The Official Beginner's Guide to Canthan Language

[Shi Violet]

I've been a long-time browser of the Lore Forums, but never really had a chance to post. Prior to Nightfall's Release, I got to go to the ArenaNet Studios for Press-Day as a representative of GWVault. We were told we could take pictures of anything that was up and share it. When I firest saw this, I instantly thought of the Lore Society. This has been sitting on my hard-drive since then....sorry I didn't have a chance until now to post it.

Here is the Official Beginner's Guide to Canthan, as was tacked up on the wall in A-Net's studios. I've got a pretty beefy camera, hence the external link.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k279/Shi-Violet/CanthanAlphabet.jpg

Feel free to use this as a tool or discussion point! :girly:

I just noticed that you didn't have the alphabet in the conpendium, feel free to add it!

[Santax]

This is fantastic, thanks Shi ^_^

[Arkhan The Black]

Oh intriguing.

Kinda tricky to make out the translation letters though.

[Quintus Antonius]

Oh thank you for this! Now we can finally translate the stuff found around Cantha. I'm going to stick this.

[Seyfert]

Ooo interesting, thank you for sharing

[Gmr Leon]

You can just make out what some of those translate to..

I don't suppose you saw anything like a guide to the Elonian Alphabet? :laugh:

Really though, thanks.



If anyone can edit this to make it easier to read that would be great.

[Quintus Antonius]

I cleaned up the text, unfortunantely, the image itself is more or less screwed up by what I did, so I'll just post below what it says:

* = Unknown ("Possible")

Man, Woman, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
7, 8, 9, 10, Light/* ("Stars"), * , * ("Lantern"), Kirin
Tool, Sky, Dark, Hand, Face, Fire, Lord/General, Warrior
City, Daughter, Foot, Admiral, Brother, Sister, * ("Bear"), Son

Air, Friend, * ("Summer"), Crops, Time, Life, * ("Science"), Death
Assassin, Necromancer, Monk, Mesmer, Elementalist, Earth, Water, God
Rage, Blood, * ("Electric"), World/* ("Domain", "Dominance"), Up/Above/Yin, Down/Below/Yang, Night, Day
Midnight, Love, Dance, * ("Murder"), Touch, Boat, Junk, Vengence

That's the best I can do. If anyone else has better text enhancing skills, please, by all means, have a go.

Just some thoughts: "Junk" bears a strong resemblence to the symbol for "Boat", which makes me think it refers to the ship-class junk, rather than the opposite of valuable. Also, "bear" most likely refers to the verb "to bear" rather than the animal. I also notice that there is no symbol for the classes Ritualist or Ranger

[Shi Violet]

I can do better than text enhancing...I can just check out the picture. It compressed for the web, but trust me, the original is much more clear.

They are from left to right, top to bottom:
Man, Woman, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Light/sun, Arms, lantern, kirin, tool, sky, dark, hand, face, fire, lord/general, warrior, city, daugher, foot, animal, brother, sister, bow, son

air, trusted, sunset, crops, tree, life, sunrise, death, assassin, necromancer, monk, mesmer, elementalist, earth, water, god, rage, blood, elements, world/ balance, up/above/yin, down/below/yan, night, day, midnight, love, demon, monster, torch, boat, junk, vengance.

If any of the Lore society would like the bigger, original image, I can e-mail or pm it over. Just let me know!

One last edit: Looking over some of the words, they look more pictographic, such as 'hand,' 'face,' and 'torch.' It's possible that the language may not have a set alphabet, but instead uses icons that resemble the word. Or, this could have been the start of the language and it then developed an alphabet, but kept some of the older words. Just a couple of thoughts.

I didn't see anything (at least, didn't get any pictures) on the Elonian alphabet. It was a bit of a whirlwind day, with only so much I could take in at once! :laugh:

[Quintus Antonius]

Hey, I didn't do too bad!

[False Visage]

I was going to try this some time, but I'd have to do guess work from the pictures in game. :/

Canthan isn't an alphabet by the way, it's based on Chinese and Korean mostly by the looks of it, and is a glyph system like Hieroglyphics where each symbol represents a concept or object.

