The Draconic Language
The language of dragons is one of the oldest forms of communication. According to the wyrms, it is second only to the languages of the outsiders, and all mortal tongues are descended from it. Its script was likely created long after its spoken form was standardized, as dragons have less need to write than other races. Some scholars believe Draconic script might have been influenced by Dwarven runes, but the wise don’t express this opinion within hearing of a dragon.
Many reptilian races use crude versions of Draconic, including lizardfolk and troglodytes. It is likely that these races were once taught or enslaved by dragons, and it is even possible that they took Draconic for their own simply to make a claim to common ancestry. The Draconic script is also used when a written form is needed for the elemental languages of Auran and Ignan. Despite this commonality, it is no easier for someone who knows Draconic to learn the languages of air and fire creatures.
Slight variations exist in the dialect of Draconic that is used by the various kinds of chromatic dragons. These differences are similar to regional accents. They form no impediment to understanding, but they are sufficiently obvious for a native speaker to know whether someone learned to speak Draconic from a red or green dragon. The various metallic dragons all have similar accents, but the chromatic dragons each have their own slight differences in pronunciation. In general, Draconic has not changed significantly for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Draconic sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants. It includes sounds that humans generally describe as hissing (sj, ss, and sv) as well as a noise that sounds a great deal like a beast clearing its throat (ach).
Words that modify other words can be placed before or after the word they modify. The most important modifier is always placed before, and it might be placed directly after as well if additional emphasis on the modifier is desired.
A speaker of Draconic who wanted to say a big, black, evil dragon was approaching, but wanted the fact that it was evil more than anything else might say, “Malsvir darastrix turalisj vutha gethrisj leirith” or even “Malsvir darastrix turalisj vutha malsvir gethrisj leirith.”
Most Draconic words have emphasis placed on the first syllable. Important ideas are emphasized in spoken Draconic by stressing the beginning and end of the word. In the written form, important words are marked with a special symbol of six lines radiating outward, similar to an asterisk (*). This device is most often used by dragons when referring to themselves. The dragon Karajix would pronounce his name KA-raj-IX, and it would be written *Karajix*. This emphasis is also sometimes used when commanding, threatening, warning, or making a point.
Draconic has no specific word for “my” or “mine,” instead using several prefixes depending on the exact meaning. A physical object claimed as a possession by a dragon speaker would begin with “veth” or “vethi,” an individual with a relationship to the dragon (such as a friend or relative) begins with “er” or “ethe,” and all other forms of possessiveness are represented by putting “ar” or “ari” before a word.
Thus for a dragon to say “my sword” or “the sword is mine” he need only say “vethicaex,” and “arirlym” translates as “my enemy.” When indicating possession by another, combine the name of the possessor with the object possessed into a single word that starts with “ar” or “ari.”
DRACONIC EXPRESSIONS
Here are some sample sentences and their translations into Draconic. Note that since the list of vocabulary words is very limited, some approximations have been employed.
Mialee, talk to the well-dressed (fashionable) spellscale.
Mialee, ukris arcath thul.
The dragonborn says the magic sword we want is in the green dragon’s lair (fortress).
Ux Bahamuti ner levex caex levex yth tuor persvek darastrix vutha hurthi.
The dragonborn dwarf serves the prophecy.
Ux Bahamuti tibur tundar faestir lorsvek.
The spawn of Tiamat is evil and dangerous. We should study (learn of) our enemy.
Tiathar malsvir vur korth. Yth vor irlym.
Shut up you stupid kobold! Get in there!
Thric ner, *pothoc* wux petisse! *Gethrisj* persvek!
Tordek, hit the orc with your axe.
Tordek, vargach ghik mrith aritordekgarurt.
A red dragon! Scram!
Charir *darastrix*! *Osvith*!
Krusk is dead. He died with much bravery.
Krusk loex. Loreat mrith *sveargith*.
We battled through the night.
Yth vargach erekess thurkear.
Check out all this gold! Tomorrow we’ll be kings!
