D'ni/Foreword
Shorah!
Welcome to the Wikibook grammar of the D'ni language. Perhaps this Wikibook is not ideal as a course for beginners, but will offer concise, complete information on the principles of D'ni language for reference.
Note that this Wikibook makes use of the 'New Transcription Standard', that means the way D'ni words are rendered with normal letters.
The language
editD'ni (more properly spelled D'nee, D'ní), In the Myst series, is the race who came to Earth from Garternay. The word is used for
- A member of this race.
- The city in a subterranean cavern below New Mexico, populated by them.
- Their language.
The language was created by Cyan employee Richard A. Watson, or RAWA during the production of the game Riven. The game provided many D'ni spoken words and inscriptions that initially puzzled the fans, and some of them remain still untranslated.
Information about the language and vocabulary, have been provided in the three Myst books. Online communities study the language, sometimes with contribution by RAWA himself, who doesn't like to give out information easily, and prefers only to clarify matters rather than give translations. RAWA has contributed to the community, not only in the linguistic matters, but anything that has to do with the world of Myst.
Years after the publication of Riven, slowly more facts and words come to our knowledge with the subsequent games. Study of D'ni is more or less like an enormous puzzle that is filled now and then, after hunting of sporadic hints and evidence. This wikibook will attempt to describe our knowledge so far, and be updated whenever new facts show up.