Talk:Elven (language)

Can someone post the instance(s) where the word 'elven' referring to language is used in context? Here's a perspective (from Smeedle at SoL): "Seems like someone realized that "elven" is just an adjective - but the same person obviously didn't realize that when a writer writes 'Elve' when referring to a language that doesn't mean that there exists a language called "Elven" besides Thalassian or Darnassian, but that he is just referring to, you know, the language of the elves. Just like the language of the Trolls may be called Zandali but I could still refer to it as 'Troll' or maybe "Trollish" without it meaning that there was a different language called "Troll" besides Zandali." Essentially, if it says "the elven language" or something similar, this page is 100% false. --Kakwakas 23:36, 24 March 2007 (EDT)

Can someone check this for me, please? --Kakwakas 01:53, 26 March 2007 (EDT)


 * Well, as far as I know there are a whopping two occurrences in all of the Warcraft lore sources where this mysterious "Elven" language is mentioned. Both of those occurrences are rather inconspicuous and my personal guess is that some writer just made a typo and forgot to put the word "High" in front of "Elven". Anyway, so that everyone is on the same page and knows what we are talking about I made scans of the two occurrences of "Elven". Here's the first one from the old Manual of Monsters on page 135: http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/3417/elven1pl7.jpg
 * Notice that this half-elf banshee strangely doesn't speak High Elven (but Ignan, a language that comes from Dungeons&Dragons - as we all know after the whole Appendix III discussion, the Manual of Monsters does contain quite a few D&D things mixed in with the Warcraft stuff). So, as I said my bet is that the author just forgot to put a "High" in front of the "Elven", or he was too much in his D&D mindset (see "Ignan"), and in D&D putting "Elven" in there is absolutely fine. In my opinion you can hardly make a case out of this one appearance of "Elven" in the Manual of Monsters that "Elven" is a legitimate language in Warcraft lore.
 * Which brings us to the second appearance of "Elven" in the book Lands of Mystery on page 17: http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2791/elven2my3.jpg
 * Well, would they know High Elven on Mount Hyjal? Probably not. So the "writer forgot the High" explanation isn't so good in this case. I still think it's just a typo. I mean, would Blizzard (or White Wolf) really introduce a new language like that without explaning anywhere what "Elven" is? And wouldn't the name "Elven" for a new language alongside High Elven be the most stupid name ever? Really, that "Elven" is supposed to be another elven language that isn't High Elven or Darnassian doesn't make any sense in my opinion. --Foogray 16:15, 29 March 2007 (EDT)


 * Thanks again, Foog. :D Can we draw some more attention to this?  I'd flag it for deletion, but it would probably be best for the article to just be left as a note containing pretty much what you said there. --Kakwakas 01:05, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

Cycle of Hatred
I can't recall the page (I don't have the book with me), but I'm pretty sure Strov, the sergeant new the language, however he dies to a demon so he is no longer alive. Wouldn't that be another reference to it? I'll get the book and find the Quote soon, I believe it was page 97. Edit: Page 67, Paragraph 1, ''As for the orc, he yelled out the word for retreat in the orcish tongue, and then they all yelled the phrase, "Galtak Ered'nash!" Strov knew many languages, including those of the orcs, trolls, goblins, and dwarves, as well as all four elven dialects. He'd never heard that phrase before.'' Those four elven dialects being: Thallasisan, Darnassian, Nazja, and obe unknown dialect, that dialect most likely being Elven (and if not what might it be?). Since High Elven isn't actually a language (the true language being Thallassian). Elven pretty much has to be the fourth dialect. Having one more reference to the language (or dialect depending on your point of view).-- 21:21, 6 August 2008 (UTC)