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Argonian Jel

Tags: #Sotek  #Jel  #Saxhleel 
  • Member
    July 31, 2018

     

    Since the Elder Scrolls began, several races have emerged and, over time, their legend and history has grown. One such race is the Argonians, or as they would have themselves be known, the Saxhleel. Their native language, Jel, originates from the ancient and sentiment trees, the Hist.

    Over time, the Jel language has cropped up in numerous places, from TES Games to supplements, expansions, in game TES books and in game character speech.

    This is a collection of the Argonian language known as Jel, used throughout the ES world which, I hope, will grow as members of T.V. add Jel words to the list, helping form a definitive Jel guide for all members to enjoy and one which may prove to be a useful resource for writers in T.S.C., Character Builders, The Role Play Group and various other groups within Tamriel Vault.

    Warning:-

    Some of these are from a variety of sources and some may even be fictional. Such is the language, it’s hard to tell. Also, I don’t know if this way helps or makes it harder but I have chosen to use the Jel to English/American format. If I get time then I might make a English/American to Jel format too. It’s a massive project and it’s me doing it so don’t expect too much….If anyone has any words which they would like to be added then just leave a comment and I will add them to this list.

    I hope this is of interest and I hope to Hircine it helps.
    Sotek Loyal Hound of Hircine


     

    “Ahi” - I
    “Ahtien” - Trick
    "Akssel’sal” - Sage or Seer
    "Al-Phid" - "Brightest star in the city"
    “Athre’us” - Magicka
    “Azeez” - Bright (shining)

     


    “Bekiin” - Become



    “Chakk” - Butt (offensive)
    "Chaz” - Here
    “C’oo” - Why



    "Daril" - example "Daril Drinker"? A name for a drug, literally "seeing everything in ecstasy"
    “Deelith” - teacher

     


    “Ehi” - Old
    “Ei” - eyes, eye
    “Eix” - scales

     


    “Fanik” - Fate

     

    “Gah” - Great
    “Gee” - mire
    "Gee-Rusleel" - Miredancer. Possibly a Murkmire tribe
    “Ghanral” - Good
    “Goc” - Mud
    “Golt” - Drink
    “Gool” - Mouth
    “Gop” - Sink
    “Gor” - Food
    “Gorip” - Flavour
    “Gortsuq” - Cuisine (literally “food burning”)



    “Ha” - throat
    "Haj" - Hidden Woods
    “Hajhiit” - Khajiit
    “Haj-mota” - Hidden hunter
    “Hee-Tepsleel” - (unknown translation as of yet)
    “Hej” - "vaporous"
    "Hej xajhuthi kroni" - Vaporous, dangerous crones." ("Beware of witchlights")
    "Hej setha thtitleel" - Vaporous, floating sphere (or Wisp)
    "Hej setha thtithik" - "Vaporous, floating egg-hatcher" (Wispmother)
    “Hes’qoa’ta” - Eel
    “Hest’histess” - Heal
    "Hist’akk” - Healthy
    “Hist’ik” - Birth
    “Hist’qar” - Finite
    "Hist’qe” - Home

     
    “Ij” - tail
    "Inqu’eksith” - Eternal
    “Ithisskk” - Shadows; derived from darkness
    “Iss’kssew’ssi” - A particularly clear day
    “Ixtaxh” - Exact

     


    “Jehkar” – To stalk (Sneak?)
    "Jekos" - Meaning unknown. Used by Zahra in The Elder Scrolls Online.
    “Joon” - Will
    “Julan” - benefit

     


    "Ka" - Apprentice
    “Kaj” - "ample", also "giant"
    "Kaj - jeke thota" - "Ample-stinging insect" (or "Giant Wasp")
    "Kajthux" or Kajthix” ? - "Ample Serpent"
    “Kaoc” - Form of expression of surprise or alarm.
    “Kel’nekqocss” - Perseverance, Determination, or Stubbornness—
    “Keshu” - stands apart
    “Khani” – Damn
    “Ki” – doll
    “Kiin” – Come
    "Kis’kssew” – Sight
    "Kis’sqon” - Wind
    “Koasa” - Until
    “Kota” - black
    "Kota-Vimleel" - "Black-Tongues"
    “Kos” – But
    “Kroni” – Crone
    "K’sanssl’ak” - Pet



    “Leel” - people, children, tribe
    “Lod” - Lick
    “Lukiul” - assimilated, forgetting one's roots

     


    “Maagar” - Cart
    “Maka” - Mother
    “Masu” - "Big-mouthed reptile" (taken from its use in "Rormasu" and "Wamasu")
    “Meht” - cracker (as in shell-cracker, not the food)
    "Mek’anssl” - Hug
    “Mih” - My
    “Mota” – hunter

     

    "Naktis” - Friend
    “Nassa” - Leader
    “Ne’siik” - Mind
    “Ne’golt’siik” - Learn
    “Ne’kssewloj’siik” - Remember
    “Ne’qoanssik” - Flexibility (of the mind)
    “Ne’ssak” - Body
    “Nhakik” - Wander

     


    "Os’qona” - Skyrim

     