[CMEPTb]

Really cool! Now we can translate Cantha (and hopefully get some new answers / more questions concerning Lore there). Great job snapping that photo. It would be cool to have a nice resolution posted of the photo please ^^.

Here is the banners in Nahpui Quarters translated. (Some of the characters don't appear, unfortunantly, in the photo translator provided). Anet, still has some secerets up their sleeves, concering the language.

-----------------------------------------------------------

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7554/nahpui9kq.jpg

No. 1:

?, ?, Mesmer, ?, Necro, Monk, Elementalist, ?

I am asuming (even though the other symbols did not match), it is listing all professions. To further proove (besides being obvious :tongue:).

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/4455/explan8en.png


No. 2:

4, City, 10, Down/below/yan, 6, Water, Boat, Down/below/yan, Elements, Fox, Earth, City, Boat, ?

The last (?) marked one, does not appear in the translation photo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As to what those two mean, I have no idea (I just have fun translating).

[Edit]: I agree with you Quintus, it is a list of professions and a street sign. Just wondering what the street says beyond just "Nahpui Quarters" (unless all those different words end up saying just that).

On the second one, yea. It should probably go in the opposit direction. But the characters in the first side of the banner were oppositely positioned in reference to them being in the beginners guide photo.

[Quintus Antonius]

I'd say one is a list of professions, and the other is a street sign.

[Arkhan The Black]

Maybe you should read them in opposite direction?

[Barinthus]

Wow, sweet - thanks for sharing!

[Ranger Nietzsche]

most asiatic languages are read vertically. It doesn't matter much for the profession ones, but for Number 2, the numbers going down vertically on the left column make more sense in the form of an address.

[Darkhunter]

in picture 1 is number 2 the assassin and number 8 is the warrior because both are in the beginners guide and my guess is that 1 is the ranger because the symbol of the bow can be found in the symbol, so 4 is probably ritualist.
but the ranger and ritualist are just guesses
(sorry for my bad english)

[Gmr Leon]

Huh..This is reading vertically up to down on that sign.

City below water.
4 10 6 Boat Down or Below Elements Fox Earth City Boat.


Four,ten,and six could maybe be coordinates? I dunno, but the one thing that stands out is city below water. First things first, don't start bringing up Orr hopes and whatnot for the future chapters. :laugh:

[CMEPTb]

Corrected Banner of Professions:
http://img313.imageshack.us/img313/3255/new12gd.th.png (http://img313.imageshack.us/my.php?image=new12gd.png)

I have edited this to follow -
most asiatic languages are read vertically. It doesn't matter much for the profession ones, but for Number 2, the numbers going down vertically on the left column make more sense in the form of an address.

&


in picture 1 is number 2 the assassin and number 8 is the warrior because both are in the beginners guide and my guess is that 1 is the ranger because the symbol of the bow can be found in the symbol, so 4 is probably ritualist.
but the ranger and ritualist are just guesses (sorry for my bad english)

I agree with you on the Ritualist, Assassin, and Ranger because the Ritualist (to me) would seem to be closer related to the Elementalist. The character that is designated as the Ritualist now has a character to the right similar in style to the Elementalist. Since the Ranger is the last one, its character was automatically given. And the Assassin I missed seeing right in the translation photo.

________________

Kurizick Territory

The following contained the 'Proffession Banner':
Durheim Archives
Vasburg Armory
The Eternal Grove
Brauer Academy
Lutgardis Conservetory
Saint Anjeka's Shrine
Jade Flats
Harvest Temple (<--Includes a little banner as well):

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4056/new23yu.png

The following contained the 'Proffession's Symbol Banner':
Unwaking Waters
Aspenwood Gate
House zu Heltzer
Altrum Ruins
Arborstone
Tanglewood Copse

http://img313.imageshack.us/img313/7365/new34gl.png

The following contained no banner:
Fort Aspenwood
Jade Quary

________________

Other than what is listed, none of Kurizick territory has any other characters for translation originating from their territory within cities/outposts.

