And Now, Some Useful Elvish Phrases

[the_gneech]

Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo. -- "A star shines upon the hour of our meeting." (A fancy way to say hello.)

Mae govannen, mellon! -- "Well met, my friend!"

Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta! -- "May your ways be green and golden."

Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa! -- "Your heart is that of a lion!"

Amin sinta lle? -- "Do I know you?"

Lle anta amin tu? -- "Do you need help?"

Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie? -- "Do you speak elvish?"

Lle merna salk? -- "Do you want to dance?"

Mankoi? -- "Why?"

Tira ten' rashwe! -- "Look out!"

Neuma! -- "It's a trap!"

Lle auta yeste'. -- "You go first."

Amin n'rangwa edanea! -- "I don't understand these humans."

Uuner uma, n'dela no'ta. -- "No one does, don't worry about it."

Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina. -- "You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny."

Auta miqula orqu! -- "Go kiss an orc!"

Amin autien rath. -- "I'm going to bed."

-The Gneech

(My source, in case you're interested. It's a mishmash of Quenya, Sindarin, D&D lore, and whatever else strikes the author's fancy, I suspect. Fun, if not exactly rigorous scholarship!)

Comments

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, to him you'd want to say "Amal shufar, at rrug!" (Black Speech, "Where there's a whip, there's a way!")

-The Gneech

[kylet.livejournal.com]

"Neuma!"

Is anyone able to take that phrase seriously after Dragostea Din Tei?

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Heck, that whole song coulda been in elvish for all we know!

-The Gneech

[rhanlav.livejournal.com]

At least you don't have the idea of Admiral Ackbar with pointy fish ears saying "Neuma!" ;)

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

Hey, we Mon Calamari have the innate ability to announce when we're in a obvious trap. I just wish they'd remembered that racial ability in the d20 Star Wars RPG.

[lowen-kind.livejournal.com]

And the ever popular:

(Naa) Lle lakwenien? (Naa) Tanya lle rashwe?

(Are) You joking[crazy]? (Is) That your trouble[problem]? :=3

It did take me a bit to come up with suitable substitutes for crazy/trouble. :=/

[lowen-kind.livejournal.com]

crazy/trouble = crazy/problem

[bailiff.livejournal.com]

Now translate "SEX! Wonderful SEX!" :)

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

I don't think any of Tolkien's languages had the word "sex" -- not even English!

-The Gneech

[bailiff.livejournal.com]

Thanks, you've just killed my lifelong desire to visit Middle-Earth.

:)

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

The closest I could come up with was "Vestalë! Valin vestalë!" which means something like "Wedding! Joyous wedding!"

Tolkien, y'know. Catholic. Stuffy Oxford don type. ;)

-The Gneech

[bailiff.livejournal.com]

You haven't heard of the secret chapter from TLotR, circulated among the Inklings, featuring HOT LESBIAN SEXXX between Arwen and Eowyn? ;)

Your translation reminds me of the common Malay euphemism for sex, "bermesra". Literally, it means "to have fun". :)

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

I think that's Bored of the Rings you're thinking of. ;)

-TG (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451452615/103-2746590-8092665?v=glance&n=283155)

[winterknight01.livejournal.com]

http://www.uib.no/people/hnohf/

Good resource for all Tolkien's languages. Including the first two chapters of Genesis in Quenya.

1. I yessessë Eru ontanë Menel ar Cemen.
2 Cemen né cumna ar lusta, ar engë mornië or i undumë, nan Eruo Súlë willë or i neni.
3 Ar equë Eru: "Eä cálë!" Ar engë cálë.
4 Eru cennë sa i cálë né mára, ar Eru ciltanë i cálë i morniello.
5 Ar Eru estanë i cálë Aurë, ar i mornië estanes Lómë. Ar engë sinyë, ar engë arin, i minya aurë.

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

What about the most important phrase of all, "Where's the bathroom?"

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

"Manke naa ehtelësambë?" or literally "Where is the fountain chamber?"

-The Gneech

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

Great! Now... how do you pronounce the ë's?

Please hurry!!