    “Paka” - Father
    “Pakseech” - clan chair, patriarch, leader, wise father concerned with the
    welfare of the whole family

     

     

    “Qa” – And
    “Qoa’cthu” – Rain
    “Qoa’ta” - Fish
    "Qoa’xhiak” - Ice, as in cold water. My understanding is this would be best used for the sea near Winterhold. (not to be confused with Xhiak’qoa, meaning water cold)
    “Qoaxhia’cthu” - Frost
    "Qoc’cthu” - Rock
    "Qocqoc’ess” - Strength
    "Qon’ss” - Sky
    "Qul’cthassnu” - Fireball
    "Qul’cthu” - Flame
    "Qul’sanss” - Punch



    "Rormasu" - Argonian word for Crocodile (literal: "big mouth reptile that breathes above water")
    “Raj” – elder
    “Rethqoc” - Reeds or ‘strong grass’
    “Rus” - dance, dancer

     


    “Sahtee” - Stars
    "Sanssl’an” - Touch
    "Sanss’win’a” - Kiss
    "Saxhleel" - Argonians' name for themselves. "People of the Root".
    “Seif” - to lift
    "Sekk’qocen” - Mountain
    “Sem” - Breath through lungs
    “Seth” - the Jel name of Sithis
    “Setha” - floating
    "Sewwess’n” - Eye
    “Shaa” - A
    “Shap” - frog
    “S’hist” - Life
    “Sinha” - Child
    "Sith’ik” - Death
    "Si’thlikass” - Void
    "S’qoass” - Swim
    “S’qocss” - Dig
    "S’qonss” - Fly
    "Sre’qu’ke” - Burn
    "Ssaa" - ? (used by Xijai-Teel)
    “Ssith” - Die
    "Ssith’qar” - Kill
    “Suur” - Sap (specifically Hist sap)

     

     

    “Ta” - house
    “Taihjak” - Luck
    “Tarhin” - Fulfill
    “Teeba-Hatsei” - "Hip and Tail Ball", a popular Argonian sport
    "Th’akssewluss’ka” - Ambition
    “Thdei” - Chase away
    “Theilul” - an Argonian liquor made from distilled sugarcane, or Hurry. Not sure….
    “Thist” - Be
    “Thix” - snake
    “Thquss” - Hate
    “Thtachalxan” - drykillers (refers to the only non-Argonian guard regiment in Lilmoth.)
    “Thtal” - Breath through gills
    “Thtithik” - egg hatcher, mother
    “Thtithil” - egg
    “Thtithil-meht” - egg-tooth
    “Tsodu” - Butt (not offensive; literally “That which is behind”)
    “Tsona” - swimming
    “Tsonashap” - swimming frog
    “Tsuq” - Burn/ Cook
    “Tum” - root
    “Tum-ta” - root-house
    "Tum-Taleel" - Root-House People
    “Tzel” - territory

     


    "Us’qon” - Bird
    “Uxith” - Nest

     


    “Veesk” - ghost, ghostly pale, transluscent
    “Veeskhleel” - "Ghost People", a Naga tribe in Murkmire
    “Vim” - tongue
    “Vossa-satl” - an argonian instrument, uses frogs to produce sound

     

     

    "Wamasu" is a Jel name, "big-mouthed reptile of blood lightning"
    “Wasseek” - Bright (in color)
    "Wasseek-haleel" - Bright-Throats
    "Waxhuthi" - Curse word

     


    “Xajhithi” - Dangerous
    “Xal” - Sacred
    “Xanmeer” - refers to the large step pyramids throughout Black Marsh.
    “Xeech” - Seed
    “Xeech'kis” - Seed dolls
    “Xe’qul” - Lust
    “Xhiak” - Cold
    "Xhiak’avaqon’ss” - Snow (literally ‘bits of cold from the sky’)
    “Xhiak’qoa” - Water cold. My understanding is that this would be used to describe a
    drink. (Not to be confused with "Qoa’xhiak”)
    “Xhu” - Yes
    “Xouch” - Bee
    "Xuth" - Exclamation. A curse word.


     

    “Yoq” - No (From Exodd the Argonian)

     

    “Zantel” - Death

     

    Banescale Rank Names: These are a mix of Jel and Banescale specific words.

    Drashei-Ben - New-growth
    Hisju - Owl Eyes
    Kota-Rormasu - Black Crocodile
    Mog-Nessa - Smooth Tongue
    Pak-Raj - Clan Teacher(Elder)
    Reethiug - Soft-heart
    Sazik'a - High Shaman
    Set-Geglu - Root-tender
    Thtithilleel - Egg People
    Ti-Nebu – Warseer
    Tsetha-Masu - Floating Large Mouth
    Tsonathux - Swimming Snake
    Tzel-Nassa - Territory Leader
    Vre-Zaka – Fellow
    Wanalnu – Leader
    Xal-Sax - Sacred Roots
    Xal-Seech - Sacred Leader
    Zja-Hisju - Owl-watcher

     

    Sources other than TES Games:-

    An-Xileel

    U.E.S.P.

