#gerudotypography

[gerudoshikyapril]

Gerudo Lunch break comic now with speech bubbles!

Using Nintendo’s Gerudo Typography: I added speech bubbles. Doesn’t make it any more like the real stuff (ToTR, GuG, and ANC), but it was just something interesting to try. 

I’ll add transliterations (I wrote the dialogues in va Ehenihv: the, now, unofficial language of the Gerudo) and English translations below each one. 

In Breath of the Wild: the Gerudo writings you can look at in Gerudo town, when transcribed into Roman alphabet, was basically English. This sort-of comic doesn’t do that. 

GERUDO IN WHITE: Xan xihnuli, ra yanae, va nakixi zuaf!

(The soup smells very delicious, today!)

GERUDO IN RED: Xali! Sa fesbakt, ha’as!

(Oh yeah! It’s my favorite!)

[GERUDOS IN BACK]

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Daya! (Heya!)

GERUDO 2: Yi! (Hi!)

GERUDO IN RED: Bi naru...ihsk malao naklolix cibu jehra, ra xihnu. Ihsk xihn resehta, ax har?

(You know, this tastes a bit saltier than usual. Is it a new recipe?)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Ehs naru muhs...

(I don’t know)

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Havaztot bi? Fulma prihla lihstr, arp va listrit itartima yaga, Nadehlla uat!

(Did you hear? Nadehlla fell off her horse at the horseback archery yard!)

GERUDO 2: E-me! And hehfeli! Jehnlit, ax oprihl!?

(Goodness! How scary! Is she hurt!?)

GERUDO 1: Rorali, ihcunatsu, va listr kehn’muhs. Prihla artima, lnvihvsu,   oprihl kehncu mihd har haendat. Fulma, havasli, oprihl uat. Uart, nrekana kehncu

(Luckily, the horse wasn’t moving. She was checking her bow when it happened. She accidentally fell off. Nothing was broken.)

GERUDO 2: Da pi’as. Kitit lae va Me-Ehxi!

(That’s good. Thank the Sand Goddess!)

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Prihla, yug sae, uxla kehsto, jehsa bi?

(Do you want to go see her after work with me?)

GERUDO 2: Xa. (Yeah)

GERUDO IN RED(to Gerudo in white): Ino! Bi cufa muhs! Arp zi ti, grut, ehso col kenhcut!

(Hey! Don’t laugh! We were all there at one time!)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Xa, hai, pi’as. Da, op’as, soxir?

(Yes, that’s true. She’s fine, right?)

GERUDO IN RED: Haili kat...

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Ay, nakixi. Sehpa, ciaksa, ax har?  

(Oh, soup. Is it onion again?)

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Nat nakixi ho sae...fihn fandi tuin piki portuhkalihf klat indodansu ehso uk, har zuaf.

(No soup for me...it smells too much like that orange fabric dye we use)

GERUDO IN RED [overhearing the other Gerudos]: Muhs va tuin, har xihnu, pi’as hax!

(That’s why it tastes different!)

GERUDO IN RED: *cufasu * Portuhkalihf, sa jo transihl muhs, ehs nahasai!

(Ha ha ha I hope my mouth doesn’t turn orange!)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Ay...haual uhko, fakarsu, kalsk, ehs ax’muhs!

(Oh...I can’t stop thinking about him!)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Xan da-jehsasu, ehsi tif ax...fayo cibu va etrliehk vehs gdihte, kak etr. Lae ihnehke, sae, qoro, kak olihzi, eh nahasahi.

(Our king is so handsome...he shines more than the shiniest jewel! I wish he would ask me to dinner)

GERUDO IN RED: Den...(Ummm...)

[GERUDOS IN BACK]

GERUDO 1(ponytail): [quietly] E-me...uhko ha’as...va tif

(Oh goodness...it’s him...the king)

GERUDO IN RED: Den, tarf, bi jehsa...

(umm, look behind you...)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Hax? (Why?)

GERUDO IN WHITE: E-me! Bi, ha’as! Pas tihlagtzi!

(Oh my goodness! It’s you! Your highness!)

GANONDORF: Da uxbanyane. Ajnat bi “ihnehke”?

(Good afternoon. Did you say “dinner”?)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Haili...(Actually...)

