Minish (Language)
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Minish is an ancient tongue spoken only by the Minish.[1]
Overview
In The Minish Cap, King Daltus sends Link on a quest to find the Picori in order to learn how to reforge the broken blade known as the Picori Blade, the only means possible to break Vaati's curse and save Princess Zelda. However, when Link first encounters the Minish in Minish Village, he cannot understand their language and has to visit Festari[2] in the sanctuary in the north of the village. Festari explains that Link has to obtain and eat the Jabber Nut[3] located in the Barrel House in the eastern part of the Village. From this point forward, Link can freely speak to all Minish.
Trivia
- It is almost certain that the name "Picori" for the Minish and their sword comes from humans misunderstanding what the Minish called themselves. Oddly enough, as Ezlo points out, the Minish Woods use their real name, so this discrepancy is odd.[4]
- It would seem that there are several dialects of the Minish Language, as Ezlo (who is later revealed to be a Minish) admits that even he couldn't understand most of what the Forest Minish said when they encountered Link.[5] While not outright stated, it can be inferred that the dialects differ according to region, as in human society.
- The Japanese, German, French, and Italian version of the game use actual words for Minish, just written backwards. For example, in the German version, one of the Minish Link meets when first arriving at the village says: "Hcsnem nie!", which is just "Ein Mensch!" (A human!) written backwards. However, Link still needs to obtain the Jabber Nut in order to progress in the game.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
Gallery
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Link unable to understand the language of the Minish
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Link and Ezlo finding the Jabber Nut
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 128
- ↑ "You... seem to be having some trouble with our language, don’t you?" — Festari (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "You could use a Jabber Nut. It will allow you to understand our tongue." — Festari (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "Eh? Who are the Minish? Ah, yes! Silly me! Allow me to explain... You humans call them "Picori," but they refer to themselves as the Minish! Strange how, in the world of humans, only this forest has kept that name..." — Ezlo (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "Ah, yes. That was the language of the Minish! I'm afraid it's a little different from the dialect I am most familiar with. I'm afraid I didn't catch most of what they said myself." — Ezlo (The Minish Cap)