The Nilfgaardian Language?

[Mad Max]

I'm thinking the Nilfs are based on either Italian or Spanish Conquistadors but are they speaking Italian?

Or are they speaking some made up language like The Sims?

[-=Charza=-]

They are a bit like the ancient Roman empire indeed.
Within the lore they sort of annex countries into their own. The Emperor of Nilfgaard is the highest authority, but Kings who surrender willingly, have a good chance of still maintaining their title. They are also to a lesser degree still rulers and stewards who maintain order in the name of the Emperor. The armies are annexed within the Empire, which makes it more powerful with every land they conquer.

There are indeed also similarities with the later Holy Roman Empire and the German Prusian Empire that came from it.

Nilfgaardians feel superior because they believe themselves to be decendants of Lara Dorren, who was one of the most powerful Elven sorceresses to have ever lived.
Within her bloodline is found the so called "Elder Blood" and people who inherrit its gifts, can do great things, and have tremendous magical powers.

(These people basically have Demigod like powers once they know how to control it.)

[アキ君]

It does not sound like German, not at all. Maybe you should change the games language to English before you make such statements.

[アキ君]

Origineel geplaatst door -=ORC_Charza=-:

They are a bit like the ancient Roman empire indeed.
Within the lore they sort of annex countries into their own. The Emperor of Nilfgaard is the highest authority, but Kings who surrender willingly, have a good chance of still maintaining their title. They are also to a lesser degree still rulers and stewards who maintain order in the name of the Emperor. The armies are annexed within the Empire, which makes it more powerful with every land they conquer.

There are indeed also similarities with the later Holy Roman Empire and the German Prusian Empire that came from it.

Nilfgaardians feel superior because they believe themselves to be decendants of Lara Dorren, who was one of the most powerful Elven sorceresses to have ever lived.
Within her bloodline is found the so called "Elder Blood" and people who inherrit its gifts, can do great things, and have tremendous magical powers.

(These people basically have Demigod like powers once they know how to control it.)

Roman Empire was never Germanic. It was always Greek and Italian. Germanic were the Barbarians who the Romans fought against.

[アキ君]

If anything it sounds celtic or scandinavian.

[-=Charza=-]

Origineel geplaatst door Nycto.冻伤:

Origineel geplaatst door -=ORC_Charza=-:

They are a bit like the ancient Roman empire indeed.
Within the lore they sort of annex countries into their own. The Emperor of Nilfgaard is the highest authority, but Kings who surrender willingly, have a good chance of still maintaining their title. They are also to a lesser degree still rulers and stewards who maintain order in the name of the Emperor. The armies are annexed within the Empire, which makes it more powerful with every land they conquer.

There are indeed also similarities with the later Holy Roman Empire and the German Prusian Empire that came from it.

Nilfgaardians feel superior because they believe themselves to be decendants of Lara Dorren, who was one of the most powerful Elven sorceresses to have ever lived.
Within her bloodline is found the so called "Elder Blood" and people who inherrit its gifts, can do great things, and have tremendous magical powers.

(These people basically have Demigod like powers once they know how to control it.)

Roman Empire was never Germanic. It was always Greek and Italian. Germanic were the Barbarians who the Romans fought against.

At first there was the Roman Empire, which expanded itself throughout Europe, Eurasia, and it also had large territories in Northern Africa.
This Empire however became a Christian (Catholic) Empire under Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, and thus it became the home of the Roman Catholic Churge.
Over several centuries Christianity expanded all over the Roman territories, but in the western part of the Empire the "Barbarians" regained their strengh, and pushed back. Europe became a very devided place, where one one side there were the many aristocrats loyal to the Roman Churge, and on the other side people who were fighting to maintain their own traditions.
It was Roman Pope Leo the third who in the 8th century crowned Charlemagne the Frank to be the first Western Roman Emperor.
So yes, there is a direct link between the old Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire.
Note however that these 2 are not the same thing, and came into existence hundreds of years apart from each other.
I never stated that the Roman Empire was German.
The Holy Roman Empire however was essentially German.
Charlemagne the Frank was the first Emperor over the western and southern European kingdoms of German decend.

[Bernh1]

Nilfgaard has several real world sources: Roman Empire, nazi Germany (invade in Aedirn in the books is a 1939 invade in Poland; elven Vrihhed brigade also bears SS signs - kind of Eastern SS legions) and even Napoleonic Empire (battle of Brenna is a Vaterloo battle actually).

[Snorri Nosebiter]

Origineel geplaatst door ;594820473981131504:

elven Vrihhed brigade also bears SS signs - kind of Eastern SS legions) and even Napoleonic Empire (battle of Brenna is a Vaterloo battle actually).

Well, I always saw 'Vrihedd' (freedom) as being related to the German 'Freiheit' (also freedom).

Through this, you could relate them to the Freikorps who fought against the German government in the 20s, and are generally regarded as an ancestor to the Nazis.

[kaffekoppen]

Origineel geplaatst door ron.v:

I'm from germany and can confirm that there is definitely some german influence. I listened to two Nilfgaard soldiers talking (in Oreton near the blacksmith) and I overheard "schlecht" and "verboten" and the subtitles translated them exactly to what they would mean in english, "bad" and "forbidden". so it is not completely made up. although i assume those words would sound very similar in a scandinavian language.

It sounds like a mix of some real European languages. So far in the game, I thought I heard some Dutch and German influences for sure.

To me, Dutch kind of sounds like a mix between German, English and even a bit of Danish in there. When I broke my arm once in Germany (damn hills!), the doctor who treated me thought I was Dutch. I'm Danish.

So far I've not really noticed much "Scandinavian" (hardly one language) about it, but perhaps I haven't paid enough attention

[Bernh1]

Origineel geplaatst door Dave Hedgehog:

Through this, you could relate them to the Freikorps who fought against the German government in the 20s, and are generally regarded as an ancestor to the Nazis.

As Sapkowski is a polish and war with a Nilfgaard (in books) is a mostly WWII from Poland viewpoint (Nilfgaard and Kaedwen shared Aedirn like Germany and USSR shared Poland), I think Vrihedd brigade is close to ukrainian SS units, that being not-germans slaughtered polish civilians and jews.
Scoia'taels are like ukrainian irregular nazi-units (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) famous for slaughters of polish civilians.

[White Wolf]

Elder Speech is a language constructed by Andrzej Sapkowski. He used Welsh, English, Irish, Latin, French and Spanish.

[Lannik]

The writer of the books is Polish so look to the surrounding regions for major influences

[Sheytanaslan]

It is chinese that was translated into german...then polish. thus the accents.

[Chava]

Origineel geplaatst door -=ORC_Charza=-:

At first there was the Roman Empire, which expanded itself throughout Europe, Eurasia, and it also had large territories in Northern Africa.
This Empire however became a Christian (Catholic) Empire under Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, and thus it became the home of the Roman Catholic Churge.

You do know that until XI century there were no Catholic or Orthodox Church but simply one Church?

[EvilDonut]

Not even close to being italian

[Weizen1988]

Origineel geplaatst door w0lv3n:

Not even close to being italian

Yeah, only Italian I know is nothing like nilfgaardian. Wassa-commin-ago sounds nothing like nilfgaardian. Im betting conlang based on lands of the HRE, whom I contend the empire is based in part on, with some nazis rolled in and all that, with some other stuff thrown in.