Eorzean Words and English Counterparts

[BlessedSilence]

Hello!

 

As I played through the quests, I have been coming across strange Eorzean words strewn in with the text.  At first I thought some were typos, but it seems it is added flavor!

 

So I thought to make a list of them, if anyone would like to use in their RP.  Keep in mind, my translation comes from word in the sentence with the context it was used in.

 

Measurements

 

Ilm == Inch

Fulm == Foot

Yalm == Yard

Malm == Mile

 

Onze == Ounce

Tonz == Tons

 

Time Measurements

 

Nonce == Moment

Bell == Hour

Moon == Month

Nameday == Birthday

 

((The three above, though sounding normal, gave the above context in the sentence))

 

Other

 

Anyroad == Anyway

Forefend == Protect/To Defend Against (Cute Courtesan: Twelve forefend! They simply won't give in!)

By the by == By the way

 

---

 

If you come across any more, please post below with the translation you think it is and I will add it!  Also if you feel something means different than listed, post that too!

[erosskye]

Very nice. :thumbsup:

[Chisae]

Yalm = yard

 

There was some sort of switching with the term fortnight (irl term that means a two week period), but I can't think of what it is.

[YesGood]

Ro there~ I was reading this and vaguely recalled another thread relating to time? There's some more things on there, but maybe this would help, too.

 

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=454&highlight=ilm+fulm+ponz

[Aysun]

Here you go: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Five_Ages_-_An_Eorzean_Chronology

[BlessedSilence]

I added yalm so thank you for that!

 

Looking over the 2 links given.  Thank you so much!

[Fystrael Abylstyrwyn]

So Bell == Hour and isn't just seaport think a la ship's bells?

[BlessedSilence]

So Bell == Hour and isn't just seaport think a la ship's bells?

 

From what I can tell yes.  They use it in the context of something like "Three bells ago ..." and this was in Gridania.  So I can't see them use it in a context with ships.

[K'nahli]

Forefend -

Help Us (?)  / Forbid (?)

 

Source:

 

Cute Courtesan: Twelve forefend! They simply won't give in!

 

 

 

 

By the by -

By the way

[Swift Nightclaw]

Is Anyroad used in Limsa and Gridania?  I've only noticed it mainly in Ul'dah. Wondered if that's a local phrase or Eorzean.

[Naunet]

I want to murder whoever came up with the phrase "must needs". Every time an NPC says it, I want to stab them in the eye.

 

"must needs" - an absurd way to communicate extreme urgency, when "we must" and "we need to" just isn't enough!

 

*bludgeons it to death*

[Swift Nightclaw]

I want to murder whoever came up with the phrase "must needs". Every time an NPC says it, I want to stab them in the eye.

 

"must needs" - an absurd way to communicate extreme urgency, when "we must" and "we need to" just isn't enough!

 

*bludgeons it to death*

 

There have been times where I've not been entirely sure if it's Eorzean dialogue or just an oversight in translation leading to Engrish.

 

All your base are belong to us!

Must needs your base!

[Vinter]

Forefend -

Help Us (?)  / Forbid (?)

 

Source:

 

Cute Courtesan: Twelve forefend! They simply won't give in!

 

 

 

Forefend is a real word, albeit a fairly archaic one. It just means to protect/to defend against.

[K'nahli]

Forefend -

Help Us (?)  / Forbid (?)

 

Source:

 

Cute Courtesan: Twelve forefend! They simply won't give in!

 

 

 

Forefend is a real word, albeit a fairly archaic one. It just means to protect/to defend against.

 

I had a feeling it was but using a dictionary didn't yield any results, albeit I should have checked harder than that. Sorry.

[Asyria]

Tonzes = Tons

[Naunet]

There have been times where I've not been entirely sure if it's Eorzean dialogue or just an oversight in translation leading to Engrish.

 

All your base are belong to us!

Must needs your base!

 

Yeah, I'm now wondering if Eorzeans actually say "corse" rather than corpse, because it is a "typo" that has come up numerous times now in quest text.

 

>_> Either Squeenix really sucks at typing, or Eorzeans are frickin' weird.

[BlessedSilence]

Forefend -

Help Us (?)  / Forbid (?)

 

Source:

 

Cute Courtesan: Twelve forefend! They simply won't give in!

 

 

 

 

By the by -

By the way

 

 

Added!  And thank you for the source!

---

Is Anyroad used in Limsa and Gridania?  I've only noticed it mainly in Ul'dah. Wondered if that's a local phrase or Eorzean.

 

This is an excellent question!  I will have to double check this myself as I did come across an NPC who said "Anyway" instead of "Anyroad", and that was during  the main storyline before Haukke Manor.

