SFS
Languages
Arden is a large world with people from many different countries who all speak their own languages. To make this as realistic as possible, Kevin and Joas created several languages especially for the Soul Forge Saga. Words from these languages are mixed into the characters' dialogue to give their speach a touch of flavor that would be missing otherwise.
Norddun was the first language created for the series. It began with words that Kevin constructed himself. Those few, initial words were used as a basis for Joas to work his linguistic magic. Norddun is influenced by Anglo Saxon, Norse, and Icelandic. It is a very descriptive and expressive language. For example, the word for "Sword" is Ecgborite, which combines the words for 'edge' and 'bright', making a sword an 'edge-bright', referring to the gleam of light on a sharp blade edge. Similarly, the Norddun word for "Oath" is Wurdbynd, which is literally a 'word bind'.
Some other Norddun words and their translations: Daerecg (Axe), Rotthaga (Blood), Dunlin (Child), Crawen (Large black bird), Innribliss (Flower), Reikfyra (Forge), Sturmcrawen (Harbinger), Faerbolga (Giant), and Wurdbyndreikfyra (Oath-forge, Oath of Fealty).
Gauldorian was the next language created for the Soul Forge Saga. This one is entirely a creation of Joas', using Gothic, German and Algonquin as influences, with some Norddun peppered in because the Gauldorians and Norddun existed together on the isle of Nordlonda for some time. As a comparison, the Gauldorian word for "Sword" is 'Smitastan', while their word for "Oath" is 'Wurd', which is similar to the Norddun. The Gauldorian people are most often referred to as 'barbarians' by others. The Clans (all named after animal totems) live wild and free in the Wilderlands of the north and their language reflects that nature.
The Deinyran language was constructed by Kevin, using both Welsh and Japanese as a basis. The Deinyra are an almost otherworldly race and their language needed to be very different from the others with a beautiful, lyrical quality. The Deinyran word for "Sword" is 'Kurama'. The word for "Oath" is 'Sluu'. The sentence:"I love to watch dragons fly" translated to Deinyran would be: 'Yrwyfaen myrumoru dorogon garu.'
Samarran is a language that is still under construction, with Yoruba and Hindi providing the best inspiration. The Samarran word for "Sword" is 'Talavar'. The Samarran for "Oath" is 'Sapatha'. Some other words from the Samarran language and their meanings: Mam (Mother), Teman (Friend), Tungku (Hearth), Draigana (Dragon), Angkasa (Sky), and Dhar'ya (Blessed).