Dalish: Lexicon

Elvish phrases

 * Andaran atish’an || Enter this place in peace. A formal elven greeting. Literally: "I dwell in this place, a place of peace."
 * Aneth ara || A sociable or friendly greeting, more commonly used among the Dalish themselves rather than with outsiders. Literally: "My safe place"
 * Ara seranna-ma || "Excuse me," as in after a sneeze or belch; this phrase may be differently conjugated depending on the speaker
 * Ar lasa mala revas || "You are (now) free
 * Ar lath ma || "I love you
 * Arlathan || The major city of Elvhenan, original homeland of the elves, from the phrase "ar lath’an" meaning "This place of love"
 * Asha'belannar || "The Woman of Many Years."
 * Atish'all Vir Abelasan || "Enter the path of the Well of Sorrows."
 * Bellanaris Din'an Heem || "Make you dead"
 * Dareth shiral || Used as a "farewell" it means, "Safe journey"
 * Din'Anshiral || A journey of death
 * Dirth'ena enasalin || the Elvish word for the Arcane Warrior or, more recently, Knight Enchanter disciplines
 * Dirthara-ma || "May you learn." Used as a curse
 * Emma lath || My love
 * Fen'Harel enansal || The Dread Wolf's blessing
 * Fen'Harel ma ghilana || "Dread Wolf guides you" Indicates someone being mislead/making bad life choices
 * Fen'Harel ma halam || "Dread Wolf ends you" A threat
 * Garas quenathra || "Why are you here?/Why have you come?"
 * Ghil-Dirthalen || "One who guides seekers of knowledge true."
 * Ghilan'him banal'vhen || "The path that leads astray": a derogatory term for Arcane Warriors among those elves who eschewed physical combat
 * Halam'shivanas || The sweet sacrifice of duty
 * Ir abelas || I am sorry
 * Ir abelas, ma vhenan || "I am filled with sorrow for your loss, my heart."
 * Ir tel'him || "I'm me again."
 * Lasa ghilan || Grant/give guidance
 * Lathbora viran || Roughly translated as "the path to a place of lost love," a longing for a thing one can never really know
 * Ma banal las halamshir var vhen. || You do nothing to further our people
 * Ma ghilana mir din'an || Guide me into death
 * Ma melava halani || You helped me
 * Mala suledin nadas || Now you must endure
 * Ma nuvenin || As you wish
 * Ma vhenan || My heart (a term of endearment)
 * Ma serannas || My thanks (Thank you)
 * Mana. Ma halani. || "Ma halani" is "Help me". In this context, "Mana" is an imperative verb, like "Stop" or "Wait"
 * Melana en athim las enaste || Now let humility grant favor
 * Sulevin ghilana hanin || Guide to certain glory / Guide of Glorious Purpose
 * Tel'abelas || "I'm not [sorry]."
 * Tel garas solasan || Come not to a prideful place
 * Telanadas || Nothing is inevitable
 * Vir'abelasan || "The place of the way of sorrows."

Endearments

 * da'assan || little arrow
 * da'mi || little blade
 * da'vhenan || little heart
 * emm'asha || my girl
 * emma lath || my love
 * ma sa'lath || my one love
 * ma'arlath || my love
 * ma emma lath || you are my love
 * vhenan'ara || heart's desire

Insults

 * elvhen'alas || dirt elves
 * len'alas lath'din || dirty child no one loves
 * seth'lin || thin blood

Threats

 * Ar'din nuvenin na'din || I don't want to kill you
 * Ar tu na'din || I will kill you
 * Ar tu na'lin emma mi || I will see your blood on my blade
 * Emma shem'nan || My revenge is swift
 * Halam sahlin || This ends now
 * Ma emma harel || You should fear me
 * Ma halam || You are finished

A

 * Abelas || Sorrow. Also used as an apology.
 * Adahl || tree/bush.
 * Adahlen || forest
 * Alas || earth, dirt
 * -An || suffix indicating place or location.As in the phrase "vir'abelasan," "the place of the way of sorrows"; or "Solasan," the "place of pride."
 * Annar || year
 * Ar || personal pronoun: I, me
 * Aravas || journeys
 * Aravel || A wagon used by the Dalish; literally a physical and spiritual path, a journey with purpose. Humans call them "landships."
 * Arla || home
 * Arlathvhen || Meeting of the Dalish clans, every ten years.Arla: home; Ar: I, me; Lath: love; Vhen: people, us. The meaning of this title is connotative more than anything else. Means "for love of the people."
 * Asha || woman
 * Assan || arrow
 * Atisha || peace, peaceful
 * Athim || humility

B

 * Banal || nothing, not, no
 * Banalhan || "The place of nothing", a name for the Blight or its place of origin
 * Banal'ras || Shadow.Vir Banal'ras
 * Bel || many
 * Bellanaris || Eternity
 * Bora || to throw, project, lose
 * Bor'assan || bow

D

 * Da || small, diminutive prefix
 * Dar || to be
 * Da'len || little child, or "little one"
 * Dareth || be safe
 * Din || "not", or "isn't"; also used to indicate someone who has died: someone who is not
 * Din'an || death, end
 * Dirth || tell, speak. A term for knowledge, secrets
 * Dirthara || learn, seek truth
 * Dirthavaren || "The promise"—Elvish name for the Exalted Plains
 * Dirthera || tell
 * Dorf || grey
 * Durgen || stone
 * Durgen’len || Children of The Stone|the stone. The original Elvish term for the Dwarf|dwarves

