Hi mates, I want to make an Elvish translation of "phoenix". By phoenix, I mean "fire bird". Would it be corect to translate it as "Nârwilin"? Alternatively "fire-eagle", "Nârthoron"? Which one is more correct and fancy, do you think? Thanks for your comments in advance
Which elvish language are you aiming for? High elven (Quenya), or Grey elven (Sindarin)? I noticed you used Thoron "Eagle, which comes from Sindarin; but you used a Quenya word Wilin for "bird" (this one actually comes from Early Q(u)enya, Tolkien's draft version of the language: wilin would go on to be replaced by aiwë as "bird").
To make things simpler I'll just provide translations into both languages.
For "Firebird", I'd translate it as "Naraiwë" in Quenya (coming from Nár "Fire" + Aiwë "Bird") and in Sindarin as "Noraew" (coming from similar Naur "Fire" + Aew "Bird").
Fire-Eagle would also be decently straighforward: Quenya "Narsoron" (again with Nár "Fire" + Soron "Eagle") and in Sindarin as "Northoron" (Naur "Fire" + Thoron "Eagle").
Here's to hoping this helps,
Ríon Gondremborion
Thanks Rìon for your helpful explanation Naraiwë and Noraew are not very easy to say and they are not cool, I think. I prefer "fire-eagle" ones. Narsoron or Northoron for a nickname.
They are a little strange to pronounce (at least from a States English viewpoint), Naraiwë being pronounced as nahr-AYE-weh (rough approximation), and the Sindarin version... I'm not entirely certain how to explain it. Best to go with the latter two just for usability in your setting.
The -aew ending of the Sindarin one is definitely hard to explain. My attempt at it would be ai as in eye (but don’t slide into an i sound, rather an open sort of eh) and then round your mouth into a circlular shape create the start of the w sound. This probably sounds very weird and may not make sense to you. My accent is stereotypical British English and so will probably differ from yours. Anyway, I hope my confusing contribution has helped. I’m sure someone will be able to offer a more understandable way to pronounce it! Just a note, the nor part is straight forward, it’s just nor as in door (but with a rolled, or rather ‘flicked/tapped’ r)
May I ask another question off the topic? What is the difference between "ai" with letter "anna" as in my name Naira written here and "ai" with the letter "yanna" written in Galadriel's Song of Eldamar, its very beginning, Ai! I have seen both usage referring "ai" but I don't know whether there is a difference between them.