Thalassian

Thalassian is the language of the high elves, half-elves, half blood-elves, and blood elves — a derivative of the Darnassian language of the night elves. It has both written and spoken equivalents. Individuals who are unfamiliar with the language's proper name may refer to it as high elven (not to be confused with the language Elven).

Like Nazja, Thalassian is derived from the Darnassian language. The elder tongue is almost forgotten. Hence, Thalassian is closely related to Darnassian and there is some overlap between the two languages. Further Darnassian utterances may therefore have been preserved in modern Thalassian.

So far, linguistic scholars have opted to err on the side of caution in documenting Darnassian terms and phrases that are also considered part of the Thalassian language. Certainly this issue, however delicate, merits further research. Nevertheless, addressing a high elf or blood elf with a Darnassian-specific word or phrase can be considered offensive or at the very least rather foolish, and so the speaker must handle the situation with care.

This is one of the four known elven dialects.

Thalassian Primer (official translations)
Here are a few common Thalassian phrases and words, for which the translations have been officially confirmed by Blizzard:


 * Al diel shala = Safe travels.


 * Anar'alah = "By the light"


 * Anar'alah belore = By the light of the sun.


 * Anaria shola = Speak your business.


 * Anar'endal dracon = By the breath of the dragon.


 * Ann'da = Papa


 * Anu belore dela'na = The sun guides us.


 * Bal'a dash, malanore = Greetings, traveler.


 * Ban'dinoriel = "Gatekeeper"


 * Band'or shorel'aran — (Roughly) "Prepare to say farewell", spoken by Commander Sarannis, officially translated in the Chinese version of WoW.


 * Bash'a no falor talah! = Taste the chill of true death!, Sylvanas Windrunner (WC3)


 * Belore = "The sun", though can mean to uncover something hidden or unknown if used in Darnassian.


 * Doral ana'diel? = How fare you?


 * Felo'melorn = "Flamestrike"


 * Kim'jael = "Little Rat"


 * Medivh = "Keeper of Secrets"


 * Minn'da = Mama


 * Quel'dorei = "high elves", or "the high elves".


 * Quel'Thalas = "High Kingdom" or "High Home"


 * Quel'Zaram = High Blade.


 * Quel'Danil = High Peak.


 * Ronae = "Peaceful" used in Lordaeron.


 * Selama ashal'anore = Justice for our people.


 * Shindu fallah na! = They're breaking through!.


 * Shorel'aran = Farewell.


 * Sin'dorei = Children of the blood. This could also be interpreted as "people of the bloodline", referring to the continuation of the line of the Highborne.


 * Sinu a'manore = Well met.


 * Sunstrider = "he who walks the day"


 * Vendel'o eranu = "Help me forget".

High elven names
The past is a burden to the high elves, yet they maintain naming rituals that are millennia old. Many of the names of elven priests and heroes have become the names used for elves in modern times. The high elves share a connection with the sun that is quite prevalent in their choice of family names.
 * Male Names: Mariel, Athaniar, Anandor, Tharama, Viridiel, Malanior.
 * Female Names: Anarial, Freja, Driana, Coria, Alanassori, Melanion, Azshara.
 * Family Names: Boughstrider, Dawnblade, Lightbringer, Morningray, Suntreader.

Untranslated words or phrases

 * An'daroth — One of the three Ghostlands Darnassian spy encampments. Possibly Darnassian?
 * An'owyn — One of the three Ghostlands Darnassian spy encampments. Possibly Darnassian?
 * An'telas — One of the three Ghostlands Darnassian spy encampments. Possibly Darnassian?
 * Aranal, ledel! - Prince Keleseth
 * Anara'nel belore — Kael'thas
 * Balamore shanal! — Kael'thas
 * Bandal! — High Nethermancer Zerevor
 * Belesa menoor! — High Nethermancer Zerevor
 * Diel fin'al. — High Nethermancer Zerevor
 * Elrendar — a Quel'Thalas river and a waterfall, both fed by a lake with the same name.
 * Endala finel endal! — Nethermancer Sepethrea
 * Endorel aluminor — High Botanist Freywinn
 * Falthrien — an arcane academy on Sunstrider Isle.
 * Falithas — One of the runestones protecting Eversong from the plague.
 * Felomin ashal — Kael'thas in Magister's Terrace
 * Quel'Danas — Island home of the dragonhawks and location of the Sunwell.
 * Quel'Lithien — A quel'dorei lodge in Eastern Plaguelands, and location of the Silvermoon City Register.
 * Selama am'oronor! — High Nethermancer Zerevor
 * Selama amor'anore! — Gathios the Shatterer
 * Shalandis — An island off the coast of the western Ghostlands, headquarters of Darnassian spying missions against Silvermoon City.
 * Shan'dor — One of the runestones protecting Eversong from the plague.
 * Tal anu'men no Sin'dorei! — High Astromancer Solarian
 * Tel'thas - Dagger of the Blood King
 * Thalas'din belore - inscripted on Fal'inrush, Defender of Quel'thalas.

Thalassian word parser
This is the list of words created by the in-game language parser for the Thalassian language, and is listed as language number ten (word range 800-901) in the Language text file.

In the in-game translator, the language parser for Thalassian shares similar words with the Darnassian parser.

Note: The language algorithm used by the in-game "translator" merely makes the words look like Thalassian. It does not actually translate words. Therefore, translated in-game speech isn't truly Thalassian.

Translations speculation
For fan translations see Thalassian/speculation.

Darnassian vs. Thalassian speculation
Of note, Kael'thas greeted Tyrande and Maiev with "Ishnu'Alah" when they met in the Plaguelands. This may mean that some of the words still have the same meaning in both languages, or that some phrases have, over thousands of years, lost their offensive implications in their respective languages.

History speculation
After the high elves were exiled from Kalimdor by the night elves, they set up in the Eastern Kingdoms. There, they lived for millennia, cultivating their culture and their magic. Because of their long life spans, Thalassian, as they called their language, still retains parts of the old language. In fact, it is possible that Thalassian is not therefore a separate language, and is merely a dialect of Darnassian. Even if this were the case, however, the two languages would still not be mutually intelligible.

Thalassian Outside the Warcraft Universe
An award-winning song from the 2007 Blizzcon Song Contest was "Belore Shala Diel", sung in Thalassian and English, by Phillip Presswood (Xalea).