Hylian (Language)

See also: Hylian Language Translations

Hylian is the main language used in Hyrule. Throughout the Timeline, many forms and iterations of both written and spoken Hylian have appeared, sometimes being interwoven and revived across whole eras. There are presently six forms of Hylian confirmed to be used by the residents of the Kingdom of Hyrule, and many more languages used by other species as well.

Overview

Mudoran

Main article: Mudoran

Mudoran is the iteration of Hylian text that appears in A Link to the Past. Unlike later Hylian scripts, Mudoran is unintelligible. It is found on various important rocks and pedestals.

Era of the Hero of Time

The Hylian alphabet from the Era of the Hero of Time was introduced in Ocarina of Time and later appears in Majora's Mask. The syllabary is a cipher of Japanese Kana, merging both Hiragana and Katakana. However, unlike these scripts, this syllabary lacks Sutegana and uses full sized characters for Yōon and Sokuon. It also lacks punctuation marks, such as Chōonpu, as well as distinction for diacritical letters via Dakuten and Handakuten, limiting the full dexterity of the syllabary when emulating Japanese text.

This alphabet appears all throughout Hyrule and Termina on signs and architecture.

Syllabograms for Second Hylian
	Monographs (Gojūon)															Digraphs (Yōon)
	a			i			u			e			o			ya			yu			yo
∅
	あ	ア	a	い	イ	i	う	ウ	u	え	エ	e	お	オ	o
K
	か	カ	ka	き	キ	ki	く	ク	ku	け	ケ	ke	こ	コ	ko	きゃ	キャ	kya	きゅ	キュ	kyu	きょ	キョ	kyo
S
	さ	サ	sa	し	シ	shi	す	ス	su	せ	セ	se	そ	ソ	so	しゃ	シャ	sha	しゅ	シュ	shu	しょ	ショ	sho
T
	た	タ	ta	ち	チ	chi	つ	ツ	tsu	て	テ	te	と	ト	to	ちゃ	チャ	cha	ちゅ	チュ	chu	ちょ	チョ	cho
N
	な	ナ	na	に	ニ	ni	ぬ	ヌ	nu	ね	ネ	ne	の	ノ	no	にゃ	ニャ	nya	にゅ	ニュ	nyu	にょ	ニョ	nyo
H
	は	ハ	ha	ひ	ヒ	hi	ふ	フ	fu	へ	ヘ	he	ほ	ホ	ho	ひゃ	ヒャ	hya	ひゅ	ヒュ	hyu	ひょ	ヒョ	hyo
M
	ま	マ	ma	み	ミ	mi	む	ム	mu	め	メ	me	も	モ	mo	みゃ	ミャ	mya	みゅ	ミュ	myu	みょ	ミョ	myo
Y
	や	ヤ	ya				ゆ	ユ	yu				よ	ヨ	yo
R
	ら	ラ	ra	り	リ	ri	る	ル	ru	れ	レ	re	ろ	ロ	ro	りゃ	リャ	rya	りゅ	リュ	ryu	りょ	リョ	ryo
W
	わ	ワ	wa										を	ヲ	wo
	Special characters
	Uvular nasal								Full stop								Comma
	ん		ン		n				。				.				、				,

Era Without a Hero

The Hylian alphabet from the Era Without a Hero was introduced in The Wind Waker, later appearing in Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks, and briefly in Twilight Princess. This alphabet is a cipher of Japanese kana and arabic numerals. It supports Chōonpu, Dakuten, and Handakuten, but lacks sutegana, therefore using full size characters for Yōon and Sokuon. For example, the Japanese きゃ (Kya) and きや (Kiya) are not differentiated.

This alphabet is used as early as the Force Era, persisting through the Adult Timeline until the Era of Hyrule's Rebirth.

In The Wind Waker, the alphabet appears as an archaic dialect dating back to the Era without a Hero. By the time of the Era of the Great Sea, that ancient language has died, its only remaining speakers being ancient beings such as the Great Deku Tree, Valoo, Jabun, and the King of Red Lions, as well as Rito appointed to the role of the Sky Spirit's attendant, who learn the ancient tongue to communicate with him. Despite the ancient language not being spoken in the Era of the Great Sea, its alphabet is commonly used throughout the Great Sea and the World of the Ocean King, and is later carried over into New Hyrule. The alphabet makes a small appearance in Twilight Princess on tombstones in Kakariko Graveyard.

