7/28/2019 Dwemer Language notes

1/2

Dwemer Language

I created this post to be a collection of knowledge regarding the Dwemerlanguage. Links, post, insight, theories...if you have them, post them. Comment,critique, analyse... it's here so we can gain some more insight into this interesting

aspect of the Dwemeri's culture as a whole.

Now then, I wanted to bring a couple of my own theories to the table. Keep inmind I'm a newb: some of it might be stupid ... but I did do my homework, andI'm confident it'll be at least somewhat interesting.

In the above link to the Dwemer Academy, it states that between Dwemer glyphsand runes (which have only been found on the ruins in Morrowind) there is nounderstood relationship. Now, I don't know if I'm stating the obvious here but...the glyphs seem to BE the runes, it's just that the runes are a more artisticversion. My theory is that glyphs were scientifically used for writing, notation,

ect... and runes were a more decorative way of writing. There are some that areobvious:

Look at glyph x20. This is almost identical to the W rune. Same as the Y rune,same as x21. Some comparisons are a bit harder when the runes are verysimilar, such as the case of Runes A and E. But in this case one must analysewhere the curves in the runes are artistic and where the curves indicatemagnitude of curvature.

I deduced rune A to be x14 and E to be x16. Why? Notice the curve on A is slight,

as if the writer just swished to give it an extra style. Now look at E. E's curve ismuch straighter, denoting an angle, and the end is the actual "style" part. Same

thing happens with M and N (x8 and x7, respectively) Some assignments can stillbe debated, but the truth still lies in that the glyphs and runes are basically thesame. My assignments go as follows:

A-x14, D-x23, E-x16, F-x10, G-x5,I-x13, L-x12(duh!), M-x8, N-x7, o-x19, R-x6,S-x11, V-x9, W-x20, and finally Y-x21

(A minor speculation before continuing: Some runes look alike. Does this mean

they sound alike. For instance, A,E,and I look alike. Are these the actual Dwemervowels? Except for O, they seem to be agrouped that way, although one could

argue that O has the same sort of straight lines and angles as the other vowels)

Moving forward. Rounding up the letters we are left to decipher areB,C,H,J,K,P,Q,T,U, and Z. This brings an interesting conundrum, because thereare ten letters left to decipher and 12 glyphs to assign. Now, the extra two mightbe some sort of combined sound (It's important to think of phonetics instead ofalphabets when translating). Some possibilities for this include:

TH,NG,LL,SS,AE,and CH, in summary, various double letters and vowelcombinations. I believe that one of these is most probably CH, since it is

commonly used in Dwemer names. Also, we have yet to assign C, and, takinginto account that similar styles might mean phonetic relation, the glyphs C and

CH will probably look alike. These might be x1 and x2 (which is which I can'tsay). x26 might be the other combined sound. I also believe that Q might be oneof the very unique-looking glyphs (maybe x27?) because of it's unique sound.

Now, it's important to remember that even if we decipher the sound and Tamrielicletter assignment of the Dwemer glyphs, they're still in Dwemeri, so, if translating

7/28/2019 Dwemer Language notes

2/2

books and such, they will probably be something like "Mzeleking Chameri NceluArkona...ect..ect...". Our only viable "Rosetta Stone" are the books written bothin Aldmeris and Dwemeri, but these would only be of use to us if we both A)knew Aldmeris and B) could actually see the text.

That's it, I'm done with my say. If everyone pitches in with they're two cents, wewill soon have enough to buy the key to unlock this fascinating language (Meta:

Or enough to buy the game developers into including a full Aldmeris-Dwemeritext in the next game,LOl)

-- Morbus Doom