Ocuir throden *aurix*! Earenk yth *maekrix*!
Magical and powerful, dragons are superior beings (leaders).
Arcaniss vur versel, darastrix maekrix.
The secrets of the dragon’s treasure are in this scroll.
Ardarastrixrasvim irthos persvek sjir.
Dragon’s blood flows in a sorcerer.
Aridarastrixiejir gethrisj persvek vorastrix.
Please don’t disembowel the dwarf.
Martivir thric gixustrat tundar.
Basic Vocabulary 1
(I'll try and put it into an easier to read 4 or 5 columns later, sorry for the long list.)
Common | Draconic |
---|---|
above | svern |
adventurer | toovir |
after | ghent |
air | thrae |
and | vur |
animal | baeshra |
armor | litrix |
arrow | vaess |
ash | vignar |
axe | garurt |
bag | waeth |
battle | vargach |
beautiful | vorel |
bronze | aujir |
before | ghoros |
behind | zara |
below | vhir |
beside | unsinti |
big | turalisj |
black | vutha |
bleed | rhyisj |
blood | iejir |
blue | ulhar |
book | turasjir |
bow | vaex |
born as | tibur |
burn | valignat |
bravery | sveargith |
breathe | frahr |
breath weapon | frahraek |
breed | maurg |
bribe | durah |
but | shar |
cave | waere |
celestial | athear |
century | ierikc |
child | vrak |
cleric | sunathaer |
claw | gix |
copper | rach |
cow | rhyvos |
coward | faessi |
crippled | thurgix |
dance | vaeri |
danger | korth |
darkvision | sverak |
day | kear |
dead | loex |
deity | urathear |
demon | kothar |
die | loreat |
disembowel | gixustrat |
draconic | creature darss |
dragon | darastrix |
dragonblood | darastrixethe |
dragonborn | ux Bahamuti |
dwarf | tundar |
earth | edar |
elf | vaecaesin |
enchanted | levex |
enemy | irlym |
evil | malsvir |
expand | turalisjth |
eye | sauriv |
far | karif |
fashionable | thul |
fate | haurach |
female | aesthyr |
few | lauth |
fire | ixen |
flee | osvith |
fly | austrat |
food | achthend |
for | ihk |
forest | caesin |
fortress | hurthi |
friend | thurirl |
gem | kethend |
give | majak |
gnome | terunt |
go | gethrisj |
gold | aurix |
good | bensvelk |
green | achuak |
half-dragon | darasv |
halfling | rauhiss |
hammer | jhank |
hate | dartak |
heal | irisv |
holy | ioth |
home | okarthel |
human | munthrek |
if | sjek |
in | persvek |
invigorate | strix |
iron | usk |
kill | svent |
knowledge | irthir |
kobold | petisse |
leader | maekrix |
learn | vor |
magic | arcaniss |
male | sthyr |
many | throden |
meat | rhyaex |
mountain | verthicha |
name | ominak |
near | leirith |
night | thurkear |
no | thric |
nor | thur |
normal | munth |
ogre | ghontix |
on | shafaer |
one | ir |
or | usv |
orc | ghik |
pain | loerchik |
peace | martivir |
pillage | thadarsh |
platinum | ux |
powerful | versel |
prolong | ssearth |
prophecy | lorsvek |
protect | troth |
quest | geth |
rain | oposs |
red | charir |
replenish | veschik |
rest | ssifisv |
ruler | ssissth |
savior of | bejik |
scroll | sjir |
secret | irthos |
see | ocuir |
serve | faestir |
shadow | sjach |
shrink | kosjth |
silent | ssej |
silver | orn |
skin (hide) | molik |
slaughter | kurik |
slayer of | fintir |
small | kosj |
smart | othokent |
so | zyak |
soar | hysvear |
song | miirik |
sorcerer | vorastrix |
speaker | lexi |
spawn of Tiamat | tiathar |
speak | renthisj |
spear | ner |
spellscale | arcath |
star | isk |
steel | vyth |
