“Yes, brisingr. ” The fire flared, and a shiver ran through Eragon. Something about the word made him feel incredibly alive. “I thought so. Brisingr is from an ancient language that all living things used to speak. However, it was forgotten over time and went unspoken for eons in Alagaësia, until the elves brought it back over the sea. They taught it to the other races, who used it for making and doing powerful things. The language has a name for everything, if you can find it.” “But what does that have to do with magic?” interrupted Eragon. “Everything! It is the basis for all power. The language describes the true nature of things, not the superficial aspects that everyone sees. For example, fire is called brisingr . Not only is that a name for fire, it is the name for fire. If you are strong enough, you can use brisingr to direct fire to do whatever you will.
From Eragon by Christopher Paolini