GANONDORF: Sae ho ihnehke, ra ihnehsti, jav hiuh bi?

(Do you want to come to dinner with me, tonight?)

GERUDO IN WHITE: Xali! (Certainly!)

GANONDORF: Bi, uxla umas-mihreks, jehsa, e’in. Sa jotar cambi.

(I’ll see you after sunset. In my throne room)

EXIT GERUDO IN WHITE, QUICKLY

GERUDO IN WHITE [OFF-PANEL]: Sa vehsehk bantap, jol, aks vehsgdihte, la’a, eh e-ehna!

(I need to find my prettiest top, trousers, and jewellry!)

GERUDO IN RED: E-me...(Oh goodness...)

[GERUDOS IN BACK]

GERUDO 1(ponytail): E-me, piki, jehsat bi!?

(My goodness, did you see that?!)

GERUDO 2: Xa. (Yeah)

GERUDO 1(ponytail): Da, pi’as...kalehbt, sa banke ti-fulma ax. Bi, sehmihti, jehsa, e’in!

(Well, then...my lunch break is over. I’ll see ya’ later!)

GERUDO 2: Bi, hual, jehsa, e’in!

(I’ll see ya’ around)

GERUDO 2: Kihz kat! (Bye bye!)

GERUDO IN RED: Da kihz! (Bye!)

GERUDO IN RED: *cufasu* Kaf va paexko, jehsat ehs!?

(Ha ha ha, what the f*** did I just see!?)

[gerudoshikyapril]

(Gerudo Typography is the creation and property Nintendo. Me-Vírdas was created by Robert S. Rennie for Va Ehenív. Punctuation and mathematical symbols and numerals were created in the style of Me-Vírdas by Nina-Kristine Johnson in 2017)

We’ve probably had this conversation, before…however, I feel perhaps there are some things I need to clarify.

As you lot know(this is written mostly for the brand new followers): Va Ehenív is an unofficial, fully functional, constructed language of the Gerudo I created during my university days in the later months of 2004(under the name Zelda F. Barrow…at the time it was because I thought I’d get a good job post uni and that would hinder my chances of getting one. Oh, how wrong I was!) Website dedicated to it was launched the following year.

It was created for fan-fic authors, linguistics nerds like myself, and in general, fans of the Gerudo. Free for use (still is despite the book I’m selling on Amazon) just a small mention is all I ask for when you lot use the language in your pieces.

We’re all skint, this day in age! I was (still am…I spent many years in poverty as a kid), so I know what it’s like to not have access to certain things all because of my financial situation.

So, anyway…alphabets.

Me-Vírdas  (created by Robert S. Rennie; numerals by me) is an unofficial, modernised  alphabet used by the Gerudo People.

The fate of it’s hypothetical usage, post ‘Ocarina of Time’-era is unknown.

The 'renaissance’ of Gerudo culture happened 10,000 years or so, later. 'Breath of the Wild’-era.

If you carefully examine the characters in both Gerudo Typography and Me-Vírdas: it’s not so far-fetched to say the latter is 'a modern, simplified version of traditional Gerudo’.

Gerudo Typography:

First off I want to say that after examining Nintendo’s official alphabet and reading the character translations from 'Hyrule Historia’ (my akodorf and fellow author, Joe showed it to me) and via a colleague’s screenshots from 'Breath of the Wild’, read and translated the Gerudo tablets (others have done the same and there is an official translation of it, which matches what I got) and have concluded that it is basically English just written in a different alphabet.

Though, BotW Gerudo is not English. It’s also not the same as the unofficial, OoT era.

Anyway…

It was created (this is a hypothetical explanation in the LOZ world) because the culture was becoming more impoverished and the fine, traditional Gerudo calligraphy isn’t used as much  due to how much time it takes to write.

Times change and the time/need for scholarly work is reduced due to the poor economic status. The crops drying up. Forcing them to resort to dasibuzhusu (caravan robbing) and theft.

Due to the need for a more timely system of writing: this new alphabet was created by a Hyrulian scholar named 'Gareth Kast’ who helped out in the Gerudo school. Volunteered through a Hyrulian educational programme in a scheme to help educate the less fortunate around the land Hyrule.

