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gaeleth:languages:languages

Languages of Gaeleth

While the “common traders' tongue” is argueably the most common language spoken on Gaeleth, the world hosts a plethora of other languages, from the strange dialects of the Choranil kobolds to a devolved form of Celestial that is used in the theocracy of Nabrol. The languages are optimized for ease-of-use, but sometimes are used multiple times. This list is by no means all-inclusive, and is continually updated as new peoples and races are (re)discovered. Dialects of major language groups are listed in parentheses, with all members of the dialects able to understand the major language group, provided the speaker and the listener are paying attention.

The mother tongue of the majority of the long-lived races is Celestial, the language of the gods. Its most direct linguistic descendant is the wilden speech, which in turn gave rise to High Elven – one of the first written languages. High Elven, in turn, gave rise to the spoken languages of the treant, obliviax, sylvan, ogran, and to the written languages of the Dharveil, Eladrin, Drow, Gordanic, and Cidalian lines. The sylvan written language bears some strong resemblances to another wilden descendant, Druidic.

The spoken druidic tongue gave rise to the languages of the treants and the goblins, and from there broke into a myriad of daughter languages, such as Karatikan, Sholin, Aeswar, Olde Common (known at the time as 'the common tongue'), and more modern Common, which is the lingua franca of Gaeleth thanks to its use by the various churches in the aftermath of the Storm Wars.

Many other tongues are direct descendants of Celestial, such as dwarven. To the consternation of many dwarven scholars, the spoken dwarven language also gave rise to the giants' speech and the orc tongues. The written language developed later, and developed into a variety of dialects among the different primary dwarven clans. The deep dwarves likely speak the oldest, most 'pure' form of dwarven, although they write with the more modern script that likely dates back over ten millennia.

The spoken draconic tongue likely gave rise to the kobold language some thousands of years ago, and there is speculation that the kobolds were a prototype of the dragonborn, who have a unique tongue of their own.

The Nathelian tongue was a direct descendant of the celestial language, but slowly changed over the millennia. It underwent drastic change during the Storm Wars and then morphed into the modern Nabrolian language.

Racial Languages

Elves - Elven (Cidalian, High, Gordanic, Drow, Sylvan)

Merfolk - Merfolk

Dwarves - Dwarven (Core, Foundry, Battle)

Dragons - Draconic, Dragonborn

Orcs - Orcish (O'Olphariz*, Zharizt*, Lurvase*, Voord, Tamal, Rocky, Frostian)

Kobolds - Kobold (three dozen dialects known)

Ogres - Ogran (Mazizhe, Komflor, Taebroold, Ogremaien)

Mold Men - Obliviax

Giants - Hill, Stone

Halflings - Halfling (Vorren, Guidar, Shoor)

Treants - Sylvan

Gnomes - Gnomish (Kiddok, Tailen)

*Sand orcs only.

National Languages (by continent)

Baroneth - Sholin (Thool), Al Fahiman.

Chilleth - Tanki'or, Ralanki, Wiku, Chamdoi (Ir, Sho, Nal, Kol), Chinam (I'siel I'tsa, U'rie Mohol, N'gal J'gere), Fichuna, Fugo'ir, Nikoiya, Broinam (Broinamikull, Broinamshir), Ichoitu, Salhanese, Chordo, Sholin (Shalamaharakal, Kiandim).

Galanath - Daneslaw, Elven (Cidalian), Elven (Gordanic), Chasdolan, Halinar, Franarish, Chanic, Tesan, Laekbonish, Rakinasavish, FiChanic (High FiChanic, Low FiChanic), Vidasodalish, Loraxish, Boranic, Shistaronish, Karatikan, Buldornish, Kirikorik, Lesbonamish, Tolbricaran (Noble, Peasant), Soranorish, Lanin, Bridelan, Karanalese (Highborn, Lowborn, Bardic), Shisasonic, Tamif, Kinshasan, Labondish, Gayunish, Dantelish, Norish, Orcish (Voord), Sandarish, Kallan, Aslin, Tiran.

Grucheth - Nutedaemon, Vikerman, Morthian.

Halganath - Vridaran, Toomaran (Spring Buds, Blooded Steel, Autumn Earth, Pale Snow, Summer Sky, Night Sky), Mazizhe/Ogran.

Hobrimeth - Chandralish.

Nabroleth - Celestial (Nabrolian).

Shadareth - Abyssal, Fungal.

The High Seas - Sholin (Kapura, Dieste, Shalamaharakal, Thool, Merfolsh, Kiandim).

Ancient Languages

Karatikan - once used by the Karatikan Alliance of druids; derivative of Sylvan.

Nathelian - once used by the Nathelian theocracy; supplanted with Nabrolian, a distant relative; both are derivatives of Celestial

Dharveil - an elven race that ruled harshly and died out six millennia ago.

Seless - used as a national language by the Elementalists and The One.

Interface Languages

Elemental - Terran (earth), Ignan (fire), Aquan (water), Auran (air), Seless (spirits, shamans, Elementalists)

Outsiders - Infernal (Devils), Abyssal (Demons), Fiendish, Celestial.

Magic - Arcane.

Secret Languages

Druids - Druidic tongue.

Drow - Hand language; has become more common among the followers of Samis.

Thieves Cant - modification of the common tongue, used as code talking.

gaeleth/languages/languages.txt · Last modified: 2021/09/28 15:48 (external edit)