Shiväisith

Shiväisith is the native language of the Dark Elves. While the Dark Elves can speak other languages, it is their native tongue and the language they prefer to use to converse among themselves. It is written in a system of runes called Todjydheenil (see Gallery below).

History
The speakers of Shiväisith, the Dark Elves, have existed since before the dawn of the Universe, and their language has been spoken throughout their history and throughout the eons has evolved like any natural language. Although they are capable of speaking in other languages, as seen when communicating with Asgardians and Humans, the Dark Elves primarily converse in this language among themselves. It is spoken by Malekith and Algrim while planning their attacks on Asgard's forces during the First Dark Elf Conflict in the distant past as well as during the Second Dark Elf Conflict in present day.

Verbs
Verbs have two forms: their short and long form: These forms can be used on their own (plus personal endings), or they can have other suffixes added to them. This is indicative of an older system that has been adapted. This is what results when there are two levels of morphology and one is more central than the other: this is case, the two stems are central, and the suffixes are periphery.
 * vur (short)
 * vuuri (long)

The old system is best understood as an imperfect vs. perfect system. The base form was taken to be the imperfect form (an action that’s being viewed as ongoing), and the derived form is the perfect form (a completed action).

The first additional change can be a particle (probably descended from an old adverb) that places the action in the past: Therefore, the two previous examples are unmarked tenses: To distinguish a completed action in the present from a completed action in the past, (native) speakers use the hodiernal interpretation, or a completed action with present relevance.
 * vuran - was seeing (incomplete action in the past)
 * vuurin - saw (complete action in the past)
 * vur - sees/is seeing (incomplete action in the present)
 * vuuri - saw (complete action in the present)

The other tenses work in the same way: a second past producing habitual and ancient actions and subjunctives. The future and conditional forms were created at an even later date, with pre-verbal auxiliaries taking the place of the old post-verbal particles.

Yes/No Questions
Like in English, the change from a statement to a yes/no question is simply the tone, or, orthographically, a question mark :
 * Passajamanal onola. - You have prepared yourself.
 * Passajamanal onola? - Have you prepared yourself?

"WH" Questions
Rouklju is “who” in the nominative (since “who” is the subject of the sentence); the verb is roosenith, which ends in -ith because the subject is third person singular, and “prisoner” is lahifiksa, which, since it’s the object of the sentence, is in the accusative case, meaning the final a becomes e :
 * Rouklju roosenith lahifikse? - Who killed the prisoner?

To ask about who got killed, the word order doesn’t change at all, but the cases do. In WH-questions [who, what, where, why, etc.], the verb always comes second, and the question word always comes first. After that, you list whatever’s left in its usual order. That means, in this case, the subject comes last :
 * Rouhelju roosenith lahifiksa? - Whom did the prisoner kill?

There are certain instances where a verb takes an auxiliary (i.e. the future and the negative form of all tenses). The following example is in the future tense, and the order ends up being identical to English :
 * Rouhelju äth lahifiksa rosihi? - Whom will the prisoner kill?

In the case of the adverbial WH-words, you’ll have to put each one in a case based on its role in the sentence. The question word igreljy, “where”, is put into the adessive case, becoming igräskyljy :
 * Igräskyljy roosenith geilää lahifikse? - Where did the warrior kill the prisoner?

To ask “how many”, you use visiljy followed by whatever you’re talking about in the genitive plural. You can omit it and just say “how many”. The subject is visiljy, which is always singular, so the verb continues to take third person singular subject agreement despite the fact that we’re talking about (potentially) multiple warriors :
 * Visiljy geilääsil roosenith lahifikse? - How many warriors killed the prisoner?
 * Visiljy roosenith lahifikse? - How many killed the prisoner?

You can also take -lju/-ljy and attach it to nouns ask “which noun” :
 * Geilääljy roosenith lahifikse? - Which warrior killed the prisoner?
 * Geileeljy roosenith lahifiksa? - Which warrior did the prisoner kill?

Words of Interest

 * Shiväisith-soft speech
 * Todjydheen-rune (plural todjydheenil)
 * Älfenää-blue-purple one, Dark Elf (plural Älfeneel)
 * Harudheen-The Great Home, Svartalfheim / the Dark World (the Dark Elf home world)
 * Harudheeniksa-resident of Haudheen
 * Mälekith-Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves
 * Älgrim-Algrim, Malekith's lieutenant
 * Äskärdh-Asgard
 * Äskärdhiksä-resident of Asgard, Asgardian (plural Äskärdhiksel)
 * Kevethidheen-the Convergence
 * Äither-the Aether
 * Lenger-Human
 * Rashidheen-the Universe

Dictionary
The list of known words alphabetized by their transcription into the Latin script. Shiväisith is a highly language, therefore the verbs are presented alongside their short and long stems, respectively, and the nouns in their nominative, accusative, dative, and plural forms, respectively, when known, otherwise place held with a question mark (?).