Gerudo Typography is still used, however it’s more for official, government and religious documentation. Me-Vírdas is a more casual, everyday sort of writing system. Like using cursive vs block letters in Latin alphabetical characters.

Gerudo Typography is like cursive and Me-Vírdas is like block letters.

There are certain sounds that were in the language that were symbolised by 2 different letters. Like the -sh sound is spelt out using s and h characters. Basically a normal occurrence in Western languages.

When Me-Vírdas was created, the two letters ('sh’, 'ch’, 'ng’, and 'th’) combined and as a result one letter.

And some vowels, while written as the same character in Gerudo Typography are actually pronounced differently.

Ancestors got around this (writing)because of context and lack of homonyms.

Me-Vírdas helps distinguish the two different vowels’ respective sounds by giving them their own character.

For example: Long i vs short i.

While long and short i are written as the same character: they are distinct.

Bi(you) is pronounced b-ee. Long i sound like in the English word 'Magnolia’.

Íchunado (exercise): the í is a short sound. Ih-chunado. Like the 'i’ in the English word 'it’ or 'bit’.

It’s also easier and faster to draw the characters. ***

Feel free to ask me any questions or if you feel I may have missed something or if I got something wrong.

Reblog if you enjoyed this and want to share this information with other fanfic writers.

[gerudoshikyapril]

When to Use Gerudo Typography and When to Use Me-Vírdas (and when to use Latin) When Writing Ehenív/Gerudo Language

Da musti!

Today’s topic is a short one. However, I feel it is a good one.

First of all, let me make this clear: (legal stuff...sorry...CYA)

I DO NOT OWN GERUDO TYPOGRAPHY ( as shown in the book Hyrule Historia), NOR DID I DESIGN/DECODE IT! I HAVE NO RIGHTS TO IT!

With that said: it is ok to use it for private-use-only. No one can stop you from writing an email to a friend or using it on Skype (type chat). Just not for things like one’s web-site (unless you cite the source!)

Me-Vírdas (Modern Gerudo typography) was designed by an affiliate of mine. Robert S. Rennie. If you use it, you may want to credit him, too...after all: he did work hard on it. Just because it isn’t Nintendo’s property, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t credit him! 

So, back on topic:

When to use A) Gerudo Typography B) Me-Vírdas and C) Latin

I apologise if I covered this, before...I just wanted to include Gerudo Typography. 

Gerudo Typography

This font is(as I said, above) private-use only. However, when used for the language: typically, it would be something scholars would use. Historical/official documents. Things that require LOTS of time to write up. Religious documents (see: snake statues and walls in the Desert Colossus)

There is actually a functional font, out there, which can be used, digitally (hence why I mentioned Skype and emails!) I have it (a friend gave it to me).

The characters are more simplified (no accent marks, etc). But, there is a way to work with it. Basically, it is more like romanisation except through Gerudo Typography. (more information in the blog link, below!!!)

http://gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com/post/138795642010/romanising-the-gerudo-language-how-to-write-the

Desert Dialect, ONLY!!!!

Me- Vírdas:

Like Gerudo Typography: it is used in Desert Dialect, only. Also, it, too is available as a functional font (I also have that and it is recommended to view my website!)

As you can see: there are a few more characters in this alphabet. The Eastern European characters are not transcribed into Roman alphabet (e.g. č is written as ch) ...however, when transcribing into Me-Vírdas: you would use the Eastern European-looking characters (in the character map on your computer: you would find the character for the ch sound under č.

Also, it is used for more casual things, such as notes, and lists. Also can be used for emails and chat (not on Facebook or Tumblr, though...). Also, it is the only one I can legally use on my website. 

Latin:

Desert Dialect OR Pirate Dialect 

Pirate Dialect Dictionary

(but you cannot use Gerudo Typography and Me-Vírdas, above for Pirate Dialect!) also, the 3rd Dialect: Las Vegas Dialect!

Las Vegas Dialect Dictionary (this dialect does add a bit of Eastern European alphabetical characters...e.g č is pronounced ch)

Emails, posts, chat...

Commonly used on Facebook and Tumblr posts. 

***

I guess that is about it, then. 

Questions? Comments? Let me know!! (My Ask Box is open all day!)