Dark Iron (Language)

Dark Iron or Shadowforge Dwarvish is the primary language of the Dark Iron Clan in Azeroth. It's technically a dialect of Dwarven (Language), though the stark cultural separation of the Dwarves makes it appear a language in of itself.

The Earthen, who would later become Dwarves after the Curse of Flesh, did not originally have a written language---instead passing their knowledge down through oral tradition and imagery; they did, however, have an extensive 'vocabulary' of titanic glyphs known today as "runes". These runes each symbolized one word or concept and only the oldest of dwarves today have mastered all known runes that survived from antiquity.

After the Awaking of the Dwarves and their eventual surfacing over two thousand years ago, the Humans of the Arathorian Empire taught the dwarves how to write in Arathorian Common---which was much simpler than rune-scribing. Over the years, dwarves altered the language into their own design, incorporating some titanic glyphs and making words of their own.

This is especially true for the Dark Iron Dwarves, who were separated from their kin for hundreds of years and lived an isolated life beneath Blackrock Mountain---even using a slightly different alphabet than "universal" Dwarvish.

=Some Dark Iron Vocabulary=

Here are a few Shadowforge Dwarvish phrases and words:

Colors

 * "Bael" = "Red"
 * "Hoga" = "Blue"
 * "Skalf" = "Black"
 * "Scyld" = "Orange" or "Amber"
 * "Rand" = "Grey"
 * "Goten" = "Green"

Animals and Biology

 * "Mos" = "Ram" or "Goat"
 * "Syddan" = "Dragon"
 * "Dagun" = "Heart"
 * "Modr" = "Head"
 * "Ahz" = "Pup", though usually used as an insult rather than a juvenile or newborn "Dog".

Geography

 * "Modan" = "Mountain" or "Mountains"
 * "Iorn" = "Land", used in Lordaeron.
 * "Loch" = "Lake" or partially landlocked or protected bay; a narrow arm of the sea.
 * "Golganar" = "Cave", literally meaning "Entrance [to the Deeps]".

Weapons

 * "Gear" = "Star" or "Spiked Ball"
 * "Hor" = "Bow", as in the projectile weapon.
 * "Guma" = "Knife", both the utensil and weapon; can also mean "Sharp" (physically or mentally).

Adjectives

 * "Magna" = "Protector", used for both male and female Guardians.
 * "Khadgar" = "Trust"
 * "Gar" = "Giant"
 * "Modor" = "Great"
 * "Gefrunon" = "Imperial", can also mean "Royal".

Other Words

 * "Oie" = "Yes"
 * "Eta" = "No"
 * "Hrim" = "Town" or "Settlement"
 * "Gwyarbrawden" = Ritual among dwarven warriors, a way of connecting their blood. It was also a kind of justice. Those who swore Gwyarbrawden to another would avenge that person's death no matter the difficulty.

Titles

 * "Gefrunon Khaz-dum" = "Imperial Highness", formal title of a Thaurissan Emperor.
 * "Mok-kha Modor" = "Senator Great", for addressing a Senator ceremonially.
 * "Dagum Kost-guma" = "Vault Banker", though replaced by "Warden" almost entirely.