This may be rather obvious to some people, but I've always found it nifty.
Sammael - Destroyer of Hope
Ishamael - Betrayer of Hope
Thus we can conclude that 'mael' probably means hope in the Old Tongue. It's a nice small little attention to detail played by RJ. It also insinuates that all of the Forsaken have names that can be directly translated.
Therefore with Lanfear, we might be looking at Lan-Fear ... Daughter-Night, if the Old Tingue can be translated so crudely. Of course this means Lan is a Daughter, which is fun to ponder.
I've been searching through Old Tongue quotes in the series looking for hints to decipher potential translations for other Forsaken names. I've come up short so far, but would like to know if anyone else has found anything. The only thing I've found is that Moridin is also found on the Horn of Valere, which is a nice direct translation of Death i.e. The Grave is no bar to my Call.
Osan'gar and Aran'gar are named after left and right handed daggers, so Osan might mean left and Aran might mean right, if those translations were direct. 'gar' might mean blade, or weapon.
Sammael - Destroyer of Hope
Ishamael - Betrayer of Hope
Thus we can conclude that 'mael' probably means hope in the Old Tongue. It's a nice small little attention to detail played by RJ. It also insinuates that all of the Forsaken have names that can be directly translated.
Therefore with Lanfear, we might be looking at Lan-Fear ... Daughter-Night, if the Old Tingue can be translated so crudely. Of course this means Lan is a Daughter, which is fun to ponder.
I've been searching through Old Tongue quotes in the series looking for hints to decipher potential translations for other Forsaken names. I've come up short so far, but would like to know if anyone else has found anything. The only thing I've found is that Moridin is also found on the Horn of Valere, which is a nice direct translation of Death i.e. The Grave is no bar to my Call.
Osan'gar and Aran'gar are named after left and right handed daggers, so Osan might mean left and Aran might mean right, if those translations were direct. 'gar' might mean blade, or weapon.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
This message last edited by Sidious on 17/06/2010 at 09:18:27 AM
Forsaken translations
17/06/2010 09:16:36 AM
- 2256 Views
Yeah...
17/06/2010 09:31:15 AM
- 1547 Views
Semirhage is named as "The Lady of Pain" in KoD, by Rand...
17/06/2010 11:14:56 AM
- 1887 Views
Do Semirhage & Bel'al actually mean those things or are they other nicknames?
17/06/2010 11:38:18 AM
- 1306 Views
Nice ideas!
17/06/2010 02:10:43 PM
- 1354 Views
The beauty of a re-read is that there are so many little gems I'd forgotten
17/06/2010 02:48:19 PM
- 1126 Views
Re: The beauty of a re-read is that there are so many little gems I'd forgotten
17/06/2010 04:43:48 PM
- 1258 Views
Gai'shain = those sworn to peace in battle
17/06/2010 09:22:02 PM
- 1180 Views
Gaidin = Brother to Battle ... which is what I think the OP meant to use
17/06/2010 09:32:20 PM
- 1121 Views
I always thought Lanfear probably translated to something closer to a Moon translation
17/06/2010 02:43:04 PM
- 1412 Views
it's the other way around...
17/06/2010 02:58:33 PM
- 1170 Views
good point
17/06/2010 03:13:17 PM
- 1170 Views
Re: good point
17/06/2010 04:05:50 PM
- 1231 Views
Not to mention she STILL hasn't earned a 3rd (or in 4th) name
17/06/2010 04:16:57 PM
- 1210 Views
What about Cyndane
17/06/2010 04:48:03 PM
- 1112 Views

It must be her favorite one, since it's the only one she actually earned
*NM*
17/06/2010 05:43:41 PM
- 609 Views

Well she earned Mierin
*NM*
17/06/2010 08:27:05 PM
- 755 Views

how so? I figured mom and dad gave that one too her
*NM*
17/06/2010 08:36:24 PM
- 636 Views

she earned it by being born... ha! gotcha
*NM*
17/06/2010 08:39:10 PM
- 598 Views

