Language Expanded
Guild Canon: The contents of this page are considered canon within Cobalt Company's "RP bubble". Guild canon may go beyond official WoW canon and is usually inspired by and extrapolated from it. However, guild canon will not contradict official canon.
What follows are guild canon expansions of languages in the Warcraft universe.
Each section starts with the name of the language and a WoWpedia logo
that links to that site’s page on the language, followed by a list of the races that speak the language, and then a table of words, translations, and sources.Canonicity refers to how close the word or phrase is to official Blizzard translations:
- Official translations are confirmed by Blizzard. The ones included here are by no means a complete list, but relevant to speculation and derivations, so included for reference.
- Speculation based on reasonable extrapolation of official translations or context in Warcraft material.
- Invention is for words of my own imagination intended to build on the existing lexicon.
- Derivations are words or phrases formed by combining elements from the previous categories.
Anything that may be a spoiler beyond Classic is placed in spoiler blocks like so, which can be read by mousing over the text. Be advised that the WoWpedia pages will contain spoilers.
Contributors: Feel free to make comments here or contact OzmaAsimov on Discord if you have questions or suggestions. I’m very willing to work with others to build a larger lexicon for all of us to work from.
Darnassian
Spoken by: Night elves
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| adala | true, truth | speculation |
| alara | beauty | speculation |
| alor | love; see Lore: Night Elves | speculation |
| aloris | heart | invention |
| andu | balance | speculation |
| ann | male, man | speculation |
| anu’aloris | my heart (here used as a term of affection) | derivation |
| avar | superior, above, with authority over (frequently shortened to 'var in contractions) | invention |
| dahal | breath | invention |
| danthe | some | invention |
| del | thirst, thirsty; also: need, needful | speculation |
| delar | protector, guardian; a person or thing that protects | speculation |
| do | teacher, master | speculation |
| dor | perpetuity (a fairly technical term; see also shu'dor); as a suffix: eternal | speculation |
| dorei | child, children, born (of); used to refer to an entire people or member of that people | speculation |
| doren | home, sanctuary | speculation |
| dorini | will, intent; can be used following a statement to emphasize that it is a command | speculation |
| ela | like, as | invention |
| elu | pale, luminescent white (refers to color of moon) | invention |
| en | not; As prefix: turns the word it is attached to into a negative | speculation |
| enu | no, a negative response | invention |
| en’shu | another time; not now | speculation |
| finel'dahal | a spirit cat that guides feline souls to the afterlife; literally "last breath" | invention |
| hasham | most, majority | invention |
| ilisar | enemy, enemies (a true adversary; an opponent in a sparring match would not be *ilisar*) | speculation |
| ishnu | good fortune, blessing(s) | speculation |
| iszera | green | speculation |
| kaldorei | children of the stars (night elves) | official |
| karath | it, that, thing | speculation |
| kashal | friend, friends, ally, allies | invention |
| lazal | seat | speculation |
| lok | staff, stave | speculation |
| losh | end, ending, final | invention |
| luvas | gift | invention |
| lur | glow (noun) | invention |
| melor'ne | beacon (of light), lantern | speculation |
| minn | female, woman, she, her | speculation |
| minve | few | invention |
| naz | quiet, silent | speculation |
| nival | new | invention |
| ren | and; Used to connect words of the same part of speech, clauses, or sentences, that are to be taken jointly. Note: ren is not used in proper nouns, even when "and" would be appropriate, where words are instead combined and often distinguished by an apostrophe (') | invention |
| rhok | bow (weapon) | speculation |
| rin | thorn, barb, hook | invention |
| rula | bond, promise | invention |
| serunei | sentinel, a soldier or guard whose duty is to stand watch and protect (see Serunei below in Military Terms); see also delar | >invention |
| shai | yes, a positive response | invention |
| shalla | shadow | speculation |
| shanna | guide, guiding, guidance | official |
| shei'van | serenity, peace, tranquility | invention |
| shiev | mark, marking, sign | invention |
| shinn | people, persons (plural) | invention |
| shinu | imperfection (note: this is not the same concept as "flawed" or "broken"; it connotes a thing being asymmetrical, impermanent, or incomplete, and is generally not viewed by kaldorei in a negative way) | speculation |
| shu | time, a span of time; as a prefix: always; see also Question Words | speculation |
| shu'dor | eternity, timelessness (a more peotic and emotional expression of the concept of dor) | invention |
| sohl | a non-kaldorei soul; see also kalan (a new word, adopted from Common) | invention |
| thael | journey, quest | invention |
| thera | fear | speculation |
| thir | all | invention |
| uran | many | invention |
| uru | howl (especially a wolf howl) | invention |
| vel | delicate, fragile, precious | invention |
| vinn | person (gender neutral) | invention |
| von | enormity, excess; (as a suffix) done to excess, too long, too much | invention |
| yor | none, nothing | invention |
Kaldorei Concepts
These terms refer to concepts intrinsic to Kaldorei culture, and have no accurate translations in other languages.
