Murtagh

ON THE ORIGIN OF NAMES

To the casual observer, the various names an intrepid traveler will encounter throughout Alagaësia might seem but a random collection with no inherent integrity, culture, or history. However, as with any land that different groups—and in this case, different species—have repeatedly colonized, Alagaësia acquired names from a wide array of unique sources, among them the languages of the dwarves, elves, humans, and even Urgals. Thus, we can have Palancar Valley (a human name), the Anora River and Ristvak’baen (elven names), and Utgard Mountain (a dwarven name) all within a few square miles of each other.

While this is of great historical interest, practically it often leads to confusion as to the correct pronunciation. Unfortunately, there are no set rules for the neophyte. You must learn each name upon its own terms unless you can immediately place its language of origin. The matter grows even more confusing when you realize that in many places the resident population altered the spelling and pronunciation of foreign words to conform to their own language. The Anora River is a prime example. Originally anora was spelled äenora, which means broad in the ancient language. In their writings, the humans simplified the word to anora, and this, combined with a vowel shift wherein äe (ay-eh) was said as the easier a (uh), created the name as it appears in Eragon’s time.

To spare readers as much difficulty as possible, I have compiled the following list, with the understanding that these are only rough guidelines to the actual pronunciation. The enthusiast is encouraged to study the source languages in order to master their true intricacies.

PRONUNCIATION

Alagaësia—al-uh-GAY-zee-uh

Arya—AR-ee-uh

Azlagûr—AZ-luh-goor

Bachel—buh-SHELL

Brisingr—BRISS-ing-gur

Carvahall—CAR-vuh-hall

Ceunon—SEE-oo-non

Dras-Leona—DRAHS-lee-OH-nuh

Draumar—DROW-mar (drow rhymes with cow)

Du Weldenvarden—DOO WELL-den-VAR-den

Eragon—EHR-uh-gone

Farthen Dûr—FAR-then DURE (dure rhymes with lure)

Galbatorix—gal-buh-TOR-icks

Gil’ead—GILL-ee-id

Glaedr—GLAY-dur

Hrothgar—HROTH-gar

Ithring—ITH-ring

Lyreth—LIE-reth

Murtagh—MUR-tag (mur rhymes with purr)

Nal Gorgoth—NAL GOR-goth

Nasuada—nah-soo-AH-dah

Niernen—nee-AIR-nin

Oromis—OR-uh-miss

Oth Orum—OTH OR-um

Ra’zac—RAA-zack

Saphira—suh-FEAR-uh

Shruikan—SHREW-kin

Teirm—TEERM

Tronjheim—TRONJ-heem

Umaroth—oo-MAR-oth

Urû’baen—OO-roo-bane

Uvek—OO-veck

Vrael—VRAIL

Zar’roc—ZAR-rock

GLOSSARY

Adurna thrysta.—Thrust water.

Atra esterní ono thelduin.—May good fortune rule over you.

brisingr—fire

deyja—die

drahtr—pull

Du Eld Draumar—The Old Dreamers

Du Fells Nángoröth—The Blasted Mountains

Du Vrangr Gata—The Wandering Path

Du Weldenvarden—The Guarding Forest

eitha—go; leave

Eka fricai.—I am a friend.

Eldunarí—the heart of hearts: the gemlike stone wherein a dragon can store its consciousness

entha—still

flauga—fly

flautja—float

flautr—floater

gedwëy ignasia—shining palm

Halfa utan thornessa fra jierda.—Keep this fork from breaking.

hvitra—whiten

Ílf adurna fïthren, sving raehta.—If water touches, turn right.

Ílf kona thornessa thar fïthrenar, thae stenr jierda.—If this woman touches there, then break stone.

islingr—light-bringer/illuminator

ithring—freedom

jierda—break; hit

kverst—cut

Kvetha Fricai.—Greetings, Friend.

ládrin—open

Lethrblaka—Leather-Flapper

letta—stop

líjothsa—light

lyftha—lift

maela—quiet

naina—make bright

reisa—raise/lift

Reisa adurna fra undir, un ílf fïthren skul skulblaka flutningr skul eom edtha.—Raise water from below, and if touch dragon scale, carry scale to me.

skölir—shield

slytha—sleep

sving—turn

Thrífa sem knífr un huildr sem konr.—Seize that knife and hold that man.

thrysta—thrust

Thrysta vindr.—Thrust/compress the air.

vindr—wind; air

Vindr thrysta un líjothsa athaerum.—Compress air and gather light.

Waíse heill.—Be healed.

Wiol ono.—For you.

zar’roc—misery

mehtra—mother

sehtra—son

Arngor—White Mountain

barzûl—curse someone with ill fate

Beor—giant cave bear (borrowed from the ancient language)

Fanghur—dragon-like creatures native to the Beor Mountains. Smaller and less intelligent than dragons; related to the Nïdhwal

Farthen Dûr—Our Father

goroth—place

Môgren—black-needled pinetrees native to the Beor Mountains, noted for their hard, dense wood

Tronjheim—Helm of Giants

chukka—marmot-like creature native to the northern reaches of the Spine

ghra—exclamation used to express doubt or a sense of mild disapproval

gzja—exclamation used to express contempt

qazhqargla—rite that joins two Urgals as blood brothers; may also refer to blood brothers as such

shagvrek—ancient race of hornless

shûkva—heal

ûhldmaq—Urgals who, according to legend, were transformed into giant cave bears

Uluthrek—Mooneater

Urgralgra—Urgals’ name for themselves (literally, “those with horns”)

zhar—randomness

HUMAN RUNES

Here set out you may see the system of runes as employed by the humans of Alagaësia during the time of this tale. There are exceptions to its use—notably among the wandering tribes of the southern reaches and the great grasslands to the east—but these are the runes one may expect to most commonly encounter throughout the lands of humankind.

The originating genius behind this system is unknown, and will likely remain forever lost to the depths of time. It is possible that no one individual is responsible and that this mode of writing emerged via an amalgam of accident and exigency—rather than being assembled by conscious design—as wrack and wreck may gather against a crag of stony strand.

The runes are referred to by many names, but their primary one is the Ullmark. Prior to humanity’s arrival upon the shores of Alagaësia, their race was far more savage and uneducated than in latter ages, and they employed an entirely different system for recording information, one that bears more resemblance to the knotted banners of the Urgals than to any mode of writing that is native to Alagaësia. Of this earlier system, few examples remain—scraps and fragments littered about the ruins of barrows and long-abandoned hill forts—for under the leadership of King Palancar and his many and divers successors, humans quickly adopted and adapted the dwarven runes, known as the Hruthmundvik.

Humans, being as they are, made no attempt at faithfulness to the Hruthmundvik and freely altered and rearranged the runes to suit the needs of their own tongue, even going so far as to invent wholly new ones. Still, some similarities remain. The runes for g, k, m, n, and y are the same in both the Ullmark and the Hruthmundvik, although the Ullmark contains several unique runes, as well as runes for sounds not found in Dwarvish, such as those for p and x. Also—and here the guiding hand of one or more scribes seems apparent—runes of similar shapes were assigned to sounds that, likewise, share a close resemblance. Thus, the mirroring or echoing between a and o; u and y; c, k, and q; s and z; b and d; f and v; and m and n. From this and other pieces of intelligence, certain clues as to the pronunciation of the humans’ language in the time of King Palancar may be gleaned.

For the sake of general understanding, all of the words (and some of the names) on the maps in this volume have been translated into English and either written as such or transliterated into the Ullmark to help convey the proper look and feel of Murtagh’s world.

As for the actual language that the humans of Alagaësia use, that is a matter for examination elsewhere and elsewhen.