Syllabograms for Third Hylian
	Monographs (Gojūon)															Digraphs (Yōon)
	a			i			u			e			o			ya			yu			yo
∅
	あ	ア	a	い	イ	i	う	ウ	u	え	エ	e	お	オ	o
K
	か	カ	ka	き	キ	ki	く	ク	ku	け	ケ	ke	こ	コ	ko	きゃ	キャ	kya	きゅ	キュ	kyu	きょ	キョ	kyo
S
	さ	サ	sa	し	シ	shi	す	ス	su	せ	セ	se	そ	ソ	so	しゃ	シャ	sha	しゅ	シュ	shu	しょ	ショ	sho
T
	た	タ	ta	ち	チ	chi	つ	ツ	tsu	て	テ	te	と	ト	to	ちゃ	チャ	cha	ちゅ	チュ	chu	ちょ	チョ	cho
N
	な	ナ	na	に	ニ	ni	ぬ	ヌ	nu	ね	ネ	ne	の	ノ	no	にゃ	ニャ	nya	にゅ	ニュ	nyu	にょ	ニョ	nyo
H
	は	ハ	ha	ひ	ヒ	hi	ふ	フ	fu	へ	ヘ	he	ほ	ホ	ho	ひゃ	ヒャ	hya	ひゅ	ヒュ	hyu	ひょ	ヒョ	hyo
M
	ま	マ	ma	み	ミ	mi	む	ム	mu	め	メ	me	も	モ	mo	みゃ	ミャ	mya	みゅ	ミュ	myu	みょ	ミョ	myo
Y
	や	ヤ	ya				ゆ	ユ	yu				よ	ヨ	yo
R
	ら	ラ	ra	り	リ	ri	る	ル	ru	れ	レ	re	ろ	ロ	ro	りゃ	リャ	rya	りゅ	リュ	ryu	りょ	リョ	ryo
W
	わ	ワ	wa										を	ヲ	wo
	Diacritics (Gojūon with (Han)dakuten)															Digraphs (Yōon with (Han)dakuten)
	a			i			u			e			o			ya			yu			yo
G
	が	ガ	ga	ぎ	ギ	gi	ぐ	グ	gu	げ	ゲ	ge	ご	ゴ	go	ぎゃ	ギャ	gya	ぎゅ	ギュ	gyu	ぎょ	ギョ	gyo
Z
	ざ	ザ	za	じ	ジ	ji	ず	ズ	zu	ぜ	ゼ	ze	ぞ	ゾ	zo	じゃ	ジャ	ja	じゅ	ジュ	ju	じょ	ジョ	jo
D
	だ	ダ	da	ぢ	ヂ	ji	づ	ヅ	zu	で	デ	de	ど	ド	do	ぢゃ	ヂャ	ja	ぢゅ	ヂュ	ju	ぢょ	ヂョ	jo
B
	ば	バ	ba	び	ビ	bi	ぶ	ブ	bu	べ	ベ	be	ぼ	ボ	bo	びゃ	ビャ	bya	びゅ	ビュ	byu	びょ	ビョ	byo
P
	ぱ	パ	pa	ぴ	ピ	pi	ぷ	プ	pu	ぺ	ペ	pe	ぽ	ポ	po	ぴゃ	ピャ	pya	ぴゅ	ピュ	pyu	ぴょ	ピョ	pyo
	Special characters
	Uvular nasal			Chōonpu			Full stop			Comma			Exclamation mark			Question mark			Quotation marks
	ん	ン	n	ー			。		.	、		,	！		!	？		?	「」			“”
	Numerals
	１	1	２	2	３	3	４	4	５	5	６	6	７	7	８	8	９	9	０	0

Twilight Era

The Hylian alphabet from the Twilight Era is a cipher based on the Latin alphabet used in English, but with no letter casing. It appears predominately in Twilight Princess on signs and maps throughout Hyrule, albeit with a few lexical errors commonly surrounding Japanese transliteration of English, causing L and R to be used interchangeably. The non-canonical version of the alphabet found in the Wii version of Twilight Princess features its letters flipped horizontally.

In Skyward Sword, the alphabet is found on the box art as well as on walls in the Sealed Temple and Sky Keep.

Fourth Hylian Letters
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Sky Era

The Sky Era alphabet appears exclusively in Skyward Sword. It is a cipher mostly matching the Latin alphabet, with a few duplicate letters. D is identical to W, E is identical to K, G is identical to Q, I is identical to X, O is identical to Z and P is identical to T, which complicates translations.

Fifth Hylian Letters
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

A Link Between Worlds

The Hylian alphabet that appears in A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, and Breath of the Wild is a modified form of the Sky Era alphabet. Both alphabets share some symbols while others are very similar. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same Hylian characters, namely D and G, E and W, F and R, J and T, and O and Z.

Other Scripts

Link's Awakening DX

While the Hylian language does not appear in any form, one of the pictures in the DX version contains posters in plain English and Japanese. As Koholint Island is separate from Hyrule, this should not indicate an evolution of the Hylian language, though it has been derived from real life Japanese and English later on.

Non-Canon Appearances

Non-Canon Information

Super Smash Bros. series

In the Temple stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee, Hylian from the Era Without a Hero appears on certain platforms. When translated, it reads "Smash Brothers". The stage also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The text is converted to the Era Without a Hero alphabet, but translates into the same message.

Mario Kart 8

In Hyrule Circuit, a sign with Beedle's face appears with Hylian from A Link Between Worlds written on it. When translated, it reads "Item Shop".

Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo

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Hylian from the Era Without a Hero appears on Lon Lon Milk bottles. Additionally, a mural from the opening of The Wind Waker featuring Hylian from the Era Without a Hero appears as a piece of furniture.

Gallery

• 

  Hylian syllabary key for Second Hylian

• 

  Hylian syllabary key for Third Hylian

• 

  Hylian alphabet key for Fourth Hylian

• 

  Hylian alphabet key for Fifth Hylian

See Also

• Mudoran
• Hylian Language Translations
• Sheikah Language
• Gerudo (Language)
• Community:Hylian Language Project

References

Languages

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Gerudo (Language) • Hylian (Language) • Hyrilian Grammar • Minish (Language) • Mudoran • Sheikah (Language) • Sign Language of the Hyrulean Royal Guard • Zoran

Category:Languages

Symbols

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Bombos Medallion • Crest of Courage • Crest of Din • Crest of Farore • Crest of Nayru • Crest of the Gerudo • Crest of the Gorons • Crest of the Kokiri • Crest of the Sheikah • Crest of the Twili • Crest of the Zora • Ether Medallion • Eye Symbol • Gerudo (Language) • Goddess Crest • Hylian (Language) • Hylian Crest • Mark of the Triforce • Marks of the Goddesses • Mudoran • Quake Medallion • Red Emblem • Royal Crest • Sage Medallion • Sheikah (Language) • Symbol • Triforce • Wind Crest

Category:Symbols