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| alara'shinu | The kaldorei philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection; see Lore: Night Elves | official |
| kalan | the kaldorei soul; see also sohl | invention |
| kalanore | a twin or twins who share a single soul between them | invention |
| shalan | the eternal bond between two kaldorei souls; see Lore: Night Elves | invention |
| Shei'vandir | a state of mental and emotional stillness in which one's inner self is in harmonious oscillation with one's outer world | invention |
Verbs
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| arano | to forget | invention |
| ash | to do/act upon | speculation |
| belore | to uncover something hidden or unknown. Refers to the sun in Thalassian. (Spec: literally “to cast light upon”) | official |
| dahalar | to breathe | invention |
| dor | to be restored; see also *dor* (suffix) above | speculation |
| dunah | to spy (implies secretive observation, usually not benevolent; see also "sael" | speculation |
| fal | to be (referring to objects, people, places) | speculation |
| falah | to meet, to come together, to join | speculation |
| fendol | to help, to aid, to assist | invention |
| funare | to flow | invention |
| getha | to endure, to suffer | invention |
| kona | to come | invention |
| losh | to stop, to cease, to end | invention |
| luve | to give, to bestow | invention |
| lure | to glow, to emit light | invention |
| nah | to be (referring to situations, events, conditions) | speculation |
| nal | to feel | speculation |
| sael | to watch / see / observe (implies benevolent intent; see also "dunah") | speculation |
| seruno | to protect, to guard, to defend | invention |
| sheva | to allow, to let, to permit | invention |
| talah | to know, known | speculation |
| thae | to follow | invention |
| tho | to go | invention |
| tor | to compel, or to force something onto another | speculation |
Prepositions
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| atha | in, inside, within; As prefix: shortened to "ath" | invention |
| belam | above, on, upon, before | invention |
| dula | for | invention |
| eru | to, toward, through, between | invention |
| izila | across, against | invention |
| purah | along, by, beside, near | invention |
| shafah | behind, below, beneath, under | invention |
| than | at, around, among, during | invention |
| vathil | down, into | invention |
Pronouns
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| alah | you, your, yours (second person singular) | speculation |
| an | he, him (second person masculine singular) | speculation |
| anu | I, me, us, my, mine, ours (first person singular and plural) | speculation |
| dalah | you, yours (second person plural; sometimes shortened to “dal”) | speculation |
| min | she, her (second person feminine singular) | speculation |
| shin | they (third person plural) | invention |
| vin | third person neutral singular; translates to singular "they" in Common | invention |
Transitive Pronouns
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| endu | here, this place; also, as a command: "stay, remain here" | invention |
| fandu | there, that place | speculation |
Demonstrative Pronouns
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| eth | this, these; typically used as a prefix (ex: eth'el: "this leaf") | invention |
| em | that, those; typically used as a prefix (ex. fan'kal: "those stars") | speculation |
Question Words
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| dath | who, whom, whose | speculation |
| fon | where | invention |
| ha | what | invention |
| kah | how | invention |
| shu | when | speculation |
| raza | why | invention |
Relations
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| an’da | papa (see Thalassian ann’da) | speculation |
| an’dei | son | derivation |
| ann’do | father (formal; “he who teaches me”; see Thalassian ann’da) | speculation |
| anu’dei | my child | derivation |
| da | parent | speculation |
| dei | child/children, youth(s), juvenile(s); not to be confused with "dorei" (see above) | invention |
| denore | brother | invention |
| dieb | family | speculation |
| falore | sister | speculation |
| min'da | mama | official |
| min'dei | daughter | derivation |
| minn'do | mother (formal: spec: roughly "she who teaches me") | official |
| rul-ann'do | bond-father (father-in-law) | invention |
| rul'denore | bond-brother (brother-in-law) | invention |
| rul'falore | bond-sister (sister-in-law) | invention |
| rul-minn'do | bond-mother (mother-in-law) | invention |
| shal'nar | aunt | official |
Body Parts
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| adris | eye, eyes (often shortened to 'dris in contractions) | speculation |
| ande | arm | invention |
| de | toe | invention |
| du | finger | invention |
| furin | nose | invention |
| gashal | head | invention |
| inme | face | invention |
