Languages

The common languages of Taelgar spoken by humans and the Elder Folk all derive from the original languages spoken by the first of each species to awaken. For dwarves, elves, halflings, stoneborn, and lizardfolk this original language has not changed since the dawn of time. For humans, the original tongue has been split and fractured into different language families over the long history of human settlement and migration.

The history of the languages of other sentient creatures is less well known by scholars, but in most cases,, although with some exceptions, whether due to magic, culture, or other factors, linguistic diversity within species is rare.

Human Language Families

The human tongues of the known world are broadly divided up into three major language families based on ancient migrations and cultural divisions on the original human homeland of Hkar:

• Northros Language Family: A set of languages spoken across the northern reaches of Taelgar, named Northros by Drankorian cataloguers of languages. These languages are spoken by the cultures that departed Hkar in the ancient days.
• Eastros Language Family: A diverse set of languages spoken across the Green Sea. This language is derived from an ancient mariner culture that originally settled much of the Green Sea region, and these languages were given the name Eastros by Drankorian scholars.
• Drankorian Language Family: A set of languages spoken by Drankor and many of its successor cultures. It is derived from the language spoken on Hkar and the time of the Downfall.

There are some other human languages, notably Dunmari, that do not fit into any of the language families above, and there are rumors and fragments from Drankor of very different languages spoken in far-flung places distant from the center of the Drankorian Empire.

Trade Languages

Availability of magical communication and travel, while rare, is frequent enough to encourage the spread of common trade tongues. Many non-human creatures also know trade languages, which allow communication among creatures of disparate backgrounds. Trade tongues are best thought of as pidgins, and they rarely allow for the full nuance of a native tongue. There are two trade tongues in common usage: Common and Eastros.

Common

An ancient trade tongue derived from the original language of humans, it is commonly used by non-humans, especially halflings to conduct business and trade, and is widely spoken by human traders and travelers, especially across the lands that were once part of the Drankorian Empire. Common is a trade pidgin, and as such has no native speakers and a less developed vocabulary than most languages.

Real world analog: Modern English. Place or personal names written out (i.e. Copper Hills or Sentinel Range or Copperharps or Gemcrafters) should usually be read as being Common, in world.
Alphabet: No native alphabet. When written, it is usually written phonetically in the speakers native alphabet.
Intelligibility: Most speakers of any human language can understand simple words in Common

Eastros

A trade pidgin derived from the languages of the Eastros language family, it is widely spoken in the eastern Green Sea, especially by the halfling sailors and those that trade with them. It can be heard as far west as Tollen and Cymea, and even occasionally in the port cities of Sembara, but it is very rarely spoken beyond the shores of the Green Sea. It has numerous loan words from ~Mariner Language~.

Real world analog: Balto-Slavic.
Alphabet: Eastros is written using the ~Mariner Alphabet~.
Intelligibility: Speakers of ~Mariner Language~ can understand Eastros.

Drankorian Language Family

These are languages that derive from Drankorian, and are the native tongues of most of the lands that were once part of the Drankorian Empire. All Drankorian languages are written using the Drankorian alphabet.

After the fall of the Drankorian Empire, the Drankorian language developed into two main languages: Eastern Drankorian (which developed into Cymean and Isinguese), and Western Drankorian (which developed into Charodian and Illorian).

Real world analog: Drankorian and its language family is broadly based on Hellenic and Romance languages, with some small variations

Drankorian

The ancient language spoken across the Drankorian Empire, now preserved as a scholarly language. Although spoken conversation in Drankorian is rare, many scholarly and literary works are written in Drankorian. Over the past 150 years, since the Great War, Drankorian has declined significantly in use as a scholarly language, and many treatises are now written in Chardonian. While many scholars still learn Drankorian, it is no longer a common diplomatic and literary language.

Real world analog: Classical Latin; occasional Classical Greek loan words
Alphabet: Drankorian is written using the Drankorian alphabet

Cymean

A number of mutually understandable languages and dialects spoken in the Cymean peninsula. A descendant of the Drankorian tongue.

