When did Geralt learn elf-speak?

[Venethor]

When did Geralt learn elf-speak?

In the Witcher 1, chapter 1 you meet some scoia'tael elf (The one looking for Haren's goods) who greets Geralt in his own tongue to which Geralt replies something along the lines of "I don't speak your language." Yet in the Witcher 2 he speaks Elfish/Elven/Elvish (What is it again?) on several occasions I believe. Am I the only one who found that a bit confusing?

 

[Sephira]

Maybe the amnesia was too strong in TW1, indeed it was. Now that Geralt

Spoiler

has encountered the King of Wild Hunt again

his memory starts to come back and so the fact that he knows the Elder Speech />

 

[dragonbird]

He's also told in TW2 that he isn't very good at it. Maybe the guy in TW1 spoke too fast, had a strong accent, something.

Been there, done that.

 

[Venethor]

I suppose both reasons make good sense. Thanks

 

[Sephira]

He's also told in TW2 that he isn't very good at it. Maybe the guy in TW1 spoke too fast, had a strong accent, something.

Been there, done that.

If you follow Roche's path you meet an elf that will speak to you only in Elder Speech so the guards can't understand what they are saying. The entire conversation is in that language />

I suppose both reasons make good sense. Thanks />

You're welcome

 

[Venethor]

If you follow Roche's path you meet an elf that will speak to you only in Elder Speech so the guards can't understand what they are saying. The entire conversation is in that language />

Yup, that's where I got confused. Iorveth says something in Elfish which Geralt recognises as "Conquer with courage rather than strength" or something like that, which, I suppose, wasn't too odd but once he started speaking the language I got a bit baffled.

 

[Sephira]

Yup, that's where I got confused. Iorveth says something in Elfish which Geralt recognises as "Conquer with courage rather than strength" or something like that, which, I suppose, wasn't too odd but once he started speaking the language I got a bit baffled.

Yeah, I remember that line, in fact he complimented with Geralt, maybe even Iorveth was also a bit confused xD

 

[Venethor]

Who's created the language BTW? I mean, it did sound like quite a bit of effort was put into it.

 

[Sephira]

Who's created the language BTW? I mean, it did sound like quite a bit of effort was put into it.

This Elder Speech was created by Andrzej Sapkowski

 

[Zhyphix]

Maybe the amnesia was too strong in TW1, indeed it was. Now that Geralt

Spoiler

has encountered the King of Wild Hunt again

his memory starts to come back and so the fact that he knows the Elder Speech />/>

Indeed, this is the most likely reason. It's also further strengthened by a conversation you can have with a half-elf in the first game in which Geralt slowly starts to remember some words.

 

[Aaden]

It was created by Andrzej Sapkowski

But only bits and pieces to serve a purpose. I think CDPR adapted the style and invented some new phrases for their dialogue.
Anyways, unlike Tolkien's Sindarin, sadly there's no complete Elder Speech language, not by far. I'm not even sure, if they're internally following some sort of a set of rules, or if they just have a set of important words/phrases and make the rest up as they go along, potentially resulting in many inconsistencies.

 

[Venethor]

It really does add something to the experience that they're actually speaking in their own language but at times it just sounds a bit off to me. I mean, when Geralt and the Nilfgaardians speak Elfish it sounds okay because they're not elves, but when the elves speak their own language they sound like they're speaking a foreign language which they barely understand. It lacks rythm I think. Or perhaps it's just because they talk rather slowly. It'd sound more convincing if they actually had fast conversations with each other I suppose.

 

[Sephira]

Indeed, this is the most likely reason. It's also further strengthened by a conversation you can have with a half-elf in the first game in which Geralt slowly starts to remember some words.

Do you mean that poor elf fellow who wanted to play his last poker dice game the day before he was hanged? xD

But only bits and pieces to serve a purpose. I think CDPR adapted the style and invented some new phrases for their dialogue.
Anyways, unlike Tolkien's Sindarin, sadly there's no complete Elder Speech language, not by far. I'm not even sure, if they're internally following some sort of a set of rules, or if they just have a set of important words/phrases and make the rest up as they go along, potentially resulting in many inconsistencies.

