• Orc Sworn Glossary

    Here are just a few of the names and phrases you’ll see throughout the Orc Sworn series, with pronunciations and translations (if applicable)! Please note that some pronunciations have been anglicized from their historical origins.

    CLAN NAMES

    Ash-Kai (“strong and cunning”)
    ASH-kye

    Bautul (“brave”)
    bau-TOOL

    Skai (“swift”)
    SKY

    Grisk (“kind”)
    GRISK

    Ka-esh (“clever and wise”)
    ka-ESH

    Gods’ Names

    Akva, the mother of the orcs
    AHK-va

    Edom, the father of the orcs
    AY-dom

    Skai-kesh (“Lord Skai”)
    SKY-kesh

    Orc Names (in general order of appearance)

    Grimarr (Old Norse: “grim warrior”)
    GRIM-arr

    Baldr (Old Norse: “strong prince”; Baldr is also the Norse god of beauty, purity, joy, and peace)
    BALL-dr

    Drafli (Old Norse: “tattler”… in keeping with his “golden-tongue” nickname, heh)
    DRAF-lee

    Kaugir
    KOW-geer

    Kesst
    KEST

    Efterar
    EFT-er-arr

    Joarr
    JO-arr

    Gegnir (Old Norse: “one who provides”)
    GEG-neer

    Narfi (Old Norse: “narrow”)
    NAR-fee

    Silfast (Old Norse form of Latin Silvester, “of the woods”)
    SILL-fast

    Olarr (Old Norse: “noble warrior”)
    OH-larr

    Tengil (Old Norse: “prince, king”)
    TEN-gill

    Nattfarr
    NATT-farr

    Dammarr
    DAM-arr

    Thrak
    THRAK

    Thrain (Old Norse Þráinn: “obstinate”)
    THRAYN

    Varinn (Old Norse: “defender”)
    va-RINN

    Timo
    TEE-mo

    Trygve
    TRIG-veh

    Eyarl
    AY-arl

    Rakfi
    RAK-fee

    John-Ka (Aelakesh/common-tongue: “clever John”)
    JOHN-ka

    Tristan
    TRIS-tan

    Salvi (Old Norse: “sunny, devoted”)
    SAL-vi

    Thorin
    THOR-inn

    Simon
    SY-min

    Ulfarr (Old Norse variant of Ulfgæirr: “wolf spear”)
    ALL-farr

    Killik
    KILL-ik

    Dufnall
    DUFF-nall

    Bjorn (Old Norse: “bear”)
    BYORN

    Arnthorr
    ARN-thorr

    Ivar
    EE-var

    Kalfr
    KAL-fr

    Joakim
    YO-a-keem

    Tryggr (Old Norse: “trusty, faithful, true”)
    TRIG-gr

    Eben
    AY-ben

    Gaukr (Old Norse: “cuckoo”)
    GOW-kr

    Ofnir
    OFF-neer

    Rathgarr (Old Norse Ráðgeirr: “mighty spear”)
    RATH-garr

    Sigarr (Old Norse: “victory warrior”)
    SEE-garr

    Abjorn (Old Norse Ábiǫrn: “terrifying bear”)
    AB-yorn

    Sune (Old Norse sunr: “son”)
    SOON-eh

    Reynir (Old Norse: “rowan tree”)
    RAY-neer

    Reykur (Old Norse Reykr: “smoke”)
    RAY-kr

    Sigtryggr (Old Norse: “victory true”)
    SIG-trig-gr

    Ezog
    AY-tsog

    Human Names

    Maria-Anita Bassala
    mar-EE-ah an-EE-tah ba-SALL-ah

    Alma (Latin/Spanish: “soul, nurturing, kind”)
    ALL-ma

    Gwyn
    GWIN

    Geva Okoro
    JEE-va oh-KOR-oh

    Aulis Gerrard (Aulis, Swedish: “helpful, generous”)
    OW-liss jer-ARD

    Duke Warmisham
    Duke WARM-ish-um

    Kaspar Sippola
    KAS-per sip-OH-la

    Place and Language Names

    Aelakesh
    AY-la-kesh

    Sakkin
    SAK-in

    Salven
    SAL-ven

    Wolfen
    WOLF-inn

    Tlaxca
    TLAX-ka

    Preia
    PRY-ah

    Osada, Osadan
    oh-SA-da, oh-SA-dn

    Albajar, Albajan
    AL-ba-yar, AL-ba-yin

    Ezira
    ez-EER-ah

    Kraitish
    KRAY-tish

    Aelakesh Phrases

    In the Orc Sworn series, our orcs speak a language called Aelakesh. I wanted to convey this on-page, but I’m definitely not a linguist, and didn’t feel informed enough to create a whole new language from scratch!

    So along with a few personal additions (like “ach”!), I’ve mostly used Icelandic as a stand-in for Aelakesh throughout the series. My orcs are very Viking-inspired, and Icelandic is the closest living language to Old Norse (and unlike Old Norse, it has plenty of native speakers that can help translate!).

    I’ve been lucky enough to work with a fabulous Icelandic translator throughout the series, and she’s been so helpful in bringing our orcs’ language to life.

    ach (German: an interjection with multiple meanings, similar to oh, ah, or yeah in English)
    AHK (with a soft k, the German way!)

    ken, i.e. “I ken” (Scottish dialect: know; also drawing from German/Middle English kennen, to know)
    KEN

    galdr (Old Norse: witchcraft, sorcery, song-magic)
    GALL-dr

    kraga (Icelandic: collar)
    KRAH-ga

    sæti (Icelandic: sweetie, cutie)
    SY-tee

    sæti minn (Icelandic: my sweetie)
    SY-tee min

    elskan (Icelandic: darling, love)
    EL-skun

    hjartað mitt (Icelandic: my heart)
    HYAR-tath mitt

    krútt (Icelandic: cutie)
    KROOT

    gamli (Icelandic: old man)
    GAM-lee

    Ég elska þig (Icelandic: I love you)
    yeg EL-ska thig

    helvíti (Icelandic: hell, damn, f*ck)
    HEL-vee-tee

    helvítis hálfviti (Icelandic: f**king halfwit)
    HEL-vee-tees HAL-vee-tee

    helvítis fáviti (Icelandic: f**king a**hole)
    HEL-vee-tees FOW-vee-tee

    ansans kjánaskapur (Icelandic: that was damned foolish)
    AHN-sans KYOW-nas-ka-pur

    frábært (Icelandic: excellent)
    FROW-bert

    refsaðu mér (Icelandic: punish me)
    REF-sa-thu meer

    ríddu mér (Icelandic: f*ck me)
    REE-du meer

    fyrirgefðu mér (Icelandic: forgive me)
    FEER-uh-gev-thuh meer

    Mér þykir þetta svo leitt (Icelandic: I’m so sorry)
    mair THEE-kir THET-a swo late

    Ég er þakklátur (Icelandic: I am grateful)
    yeg er THAK-lau-tur

    Ég er þín (Icelandic: I am yours)
    yeg er THEEN

    fallegur (Icelandic: beautiful)
    FAHT-leg-ur 

    stórglæsilegur (Icelandic: stunning, elegant, magnificent)
    STOAR-glys-hil-e-ghur 

    borðaðu (Icelandic: to eat)
    BOR-tha-thu

    morgunmatur (Icelandic: breakfast)
    MOR-ghun-ma-thur

    Leggstu niður og þegiðu (Icelandic: Lie down and shut up)
    LHEGG-hstu NEE-thur ogh THEY-hi-thu

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