-------------------

btw - I asked and recieved the nice photo from the OP, of the translations, and here is a link to it (Thanks again to Shi Violet for this wonderful photo :D):

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/848/canthanalphabet0ae.th.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=canthanalphabet0ae.jpg)

[Gmr Leon]

There isn't a link..

Edit: Popped up after I posted this. :shocked:

[CMEPTb]

Shing Jea Island

The following contained the 'Profession Banner*'
Shing Jea Monastery
Zen Daijun
Seitung Harbor
Minister Cho's Estate
Ran Musu Gardens
Tsumei Village
Sunqua Vale

(*It will always show around henchmen, which makes perfect sense).

New Materials:

Shing Jea Monastery-

The same is on all the Tablets of Wisdom:
(Seemed to me, to be 8 rows across and three letters by themselves in row 9 on top)

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7522/wisdom6ns.png

(The characters do not all appear in the guide; I suppose some are constructions of more than one; or are not given at all)

Translation so far:

(Going Down):
1. ?, ?, ?, ?
2. ?, ?, ?, ?
3. ?, ?, ?, ?
4. ?, Mesmer, ?, ?
5. ?, Elementalist, ?, ?
6. ?, ?, ?, ?
7. ?, ?, ?, ?
8. ?, ?, ?, ?

(Going Across):

9. ?, ?, ?

Characters at a Shrine:
Floating Banners:

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7595/banners9kq.png

Characters behind pot:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/1235/behind7br.png

------
My translation would be:
Trusted Brother Kirin; Living Elements; Loving god; Mysterious Animal
_______________________

Outside of Minister Cho's Estate:
Zhengjo Temple

Stone Tablet (perhaps tomb):
Front & Side:

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8214/front8vx.th.png (http://img181.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front8vx.png)

There also was a shrine in the temple, but it was identical to the shrine in the Monastery
_______________________

All searching was done within the Cities. The only outside trip was made to 'Zhengjo Temple'. The rest as with Kurizick Territory "outside" has not yet been explored.

[Indigo Montari]

WoW that one pic the OP got is the proverbial Rosetta Stone

[soulwar]

*There is little or no connection at all to Chinese or Japanese characters.

[CMEPTb]

Kaineng Center

Also has a 'Banner of Proffessions'
(http://img313.imageshack.us/my.php?image=new12gd.png)

;and the same City (?) banner as 'Nahpui Quarters':
(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7554/nahpui9kq.jpg)
The right banner..
Clarification on City (?) banner:

Huh..This is reading vertically up to down on that sign.

City below water.
4 10 6 Boat Down or Below Elements Fox Earth City Boat.


Kaineng Banners:

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9348/kaineg8nd.png

[Gmr Leon]

This is the sign I was referring to in my post.


http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7554/nahpui9kq.jpg

It's the "street sign" one.

[CMEPTb]

This is the sign I was referring to in my post.


http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7554/nahpui9kq.jpg

It's the "street sign" one.

Yea, the one on the right hand side. I don't know if it is a street or city sign for sure, because they show up in all cities of the Emperor. Maybe it is an imperial decree or statement of some sort generalizing the empire.

[Rob Van Der Sloot]

This is an amazing find.

Now if only we could get our hands on a simular list for the Tyrian and Elonian symbols.

[Quintus Antonius]

The Tyrian symbols have already been translated by Eratimus.

[the forests wisper]

that has got to be one of the best finds EVER for the lore forum!
not a translation
not therory
ACTUAL HARD FACTS! straight from the horses mouth (so to speak)

in truth i wonder what other goodies u snapped! u might hav something u dont even realize u got!

**gets on ground and bows shouting "we are not worthy"**:rolleyes:

[Rob Van Der Sloot]

The Tyrian symbols have already been translated by Eratimus.

Oh, no idea he had translated all of it. Wow.

[Quintus Antonius]

Yeah, Eratimus is quite the linquist with his language symbols.