Yeah I think it too. I noticed that Va Faill is Va Fail in the game, it's a simple example but...well it's an example xD
There's a "complete" dictionary (well, based on the books' lines) of this Elder Speech: http://sapkowski.pl/modules.php?op=modload&name=Companion&file=index&func=slownik

It really does add something to the experience that they're actually speaking in their own language but at times it just sounds a bit off to me. I mean, when Geralt and the Nilfgaardians speak Elfish it sounds okay because they're not elves, but when the elves speak their own language they sound like they're speaking a foreign language which they barely understand. It lacks rythm I think. Or perhaps it's just because they talk rather slowly. It'd sound more convincing if they actually had fast conversations with each other I suppose.

Mmmm I don't think that Nilfgaardian language is pure Elder Speech, yes it has some links but it sounds like it's something like a "modern" Elder Speech.

 

[GuyNwah]

But only bits and pieces to serve a purpose. I think CDPR adapted the style and invented some new phrases for their dialogue.
Anyways, unlike Tolkien's Sindarin, sadly there's no complete Elder Speech language, not by far. I'm not even sure, if they're internally following some sort of a set of rules, or if they just have a set of important words/phrases and make the rest up as they go along, potentially resulting in many inconsistencies.

A lot of the vocabulary is recognizably Welsh, but the pronunciation and grammar are "generic European language", not Welsh at all.

Tolkien created languages because Tolkien loved to create languages; no other writer can match him for this, and most who have followed him (like Sapkowski and like CDPR) are smart enough not to try.

 

[vivaxardas2015]

The Elder Speech is an invention heavily based on Welsh language mixed with other European languages. When I am in Wales, I always feel like I am in Nilfgaard (Nilfgaardian is not the Elder Speech, but derived from it). /> Croeso i Gymru! When I retire, I would probably move to Wales. I love it since I was a kid.

 

[cmdr_silverbolt]

Tolkien created languages because Tolkien loved to create languages; no other writer can match him for this, and most who have followed him (like Sapkowski and like CDPR) are smart enough not to try.

And GRRM =) He's apparently getting some help in language making because of their utilization in the shows, which is cool.

I really appreciate it when writers add these elements to their work. They don't even have to make an entire language, but even a register or argot is enriching enough for the world.

 

[vivaxardas2015]

If I remember correctly, Tolkien was a philologist and university professor. For him to invent a language was not a problem, I guess. Right now to invent a new language for some game or fiction is a sign of the times. In Skyrim they put enough effort in it as well.

 

[GuyNwah]

If I remember correctly, Tolkien was a philologist and university professor. For him to invent a language was not a problem, I guess. Right now to invent a new language for some game or fiction is a sign of the times. In Skyrim they put enough effort in it as well.

For Tolkien, it was not so much not a problem as it was a gift and a joy for him. Upon encountering Finnish, which he used in the foundation of Quenya, he wrote that it was like "entering a complete wine-cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before."

Tolkien's hobby was glossopoeia, a word he invented, literally "building tongues", the act of creating an entire language.

Generally, we should not expect a fantasy universe to contain any complete languages, but only so much as is needed to carry the story. Not many have been able to emulate Tolkien's feats of language creation, and probably some who have tried have not improved their work by it.

 

[Zhyphix]

Do you mean that poor elf fellow who wanted to play his last poker dice game the day before he was hanged? xD

Nope, I meant the romance interest.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

For Tolkien, it was not so much not a problem as it was a gift and a joy for him. Upon encountering Finnish, which he used in the foundation of Quenya, he wrote that it was like "entering a complete wine-cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before."

Tolkien's hobby was glossopoeia, a word he invented, literally "building tongues", the act of creating an entire language.

Generally, we should not expect a fantasy universe to contain any complete languages, but only so much as is needed to carry the story. Not many have been able to emulate Tolkien's feats of language creation, and probably some who have tried have not improved their work by it.

A pity he didn't develop Khuzdul as well as he developed Quenya and Sindarin. Arguably, linguistic depth of Tolkien's work is what makes his worlds so special in comparison to many other authors.