The Language of the Gerudo

by Eaglechild

This is a short grammar and dictionary of the Gerudo language used in my story "The Longing of the Ren-Bird". Not all words are translated in the story, so if you want to look up the words, you will find them here.

1. Pronunciation

Pronunciation table

A - like the a in father
B - like the b in brother
C - like ts
D - like the d in daughter
E - like the first e in ren-deer
F - like the f in father
G - like the g in garden
H - like the h in have
I - like the "ee" in keep
J - like the y in year
K - like the k in kite
L - a light l, more like the Spanish l in los
M - like the m in mother
N - like the n in night
O - like the o in sore
P - like the p in pin
R - a rolled r like the Spanish r in pero
S - like the s in sun
T - like the t in tell
U - like the "oo" in boot
V - like the v in villain
W - the same as V

Pronunciation

The Gerudo use other characters, but in this story, all the words and sentences in Gerudo are reproduced with Hylian (i.e., English) characters. The letters also designate the same sounds and are all pronounced exactly as in Hylian.

For English speakers: If you speak Gerudo, you need to pronounce the sounds more like in Spanish.

.

The Gerudo speak a rolling r.

.

The words are usually emphasized on the first syllable, but there are also exceptions:

Example: 'lasti, dar'sin, Sar'dun

The verb forms are emphasized the same way as the stem.

Example: 'nentris - 'nentriju, 'nentrijes, etc.

Composite verbs are emphasized on the first syllable of the stem.

For example: at-'nentris - at-'nentriju, at-'nentrijes