Virnethan

Virnethan is an endangered linguistic descendant of Old Elvish. It developed in the Virneth region of the elven homeworld, isolated from the many languages which helped to shape Modern Elvish in the north. As a result, it is seen by linguists as a more “pure” evolution of the ancient language from which it descends. Nevertheless, under pressure from the capital, usage of Virnethan was in steep decline by the dawn of Modern Era.

By 1912 CE, the year a Calamity brought the Earth-666 iteration of reality to an end, there were fewer than 100,000 native speakers. Interestingly, however, a disproportionate number of the elves brought to Eden by the aforementioned Calamity were fluent in Virnethan. That fact, in addition to the prominent roles elves played in Edenian governance during the Second Age, led to the widespread use of Virnethan idioms in the Edenian vernacular.

Virnethan Idioms

The following is a summary of some of the many idioms brought into common usage by the speakers of Virnethan.

A sapling is not a forest.
Don’t exaggerate. You’re blowing this out of proportion.

A tree is a tree.
Be honest with yourself. Be true.

Do, if you can. If you cannot, then try.
Do what you can do. Try your best.

From root to crown.
From top to bottom.

I bet you can see the sky from up there.
You’re getting a big head. You’re a little full of yourself. You’ve lost touch with reality. (This is a reference to how densely forested much of the elven homeworld is.

Like a tree without leaves
Incomplete. Empty. Odd.

Put some roots down.
Hold on a second. Wait. Think for a minute. Breathe. Calm down.

Share the light. or Share the shade.
Share your good fortune.

Too many trees and too little earth.
Everyone wants to shine, to lead, or to stand out, but no one is willing to serve as the foundation upon which others might build.

What does the wind say?
What is your gut telling you? What would God do? What is your first instinct?

You’re not father’s favorite.
You’re nothing special. You’re no better than the rest of us.