Aiel
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aiel
Out of Universe
✓ Canonical — Attested in canon. Sourced from books, Companion, and show.
Semantic tension exists with Naomi Joy Todd's interview. See shain for details on the proposed semantic flip.
Age of Legends Old Tongue
Noun
aiel
- Peace
- Peaceful one
Derived terms
- Da'shain Aiel — "people dedicated to peace"
New Era Old Tongue
In New Era Old Tongue, the meaning switched with shain, spurred by the Aiel people's abandoning of the Way of the Leaf.
Noun
aiel
- Dedicated
- Dedicated one (plural: Aiel, the Dedicated People)
Derived terms
See also
- shain — the word whose meaning aiel swapped with
- Da'shain Aiel — the original Aiel, servants of the Aes Sedai
- Jenn Aiel — the "True Aiel" who maintained the Way of the Leaf
- Way of the Leaf — the pacifist philosophy
References
- ↑ It is unknown whether the meaning of aiel had yet semantically shifted when this term was first used. It seems likely that it was coincident with the shift in meaning and perhaps reflected the reason for the change in meaning. If the meaning of Jenn Aiel was "truly peaceful", this would clearly reflect the intent of the term—to distinguish those calling themselves peaceful but willing to fight, from those who still follow the Way of the Leaf. However, the reason for the split in the Aiel was encountering people who were not peaceful and wanted to fight and kill the Aiel, taking advantage of their pacifism. Those who abandoned the Way of the Leaf were faced with either practicing peace but not living it, or fighting to preserve living in peace. This may have influenced the shift in aiel to mean "dedicated," reflecting their dedication to actually being able to live in peace (and protect those of their ranks who still held to the Way of the Leaf)—dedication to peace as a reality versus a practice. The Jenn, on the other hand, saw their understanding of peace as "true."