Tal
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Tal, better known as the Medieval language or the Old Tongue, was the language spoken by sapients during the medieval era of the Mazes.
Alphabet
The Tal alphabet uses 22 letters; 5 vowels and 17 consonants. Although Tal used a proprietary script, it is easily rendered in Latin characters; all but one letter have a Latin equivalent, and the one exception is rendered using doubled letters (RR/rr).
Vowels
Letters | IPA value | Approx. pronunciation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
A a | /a/ | hat | |
E e | /e/ | play | |
I i | /j/ /i/ |
you free |
When used before another vowel, or as the first letter of a word All other uses |
O o | /o̞/ | go | |
U u | /u/ | book |
Consonants
Letters | IPA value | Approx. pronunciation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
B b | /b/ | ball | |
D d | /d/ | dart | |
F f | /f/ | fight | |
G g | /g/ | gun | |
H h | /h/ | honey | |
K k | /k/ | key | |
L l | /l/ | let | |
M m | /m/ | map | |
N n | /n/ | nice | |
P p | /p/ | pack | |
R r | /x/ /ʁ/ |
Russian khorosho French ravie |
When used as the first letter of a word. It is rendered in Common as Kh (e.g. Khazrun). All other uses |
RR rr | /ʀ/ | German Rot | |
S s | /s/ | sand | |
T t | /t/ | table | |
V v | /v/ | valve | |
X x | /tʃ/ | chip | |
Z z | /z/ | zero |
Tal words
Below is a non-exhaustive list of Tal words alongside their Common/English meanings.
Nouns
Tal word | Translation | Notes |
---|---|---|
Arris | Village | |
Asirr | Death | |
Azril | Light | No relation to other words in il (metal). |
Awu | Wolf, dog | Possibly derived from the howling of a wolf. |
Damu | Father | |
Desi | Ten (10) | |
Dupli Peni |
Two (2) | Synonymous words. Dupli is more commonly used than Peni, due to the latter's resemblance with Penti. |
Din | Town | |
Draken Kalken |
Draken | Draken: From the adjective drai and the noun ken, transliterates to "cold dragon". Kalken: From the nouns kal and ken, transliterates to "ice dragon". |
Ezri | East | |
Gim | Guild (of traders) | Specifically implies a confraternity or a brotherhood of tradesmen, with a secretive and/or cartel-like implication. |
Gus | Red | |
Gusil | Copper | From the nouns gus and il, transliterates to red metal. |
Hepti | Seven (7) | |
Hexi | Six (6) | |
Il | Metal | |
Kamu | Mother | |
Karti | Four (4) | |
Kal | Ice | |
Kalawu | Kallwolf | From the nouns kal and awu, transliterates to ice wolf. |
Ken | Dragon | |
Khazrun | Capital city | From the adjective khaz and the noun run. |
Lanlaken | Basilisk | From the nouns lanlan and ken, transliterates to chicken dragon. |
Lanlan | Chicken | |
Lim | Gold, golden (color) | |
Limil | Gold (metal) | |
Maka | Son, descendant | |
Mia | Lynx, cat | Possibly derived from the meowing of a lynx. |
Narvi | North | |
Narvezri | Northeast | From the nouns narvi and ezri. |
Narvuzri | Northwest | From the nouns narvi and uzri. |
Noni | Nine (9) | |
Octi | Eight (8) | |
Param | Value (monetary worth) | |
Paramil | Coin, currency, money | From the nouns param and il, approximately transliterates to valuable metal. |
Penti | Five (5) | |
Pri | One (1) | |
Run | City | |
Sil | Silver (color) | |
Silil | Silver (metal) | |
Sirvi | South | |
Sirvezri | Southeast | From the nouns sirvi and ezri. |
Sirvuzri | Southwest | From the nouns sirvi and uzri. |
Tal | Language, tongue | Has given the name of this language. |
Tri | Three (3) | |
Ulti | End | |
Uzri | West | |
Warg | Warg | Kept unchanged in Common. Possibly derived from the creature's growling noises. |
Zamu | Parent (neutral gender) | |
Zaro | Fire | |
Zer | White | |
Zeril | Platinum | From the nouns zer and il, transliterates to white metal. |
Adjectives
Tal word | Translation | Notes |
---|---|---|
Drai | Cold | |
Khaz | Capital, most important | |
Khari | Distant, faraway | |
Prima | First | From the noun pri and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name. |
Desima | Tenth | From the noun desi and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Decima in Common. |
Duplima Penima |
Second | Duplima: From the noun dupli and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name. Penima: From the noun peni and the ordinal suffix -ma. Rare synonym, fell into disuse due to the close resemblance with pentima. |
Heptima | Seventh | From the noun hepti and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name. |
Hexima | Sixth | From the noun hexi and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Hexema in Common. |
Hui | Hot | |
Kartima | Fourth | From the noun karti and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Quartema in Common. |
Nonima | Ninth | From the noun noni and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Nonama in Common. |
Octima | Eighth | From the noun octi and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Octama in Common. |
Pentima | First | From the noun penti and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Pentema in Common. |
Trima | Third | From the noun tri and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name, and was corrupted to Triema in Common. |
Penultima | Second last | Compound word, from the prefix pen- and the adjective ultima. Became a month name. |
Ultima | Last | From the noun ulti and the ordinal suffix -ma. Became a month name. |
Affixes
Tal word | Type | Translation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Asi- | Prefix | Dead, of death, related to the dead | From the noun asirr |
Ezr- | Prefix | Eastern | From the noun ezri. |
Narv- | Prefix | Northern | From the noun narvi. |
Pen- | Prefix | Two, twice, double, second | From the noun peni. |
Silf- | Prefix | Silver (things), of silver | From the noun sil. |
Sirv- | Prefix | Southern | From the noun sirvi. |
Uzr- | Prefix | Western | From the noun uzri. |
-ma | Suffix | see notes | Ordinal suffix for numbers and counting. |