stone | ternesj |
stop | pok |
storm | kepesk |
strong | versvesh |
stupid | pothoc |
sword | caex |
take | clax |
talk | ukris |
thief | virlym |
through | erekess |
to | ekess |
tomorrow | earenk |
travel | ossalur |
treasure | rasvim |
tooth | oth |
ugly | nurh |
undead | kaegro |
under | onureth |
unfashionable | nurthul |
valley | arux |
victory | vivex |
want | tuor |
war | aryte |
warrior | arytiss |
water | hesjing |
we | yth |
wealth | noach |
weapon | laraek |
white | aussir |
with | mrith |
wizard | levethix |
wood | grovisv |
word | lex |
year | eorikc |
yellow | yrev |
yes | axun |
yet | sjerit |
wux | you |
BASIC VOCABULARY: Draconic - Common
Draconic | Common |
---|
achthend food
achuak green
aesthyr female
arcaniss magic
arcath spellscale
arux valley
aryte war
arytiss warrior
athear celestial
aujir bronze
aurix gold
aussir white
austrat fly
axun yes
baeshra animal
bejik savior of
bensvelk good
caesin forest
caex sword
charir red
clax take
darastrix dragon
darastrixethe dragonblood
darasv half-dragon
darss draconic creature
dartak hate
durah bribe
earenk tomorrow
edar earth
ekess to
eorikc year
erekess through
faessi coward
faestir serve
fintir slayer of
frahr breathe
frahraek breath weapon
garurt axe
geth quest
gethrisj go
ghent after
ghik orc
ghontix ogre
ghoros before
gix claw
gixustrat disembowel
grovisv wood
haurach fate
hesjing water
hurthi fortress
hysvear soar
iejir blood
ierikc century
ihk for
ioth holy
ir one
irisv heal
irlym enemy
irthir knowledge
irthos secret
isk star
ixen fi re
jhank hammer
kaegro undead
karif far
kear day
kepesk storm
kethend gem
korth danger
kosj small
kosjth shrink
kothar demon
kurik slaughter
laraek weapon
lauth few
leirith near
levethix wizard
levex enchanted
lex word
lexi speaker
litrix armor
loerchik pain
loex dead
loreat die
lorsvek prophecy
maekrix leader
majak give
malsvir evil
martivir peace
maurg breed
miirik song
molik skin (hide)
mrith with
munth normal
munthrek human
ner spear
noach wealth
nurh ugly
nurthul unfashionable
ocuir see
okarthel home
ominak name
onureth under
oposs rain
orn silver
ossalur travel
osvith fl ee
oth tooth
othokent smart
persvek in
petisse kobold
pok stop
pothoc stupid
rach copper
rasvim treasure
rauhiss halfling
renthisj speak
rhyaex meat
rhyisj bleed
rhyvos cow
sauriv eye
shafaer on
shar but
sjach shadow
sjek if
sjerit yet
sjir scroll
ssearth prolong
ssej silent
ssifi sv rest
ssissth ruler
sthyr male
strix invigorate
sunathaer cleric
sveargith bravery
svent kill
sverak darkvision
svern above
ternesj stone
terunt gnome
thadarsh pillage
thrae air
thric no
throden many
thul fashionable
thur nor
thurgix crippled
thurirl friend
thurkear night
tiathar spawn of Tiamat
tibur born as
toovir adventurer
troth protect
tundar dwarf
tuor want
turalisj big
turalisjth expand
turasjir book
ukris talk
ulhar blue
unsinti beside
urathear deity
usk iron
usv or
ux platinum
ux Bahamuti dragonborn
vaecaesin elf
vaeri dance
vaess arrow
vaex bow
valignat burn
vargach battle
versel powerful
versvesh strong
veschik replenish
verthicha mountain
vhir below
vignar ash
virlym thief
vivex victory
vor learn
vorastrix sorcerer
vorel beautiful
vrak child
vur and
vutha black
vyth steel
waere cave
waeth bag
wux you
yrev yellow
yth we
zara behind
zyak so