Forgotten Realms Languages

Alphabets of the Realms

These are the primary alphabets used to express written language. Most languages use one of these in writing. Proficiency with a given language also imparts proficiency with the written alphabet, although this doesn't allow someone to read other languages written in that alphabet - they can simply recognize the use of the alphabet in a way that is strange to them.

• Thorass: An ancient near-universal language of the long-ago Realms, Thorass has fallen into extinction (see "Dead Languages" below). 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.
• Espruar: The swirling, artistic alphabet of the 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.
• High Tongue: Arcane Spellcasters Only; Automatic. An ancient language now deeply fragmented and incomplete, the High Tongue is the language of arcane spellcasting. Those who wield such power automatically know it, as part of their immersion in such magics, and those without it do not learn it save in rare instances (see "Auld Wyrmish" below).
• 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.
• 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.
• Dead Alphabets: There are a number of dead alphabets, as well, used to write languages that are usually long extinct. These include Imaskari (the script of the Imaskari peoples, used to render the language Roushoum in writing) and Hamarfae (XXX).

Common Languages

These languages are often spoken far-and-wide, though they often do not possess the nuance to discuss truly in-depth topics and philosophies.

• Common: Faerun. Written in Thorass.
• Auld Wyrmish: Dragons. Written in Draconic.
• Dethek: Faerun. Written in Dethek.
• Espruar: Faerun. Written in Espruar.
• Undercommon: Underdark. Written in Espruar.
• Serusan: Sea of Fallen Stars (Aquatic). Written in Espruar.

Regional Languages of Faerun

• 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. An old language, with two dialects (Akalaic and Chessic), which each have several subdialects. Chessentan was adopted by the Chessentans after abandoning Untheric. 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.
• Cormanthan: Cormyr, the Dalelands, Sembia. A regional tongue descended from an ancient elven dialect around the forest of Cormanthyr. It has largely fallen out of favor, and is now nearly a dead language, maintained mostly by rural folk and sages. Written with Espruar.
• Damaran: Damara, the Great Dale, Impiltur, the Moonsea, Narfell, Thesk, Vaasa, the Vast. Written with Dethek.
• Halruaan: Halruaa, Nimbral. Written with Draconic
• Iluskan: Moonshae Isles, the (barbaric) North, Ruathym. Written with Thorass.
• Lantanese: Lantan. Written with Draconic
• Midani: Anauroch (Bedine). Written with Thorass.
• Mulhorandi: Mulhorand, Murghom, Semphar. Written with Celestial
• Mulhorandi (Thayan dialect): Thay. Written with Infernal
• Rashemi: Rashemen. Written with Thorass.
• 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.
• Tashalan: Black Jungle, Mhair Jungle, Samarach, Tashalar, Thindol. Written with Dethek.
• Tuigan: Hordelands. Written with Thorass.
• Turmic: Turmish, Great Glacier. Written with Thorass.
• Untheric: Chessenta, Unther. x. 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.

Beyond Faerun

• Midani: Zakhara. Written with Midani.
• Nexalan: Maztica. Written with Nexalan
• Shou: Kara-tur. Written with Shou

Racial Languages

• X: X

Dead Languages

These languages are truly dead - no mean feat in a world where folk might live hundreds or even thousands of years! No one remembers how they were pronounced or even the majority of their vocabularies. They may turn up in writings here and there that can challenge even the best of sages to attempt a translation, but may not be taken as Language Proficiencies.

• Auld Thorass: The original spoken language of the alphabet of the same name is long dead. Despite this, it shares enough of its structure with Common that those who know it can usually discern what is intended to be communicated when writings in Auld Thorass are found. Simple remnants of this language can occasionally be found in the speech of rural or particularly old speakers of Common, who pepper their speech with "thee's" and "thou's" in a stilted, archaic argot.
• High Tongue: Nothing is known of the origins of this language - indeed, sages can't even agree on its nature. Some claim that it was once a language of great magical potency, whereby those who spoke it could speak changes into reality; others believe that it was never an actual full language but has simply always been simple expressions of magical potency given a symbolic sound and rune.
• Roushoum: Ancient language of the Imaskari people, whose ancient Imaskar Empire once spanned what is now Unther, Thay and Mulhorand. Its many varied descendants include the languages of the Durpari, the Rauric family of languages, Raumvira, and the various Tuigan dialects.

• X: X