Real world analog: Spanish or Portugese, but with some Italian.
Alphabet: Cymean is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Isinguese is a closely related language, and is usually mutually understandable with Cymean. Sembaran shares a large vocabulary with Isinguese and to a lesser extent Cymean, but uses a different grammar; it is loosely understandable with effort to speakers of Cymean.

Isinguese

A number of mutually understandable languages and dialects spoken throughout the Istaros Watershed before te destruction of Isingue. Today it survives amongst the Isinguese refugee communities, especially in the Duchy of Maseau and the Refounded Alliance of Aurbez, and can also be occasionally heard in Tollen.

Real world analog: Spanish or French, more French in the northern areas, Spanish to the south
Alphabet: Isinguese is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Cymean is closely related, and is usually understandable to speakers of Isinguese. Sembaran shares a large vocabulary with Isinguese and to a lesser extent Cymean, but uses a different grammar; it is somewhat understandable with effort to speaker of Isinguese.

Chardonian

A number of mutually understandable languages and dialects spoken in Chardon and the Chardonian Empire, as well as areas under Chardonian influence, such as the Chasa River Valley and the northwest coast of the Apporian Peninsula. A descendant of the Drankorian tongue, although with Northros influences. Chardon sees itself as the inheritor of the Drankorian Empire, and intentionally imitates the Drankorian language in naming.

Real world analog: Italian or Latin, with occasional loan words from Classic Greek. Chardon itself tends to be more Latinate, in imitation of Drankor, whereas other dialects are more Italian.
Alphabet: Chardonian is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Illorian is a closely related language, and is usually mutually understandable with Chardonian.

Illoria

The language spoken on the islands of Illoria.

Real world analog: Not defined.
Alphabet: Illorian is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Chardonian is a closely related language, and is usually mutually understandable with Illorian.

Northros Language Family

These languages derive from the ancient tongues that were spoken by the first human migrants from Hkar. They use a diverse set of alphabets.

Real world analog: Northros languages are based on Semitic languages

~Old Zimkovan~

The ancient language of the Zimka people, mostly no longer spoken outside of the most traditional and isolated parts of northern Zimkova.

Real world analog: Maltese
Alphabet: Unknown.

Mawaran

The language spoken in the Mawakel Peninsula and perhaps other areas once under its cultural influence. It is an ancient language, although there are numerous loan words from Drankorian languages in the modern day.

Real world analog: Arabic
Alphabet: In the modern day Mawaran is written using the Drankorian alphabet.

Deno’qai

A group of mutually understandable dialects and languages spoken by the Deno’qai people. It is an ancient language, surviving largely without outside influences.

Real world analog: Hebrew or Arabic
Alphabet: Unknown.

Vargaldi

The language spoken by the Vargaldi people of the ~Northern Boreal Forest~. Although ancestrally a Northos language that retains the basic Northros grammar, Vargaldi has numerous loan word from Eastros.

Real world analog: Not defined, although many names are Slavic reflecting Eastros influences.
Alphabet: Unknown.

Eastros Language Family

All languages in the Eastros language family derive from ~Mariner Language~, the language spoken by the ancient seafaring culture that originally settled the eastern parts of the Green Sea and spread as far west as the shores of the Western Gulf. They mostly, but not exclusively, use the ~Mariner Language~ alphabet. There is at least one subfamily of the Eastros language grouping, the Tollish languages, which developed from Old Tollish, spoken around the Western Gulf in the days before the coming of the Drankorians.

Real world analog: Eastros languages are based on Scandinavian, Germanic, and Balto-Slavic languages

~Mariner Language~

The ancient language of the mariner culture than left Hkar for the eastern Green Sea, it is extremely rare to find it still spoken today.

Real world mapping: Balto-Slavic
Alphabet: ~Mariner Language~ alphabet

Skaegish

The language spoken on the Skaer islands.

Real world analog: Finnish or Norwegian, with some Swedish influences
Alphabet: ~Mariner Language~ alphabet

Urksan

The language of the closed realm of Ursk. It is very rarely spoken outside of Ursk, as Urskans use Eastros for trade.

