Speak Ravkan

Here are a few terms found in the pages of Shadow & Bone. Special thanks to my Celebrity Guest, David Peterson of Conlang.org. Dave created the Dothraki language for HBO’s adaptation of Game of Thrones. To my surprise and delight, he generously gave his time to help me out with the phonetics. We didn’t always agree on pronunciation or spelling (he’s right, I’m stubborn), but that was part of the fun.

To learn more about the choices I made building Ravka’s language and culture, please click here or read my interview with Claire Legrand.

Grisha (ˈgɾi.ʃa/ GREE-shah): Ravka’s Second Army

Places

Keramzin (ˈkɛ.ɾam.tsɨn/ CARE-ahm-tsin): Country home of Duke Keramsov and a town of the same name

Tsibeya (tsɨ.ˈbɛ.ja/ tsih-BEH-yah): The vast wilderness near Ravka’s northeast border

Kribirsk (kɾi.biɾsk/ KREE-beersk): A city and military outpost on the eastern shore of the Unsea

Os Alta (ɔs ˈal.ta/ ohs ALL-tah): The capital of Ravka

Ryevost (ˈɾjɛ.vɔst/ RYEH-vohst): A river city

Terms

Istorii Sankt’ya (is.tɔ.ɾi sank.ˈtja/ EES-tor-ee sankt-YAH): A book of Saints’ lives

Oprichnik (ˈɔ.ˈpɾitʃ.nɨk/ oh-PREACH-nick): The Darkling’s elite guard, culled from the First Army

Otkazat’sya (ɔt.ka.ˈza.tsja/ oht-kah-ZAHTS-yah): The Abandoned

Moi Soverennyi (sɔ.vɛ.ˈɾɛ.ɲɨ/ soh-veh-REN-yee): Title used when addressing the Darkling

Moi Tsar/ Moya Tsaritsa (mɔj tsaɾ/ moy TSAHR; ˌmɔ.ja tsa.ˈɾi.tsa/MOY-ah tsah-REE-tsah): Title used when addressing the King and Queen of Ravka

Odinakovost (ɔ.di.ˈna.kɔ.vɔst/ oh-dee-NOCK-oh-vohst): Thisness

Etovost (ˈɛ.tɔ.vɔst/ EH-toh-vohst): Thatness

People

Alina Starkov (a.ˈli.na ˈstaɾ.kɔv/ ah-LEE-nah STAR-kohv)

Malyen Oretsev (ma.ʎɛn ɔ.ˈɾɛ.tsɛv/ Mal-YEN oh-RETT-sev)

Ilya Morozova (i.ʎa mɔ.ɾɔ.ˈtsɔ.va/ EEL-yah mor-oh-TSOH-vah)

Genya (dʒɛ.ɲa/ JEN-yah)

Baghra (ba.gɾa/ BAH-grah)