3. Languages in Narfell

Languages in Narfell


  • ALFABETS

    Thorass: An ancient near-universal language of the long-ago Realms, Thorass has fallen into extinction. It is frequently found on tombs and other ancient structures, but most relevantly is the alphabet used in Common and a great many regional languages.

    Dethek: The dwarven alphabet is a series of runic letters perfect for etching into an enduring surface with a chisel and hammer. The Dethek language is used to of course write the dwarven languages, and can be used to render Common and a handful of other tongues as well. It has drifted into use by a number of southern Faerunian regional languages thanks to the influence of gold dwarven traders and the dwarves of the Earthfast Mountains.

    Espruar: The swirling, artistic alphabet of the silver elves is half communication and half decoration. It can be used to write any of the elven languages, as well as Common and most regional languages.

    Draconic: A written language derived from the High Tongue, no one knows who truly innovated this written script. It is best known for its use among dragons, however, and so it bears their name. It is a jagged, runic language equally easily carved by the talons of dragons or painted with fine calligraphic brushes. Draconic is more common in the South, where fine painted calligraphic excellence is treasured.

    Celestial & Infernal: These languages are primarily symbolic in expression, relying on hieroglyphic-like images to communicate their meaning. Though they are derived from the languages of angels and infernal creatures alike, they are much debased from the Supernal and Abyssal languages used by the creatures who serve the gods.

    REGIONAL

    Aglarondan: Aglarond, Altumbel, Chessenta, the Dragon Coast, Impiltur, Mulhorand, Rashmen, Thesk, the Vast. A regional tongue of eastern Faerun, and the official language of Aglarond. Aglarondan is a derivitive language of Thorass, and is in the same family as Turmic. Written with Espruar.

    Alzhedo: Amn, Chult, Calimshan, the Lake of Steam, Lapaliiya, Lantan, the Nelanther Isles, the North (mostly Waterdeep, among dwarves, elves and gnomes), the Shaar, Tashalar, Tethyr, Tharsult, the Western Heartlands (among halflings and planetouched), Underdark (Old Shanatar), the Wealdath. A regional tongue of southwest Faerun, and the main language of Calimshan. Alzhedo is derived from Untheric and is in the same family as Midani. Sages believe that it shares some traits with the language of the elemental plane of air, as well. Written with Thorass.

    Chessentan: Chessenta, Ixinos. Regional language of the confederation of Chessenta, located in the Old Empires region of southern Faerûn. Written with Thorass.

    Chondathan: Amn, Chondath, Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, the (civilized) North, Sembia, Sword Coast, Tethyr, Western Heartlands, Vilhon Reach. An immensely ubiquitous language throughout most of central and northern Faerun. Chondathan is derived from Thorass, and is related to Cormanthan and Northern. Written with Thorass.

    Chultan: Calimshan, Chult, Lapaliiya, Nimbral, Samarach, Tashalar, Tharsult, Thindol. A regional dialect of southern Faerun, and the main language of Chult and Samarach. Tribes in the Chultan jungles often speak Tabaxi, a language related to Chultan and named for the jaguar people of those jungles. Written with Draconic.

    Damaran: Aglarond, Altumbel, the Anauroch, Cormyr, the Dalelands, Damara, the Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, the Great Glacier, the Hordelands, Impiltur, the Moonsea, Narfell, Rashemen, the Ride, Sembia, the Sandovar, Thay, Thesk, Vaasa, the Vast, the Vilhon Reach. A regional language of northeast Faerun and the official language of the kingdom of Damara. Damaran is an old language, descended from Ulou, the precursor language of Netherese. Written with Dethek.

    Dambrathan: Channath Vale, Dambrath, Halruaan, Luiren, Nimbral, the Shaar. A regional tongue of southern Faerun, and the official language of the kingdom of Dambrath. Written with Espruar.

    Durpari: Durpar, the Golden Water, Luiren, Mulhorand, Nimbral, the Shaar. A regional tongue of southeastern Faerun, and the official language of Durpar. Interestingly, it is also known by many Shou expatriates in Faerun. Written with Thorass.

