The Old Tongue

SPOKEN BY

The Old Tongue is considered a dead language, spoken only by scholars. This, however, does not keep the language from being a pivotal component in the unfolding events of The Wheel of Time.

DOCUMENTED BY

Robert Jordan (1948–2007) relates the cycling ebb and flow of good and evil in his series The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World (1990), The Great Hunt (1990), The Dragon Reborn (1991), The Shadow Rising (1992), The Fires of Heaven (1993), Lord of Chaos (1994), A Crown of Swords (1996), The Path of Daggers (1998), Winter’s Heart (2000), Crossroads of Twilight (2003), Knife of Dreams (2005), The Gathering Storm (with Brandon Sanderson, 2009; Sanderson was chosen to complete the series after Jordan’s death in 2007), Towers of Midnight (with Brandon Sanderson, 2010), and A Memory of Light (with Brandon Sanderson, to be published in 2012).

BEHIND THE WORDS

The Creator made the universe, imprisoned Shai’tan (Dark One), and set the Wheel of Time spinning. Unfortunately, someone mistakenly breached the Dark One’s prison, allowing evil into the world. As The Dark One gathered allies, the Wheel of Time spawned a dragon named Lews Therin Telamon to defeat them. Thus began the never-ending battle between good and evil. The dragon failed to seal the Dark One’s prison, and in his grief he killed his own kin and then, finally, himself. For 3,000 years, humanity endured the slow rise and fall of civilizations and wars spawned by the Dark One’s agents. Then, as the dark powers were gathering once more, the allies of Good were searching for one who had been called the Dragon Reborn.

DERIVATION OF THE LANGUAGE

The Old Tongue was spoken during the Age of the Legends before The Breaking of the World. Although it passed out of common usage, it is still spoken by those few who are highly educated and knowledgeable about history.

A TASTE OF THE LANGUAGE

The most common examples of the Old Tongue are ancient words preserved as names:

Aldieb (noun)—West Wind

Atha’’an Miere (noun)—Those Bound to the Sea (the Sea Folk)

Chalinda (noun)—Sweet Girl

Daishar (noun)—Glory

Faile (noun)—Falcon

Jeade’’en (noun)—True Finder

Mageen (noun)—Daisy

Mandarb (noun)—Blade

Serenla (noun)—Stubborn Daughter

Siswai (noun)—Spear

Tai’’daishar (noun)—True Glory

SOME USEFUL PHRASES

Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. (It’s time to toss the dice.)

Sene sovya caba’donde ain dovienya. (Luck is a horse to ride like any other.)

Mia ayende, Aes Sedai! Caballein misain ye! Inde muagdhe Aes Sedai misain ye! Mia

ayende! (Release me, Aes Sedai! I am a free man! I am no Aes Sedai meat! Release me!)

PHILOLOGICAL FACT

imageBefore The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan wrote Conan the Barbarian novels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Review the works listed above, the resources listed in the bibliography, and the web page: “The Wheel of Time” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time).

SPEAKING OF LANGUAGES

Whoever controls the language, the images, controls the race.

—Allen Ginsberg