Eloi language

Eloi language is a constructed language spoken by Eloi people in the novel The Time Machine written by H. G. Wells and the 2002 movie The Time machine. For use in the movie it was created by screenwriter John Logan.

Language structure

Eloi language seems not to be very complex, as Eloi people are primitive. Basic words are short. Longer, more complex words are mostly compounds of shorter words. There is no sign of more complex language features such as grammatical cases or grammatical tenses.

Some Vocabulary

(The list of words is non-exhaustive. Some translations may not be correct.)

• Root words:

Aurl - Understand
Bal - Safe
Breen - See
Cal - Fear
Dal - is
Deer - Remember
Del - was
Den - will/would
Dern/der/dar - Should/could/would/can
El - Day
Em - I/mine
En - you/your
Fur - go/through
Jal - to throw
Kan - End
Lath - better
Lex - Stone language i.e. English
Mor - Night
Nem - our
Nos - know
Quin - Here/There
Sei - time
Ston - to believe
Tan - auxiliary article
Tas - Life/Live
Tor - No/Not/Without
Wen - Him/he

• Compound words:

Bren'tas col - True
Col'mar - Flower
col'orn - to worry
Col'quin'tor - Follow
En'em - we/us
Far'en - to be able
Far'quil'pax - Fight
Gren'tor'mar'tas - Garden
Jen'(wel) - speak
Kenen - Thank You
Lon'el - Story
Mar nos - Think
Mar'jen'wel - Dream
nove'tan - after
Nove'tan'quin - Soon/now
Orn'bren - hope
quin'tan - up
Quin'tor'tan - Journey
Sa'tahn - many
Serem - Head
Sess'quin'tan - Rope Ladder
Tal'pax - Dangerous
Tan'mas - Now
Tan'som - Sleep
Tar'wen - she
Tor'jen - stop
Tor'lon - Sick/hurt/injured

• Phrases:

Em dal tor'lon - I am hurt
Em tas - I live
Em tor’len - I did not hear/ excuse me?

The Scenes from Time Machine

These are only the scenes in which the Eloi language is spoken. It contains the script as spoken on-screen. The translations are the closest and most literal as it can possibly get.

1. Alexander is regaining consciousness after being rescued by Kalen and brought to their home on the cliffs. He sees a vision of a young woman and mistakes her for his beloved Emma. Instead it is Mara, who speaks softly to him.
Mara: Far’en der tan’breen lath? Dern’en aurl’em? (Are you able to see better?...Can you understand?)

2. Alexander fades in and out of consciousness while Kalen and Mara keep vigil over him and tend to his health.
Kalen: Ston en’em den lath? Len’en em jen’en’em en quin’tor’tan.(Do you believe he’ll be better? I want him to speak to us about his journey.)

3. Mara is still tending to Alexander.
Mara: Ston nove’tan’quin. (Understand soon.)

4. Alexander wakes up.
Kalen: Tar’for wen’ka lex.(He uses stone language i.e English!)
Alexander:Wait! Don’t go!
Alexander follows Kalen out. Kalen cries out to the people.
Kalen: Len’en’jem’wel! Len’en’jem’wel! (I heard him speak! I heard him speak!)
Man: FUR’QUIN’TOR! (STAY WHERE YOU ARE!)
Woman: KALEN! DAR’EN TOC! (KALEN! ARE YOU OK?!)
Alexander is stopped by Toren who regards him suspiciously:
Alexander: Hello.
Toren: [Fur’]Tor en’dal quin’tor, Tor fur’quin. (Stay where you are. Don’t come any closer).
Alexander: I’m sorry. I don’t understand you.
Mara: Do you know my words?
Alexander: Yes.
Kalen: Len’en’jem’wel lex! (I heard him speak English!)
Toren: ……. tas breen’tan wen.
Mara: (It’s)Tor col’orn. The lex. The stone language!
Alexander: But you understand me. Do you understand me?
Mara: We all learn it when we’re young. They tor’jen. They forget. They forget it. But I teach.
Toren: Wen’dal, tal’pax! Wen’tor Eloi’tas tor dal quin. En’em dern jal’wen fur’on tan’mas! (He’s very dangerous! He’s not Eloi and he doesn’t belong here. We should throw him in the river now!)
Mara: Tor’jen! En’em aurl’tor tan wen. Wen tor tal’pax. (Stop it! We understand nothing about him. He’s not dangerous!)
After Alexander reveals where...or when...he came from, Mara offers a more plausible explanation to her fellow Eloi:
Mara: Wen’tor deer, tan nove’tan’quin. Ston’wen, mar wen tan’fur’on. En’quin nove’tan’quin, en tor’col’orn wen’serem. (He doesn’t remember anything recently. He believes (he thinks) he’s from up river. He’ll be himself soon, don’t worry, he’s a wandering idiot.)

5. Kalen and Alexander are talking:
Kalen: Mara, dar’wen jen’wel en? (Mara, can you tell him?)
Mara: Sess’quin’tan. Steps of rope.
Alexander: Oh, a rope ladder!
Kalen: We can make one. I will teach you!
Mara: Sei en’dern tan’som. Son’tan’som Alexander. (Time to sleep. Alexander needs to sleep too.)
Kalen: Will you tell me more lon’el (stories) on the next day?
Alexander: Tomorrow? Yes, I will. Why don’t you take care of this for me tonight (Alexander gives Kalen his pocket watch)
Mara: Dar en’jer kenen. (You should thank him.)
Kalen: Thank you!
Mara: En’der tor mor lon’el. (No more stories tonight.)

6. When Kalen and Alexander both have the simultaneous nightmare of the Morlock Sphinx, Kalen cries out in the night and is comforted by Mara.
Mara: Quin’tor morlocks! Em’quin, Alexander wen quin! Breen’tan em quin. (There are no Morlocks here! I’m here, Alexander is here! You see I’m here.)
Kalen: Fur Morlock quen’en breen’tan wen. Em breen’tan wen! (But I saw the Morlocks here! I saw him!)
Mara: Tor Morlocks. Quin en’em bal! En’em bal! Breen’tan en’em Morlocks? Tor’col’orn en’em quin. En bar’bel. Em bar’bel…… em quin, nove’tan’quin. En’em bal. (No Morlocks! We are safe! Do you see any Morlocks? Don’t worry, I’m here. You rest. Rest…. I’m here now. We are safe.)

7. After Mara and the others are taken by the Morlocks Alexander presses Toren to help him get them back.
Alexander: We have to follow them! We have to find them!
Toren: We do not col’quin’tor (follow). No!
Alexander: Why not?
Toren: This is nem eloi’tas. Our life here!
Alexander: HOW CAN YOU JUST DO NOTHING?!!!
Toren: How can tor’tas el mor! It is the day and the night.
Alexander: The day and the night?
Toren: It is the world!
Alexander: Why don’t you fight back?
Toren: Em tor’len? (I did not hear you.)
Alexander: Fight back? Why not?
Toren: Those who far’quil’pax… f-fight…. are taken first.

Grammar

Still being developed.