(v.) - full, short, long

(n.) - nominative, accusative, dative, plural


 * ääfith (n.) arrival
 * ahi, a-, ää- (v.) to be
 * äisihi (v.) to speak
 * äisith (n.) speech
 * äither (n.) ether
 * ajafihi, ?, ? (v.) to become
 * äpähi, äpä-, äppä- (v.) to come
 * äshli (adj.) warm
 * Äshlimär hello
 * äshlime, ?, äshlimä, ? (n.) warmth
 * Äskärdh Asgard
 * Äskärdhiksä, ?, ?, Äskärdhiksel (n.) Asgardian
 * athu (n.) friend
 * dääth (n.) wind
 * dahihi, dah-, daahe- (v.) to curse
 * deinähi, deinä-, dennä- (v.) to burn
 * dihi (adv.) well
 * djesh (n.) door
 * djohi, djo-, djoo- (v.) to go
 * djoss (n.) pit
 * domohi, domo-, doomo- (v.) to watch
 * eeju (adj.) quiet
 * erin (n.) tree
 * erve (n.) poison
 * ervesihi, ervesi-, ervesii- (v.) to poison
 * ether (n.) ether
 * geilää, geilee, Ø, ? (n.) warrior
 * geilihi (v.) to fight
 * gil (n.) boat, ship
 * gjölf (n.) world
 * gorjahi, gorja-, goorja- (v.) to die
 * gorjeth, -e, -a, ? (n.) death
 * gov, -e, -a, ? (n.) blood
 * gyv (adj.) big, large
 * hanlju why (hanaskelju [ablative])
 * heedrä (n.) power, might
 * hööthihi, hööth-, hötte- (v.) to breathe
 * huthihi (v.) to lack
 * igreljy where (igräskyljy [adessive], igräslyljy [inessive], igräskäljy [allative], igräskeljy [ablative])
 * iotsi, ?, ?, iotsil (n.) bird
 * itri (n.) roof
 * itri (n.) roof
 * jääridheen (n.) way of life
 * jäärljy how (jäärärljy [instrumental])
 * jen (pron.) us
 * jöh (n.) knife
 * jov (n.) woman
 * ju (conj.) or
 * juli (adj.) new
 * käthi (adj.) good
 * kelihi (v.) to win
 * kevethidheen (n.) convergence
 * kiamihi, kiam-, kimmi- (v.) to play
 * kir (pron.) I
 * koun, -e, -a, -il (n.) shore
 * köyf, -e (n.) air
 * lahi, lah-, lakka- (v.) to capture
 * lahif (n.) prison
 * lahifiksa (n.) prisoner
 * läin, ?, ?, -il (n.) child
 * lenge (n.) meat
 * lenger, ?, ?, -il (n.) human
 * lihi, li-, y- (v.) negative verb
 * liljahaa (n.) lover
 * liljahi, lilja-, liilja- (v.) to love (experiencer)
 * liljeth, -e, -a, ? (n.) love
 * livihi, livi-, liivi- (v.) to attack
 * ljääl (conj.) please
 * lorahaa (n.) flyer
 * lorahi, lora-, loora- (v.) to fly
 * loreth, -e, -a, ? (n.) flight
 * luun, -e, -a, ? (n.) nose
 * mänih (adj.) previous, former
 * mavihi, mav-, mavv- (v.) to send
 * moodhin (adj.) close, near
 * morihi, mor-, moore- (v.) to finish
 * motja, ?, Ø, ? (n.) leg
 * mouhe (n.) enemy
 * näinä (n.) state (näinäs [genitive])
 * Näkäthish goodbye
 * niämi (n.) mother
 * nishö (n.) reflection
 * nol (pron.) you
 * nöön (pron.) you all
 * nyrihi (v.) to sleep
 * öppihi, öppi-, ? (v.) to hurt (dative subject)
 * ötjä (pron.) that
 * päsh (n.) stone (päshäsh  [genitive])
 * passajamanasos (adj.) prepared
 * pausahi, pausa-, passa- (v.) to settle
 * pausajamihi, pausajam-, passajam- (v.) to prepare, to make ready, to cause settle
 * pel (adj.) certain, sure
 * pohahi, poha-, pooha- (v.) to call out
 * pökke (n.) house
 * rashidheen (n.) universe
 * reev (n.) sun
 * rosihi, ros-, roos- (v.) to kill
 * rosith (n.) killing
 * rouklju who (rouhelju [accusative], rouhalju [dative], rouhaslju [genitive—i.e. “whose”])
 * ruthihi, ruth-, ruuthi- (v.) to feel (experiencer)
 * Ruushuudhith thank you (Ruushuudhith nöönäsky [plural])
 * Sääriljy when (sääriäskyljy [adessive], sääriäskäljy [allative], sääriäskeljy [ablative])
 * säli (n.) cave (säliäs [genitive])
 * shaan (adj.) white
 * shive (adj.) soft (as in "not hard")
 * taam (adj.) tight
 * tash, -e, -a, -el (n.) word
 * teitjö, teitje ,?, teitjyl (n.) song
 * tif (n.) thing
 * Tifevadhoh you’re welcome
 * tiplju what (tifelju [accusative], tifalju [dative])
 * tjäsh (conj.) no
 * toom (n.) weapon
 * tor, -e, -a, ? (n.) sword
 * tove, Ø, tova, tovil (n.) moon
 * tukka, tukke, Ø, tukkel (n.) sheep
 * uathahi, uatha-, utta- (v.) to remember
 * uli, -e, -a, -l (n.) berry
 * upsihi, upsi-, uupsi- (v.) to need
 * uuris (n.) star
 * vään (pron.) they
 * vääth (conj.) yes
 * van (n.) man
 * vath (pron.) he/ she / it
 * velemefe, Ø, velemefa?, ? (n.) darkness
 * visiljy how many (visieljy [accusative], visiäljy [dative])
 * vörth, -e,-a, ? (n.) king
 * vurihi, vur-, vuur- (v.) to see
 * yrihi (v.) to jump
 * yydh (n.) wave