[CMEPTb]

Community Day at ArenaNet is right around the corner...

"Pssst! Representatives of Elite Fansites...>.>....<.<...If you see the "Beginners Guide to the Elonian Language"...Take a picture please!" :grin:

Or if you happen to come across, The Novice, Adept, or Expert Guide to either the Elonian or Factions (we are still missing some characters), be much excitement here on the forums ;).

[Quintus Antonius]

Actually, you'd probably be deified.

[Gmr Leon]

I would laugh if it happened to be as simple as not having to take a picture and just asking for a little pamphlet of sorts with all the runes across the chapters..

[Rob Van Der Sloot]

Well, you can always try. :grin:


"May we please see the rune-alphabet of each chapter please... and take a picture of it?"

-"Why of course good lad! Here, have a cooky."

[Barinthus]

You never know.... there's something on the walls regarding Anet's super secret plans re: Gwen

[aptaleonII]

this is one fantastic find, well done soo much on finding it.. and thinking to take that picture! i'd like to bring it to everyone's attention that the smoke that issues from incense pots and things like that in cantha is made up of canthan runes... any chance of translating some of those? there's a pot that issues runes in Seitung Harbour, on a tiny island at the end of one of the piers.

[YOmmi]

Wow, this is FANTASTIC!... I have to say, being Chinese it definately looks somewhat similar to Asian characters. As said before, there is no set alphabet but rather character/symbols to represent words. It does look more blockish than Chinese and a lot of the strokes are more grid-ish (vertical and horizontal). However, the most, if not all the strokes move from left to right and from top to bottom, which is how Chinese is written. Also, the combinations of characters is found commonly in Chinese.

Very Nice again Shi

[CMEPTb]

.. and thinking to take that picture! i'd like to bring it to everyone's attention that the smoke that issues from incense pots and things like that in cantha is made up of canthan runes... any chance of translating some of those? there's a pot that issues runes in Seitung Harbour, on a tiny island at the end of one of the piers.

Here are the smoke character translations:
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/2397/ghue9.png

These were taken form the cauldron in the Guild Hall "Meditation Island". The same symbols can be found in the smoking cauldron from Seitung Harbour also.

As far as following a pattern in which they appeard, I draw no conclusion. There were a few patterns I saw. 1) Some shown bigger than others, 2) Some rose above others, & 3) Some did both. And all at the same time...
_________

I think they are just just random symbols the devs thought would look nice, and probably were easy to be formed into the action they wanted to continuously repeat itself.

[Barinthus]

Or a prediction for Kormir... this is pure speculation of course.

Dark (night fall)

Woman - Sun/Light - Fire (Sunspear? Kormir?)

Foot Arms Face Hand - Perhaps woman's body driving away the dark?

If there's a pattern among symbols that are shown bigger, some rising, and so on, perhaps we can find connections.

Or I'm simply finding what I'm looking for.

[CMEPTb]

Sounds good to me.

{Edit}: To Quintus below:
Yea, they probably mean something. My eyes get too buggy staring at the smoke. If someone wants to take the time to decipher the pattern, power to you, it would be great.

[Quintus Antonius]

I think it is telling us something. I don't know if it's related to Kormir, but it does seem to hint at Nightfall.

Light, sun =Land of the Golden Sun = Elona

Dark hand = Abaddon = Nightfall

But we may have to take into account the order they appear, and any runes we might be missing.

[Riuku Fierente]

just one question: ch.2(Factions) was developed by dev.team 2

do you really think developers from dev.team 1,
working of ch.3(Nightfall) came to dev.team 2,
seen canthan hieroglyphic alphabet
and said: "encode these messages please". ???

I doubt it.

[Quintus Antonius]

They do work in the same office building you know.

[Riuku Fierente]

They do work in the same office building you know.

I think the "translation" appeared after some
of the chinese (I suppose) artists did that hieroglyths.

maybe devs noticed that some players do actually try
to find the meaning of all those symbols resembling runes and letters....

though - who knows ? what if there IS a global knowledge base of GW world ???

