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. 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.
• 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. 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.
• 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 (an elven script used to communicate the nuances of the Elven High Magical language, Seldruin).

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.
• Dethek: Faerun. Dethek 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.
• Espruar: Faerun. Originally the tongue of the moon elves, Espruar has become something of a lingua franca among elvenkind, providing a common language for its speakers. 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: 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.
• D'tarig: Anauroch. The tribal language of the D'tarig people of southeastern Anauroch, D'tarig is a throaty tongue that is part of the Uluo language family (along with languages such as Damaran and lost Netherese).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rashemi: Rashemen. An ancient language spoken almost exclusively in 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 & 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 inThorass.
• Untheric: Chessenta, Unther. x. 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.

Beyond Faerun

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

Racial Languages

• Aragrakh: Dragons. An ancient language, also known as "Old High Wyrmish", used as a formal ritual language by dragons. Woe to those who are not dragons that are overheard using it by wyrmkind. Written in Draconic.
• Auld Wyrmish: Dragons. Something of a common tongue among the different breeds of dragon, who each have their own tongues. Also sometimes called "Draconic," it is also spoken by many kobolds and wyverns. Written in Draconic.
• Daraktan: Orcs. A common language spoken by most orcs, although not many of them are literate. It evolved from the now-dead Hulgorkyn language. Written in Dethek.
• Deep Drow: Drow Elves. Also called Low Drow or Drowic, this is the common language of the drow. Each community has its own dialect, but can reasonably undertand one another. Written in Espruar.
• Drow Sign Language: Drow Elves. A hand-code capable of impressive complexity, used by drow on patrol in the Underdark, or when silence is otherwise needful or useful.
• Duergan: Duergar. Originally descended from Shanatan, this language has been deeply affected by the duergars' time in the Underdark. Written in Dethek.
• Ghukliak: Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears. A rough and gutteral language well suited to discussing concepts of violence. Written in Dethek.
• Gnim: Gnomes. 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.
• High Drow: Drow Elves. A complex language with its own runic alphabet, it is primarily used by priestesses in ritual context and nobles when they wish to communicate above the heads of the rabble. Written in High Drow.
• Jotun: Giants. 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. There are also individual languages based off of Jotun, in use by various giantish subraces (all of which are written in Thorass):
  • Jotunalder: Giants. A ritualized language that is highly formalized and stilted. Those who speak Jotun can understand it well enough.
  • Jogishk: Ogres. A vulgar patois of Jotun and Common.
  • Jotunhaug: Hill and Mountain Giants. A rough, gutteral language which seems to be a corruption of Jotunise.
  • Jotunild: Fire Giants.
  • Jotunise: Frost Giants. The predecessor language to Jotunhaug.
  • Jostunskye: Cloud and Fog Giants.
  • Jostunstein: Stone Giants.
  • Jotunuvar: Storm Giants.
• Kurit: Arctic Dwarves. A dwarven dialect considered much polluted by other dwarves, given the degree it has been influenced by the human Uluik language. Written in Dethek.
• Riftspeak: Gold Dwarves. A truly ancient dialect favored by the dwarves of the Great Rift, who care for and nurture the speaking of this language as carefully as they care for their gold. Written in Dethek.
• Shanatan: Shield Dwarves. The language of the western shield dwarves. Sadly, with the near-shattering of dwarven society among the shield dwarves, not many even know the language any more, and only a rare few elders who truly value such things can actually converse in it.
• Sylvan: Fey. A subtle language spoken by fey and many other sylvan creatures with close ties to such. Written in Espruar.

Trade Tongues

• Drueidan: Druids. 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. Speakers of Sylvan can begin to understand such discussions to limited extent. It may be written in Thorass, Espruar or Dethek.
• Thieves' Cant: Thieves and other Underworld types. 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.

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: Early Humanity. 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. Written in Thorass.
• Elder Tongue: Dwarves. An ancient language held to be the ur-tongue of all dwarven language.
• Hulgorkyn: Orcs. An ancient and now-dead language once used by orcs. Its nuances suggest a higher degree of cultural sophistication than that now possessed by orc-kind.
• Loross: Netheril. The language of the nobility of ancient Netheril, a part of the Ulou language family.
• Netherese: Netheril. The language of the ancient Netheril Empire, a part of the ancient Ulou language family. It was spoken primarily by the commoners of the empire.
• Roushoum: Imaskari Empire. 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. Written in Imaskari.
• Seldruin: Elves. An ancient magical language of the elven peoples, Seldruin was used to enact the now-lost power of Elven High Magic. Written in the Hamarfae language.

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