 

If anyone runs across any sources and in what area, let us know!

---

I want to murder whoever came up with the phrase "must needs". Every time an NPC says it, I want to stab them in the eye.

 

"must needs" - an absurd way to communicate extreme urgency, when "we must" and "we need to" just isn't enough!

 

*bludgeons it to death*

 

I completely agree with this.  I looked it up and found this about it and this.  Very archaic like a lot of what is written and how.

 

It is very strange, and lord help me, I'm saying it IRL  :frustrated:

---

Tonzes = Tons

 

Ah thanks!  Added this in.

[Asyria]

Popotoes = Potatoes!

om nom nom

[Naunet]

Popotoes = Potatoes!

om nom nom

 

As a former TERA player, I get very strange images in my head every time I see this word in-game.

[Ildur]

I have to wonder why the developers decided they needed 'new' words for the distance and weight measurements. I mean, look at them. They are basically the same word and fulfill the exact same purpose. Why change them at all? Immersion isn't a good answer: everything else Eorzeans say is translated into english (for practical OOC purposes). Except for those measurements. It -would- make sense if they weren't direct counterparts of real life measurements. But that is not the case: a yalm IS a yard. Why change its name if its the exact same thing?

The same thing happens with anyroad/anyway and popotoes/potatoes. They are useless changes that reflect nothing about the world, unlike the time measurements.

 

I just find it silly.

[Aeslyn Grey]

The same thing happens with anyroad/anyway and popotoes/potatoes. They are useless changes that reflect nothing about the world

 

The term 'anyroad' is a common dialect word in northern England, whereas 'popotoes' as far as I know is just a made up word. Anyroad is a word that is used really really often where I am from in Yorkshire. 

 

A person might say something like "Oh the slugs are eating my lettuce again, I am sick of it of it! Anyroad, enough of my  complaining, what are you doing today?" 

It is often used to follow a statement that was somewhat negative in an attempt to lighten or change the mood.

[Dravus]

I have to wonder why the developers decided they needed 'new' words for the distance and weight measurements. I mean, look at them. They are basically the same word and fulfill the exact same purpose. Why change them at all? Immersion isn't a good answer: everything else Eorzeans say is translated into english (for practical OOC purposes). Except for those measurements. It -would- make sense if they weren't direct counterparts of real life measurements. But that is not the case: a yalm IS a yard. Why change its name if its the exact same thing?

The same thing happens with anyroad/anyway and popotoes/potatoes. They are useless changes that reflect nothing about the world, unlike the time measurements.

 

I just find it silly.

 

It helps add flavour. Countless forms of media employ it. Heck, just look at The Walking Dead - we know the zombies in the setting are zombies, but they're never referred to being as such - they're labeled 'walkers' instead alongside a handful of other colourful terms.

[Pondahl]

*Peeks in* You might like these:

 

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Time

 

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Malm

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Yalm

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Fulm

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Ilm

 

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Tonze

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Ponze

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Onz

 

It's what I've been using IC so far.

[Cyroselle]

So Bell == Hour and isn't just seaport think a la ship's bells?

 

I think the context is closer in reference to when we used to keep time according to the bell in the town hall.

 

Before we had neat things like the Atomic Clock and cellphone synced to over-the-air networks, and before that radio and TV a method people would use to unify time was to sound off the hours via a giant bell located in the tower or a church or town hall. The people living within earshot of the bell's ringing would set their clocks and pocket-watches to that.

---

There have been times where I've not been entirely sure if it's Eorzean dialogue or just an oversight in translation leading to Engrish.

 

All your base are belong to us!

Must needs your base!

 

Yeah, I'm now wondering if Eorzeans actually say "corse" rather than corpse, because it is a "typo" that has come up numerous times now in quest text.

 

>_> Either Squeenix really sucks at typing, or Eorzeans are frickin' weird.

 

It may also be Old English or possible Welsh. I've been noting that a lot of Eorzean words and terms seem to be rooted in Old English, Gaelic, Welsh and ancient Norse. Leve for instance, is an Old English term for Writ, or 'permission'.

 

Note also, rather than 'Graveyard' citizens of the Eorzean subcontinent use the term 'Lichyard'. There are numerous examples of these funny uses of (to us) anachronous terms.

 

FFXIV is peppered with lingual oddities. <3

[Darien Cadell]

Is Anyroad used in Limsa and Gridania?  I've only noticed it mainly in Ul'dah. Wondered if that's a local phrase or Eorzean.

 

I'm pretty sure the starter peddler for Limsa uses anyroad. My brain tells me it's used in all three cities depending on how "classy" the character is supposed to be, but I have no proof atm.