Numbers
Cardinal numbers (one, two, three) / ordinal numbers (first, second, third)

zero: tifidhoh (nothing)
 * 1) heth / kyäthis
 * 2) kör / köös
 * 3) mitta / mittas
 * 4) kitta / kittas
 * 5) pesh / peshish
 * 6) täni / tänis
 * 7) gah / gakkis
 * 8) dulin / dulis
 * 9) djyyr / djyysh
 * 10) jav / javis
 * 11) javeth / javethis
 * 12) jav kör / jav köös
 * 13) jav mitta / jav mittas
 * 14) jav kitta / jav kittas
 * 15) jav pesh / jav peshish
 * 16) jav täni / jav tänis
 * 17) jav gah / jav gakkis
 * 18) jav dulin / jav dulis
 * 19) jav djyyr / jav djyysh
 * 20) körjev / körjevis
 * 21) körjev heth / körjev kyäthis

30: mitjev / mitjevish

40: kitjev / kitjevish

50: peshev / peshevish

60: tänjev / tänjevis

70: gakjev / gakjevis

80: duljev / duljevis

90: djyyrjev / djyyrjevish

100: vysh / vyshish

1,000: teem / teemis

10,000: jav teem / jav teemis

100,000: teemidheen / teemidheenis

Phrases

 * Passajamanal onola. - You have prepared yourself.
 * Passajamanal onola? - Have you prepared yourself?
 * Rouklju roosenith lahifikse? - Who killed the prisoner?
 * Rouhelju roosenith lahifiksa? - Whom did the prisoner kill?
 * Rouhelju äth lahifiksa rosihi? - Whom will the prisoner kill?
 * Igräskyljy roosenith geilää lahifikse? - Where did the warrior kill the prisoner?
 * Visiljy geilääsil roosenith lahifikse? - How many warriors killed the prisoner?
 * Visiljy roosenith lahifikse? - How many killed the prisoner?
 * Geilääljy roosenith lahifikse? - Which warrior killed the prisoner?
 * Geileeljy roosenith lahifiksa? - Which warrior did the prisoner kill?

Speakers

 * Malekith
 * Algrim/Kurse
 * Dark Elves

Behind the Scenes

 * There were originally many more scenes with Malekith and Algrim in which they spoke in Shiväisith as well as expanded on their background and culture, but they were later cut.
 * Shiväisith language was created by linguist David J. Peterson, who was commissioned to create a language for the Dark Elves after his work on the for the television show , and introduced in Thor: The Dark World.
 * Shiväisith was Finno-Ugric inspired and Todjydheenil was inspired by Nordic runes. Given that the Asgardians were based on Norse mythology, thus North Germanic, the "other" should be Finnish, thus Finno-Ugric. Therefore, the Dark Elves' language is reminiscent of Finnish, just as the Asgardian names are all reminiscent of Scandinavian.
 * Learn more about this language at: https://shivaisith.wordpress.com/author/shivaisith/ and at http://fuckyeahshivaisith.tumblr.com/
 * Follow David J. Peterson directly at https://dedalvs.tumblr.com/