I am an Eldar

[Grailkeeper]

Yhe ad got me thinking, what is the singluar of eldar? Is it one of those words like sheep where the singular and plural are the same? and what is the descriptive version?

that Elf beside those elves is an Elfven Warrior is right but that Eldar beside those Eldar is an Eldar Warrior seems slightly wrong?

Thoughts?

[Lerra]

The singular, plural, and adjective form are all the same. I can't think of any other word that is like that, but there's no reason why it couldn't work grammatically.

[Bean]

I'm inclined to agree with Lerra. All three forms are the same. It's not common, but it isn't unheard of, either--the important thing to remember is that Eldar in the phrase "Eldar warrior," is what's known as a noun adjuct or attributive noun--it's generally considered to be an noun, even though it's being used as a modifier, as if it were an adjective.

The point is that Eldar is not an adjective form of the noun Eldar--it's actually the noun Eldar being used as a modifier. The distinction is subtle, but when you look at it that way, you can see that other nouns end up working the same way.

That fish was just one of many fish that went into the pot of fish soup.

We'd need another word, like Eldary or Eldarish to describe things that aren't Eldar, but are Eldar-like. A shuriken catapult is an Eldar weapon. A finely-made imperial power-sabre might be nice enough to call an Eldarish weapon, but it would never be an Eldar weapon.

[Grailkeeper]

Thanks!

[Archon Charybdis]

Similarly, that's a moose. Those are moose. These are moose antlers.

[darthrex354]

i like eldaresque to discribe eldar-like things

[lordbubonicus]

Similarly, that's a moose. Those are moose. These are moose antlers.

Don't forget about sheep.

[Lane]

but that Eldar beside those Eldar is an Eldar Warrior seems slightly wrong?


Human speech and language is incapable of properly expressing the full implication of your phrase.

[SotonShades]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

I was under the impression (quite probably incorrectly) that the word for Eldar-like would be Eldritch, or more accurately 'Eldar' came from the meaning of Eldritch in being weird and inhuman.

[Lerra]

I always figured that "Eldar" came from an intentional misspelling of "elder". It may also come from Eldarin, which is a long standing fantasy trope for an elf-like race.

[Gotthammer]

Eldar comes from Tolkien - meaning 'Elves of the Stars', specifically the non-Avari tribes of the first age.

Elda was the singular noun, Eldar the plural (and used when referring to the people as a whole) though in certain tenses Eldali (partitive - three Eldali), Eldaron (genative singular - the Eldaron way of life), Eldava (possessive - the Eldava webway network), or Eldaivë (governing a plural- the Eldaivë tanks) would be used instead. For a small group 'i Eldar' would be used.

So using that it would be "I am an Elda".

[Grailkeeper]

I had heard something about tolkien inventing the word (it was mentioned on the webcomic eat a tau as being a reason why GW can't claim the IP on the name) I certainly think its more than a coincidence that it sounds like the word elder.

I think Eldaresque sounds suitable, eldritch already has a specific meaning. I'm pretty sure some tzeenchian activities have been descirbed as eldritch

[SotonShades]

I can just imagine a Farseer mocking us monkeigh for having such limited understanding. I'll stick to calling them 'pointy-eared-[insert expletive here]-who-keep-killing-me'

[Mystery.Shadow]

...So using that it would be "I am an Elda".

Sounds more Ork. :P

I suppose "Eldar" is not unlike "Smurfy" ?

[armbarred]

Actually, Eldar is Hebrew and means the spirit lives or something close to that depending on who you talk too...

But I would tend to think that in the 40k realm, I am Eldar would be the phrasing.