    Haladrim: Dead language. Originally spoken in Threskel. Written in Thariss alphabet.

    Halruaan: Channath Vale, Dambrath, the Golden Water, Halruaa, Lapaliiya, Nimbral, the Shaar. The official language of Halruaa and a regional language of southern Faerun. Halruaan is part of the Uluo language of families, along with Damaran and D'tarig. Written with Draconic.

    HighShou: Shou Lung. It was the official language of the empire, by custom and imperial edict. It was spoken by all Shou, from all social classes and professions, including the Emperor, a commonality that helped to unify the nation. Written in Draconic.

    Illuskan: Moonshae Isles, the North (barbarians, Luskan, Mintarn), Ruathym. A regional language that traces back to the Illusk Empire, and is largely spoken by barbarian folk and a few cities in the North, as well as the Moonshaes. Written with Thorass.

    Imaskar: Dead language. The script of the Imaskari peoples, used to render the language Roushoum in writing

    Lantanese: Lantan, Nelanther Isles, Tethyr. A regional tongue of southern Faerun, and the official language of Lantan. Written with Draconic.

    Midani: Anauroch (Bedine). The language of the ancient homeland of the Bedine people. Written with Thorass, as they lost their original written language.

    Mulhorandi: Chessenta, Mulhorand, Murghom, Semphark, Thay. A regional language of eastern Faerun, and the official language of both Muhorand and Thay. Mulhorandi derives from a language family called Rauric, along with Untheric. Written with Celestial, although the Thayan dialect of Mulhorandi utilizes Infernal in its writings.

    Nexalan: Maztica. Written with Nexalan.

    Oillusk: North Sword Coast. Written in Octivish.

    Rashemi: Rashemen. An ancient language spoken almost exclusively in Rashemen. Written with Thorass.

    Raumvira: Dead language (Lake of Mists). It was considered one of the Northern Imaskari languages, was strongly influenced by Dwarvish. Written with Dethek.

    Serusam: Sea of Fallen Stars. Spoken by the sea elves. Written in Espruar.

    Shaaran: Amn, Calimshan, Chondalwood, Chult, Dambrath, Great Rift, Halruaa, Lake of Steam, Lapaliiya, Luiren, the Nelanther Isles, Sembia, Sespech, the Shaar, Talashar, Turmish, Unther, the Vilhon Reach, the Wealdath. The dominant regional language in southern Faerun, and the dominant language in the Shaar. Written with Dethek.

    Shou: Kara-tur. Written with Draconic

    Talfiric: Dead language. Spoken by the ancient Talfir humans race who once dwelt in the lands that later became known as the Western Heartlands. They were known as practitioners of shadow magic. Written in Draconic.

    Tashalan: Black & Mhair Jungles, Samarach, Tashalar, Thindol. The official language of the city-states of Tashalar, and hardly spoken elsewhere, Tashalan has roots in Netherese, and shares many linguistic traits with Chultan. Written with Dethek.

    Tuigan: Hordelands. The common language of the tribes of the Hordelands. Written with Thorass.

    Turmic: Turmish, Great Glacier. A relatively small-scope regional language spoken almost excusively in Turmish and the few folk on the Great Glacier. Written with Thorass.

    Uluik: Sea of Moving Ice. A tribal language in little use save by those who originated it, the Ulutiuns and Ice Hunters of the Sea of Moving Ice. Written in Thorass.

    Untheric: Chessenta, Unther. Untheric derives from an ancient language family called Rauric, along with Mulhorandi. Untheric was once spoken as a primary language in Chessenta, but has been relegated to a secondary language over the years, albeit one of polite society and bureaucracy. Written with Dethek.

    Vaasan: Vaasa, the High Ice. Written in Dethek.

    RACIAL

    Dwarven: Serves as a sort of "dwarven common" among the people of Moradin, allowing them to understand one another despite differences in regional racial languages, to say nothing of giving outsiders a language to speak to them respectfully while keeping them ignorant of necessary clan-only communications. Written in Dethek.

    Elven: Originally the tongue of the moon elves, has become something of a lingua franca among elvenkind, providing a common language for its speakers. Written in Espruar.

