The Introduction to the Ancient Language

4. A Grammar Guide to the Ancient Language Part 2

3.2.1 Personal pronouns continued

Älf  and theirr  are the only non-original pronouns. Firstly, in Old Norse, the –r is a noun connotation that marks masculinity. Considering älfr  and älfrinn  it can be concluded that –rinn(6) is a connotation of femininity. Therefore, a neutral form, being neither feminine or masculine, should have no connotation.

Secondly, considering the fact that the possessive thierra  comes literally from the Old Norse, it is logical to use the corresponding Old Norse pronoun also. However, the second –r is added to avoid confusion with the English possessive "their".

Finally, edtha and eka are used equally frequently. There is no semantic difference between the two words.

3.2.2 Possessive pronouns

(Place graph here.)

A possessive pronoun can be placed before the noun it modifies as well as behind it.

Älfs, vaet and onr (the plural form) are not original. Considering the former paragraph and the forms älfrs and älfrinns, the reasoning behind älfs is clear.

Vaet is based on vae and the connection between ie "I" and iet  "my". Vaet  was also preferable, because it sounds better than the potential nosut.

Onr  as singular and plural possessive pronoun of the second person in based on English.

3.2.3  More on possessiveness

Apart from the possessive pronouns, there are two other ways to indicate an explicit possessive relation.

The first way is the genitive, by which possessor is placed after the possessed entity, and –s is added to the possessor.

Example: D.ART represents Direct Article

-PL represents Plural and -GEN represents Generations

................du welden älfyas.........................................................................................

.................D.ART forest Elf-PL-GEN.............................................................................

..............."the forest of the Elves"................................................................................

The second way involves the use of abr between the nouns. This is only used for "formal" expressions, like books titles, official titles and the naming of ancestry.

Example:  Ind.ART represents Indirect Article

-PL represents Plural

......................"Domia abr Wyrda"..............................................................................

.......................dominance of fate...............................................................................

"Dominance of Fate"(a very special book in the series).....................

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.......................aí varden abr......................................................................................

Shur'tugalar Ind.ART warden/guardian of Rider -PL..............................................

..............."A warden of the Riders"............................................................................ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...................Eragon, sönr abr Brom...........................................................................

..................."Eragon, son of Brom"............................................................................

3.2.4 Reflexives

In the original material, there is no evidence of the existence of reflexive pronouns. However, one cannot deny their importance; it is impossible to leave them out. Considering the lack of cases and the high, almost unrated diversity of the system of pronouns, we have chosen for applying the Icelandic word sig  for all reflexive constructions. Because the reflexive pronoun usually refers to the subject, this rule will not cause problematic situations.

Example: D.ART represents Direct Article

-PAST REFLX represents the Reflexive

......................Udhen du fyrn Galbatorix kallaí sig könungr......................................

....................after D.Art war Galbatorix call-PAST REFLX king..................................

....................."After the war, Galbatorix called himself king."....................................

(6) That is unfortunately the only instance of a feminine form based on the masculine one.