| lera | hand | invention |
| muro | chest | invention |
| rath | leg | invention |
| thir | mouth | invention |
| thu | foot | invention |
| volim | back | invention |
| wen | ear | invention |
| zesh | neck | invention |
Nature
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| alare | petal | invention |
| alith | water | invention |
| alor'el | Lover's Leaf | official |
| an | snow (see also “an / ann”, above) | speculation |
| anir | storm | speculation |
| annia | mist, fog | invention |
| arth | wolf | invention |
| danil | cave, cavern, depths | speculation |
| el | leaf | speculation |
| elore | light | invention |
| elun’alare ennas | moonpetal lily | derivation |
| elun’elore | moonlight | derivation |
| ennas | flower | invention |
| falure | gold | invention |
| fial | fire, flame | invention |
| kal | star, stars | speculation |
| kelure | silver | invention |
| lathar | sky, skies | speculation |
| myar | cat | invention |
| nir | tree | speculation |
| rual | saber/sabercat; shal'rual = nightsaber, anir'rual = stormsaber, annia'rual = mistsaber | invention |
| nurah | river | invention |
| ouar | bear | invention |
| shal | night | speculation |
| tal | wild (adj.) | speculation |
| tel | earth | speculation |
| thas | forest | speculation |
| uthul | owl | invention |
Military Terms
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| kaerus | a warband or company; originally referred specifically to Sentinels, but is now used to describe any company of troops | invention |
| Serunei | Sentinel(s); always capitalized when referring to the kaldorei army) | invention |
| shan'var | honored superior; a term of respect for an authority figure in a formal organization such as a military | invention |
| shuren | soldier (also, see Shuren/Private below) | invention |
Military Ranks
The following are the rough equivalents to common Alliance military ranks.
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| Shuren | Private (literally: soldier) | invention |
| Caenir | Corporal | invention |
| Hathar | Sergeant | invention |
| Thaless | Lieutenant | invention |
| Avar'kaerus | Captain (literally: superior of a warband/company) | invention |
| Avar'uran | Commander (literally: superior of many) | invention |
| Avar'thir | General (literally: superior of all) | invention |
Phrases
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| anu dorah | we remember (seen on memorial plaques in Tel’anor, Suramar) | speculation |
| anu'dorini talah | let my will be known | official |
| ash karath | do it | official |
| Luvas'alith | the Gift of Water; shaha lor'ma dula Luvas'alith ("Thank you for the Gift of Water") | invention |
| shaha lor'ma | thank you | official |
| tor ilisar'thera'nal | Let our enemies beware (A war cry used since ancient times; Literally: Compel the enemy to feel fear) | official / speculation |
Greetings
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| Elune adore | Elune be with you. | official |
| fandu dath belore? | who goes there? | official |
| ishnu alah | good fortune to you | official |
| ishnu dal dieb | good fortune to your family | official |
| sael ath'shalla alah | I watch you from the shadows. (Spoken by shadowmelded kaldorei to alert allies to their presence and identify themselves as a friend.) | derivation |
| sael'ah | Shorthand form of "Sael ath'shalla alah", now commonly used among Alliance rogues as a signal they are among fellows. | speculation |
Farewells
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| ande'thoras ethil | May your troubles be diminished. | official |
| del nah'dris | Thirsty be your eyes ("be careful"); used to wish someone safety | speculation |
| en'shu falah nah | In another time we will meet ("see you later/after") | speculation |
Numbers
Append -shu as a suffix for ordinals (e.g. "ehv-shu" for first, "beh-shu" for second, etc.)
| Darnassian | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| ehv | one | invention |
| beh | two | invention |
| val | three | invention |
| cela | four | invention |
| tael | five | invention |
| sara | six | invention |
| kell | seven | invention |
| eri | eight | invention |
| oma | nine | invention |
| dis | ten | invention |
| dis-ehv | eleven | invention |
| behdis | twenty | invention |
| tharas | hundred | invention |
| namil | thousand | invention |
| behnamil'valdis'eriehv-shu | 2,381st | invention |
Draenei
Spoken by: Draenei
| Draenei | Translation | Canonicity |
|---|---|---|
| aaklan (archaic) | dependable | invention |
| kra'vari | student, pupil | invention |
| nu | a neutral exclamation, similar to "oh" | invention |
| orachi | teacher | invention |
| saevika | fruity; alternately could be translated as "cloud breaker" | invention |
| xaafi | "empty mind"; a meditative state of calm and clarity (considered positive) | invention |
| zol | sun | invention |
| zolsha | sunshine, sunlight | invention |