names are described in the published material:
 +
 +
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 +
!Old Tongue
 +
!Translation
 +
!Notes
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Magnar]]''
 +
|[[Lord]]{{Ref|ASOS|7}}{{Ref|ADWD|35}}
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Skagos]]''
 +
|Stone{{Ref|AFFC|15}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Stoneborn of Skagos}}
 +
|Because of the definition of ''skagos'', the people from the island of [[Skagos]] call themselves stoneborn.{{ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Stoneborn of Skagos}}
 +
|-
 +
|''Sygerrik''
 +
|Deceiver{{Ref|ACOK|51}}
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|''Woh dak nag gran''
 +
|The squirrel people{{Ref|ADWD|13}}
 +
|"The squirrel people" is the name the [[giants]] have given the [[children of the forest]].{{Ref|ADWD|13}}
 +
|}
 +
 +
==Characters familiar with the Old Tongue==
 +
*[[Bael the Bard]]{{ref|ACOK|51}}
 +
*[[Tormund Giantsbane]]{{ref|ASOS|15}}
 +
*[[Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg]]{{ref|ASOS|15}}
 +
*[[Mance Rayder]], who can also sing in the language{{ref|ASOS|15}}
 +
*[[Styr]]{{ref|ASOS|55}}
 +
*[[Sigorn]]{{ref|ADWD|21}}
 +
*[[Leathers]]{{ref|ADWD|35}}
 +
*[[Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun]]{{ref|ADWD|39}}
 +
 +
==References==
 +
{{references|2}}
 +
 +
{{Languages}}
 +
 +
[[Category:Beyond the Wall]]
 +
[[Category:First Men culture]]
 +
[[Category:Languages]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
 +
 +
[[es:Antigua Lengua]]
 +
[[fr:Vieille langue]]
 +
[[zh:古语]]

Latest revision as of 13:48, 26 August 2021

Mance Rayder can sing in the Old Tongue, art by Allen Douglas © Fantasy Flight Games

The Old Tongue is a language brought to Westeros by the First Men during their migration over twelve thousand years ago. It is a coarse language, harsh and clanging.[1] The language is all but extinct in the Seven Kingdoms, where the Common Tongue has become dominant. In the lands beyond the Wall, however, the Old Tongue is still spoken by giants[2] and most wildlings.[1]

Language

The Old Tongue is the language spoken by the First Men of old,[3][4] the current giants,[3][5] and free folk tribes[1] such as the Thenns.[6] Only a few terms and translations are known from this language, as George R. R. Martin has not developed the actual language. On the developing of languages for A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin has explained:

... I don't have a whole imaginary language in my desk here, the way Tolkien did[7] ... Tolkien was a philologist, and an Oxford don, and could spend decades laboriously inventing Elvish in all its detail. I, alas, am only a hardworking SF and fantasy novel, and I don't have his gift for languages. That is to say, I have not actually created a Valyrian language. The best I could do was try to sketch in each of the chief tongues of my imaginary world in broad strokes, and give them each their characteristic sounds and spellings.[8]

Houses descended from the First Men tend to have simple, short names, often descriptive.[9] Examples include the northern names Stark, Wull, Umber, and Stout.[4]

The First Men had their own writing system of the Old Tongue. In addition, they also had a runic writing system.[10]

Known translations

Several names of terms and names are described in the published material:

Old Tongue Translation Notes
Magnar Lord[11][12]
Skagos Stone[13][14] Because of the definition of skagos, the people from the island of Skagos call themselves stoneborn.[14]
Sygerrik Deceiver[3]
Woh dak nag gran The squirrel people[15] "The squirrel people" is the name the giants have given the children of the forest.[15]

Characters familiar with the Old Tongue

References