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"Ai laik Okteivia kom Skaikru en ai gaf gouthru klir."
I am Octavia of the Sky People and I seek safe passage.
— First line of Trigedasleng on the Show


Trigedasleng (TRI-ge-da-sleng), sometimes shortened to Trig, is the language spoken by the earth-born people, the clans of Mid-Atlantic United States, known as Grounders. Trigedasleng translates to "forest language", it originated with the Trikru clan[1] and doesn't have its own writing system. Trigedasleng is the common tongue for the various Grounder clans,[1] but is not the only language they use.

It was created by Callie Cadogan when she was a child.

Description[]

Trigedasleng is descended from a heavily accented dialect of American English which has evolved rapidly over three generations.[2] For example, "get knocked down" is "ge smak daun," which sounds like "get smacked down" and "stop" is "hod op," which sounds similar to "hold up."

Its development was also influenced by an early code-system that was developed shortly after the Nuclear Apocalypse.[3] For instance, "mother" got changed to "number one" which later became "nomon".[4]

At the time of the Ark's descent, it is believed that most Grounders speak only Trigedasleng; warriors (and certain other Grounders) speak both Trigedasleng and Modern English, a fact which they are careful to hide from their enemies. Some of the Sky People, most notably Octavia Blake, Clarke Griffin, Marcus Kane, and Bellamy Blake, began to learn Trigedasleng after repeated contact with the Grounders. During the six year time skip, many more Sky People learned Trigedasleng, including Nathan Miller, Monty Green, John Murphy, Raven Reyes, and Harper McIntyre. It is also likely that while in the Second Dawn Bunker, the Sky People also learn Trigedasleng.

Callie Cadogan tells Becca Franko that she learned Latin when she was 10 to help create the language. By the time that Bill Cadogan hears it again on Bardo, he can still understand the language, but it has evolved so much that it "sounds so different" to the version that he knew.

Translation Examples[]

Main article: Vocabulary

Notable Phrases[]

  • Your fight is over: Yu gonplei ste odon.
  • My fight is over: Ai gonplei ste odon.
  • Our fight isn't over: Oso gonplei nou ste odon.
  • Blood must have blood: Jus drein jus daun.
  • May we meet again: Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim.
  • I'm Octavia of the Sky People, and I seek safe passage: Ai laik Okteivia kom Skaikru en ai gaf gouthru klir.
  • The dead are gone; the living are hungry: Stedaunon don gon we; kikon ste enti.
  • Stay strong: Ste yuj.
  • Get knocked down, get back up: Ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim.
  • We fight together: Oso throu daun ogeda.
  • Love is weakness: Hodnes laik kwelnes.
  • I love you: Ai hod yu in.
  • All of me, for all of us: Omon gon oson.
  • From water we are born, to water we return: Kom woda 'so gyon op, gon woda 'so kom daun.
  • From the Earth, we will grow. From the ashes, we will rise: Kom graun, oso na graun op. Kom folau, oso na gyon op.
  • May the spirit of the commanders choose me: Hofli Keryon kom Heda na sad ai op.
  • Salvation lies within: Kepplei kamp raun tiya-de.
  • You are my people: Yu laik ai kru.
  • Do not fear death, for it is only the beginning of the next journey: Nou fir wamplei in, em bilaik stoda kom nes soujon noumou.
  • We are one clan: Oso laik wonkru.
  • Be careful of the dark, Octavia. Too easy to lose your way: Wochas ona riskiwe, Okteivia. Krei nopro na drop yu trei klin nami.

Common Words[]

  • Commander: Heda
  • Commander of Death: Wanheda
  • First Commander: Pramheda
  • Dark Commander: Sheidheda
  • Red Queen: Blodreina
  • Death from Above: Skairipa
  • Nightblood: Natblida
  • Flamekeeper: Fleimkepa
  • Sky People: Skaikru
  • Ice Nation: Azgeda
  • Woods Clan: Trikru
  • Boat People: Floukru
  • Fight: Gonplei
  • King: Haihefa
  • Queen: Haiplana
  • Mountain Men: Maunon
  • City of Light: Soncha Kapa
  • Champion: Osleya
  • Death Wave: Praimfaya
  • Chief: Seya
  • Teacher: Seda
  • Goodbye: Leidon
  • Strong: Yuj
  • Yes: Sha
  • Please: Beja
  • You: Yu
  • Sorry: Moba

Throughout the Series[]

In The 48, Octavia Blake practices the phrase Lincoln told her in Trigedasleng. Octavia expresses that she doesn't understand why she needs to learn it. Lincoln explains that only the warriors, in his clan, speak English and in order to blend in she needs to speak his native language.

In Inclement Weather, Octavia uses Trigedasleng to negotiate for Lincoln's life. Indra also uses this language to speak with Octavia.

In Reapercussions, Indra and her people use Trigedasleng to discuss strategy for the assault on some Reapers to get Nyko and their people back.

  • 'Taim yu drag raun, taim yu ge ban au. Oso souda lok em veida tro op fou bilaik emo hon emo sobwe op. Pas daun, em bilaik—'
    • Translation : “If you fall behind, you get left behind. We must find the raiding party before they reach the tunnels. After that, it is—”.

