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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