This may be rather obvious to some people, but I've always found it nifty.
Sammael - Destroyer of Hope
Ishamael - Betrayer of Hope
Thus we can conclude that 'mael' probably means hope in the Old Tongue. It's a nice small little attention to detail played by RJ. It also insinuates that all of the Forsaken have names that can be directly translated.
Therefore with Lanfear, we might be looking at Lan-Fear ... Daughter-Night, if the Old Tingue can be translated so crudely. Of course this means Lan is a Daughter, which is fun to ponder.
I've been searching through Old Tongue quotes in the series looking for hints to decipher potential translations for other Forsaken names. I've come up short so far, but would like to know if anyone else has found anything. The only thing I've found is that Moridin is also found on the Horn of Valere, which is a nice direct translation of Death i.e. The Grave is no bar to my Call.
Osan'gar and Aran'gar are named after left and right handed daggers, so Osan might mean left and Aran might mean right, if those translations were direct. 'gar' might mean blade, or weapon.
Sammael - Destroyer of Hope
Ishamael - Betrayer of Hope
Thus we can conclude that 'mael' probably means hope in the Old Tongue. It's a nice small little attention to detail played by RJ. It also insinuates that all of the Forsaken have names that can be directly translated.
Therefore with Lanfear, we might be looking at Lan-Fear ... Daughter-Night, if the Old Tingue can be translated so crudely. Of course this means Lan is a Daughter, which is fun to ponder.
I've been searching through Old Tongue quotes in the series looking for hints to decipher potential translations for other Forsaken names. I've come up short so far, but would like to know if anyone else has found anything. The only thing I've found is that Moridin is also found on the Horn of Valere, which is a nice direct translation of Death i.e. The Grave is no bar to my Call.
Osan'gar and Aran'gar are named after left and right handed daggers, so Osan might mean left and Aran might mean right, if those translations were direct. 'gar' might mean blade, or weapon.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
This message last edited by Sidious on 17/06/2010 at 09:18:27 AM
Forsaken translations
- 17/06/2010 09:16:36 AM
2490 Views
Yeah...
- 17/06/2010 09:31:15 AM
1758 Views
Semirhage is named as "The Lady of Pain" in KoD, by Rand...
- 17/06/2010 11:14:56 AM
2099 Views
Do Semirhage & Bel'al actually mean those things or are they other nicknames?
- 17/06/2010 11:38:18 AM
1595 Views
Nice ideas!
- 17/06/2010 02:10:43 PM
1566 Views
The beauty of a re-read is that there are so many little gems I'd forgotten
- 17/06/2010 02:48:19 PM
1327 Views
Re: The beauty of a re-read is that there are so many little gems I'd forgotten
- 17/06/2010 04:43:48 PM
1481 Views
Gai'shain = those sworn to peace in battle
- 17/06/2010 09:22:02 PM
1394 Views
Gaidin = Brother to Battle ... which is what I think the OP meant to use
- 17/06/2010 09:32:20 PM
1337 Views
I always thought Lanfear probably translated to something closer to a Moon translation
- 17/06/2010 02:43:04 PM
1654 Views
it's the other way around...