    Jotun: A common tongue among Giants, and possibly one of the oldest extant languages still in use. It shares roots with Thorass, and is written with Thorass.

    Gnoll: Spoken by gnolls. Dethek alphabet.

    Gnim or Gnomish. A staggeringly complex language, filled with all manner of words to discuss nuances of distinction. It is a language excellent for artistic, academic and engineering pursuits; indeed, many sages across the realms consider it to be a "scholar's language". Written in Dethek.

    Ghukliak: A rough and gutteral language well suited to discussing concepts of violence among Goblins ,Hobgoblins and Bugbears. Written in Dethek.

    Luiric or Halfling: Considered the racial language of halflings, it is almost unheard of outside of Luiren, even by halflings themselves. Written in Espruar.

    Illithid: The written language of Mind Flayers. The script was imprinted psionically onto the surface and transmitted the thoughts of the Illithid that had inscribed it to the reader. It took the form of four parallel lines that had texture that conveyed meaning when read by an illithid scanning its four tentacles along the lines simultaneously.

    Kuo-Toan The tongue of the monstrous humanoid fish-like race that dwelt in the Underdark.

    Daraktam or Orcisch. A common language spoken by most orcs and half-orcs, although not many of them are literate. It evolved from the now-dead Hulgorkyn language. Written in Dethek.

    Sahuagin: The tongue of the fish-like monstrous humanoid species that lived in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves.

    Yuan-Ti: The tongue of the collective race of psionic serpentfolk is also spoken as a second language by humans in Lapaliiya and the Tashalar. Written in Draconic.

    OTHER

    Abyssal: Demons. A twisted, complex tongue whose words often have meanings based on the speaker's emotions and intentions toward the listener, Abyssal's linguistic emphasis is on concepts of violence and revulsion, madness and contempt for others. Written in Infernal.

    Aquan: Elemental Plane of Water. Written in Aquanek alphabet, based on Espruar.

    Auran : Elemental Plane of Air. Written in Auranek alphabet, based on Draconic.

    Ignan: Elemental Plane of Fire. Written in Ignanek alphabet, based on Draconic.

    Terran: Elemental Plane of Earth. Written in Tarranek alphabet, based on Dethek.

    Celestial: Upper Planes. A transcendant tongue from which derives many languages' words for concepts of good, purity, justice, compassion, and beneficence. Written in Celestial.

    Draconic: Dragons. Something of a common tongue among the different breeds of dragon, who each have their own tongues. It is also spoken by kobolds, wyverns and many wizards. Written in Draconic.

    Infernal:Devils. A vulgar, angry patois combining the worst of a thousand different tongues from across the multiverse, Infernal is a language of hate and domination, of invective and threat. Written in Infernal.

    Netherese: Dead language. One of the oldest known human languages. Spoken from the ethnic group of dark-haired, fair-skinned humans that resided in the ancient magocratic nation of Netheril. Used the Draconic script

    Sign: A hand-code capable of impressive complexity used when silence is otherwise needful or useful.

    Sylvan: Fey. A subtle language spoken by fey and many other sylvan creatures with close ties to such. Written in Espruar.

    Undercommon:Underdark. Written in Espruar.

    CLASS

    Assassin : Variant of thieves’ cant used by assassins. Consists of short commands and does not form a full language to discuss everything. No written form.

    Druidic : The language of druids concerns itself with natural and spiritual concepts, providing a terminology for discussing the nuances of such things missing in other tongues. It is never written, a taboo to use of the language.

    Thieves’ Cant : A language made up of slang, reference to previous events in the criminal world and innuendo, thieves' cant changes from place to place, season to season. Part of knowing thieves' cant isn't just knowing what to say, as this changes constantly - it is the skill to figure out how to "hook into" the local cant and use it to communicate, a process that takes about an evening's worth of carousing. It has no written form.

    http://oakthorne.net/wiki/index.php?title=Forgotten_Realms_Languages
    https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
    http://mythdrannor.wikia.com/wiki/Available_Languages
    http://www.pocketplane.net/volothamp/images/faerunlarge.jpg
    http://mythdrannor.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Regional_Language_Information