HA! But technically I think her mother earned that
*NM*
17/06/2010 08:58:30 PM
- 526 Views

Re: good point
17/06/2010 04:47:01 PM
- 1236 Views
Again, a self-proclaimed ownership aimed at making her seem more impressive
17/06/2010 05:55:12 PM
- 1111 Views
I disagree
17/06/2010 06:20:08 PM
- 1233 Views
Personally I think that order was off the cuff
17/06/2010 08:55:28 PM
- 1346 Views
Re: Personally I think that order was off the cuff
17/06/2010 09:02:06 PM
- 1320 Views
Disagree
17/06/2010 09:28:51 PM
- 1260 Views
Re: Disagree
17/06/2010 09:41:23 PM
- 1199 Views
I'm not being very clear
17/06/2010 10:14:10 PM
- 1203 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
18/06/2010 08:06:56 AM
- 3575 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
18/06/2010 03:33:12 PM
- 1217 Views
Re: I'm not being very clear
18/06/2010 04:35:12 PM
- 1064 Views
The point isn't if Lanfear has the skill, it's that it was poorly shown.
18/06/2010 05:31:11 PM
- 1208 Views
The statement makes clear that those 6 were all quite impressive
17/06/2010 10:51:49 PM
- 1031 Views
I don't see that bearing out in the text at all
17/06/2010 10:57:36 PM
- 1228 Views
Like Etzel I don't agree
17/06/2010 08:30:37 PM
- 1096 Views
I think she's a weak villain
17/06/2010 08:58:01 PM
- 1068 Views
Re: I think she's a weak villain
17/06/2010 09:03:47 PM
- 1149 Views
and slaughter the Seanchan empress on her own throne thowing the empire into chaos
17/06/2010 09:30:27 PM
- 1174 Views
Semirhage has done more than anyone since Ishy destroyed the Ten Nations
18/06/2010 02:06:30 AM
- 1157 Views
Regarding "Demandred" ...
17/06/2010 04:51:43 PM
- 1173 Views
I always thought it was a coincidence
17/06/2010 08:32:39 PM
- 1274 Views
Lan/Lanfear isn't a coincidence...
18/06/2010 12:19:58 AM
- 1122 Views
Re: Lan/Lanfear isn't a coincidence...
20/06/2010 07:01:55 PM
- 1283 Views
Perhaps Lan-fear meaning Night-Daughter would make more sense
17/06/2010 06:00:35 PM
- 1171 Views
Re: Perhaps Lan-fear meaning Night-Daughter would make more sense
18/06/2010 04:23:38 PM
- 1394 Views
And Dragon translations...
17/06/2010 10:53:02 PM
- 1284 Views
Re: And Dragon translations...
17/06/2010 11:01:25 PM
- 1153 Views
Why would they call themselves "Spears of the fictional creature"?
18/06/2010 12:29:49 AM
- 1073 Views
It was meant as a joke, but really it could be some generic term rather than meaning
18/06/2010 06:00:36 AM
- 1114 Views
Except that they don't know what a 'Dragon' is, except as it relates to Lews Therin/Rand
18/06/2010 05:11:30 PM
- 1113 Views
like I said, I was just making a joke of it ... you are quite right with "Rand's Spears"
18/06/2010 05:32:42 PM
- 993 Views
But of course the NT word for Dragon isn't Dragon
18/06/2010 05:45:34 PM
- 1362 Views
If "aman" is the Old Tongue name for Dragon, maybe "DEMANdred" contains a reference to Dragon too...
20/06/2010 08:13:35 PM
- 1401 Views
"Dragon Wannabe"
*NM*
20/06/2010 09:23:09 PM
- 480 Views

Lizard? *NM*
20/06/2010 10:04:21 PM
- 646 Views
"Scaled Worm"... though I doubt he'd take that name up in pride
. *NM*
22/06/2010 01:23:03 AM
- 576 Views

It's probably too much to attempt to guess at the meanings of words...
17/06/2010 10:58:06 PM
- 926 Views