    The Banescale Fellow

    Languages of Tamriel

     

     

     

  • July 31, 2018

    Sotek, could you cite the sources you used, please? I'm just curious. I know the Jel sources from the USEP and the Imperial Library, but I think it's a smart move to list what you used here, so we can read and cross-reference. I recognize some words, but not others and I want to know where you got them. 

     

  • July 31, 2018

    I'm also wondering if perhaps TSC , forums, or Roleplay isn't a better location for this, more than likely TSC. As this isn't really a lore article, but just a compendiuim of words. Useful, but not really an article. Like if I did a language compendium for Altmeris, I'd probably post it in either forums, TSC, or Roleplay, not in lore. I could see a lore placement perhaps if you delved into the mechanics and/or evolutionary history of the language, but that's not what's being done here. 

  • Member
    August 1, 2018

    Added the main sources along with links.

    As to location... I'll see what others think before I see about moving it else I could end up bouncing this around till the moons go down.

  • Member
    August 1, 2018
    "Warning:- Some of these are from a variety of sources and some may even be fictional." Ha! Isn't all of it fictional? :D By which I mean, we can see which words are from in-game sources and which might not be, but even so it's still very useful. Getting hung up on which fictional word is canon is not what matters to me personally. Couldn't give a shit if you just made one up because it works, who's ever ever going to contradict it unless that exact same word/meaning crops up in a future source? So this is a great resource from my perspective, definitely handy for Argonian fans and general lovers of lore :)
  • August 1, 2018

    This could always come in handy, even though some words might be unofficial, but that´s easily solved with the sources and a disclaimer. Nice work, Sotek.

  • Member
    August 1, 2018

    Wow! It's really cool that you compiled these in one place to help flesh out the language--even if some are somewhat constructed. The timing of this article couldn't be more perfect for me, as I am about to roll an Argonian healer (still working on the name though--perhaps you can help?). This is giving me loads of ideas to help paint the picture of her a little more clearly. One of the things I appreciated most about ESO is how much it sort of brings things like these words to life. Hearing "Xuth" or "Wamasu" roll off the tongue of an Argonian you encounter in a marsh and then seeing those words catalogued here brings back fond memories. :)

    Thanks for taking the time to do this, Sotek! Very well done and I personally think it seems right at home here in Lore.

  • Member
    August 2, 2018

    Sotek, you beautiful bastard. I would never have guessed you would post something in lore and trust me, I'm pleasantly surprised.

    As a lover of the Argonians I can always use something like this, however, would you mind if I gave you a bit of feedback?

    • First of all, I'm extremely happy you shared your sources. Even I occasionally fail to do so. I did however come across an odd discrepancy since for quite a few words on your list every single source gives a different definition. I think it would make for quite an interesting addition to your article to show your reasoning in what definitions you prefer.

     

    • Could you explain what the Banescale words are a part of? Because as of right now, I'm a bit confused.

     

    • Something else Lis already mentioned is that you could also try and incorporate some of the history behind the language, or perhaps the mentality behind the lack of past or future tense for example. A good start for something like that would be Murky time and an Interview with three Argonians.

    As I said at the start, it is lovely to see someone who has always proclaimed to have a very complicated relationship with lore work on something like this. I would love to see you add to it a bit, not in the completeness of the vocabulary but rather the entire picture around it.

    As a side note; these should bring you to the texts I mentioned:

    https://www.imperial-library.info/content/murky-time

    https://www.imperial-library.info/content/interview-three-argonians-shadowfen

  • Member
    August 2, 2018

    Thanks everyone for all your support with this. Over time I want to expand on it as more words come to light and even add a few made up ones which would be easy to do as I can mark them to be unofficial.

    Edana, as you know Argonians earn names by their traits and characteristics. Later in my story, there's a little Argonian girl. At one point she is crying and Aela sits her on her knee and calms her down saying "Shuush!" This gives Aela the idea of calling her Neesha. Knee-Shush. Later, Neesha shoots an arrow at a target in teh yard. She is hiding in teh grass as she takes her shot, Farkas advertently walks in her line of sight and gets shot in teh backside.

    This gices Sotek an idea to call Neesha 'Hunts in the Grass'. So her name becomes, Neesha Hunts in the Grass.

    I'm not sure what to suggest but there are a few words to do with healing. Being you.... I'd suggest something like, Heals from the Heart. As you always pour your heart into everything.

    Ok, this is way too soppy. Time to tear a deer to shreds....... Awwwwooooo

    Sotek, Loyal Hound of Hircine

  • Member
    August 2, 2018

    Teineeva,

    I am out of time today as I have work for the next four days. (12 hour shifts) but I will have a look when I am off again. probably Monday or Tuesday. Hang on, we're in lore so...

    Probably Morndas or Tirdas.

    I'l happily include all definitions as, as you point out, there are a few and the more broader picture we create, the better this would become, and with that, the most useful. I'll happily incorporate more text and a history, and I will have a look at the links you provided.

    With some luck and guidance, this could grow into something really useful. Thanks...

    Sotek Loyal Hound of Hircine