Also in Reapercussions, Indra gives instructions:

  • Hod op. Den, oso na zog raun kom trikova. Yo tu: kamp raun emo tri. Artigas, yumi na ste stelt kom taim Ripa ge pul we kom emo honon. Den, oso na breik oso kru au.
    • Translation: "Stop. Then, we (will) strike from the shadows. You two: take the trees. Artigas, you and I will remain hidden until the Reapers are drawn away from their prisoners. Then, we free our people."[5]

In Ye Who Enter Here, the Grounder Anthem is sung in Trigedasleng.

In The Gospel of Josephine, both Gaia and Bellamy speak to Josephine (Clarke) in Trigedasleng. Even though she is fascinated with this language, Josephine does not know Trigedasleng and asks Bellamy to repeat what he said. Bellamy gets a hint that he's not talking to Clarke, but an imposter. He slams her against a wall and asks her who she really is. Josephine sedates him and tells Bellamy that she's Josephine Lightbourne before knocking him out.

In Ashes to Ashes, Murphy uses Trigedasleng, which Russell Lightbourne doesn't understand, to order Echo to hang on as they will be coming for Becca's notebook. To cover his actions, Murphy orders Echo to pretend that she hates him which Echo complies with in English, successfully fooling Russell.

In From the Ashes, Sheidheda tells Russell Lightbourne in Trigedasleng that he is now him as the Dark Commander kills the Prime.

In False Gods, while burying the Flame alongside Abby Griffin's ring, Gaia states that "their fight is over" in Trigedasleng.

In Welcome to Bardo, after realizing that Sheidheda is possessing Russell Lightbourne's body, Indra addresses him in Trig, stating that there is a spider on the Dark Commander's shoulder. Realizing that she knows who he really is, Sheidheda responds in kind that its too bad she can't kill him. During their subsequent confrontation, part of it is in Trig.

In Anaconda, Niylah asks Clarke who Bill Cadogan is in Trig and she explains in the same language that his cult built the Second Dawn Bunker. To their surprise, Cadogan is able to understand them, though he requests that they speak slower since it has been so long for him. As the language has survived, Cadogan asks if his daughter Callie has survived in the key: the Flame. Cadogan reveals that Callie created Trigedasleng as a child and suspects that Clarke's knowledge of the language means that Callie has survived inside of the Flame.

In a flashback, Callie says "your fight is over" in Trig after Baltimore is destroyed by a nuclear missile. She later tells Becca Franko that she had learned Latin when she was 10 to help create the language.

In The Flock, after massacring the Faithful, Sheidheda orders that the door be opened in Trig and declares that "my fight is just beginning."

In A Little Sacrifice, after being left with Cadogan, Niylah comments on the awkwardness of the situation in Trig. Understanding her comment, Cadogan asks after his daughter and Niylah tells him what she knows of Callie's ultimate fate from Grounder legend.

In Blood Giant, Indra and Sheidheda use Trig to communicate while tied up together so as to ensure that the Disciples guarding them won't understand their conversation. After noticing a cloaked Disciple sneaking up behind Indra, the Dark Commander yells out a warning in Trig, saving her life. In Indra's hallucinations of her mother due to the Red Sun Eclipse, she and Sheidheda speak in Trig. After deciding not to kill Sheidheda but to let him die, Indra states that "your fight is over" in Trig. During her final argument with Bellamy Blake, Clarke uses Trig for the most important parts of it so that the other Disciples won't understand exactly what she's arguing with Bellamy about.

In A Sort of Homecoming, after defeating the Dark Commander with Gaia's help, Indra tells him that "your fight is over". However, as Indra moves to kill him, Sheiheda replies "not today" in English and stabs himself with the Disciple locator tagging device, escaping through the Anomaly.

In The Last War, the Judge, taking on the form of Lexa, briefly communicates with Clarke using Trig during the test to determine if humanity is worthy of Transcendence or not and declares that humanity is not worthy by stating that "your fight is over" in Trig.

Later, during the battle he provokes, Sheidheda issues commands in Trig before spotting Indra holding a sonic cannon. Indra proclaims in Trig "for my mother" before using the cannon to finally kill the Dark Commander.

Notes and Trivia[]

  • The language was developed for Season Two of The 100 by the linguist David J. Peterson, who also made the Game of Thrones Dothraki and Valyrian languages. He claims that Trigedasleng is an a posteriori language based on English. He also says that he got his influences by studying pidgin and creole languages, "but he was probably more influenced by his recent read of Heine and Kuteva’s The World Lexicon of Grammaticalization more than anything else."[6]
  • The official spelling in the script is phonetic, meant to reflect the pronunciation shifts which occurred in the Grounder language. However, Marie Avgeropoulos had difficulty at first, so language creator David J. Peterson made a transcription using more Modern English-like spelling, instead of the phonetic system: "I like Octavia come sky crew, an' I gaff go-through klir."[citation needed]
  • The writers write the scripts in English and then send them to David for translation. He also records audio files with the correct pronunciation of each sentence which are then forwarded to the actors.[7]
  • Octavia was the first Sky Person to start learning Trigedasleng, being taught by Lincoln.

See Also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Peterson, David J. (Sep 4th, 2015) “is Trigedasleng the universal grounder language?” '
  2. Peterson, David J. (December 2, 2014) “How did the Grounders' language change so fast?” '
  3. Peterson, David J. (April 17, 2015) “Creole or not a creole?” '
  4. Peterson, David J. (January 2, 2015) “Mother & Father” '
  5. Peterson, David J. (December 10, 2015) “How does Trigedasleng grammar differ from English?” '
  6. Peterson, David J. (Mar 25th, 2015) “language influences” '
  7. Behind The Scenes With Aaron Ginsburg
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