E

 * El || our
 * Elgar || spirit
 * Elgara || sun
 * Elgar'arla || a spirit-trap, a binding circle to hold a Spirit or Demon
 * Eluvian || mirror. Literally, "seeing glass."
 * Elvarel || longer, more effort
 * Elvhen || "Our People". Elven name for their own race
 * Elvhenan || Place of our people. The name of the Elvhenan|elven civilization before the arrival of humans in Thedas. Also could be translated as: "Our hearts"
 * Emma || I am/my or within/full of. -en||suffix indicating plural
 * Ena || appear; emerge
 * Enasal || joy in triumph over loss; a variation of joyful relief
 * Enasalin || victory
 * Enansal || gift or blessing
 * Enaste || favor, approval
 * Enfanim || to fear
 * Era || story, tale, dream
 * Era'harel || demon-mage; similar to an arcane horror
 * Eth || safe
 * Evanuris || leaders. What the elves/elvhen called their elven pantheon/gods

F

 * Falon || friend
 * Felas || slow
 * Felandaris || demon weed
 * Felassan || slow arrow
 * Fen || wolf
 * Fenedhis || undefined common curse. Possibly the equivalent of "crap"
 * Fenedhis lasa || an expansion on Fenedhis, a common curse

G

 * Garas || come
 * Ghilani || to guide
 * Ghilas || to go
 * Glandival || wish, to believe

H

 * Hahren'al || A gathering of hahrens during arlathvhen
 * Hahren || Elder. Used as a term of respect by the Dalish, but more specifically for the leader of an alienage by the City Elves.
 * Halam || the end, finished
 * Halamshiral || The end of the journey. Also the name of the capital of the second elven homeland in the Dales
 * Halani || help
 * Hamin || rest, relax
 * Hanal'ghilan || "the pathfinder;" Elvish name for the mythical golden halla said by the Dalish to appear during times of great need
 * Hanin || glory
 * Harel || To trick or deceive. Dreaded, frightening, causing fear
 * Harellan || trickster, traitor to one's kin
 * Harillen || opposition
 * Hellathen || noble struggle
 * Him || become

I

 * In || with or inside; dwell
 * Inan || eyes. Literally: "inside place" or "dwelling place" - i.e. windows to the soul
 * Ir || very, more; I'm/I amas
 * Iras || where
 * Irassal || wherever
 * Isala || in need of

L

 * La || and
 * Las || grant, give
 * Lath || love
 * Len||child.
 * Lethallin; Lethallan || Casual reference used for someone with whom one is familiar. Lethallin is used for males, while lethallan is used for females
 * Lin || blood

M

 * Ma || my, mine, or you, your
 * Mahvir || tomorrow
 * Mala || your
 * Mamae || Mother
 * Mana || distant past; long amount of time
 * Melana || time
 * Melava || time, past tense
 * Mi || blade
 * Mi'durgen || diamond, literally 'blade stone'
 * Mien'harel || rebellion (or else a violent call for justice, depending on the interpretation), normally a city elves| city elf term; a concept that when humans push the elven population too far they must remind them that even a "short blade" must be respected
 * Mir || my

N

 * Na || your; is
 * Nadas || Inevitable. Also used as an expression of obligation (i.e. "must")
 * Nan || revenge; vengeance
 * Ne || you
 * Nehn || joy
 * Numin || cry, tears
 * Nuvenin || want, need

R

 * Renan || voice
 * Revas || freedom
 * Revasan || "The place where freedom dwells"

S

 * Sa || one
 * Sahlin || now, in this moment
 * Samahl || laugh, laughter
 * Sa'vunin || a single day
 * Serannas || grateful, appreciative
 * Seth || thin, tenuous
 * Setheneran || Land of waking dreams. Literally: "Tenuous waking dream place"
 * Shem || quick, fast
 * Shemlen || Literally "quick children". The original name of the elves for the human race. It continues to see use as a slang term amongst the City Elves ("Shems") even though its meaning has largely been lost
 * Shiral || journey
 * Solas || Pride, to stand tall
 * Solasan || a prideful place
 * Somniar || to dream
 * Souveri || weary, tired
 * Suv || happen
 * Sulahn'nehn || joy/happiness
 * Sulahn || sing
 * Suledin || endure, strength to withstand loss
 * Sulevin || certain, purpose

T

 * Tan || three
 * Tarasyl'an Te'las || the place where the sky was held back. Original elven name for Skyhold
 * Taren || mind
 * Tasallan || meaning unknown
 * Tel || not; often used to negate the noun/verb that proceeds it
 * Then || awake, alert
 * Theneras || dream
 * Tu || to make, to cause

U

 * U || alone
 * Uth || long, forever, never ending, eternal.Breakdown of "uthenera."
 * Uthenera || Waking sleep; immortal. Uthenera was the name of the ancient practice of immortal elves who would "sleep" once they tired of life. Literally: "Eternal waking dream"

V

 * Vallas || writing
 * Vallasdahlen || Life-trees. Trees planted in remembrance of those who dedicated their lives to the Dalish kingdom, that grew into a mighty wood
 * Vallaslin || Blood writing. The art of tattooing adopted by some elves to more prominently (and some might say belligerently) display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon.
 * Vallem || "To bid" or "I bid you"
 * Var || our
 * Ven || to go
 * Venavis || stop
 * Vhen || "people of" or "belonging to the elves, the clans, elven society"
 * Vhenadahl || The tree of the people
 * Vhen'alas || The land itself, as in "the ground". Literally: "our earth"
 * Vhenan || heart
 * Vhenas || home
 * Vir || way or path
 * Vissanalla || translation unknown
 * Vunin || day

Where Willows Wail
An elven version of a lullaby local to Denerim and nearby villages to the south.