"I want to believe" (c) Malder :)

[CMEPTb]

Forgot these symbols on the planet orbiting things, within Nahpui Quarter:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6058/59548341et8.jpg

Also, Question: Does anyone have a clear picture of Suun's (the Oracle of the Mists) face? I saw him briefly in the cut-scene before entering Nahpui, and he had a lot of symbols dangling before his face. I didnt snap a screen in time :(.
If someone does, could they please translate them. It would be interesting to know, coming from him, thanks.

[Quintus Antonius]

Haha, Trust Sky Tool. To me that sounds like a description of an astronomy device.

[Ranger Nietzsche]

just one question: ch.2(Factions) was developed by dev.team 2

do you really think developers from dev.team 1,
working of ch.3(Nightfall) came to dev.team 2,
seen canthan hieroglyphic alphabet
and said: "encode these messages please". ???

I doubt it.

this whole idea of two teams is an untrue rumor. they all develop each game. you can check the credits and ask gaile next time she comes around.

the only case of "two teams" is in which developer is the "head developer" for which chapter. But all of the devs work on all chapters.


NOTE: im not blaming you for saying it, as its a very common misconception.

[Katscratched]

Also, Question: Does anyone have a clear picture of Suun's (the Oracle of the Mists) face?

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5661/gwrm7.jpg

(Colors Tweaked, obviously. The original screenie was a bit too washed out for my tastes.)
That's all I've got. The three strands appear to all be the same, but the central one has the most information before it's cut off. I remember seeing someone else with letters "on their face" like this. May have been in the art book. I'll see what I can dig up.

[Katscratched]

I knew I took a screenie of her. ^_^

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9774/gwdone1xf3.jpg

Couldn't figure out anything conclusive, except that in INVERSE, symbols seem to be "God, Day, ?" (reading top to bottom.) I'm wondering if the bottom symbol might be a name? Do we have a God(dess) of the day? I would assume it to be Dwayna, but you know what they say about assuming. . .

And just for fun, because I wondered what Ronsu's pants said for a very long time:

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3945/gwdone2ok3.jpg

And by the by:

Kaineng Banners: Trusted City ?(8)
The (8) Appears to be "Arms" - the little ' symbols I can't explain (Sun, Light?). In the symbol, the ' over "World" creates "God," so I'm thinking it may be something like "Guardians" (those who control/bear Arms/Weapons,) but, again, a lot of speculation. If that's the case, it may be a reference to the Obsidian Flame NPC Guild (especially in conjuction with the other sign, which refers to Eles.)

[Katscratched]

Actually, about Adept Kai, now that I'm more awake, aside from the "swoosh" at the bottom, the symbol looks like that for for Life. So God Day Life. With a swoosh.
Could Life with a swoosh could still rep for Dwayna? Suun's paper strips, at the top, also feature a very curved figure, but its so far from the script I assumed it was decorative. Now well, maybe, maybe not.

[Gmr Leon]

You may also want to take into consideration that the Canthans give offerings to spirits of nature. For instance Maat at the Shrine of Maat is a spirit of the mountains (I would think) who relatives or family members go to to give offerings for their other family member who is traveling through the mountains to be protected or to have safe travel.

[Sasha Deathtouch]

Kaineng Center

Also has a 'Banner of Proffessions'
(http://img313.imageshack.us/my.php?image=new12gd.png)

;and the same City (?) banner as 'Nahpui Quarters':
(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7554/nahpui9kq.jpg)
The right banner..
Clarification on City (?) banner:



Kaineng Banners:

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9348/kaineg8nd.png

On your large image there, in the first banner (and then again in the last one), one of the symbols (the third one down in the first banner and the middle one in the last) look like the secondary glyph in our supposed Ritualist symbol. Just a thought

[count razio halek]

very nice i dont how u got it but nice

[Takekaze]

Great work.

Hmmm... we'd need more letters, then we could, possibly, establish a system like the radicals for Japanese, and then maybe a Canthan Nelson... errr... nvm...