- 17/06/2010 02:58:33 PM
1395 Views
good point
- 17/06/2010 03:13:17 PM
1382 Views
Re: good point
- 17/06/2010 04:05:50 PM
1446 Views
Not to mention she STILL hasn't earned a 3rd (or in 4th) name
- 17/06/2010 04:16:57 PM
1425 Views
What about Cyndane
- 17/06/2010 04:48:03 PM
1314 Views
- 17/06/2010 04:48:03 PM
1314 Views
It must be her favorite one, since it's the only one she actually earned
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 05:43:41 PM
734 Views
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 05:43:41 PM
734 Views
Well she earned Mierin
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:27:05 PM
864 Views
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:27:05 PM
864 Views
how so? I figured mom and dad gave that one too her
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:36:24 PM
756 Views
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:36:24 PM
756 Views
she earned it by being born... ha! gotcha
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:39:10 PM
716 Views
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:39:10 PM
716 Views
HA! But technically I think her mother earned that
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:58:30 PM
649 Views
*NM*
- 17/06/2010 08:58:30 PM
649 Views
Re: good point
- 17/06/2010 04:47:01 PM
1489 Views
Again, a self-proclaimed ownership aimed at making her seem more impressive
- 17/06/2010 05:55:12 PM
1378 Views
I disagree
- 17/06/2010 06:20:08 PM
1455 Views
Personally I think that order was off the cuff
- 17/06/2010 08:55:28 PM
1581 Views
Re: Personally I think that order was off the cuff
- 17/06/2010 09:02:06 PM
1520 Views
Disagree
- 17/06/2010 09:28:51 PM
1440 Views
Re: Disagree
- 17/06/2010 09:41:23 PM
1394 Views
I'm not being very clear
- 17/06/2010 10:14:10 PM
1416 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
- 18/06/2010 08:06:56 AM
3851 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
- 18/06/2010 03:33:12 PM
1415 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
- 18/06/2010 04:35:12 PM
1274 Views
The point isn't if Lanfear has the skill, it's that it was poorly shown.
- 18/06/2010 05:31:11 PM
1440 Views
The statement makes clear that those 6 were all quite impressive
- 17/06/2010 10:51:49 PM
1222 Views
I don't see that bearing out in the text at all
- 17/06/2010 10:57:36 PM
1431 Views
Like Etzel I don't agree
- 17/06/2010 08:30:37 PM
1318 Views
I think she's a weak villain
- 17/06/2010 08:58:01 PM
1270 Views
Re: I think she's a weak villain
- 17/06/2010 09:03:47 PM
1381 Views
and slaughter the Seanchan empress on her own throne thowing the empire into chaos
- 17/06/2010 09:30:27 PM
1411 Views
Semirhage has done more than anyone since Ishy destroyed the Ten Nations
- 18/06/2010 02:06:30 AM
1379 Views
Regarding "Demandred" ...
- 17/06/2010 04:51:43 PM
1405 Views
I always thought it was a coincidence
- 17/06/2010 08:32:39 PM
1511 Views
Lan/Lanfear isn't a coincidence...
- 18/06/2010 12:19:58 AM
1352 Views
Re: Lan/Lanfear isn't a coincidence...
- 20/06/2010 07:01:55 PM
1471 Views
Perhaps Lan-fear meaning Night-Daughter would make more sense
- 17/06/2010 06:00:35 PM
1429 Views
Re: Perhaps Lan-fear meaning Night-Daughter would make more sense
- 18/06/2010 04:23:38 PM
1633 Views
And Dragon translations...
- 17/06/2010 10:53:02 PM
1532 Views
Re: And Dragon translations...
- 17/06/2010 11:01:25 PM
1351 Views
Why would they call themselves "Spears of the fictional creature"?
- 18/06/2010 12:29:49 AM
1315 Views
It was meant as a joke, but really it could be some generic term rather than meaning
- 18/06/2010 06:00:36 AM
1340 Views
Except that they don't know what a 'Dragon' is, except as it relates to Lews Therin/Rand
- 18/06/2010 05:11:30 PM
1331 Views
like I said, I was just making a joke of it ... you are quite right with "Rand's Spears"
- 18/06/2010 05:32:42 PM
1190 Views
But of course the NT word for Dragon isn't Dragon
- 18/06/2010 05:45:34 PM
1586 Views
If "aman" is the Old Tongue name for Dragon, maybe "DEMANdred" contains a reference to Dragon too...
- 20/06/2010 08:13:35 PM
1609 Views
"Dragon Wannabe"
*NM*
- 20/06/2010 09:23:09 PM
611 Views
*NM*
- 20/06/2010 09:23:09 PM
611 Views
Lizard? *NM*
- 20/06/2010 10:04:21 PM
772 Views
"Scaled Worm"... though I doubt he'd take that name up in pride
. *NM*
- 22/06/2010 01:23:03 AM
692 Views
. *NM*
- 22/06/2010 01:23:03 AM
692 Views
It's probably too much to attempt to guess at the meanings of words...
- 17/06/2010 10:58:06 PM
1168 Views


*NM*