Halfling language (Gelion Gwel)
I decided to set out to create a language for my favorite of D&D races: the Halfling. Long over looked these intrepid adventurers are always pushing the limit, despite being 4 feet tall. I used the Halflings from 4th edition as my model, though I suppose it could easily port to any other version. I will also be detailing aspects of Halfling culture (at least MY version of it) as I continue expanding the language.
Gelion Gwel
Language of the RiverPhonology
Short Vowels:
a
e(pronounced as a shwa(uh) when unstressed)
i
o
u
Long Vowels - these are ponounced roughly twice as long as short vowels.
aa
ee*
ii
oo*
uu
Dipthongs:
au
oi
ai
ei
*Some times ó and é are used in place of ee and oo, to prevent confusion in pronunciation to English speakers.
Consonants - pronouced as in English, except where noted)
g k h v f w y l r n m s z t d c(sh) j(zh) x(german ch, or like the ch in loch) ng b p
*Doubled consonants indicate they are long.
The Article
Definite article is i. It gains an l before a vowel. Ex.: the fish il oipa the boat i singa
Indefinate article is ek, but it is often omitted.
Nouns
Plural: Add the suffix -e after the noun, it becomes -sye after a vowel. Adjectives agree in number. Stress remains on the penultimate syllable of the original word. Ex. ko eye kosye, vet son/daughter vete sons/daughters.
The Augmented plural is formed by placing the word zo before the plural noun. Ex.: the many stars i zo luune from the many rivers nwa i zo gwele
The nominative comes before the verb and the accusative comes after the verb, and is marked with the suffix -r in some dialects. The plural and any case endings come after the accusative. Ex.: He has a crow ja dwe (ek) rossr.
Genitive: Add -i to the noun for unalienable (ua) possession, -uc for communal (cmm)possession, and no change for alienable possession. The genitive follows the noun it modifies. -i indicates an unalienable possession, one that belongs to me, and can never belong to someone else, like my mother(kuru ni), or his hands(mabe ji) . Alienable possession shows that the noun belongs to me, simply because I own it, or it is temporarily mine. Words like Chieftain (garhaan) take the alienable possession. Communal possession refers to something held by the tribe, or clan, as a hole, such as the river (gwel) and the riverboats (gwelsinga), and clan honor, or soul (varta haavaraduc) Ex.: my soul/honor/renown, varta ni, his/her book, tiske ja, your(pl) boats gwelsinga luc
Word List
Nouns
garhaan - chieftain, often shortened to gar
gwel - river
singa - boat, raft
vet - son/daughter
haavar - family
haavarad - clan
ucad - community
bal - sail
naulo -current
ross - crow; raven
ko - eye
luun - star
xiya - moon
koliik - mountain
kolling - hill
golacung - Goliath
gwelung - river folk (sing)
bar - town
barar - city
barling - villiage
barung - city folk(sing)
koliikung - mountain folk (sing)
jetung - person
zav - sand
kam - fire
varta - honor, renown, fame, soul (that which lives on)
fewa - paddle
gelion - speech, speaking, language
fwa - wind
uunu - flute
tangling - ukulele
kuru - mother/father
mab - hand
Cardinal Numbers
0. ii
1. ekka
2. noi
3. bo
4. xad
5. ces
6. dav
7. isk
8. tang
9. ret
10. jo
11. ekkavo
12. noivo
13. bovo
14. xadvo
15. cesvo
16. davvo
17. iskvo
18. tangvo
19. retvo
20. noime
30. bome
40. xadme
50. cesme
60. davme
70. iskme
80. tangme
90. retme
100. jodar
200. noidar
Verbs
-is verbs
gelis Singular Plural
First (na / ka) na gelin ka gelime
Second (lu/te) lu gelil te gelire
Third (ja/byo) ja gelij byo gelice
gelis - to speak (na gelin I speak)
vartis - to continue, to be everlasting
fewis - to paddle
-er verbs
Singular Plural
First (na / ka) na dwe(pronounced "dwuh" ka dweng
Second (lu/ te) lu dwe te dweng
Third (ja/ byo) ja dwe byo dweng
dwer - to have
buer - to drink
Adjectives (follow nouns)
haavaru - familial
ucu - common, similar
borru - full
witu - swift, fast
jwa - slow
zo - many
Parts of Speech
do, d’(before vowel) - in
nwa - from
ac - and
Pronouns:
na - I
ni - my (unalienable)
nuc - my (communal)
nar - me
lu - you
li - yours (ua)
luc - yours (cmm)
lur - you (acc)
ja - he/she
ji - his/hers(ua)
juc - his/hers (cmm)
jar - him/her
ka - we
kai - ours (ua)
kauc - ours (cmm)
kar - us
te - you (pl)
ti - yours (pl, ua)
tuc - yours (pl, cmm)
ter - your (pl, acc)
byo - they
byi - theirs (ua)
byuc - theirs (cmm)
byor - them
Word Formation
- a (verb to noun) vartis to be everlasting varta soul
- u (noun to adjective) haavar family haavaru familial
-ung - agent in names, meaning “folk” or “people”
-ilo - affectionate diminutive, vet, son, vetilo sonny boy
-ling - diminutive gwel (river) gwelling (stream)
-ad - a suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state or condition
-on(action), geli - (speak)- gelion, speaking, speech
-et - (agent in names, “son/daughter of”) gar (chief) garet - son of the chief
Gelion Gwel
Language of the RiverPhonology
Short Vowels:
a
e(pronounced as a shwa(uh) when unstressed)
i
o
u
Long Vowels - these are ponounced roughly twice as long as short vowels.
aa
ee*
ii
oo*
uu
Dipthongs:
au
oi
ai
ei
*Some times ó and é are used in place of ee and oo, to prevent confusion in pronunciation to English speakers.
Consonants - pronouced as in English, except where noted)
g k h v f w y l r n m s z t d c(sh) j(zh) x(german ch, or like the ch in loch) ng b p
*Doubled consonants indicate they are long.
The Article
Definite article is i. It gains an l before a vowel. Ex.: the fish il oipa the boat i singa
Indefinate article is ek, but it is often omitted.
Nouns
Plural: Add the suffix -e after the noun, it becomes -sye after a vowel. Adjectives agree in number. Stress remains on the penultimate syllable of the original word. Ex. ko eye kosye, vet son/daughter vete sons/daughters.
The Augmented plural is formed by placing the word zo before the plural noun. Ex.: the many stars i zo luune from the many rivers nwa i zo gwele
The nominative comes before the verb and the accusative comes after the verb, and is marked with the suffix -r in some dialects. The plural and any case endings come after the accusative. Ex.: He has a crow ja dwe (ek) rossr.
Genitive: Add -i to the noun for unalienable (ua) possession, -uc for communal (cmm)possession, and no change for alienable possession. The genitive follows the noun it modifies. -i indicates an unalienable possession, one that belongs to me, and can never belong to someone else, like my mother(kuru ni), or his hands(mabe ji) . Alienable possession shows that the noun belongs to me, simply because I own it, or it is temporarily mine. Words like Chieftain (garhaan) take the alienable possession. Communal possession refers to something held by the tribe, or clan, as a hole, such as the river (gwel) and the riverboats (gwelsinga), and clan honor, or soul (varta haavaraduc) Ex.: my soul/honor/renown, varta ni, his/her book, tiske ja, your(pl) boats gwelsinga luc
Word List
Nouns
garhaan - chieftain, often shortened to gar
gwel - river
singa - boat, raft
vet - son/daughter
haavar - family
haavarad - clan
ucad - community
bal - sail
naulo -current
ross - crow; raven
ko - eye
luun - star
xiya - moon
koliik - mountain
kolling - hill
golacung - Goliath
gwelung - river folk (sing)
bar - town
barar - city
barling - villiage
barung - city folk(sing)
koliikung - mountain folk (sing)
jetung - person
zav - sand
kam - fire
varta - honor, renown, fame, soul (that which lives on)
fewa - paddle
gelion - speech, speaking, language
fwa - wind
uunu - flute
tangling - ukulele
kuru - mother/father
mab - hand
Cardinal Numbers
0. ii
1. ekka
2. noi
3. bo
4. xad
5. ces
6. dav
7. isk
8. tang
9. ret
10. jo
11. ekkavo
12. noivo
13. bovo
14. xadvo
15. cesvo
16. davvo
17. iskvo
18. tangvo
19. retvo
20. noime
30. bome
40. xadme
50. cesme
60. davme
70. iskme
80. tangme
90. retme
100. jodar
200. noidar
Verbs
-is verbs
gelis Singular Plural
First (na / ka) na gelin ka gelime
Second (lu/te) lu gelil te gelire
Third (ja/byo) ja gelij byo gelice
gelis - to speak (na gelin I speak)
vartis - to continue, to be everlasting
fewis - to paddle
-er verbs
Singular Plural
First (na / ka) na dwe(pronounced "dwuh" ka dweng
Second (lu/ te) lu dwe te dweng
Third (ja/ byo) ja dwe byo dweng
dwer - to have
buer - to drink
Adjectives (follow nouns)
haavaru - familial
ucu - common, similar
borru - full
witu - swift, fast
jwa - slow
zo - many
Parts of Speech
do, d’(before vowel) - in
nwa - from
ac - and
Pronouns:
na - I
ni - my (unalienable)
nuc - my (communal)
nar - me
lu - you
li - yours (ua)
luc - yours (cmm)
lur - you (acc)
ja - he/she
ji - his/hers(ua)
juc - his/hers (cmm)
jar - him/her
ka - we
kai - ours (ua)
kauc - ours (cmm)
kar - us
te - you (pl)
ti - yours (pl, ua)
tuc - yours (pl, cmm)
ter - your (pl, acc)
byo - they
byi - theirs (ua)
byuc - theirs (cmm)
byor - them
Word Formation
- a (verb to noun) vartis to be everlasting varta soul
- u (noun to adjective) haavar family haavaru familial
-ung - agent in names, meaning “folk” or “people”
-ilo - affectionate diminutive, vet, son, vetilo sonny boy
-ling - diminutive gwel (river) gwelling (stream)
-ad - a suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state or condition
-on(action), geli - (speak)- gelion, speaking, speech
-et - (agent in names, “son/daughter of”) gar (chief) garet - son of the chief