Real world mapping: Russian
Alphabet: ~Mariner Language~ alphabet

Old Tollish

The ancient language of Tollen and the Vostok and Sembaran coasts. A precursor tongue to Zimkovan, Sembaran, and Tollish, it is rarely spoken today, but survives for its value in reading old inscriptions and documents amongst some Tollender academics.

Real world analog: Balto-Slavic
Alphabet: ~Mariner Language~ alphabet

Zimkovan

A group of related languages and dialetics spoken in the highland kingdoms of Ardlas, Breva, and Lavnoch. It is commonly spoken in the rest of Zimkova as well. It is descended from Old Tollish, but was significantly influenced by Sembaran and Drankorian.

Real world mapping: Baltic (Lithuanian or Latvian), although with some loan words from Maltese (~Old Zimkovan~).
Alphabet: Written using the Drankorian alphabet.

Sembaran

A number of mutually understandable languages and dialects spoken in Sembara, Tyrwingha, and Addermarch. Sembaran, although preserving grammatical structures from Old Tollish, adapted most of its current day vocabulary from Drankorian, as well as an alphabet. Southern Sembaran has more Drankorian influences, whereas Northern Semabaran has more Eastros influences.

Real world analog: French (more prevalent in the South) and English (more prevalent in the north and Addermarch)
Alphabet: Sembaran is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Tollish is mutually intelligible with Sembaran. There are numerous cognates between Sembaran and Isinguese, but they have a very different grammar. An Isinguese speaker can sometimes pick out some meaning from Sembaran.

Tollish

The language spoken in Tollen and parts of the Tollen spheres of influence. It is closely related to Sembaran, and developed from a similar mix of Old Tollish and Drankorian.

Real world analog: English, with some Germanic or Slavic loan words
Alphabet: Sembaran is written using the Drankorian alphabet
Intelligibility: Tollish is mutually intelligible with Sembaran. There are many cognates between Tollish and Isinguese, but they have a very different grammar. An Isinguese speaker can sometimes pick out some meaning from Tollish.

Miscellaneous Languages

These languages are not well-classified into existing language families, for various reasons.

Dunmari

The language spoken by the Dunmari people.

Real world analog: Hindi or other Indo-Iranian (Persian)
Alphabet: Dunmari is written using the Drankorian alphabet

Vosic

A collection of languages spoken by the Vos. There are at least two common dialects and perhaps more, and these language evolved from diverse influences.

Real world analog: Undetermined
Alphabet: Undetermined

Tyrwinghan

The ancient language of Tyrwingha, still spoken by many Tyrwinghans especially in rural areas.

Real world analog: Welsh
Alphabet: ~Mariner Language~ alphabet, although many Tyrwinghans are not aware of the shared alphabet with Skaegish and Old Tollish

Hkaran

The original human language, it still survives in a modified form in Common, but is otherwise no longer known to be spoken. Extremely rarely known in the modern day.

Real world analog: Indo-European, broadly
Alphabet: Unknown.

Non-Human Languages

There are many diverse languages amongst the non-human inhabitants of Taelgar, but with the chief exception of the goblinoids, it is rare for any given non-human species to speak more than one language. Some of these languages are commonly learned by outsiders, while others are rare, magical, or mythical. These languages are at least sometimes learned by outsiders, and in some cases, such as lizardfolk and dwarvish, there are many non-native speakers.

Dwarvish

The language of the dwarves. It is often learned by outsiders and traders who want to engage in commerce with the dwarven kingdoms. It has remained essentially unchanged since the beginning of time, and there are no known dialects or variants.

Real world mapping: Tolkien Dwarvish
Alphabet: Dwarvish, but with some similarities to both Giant and Stoneborn writing, and Dwarven Runic Magic

Elvish

The language of the elves, and often associated with magic. The term “elvish” encompasses several different languages and variants of the language. Although all elves learn all the variants during their childhood, most outsiders will only understand a subset of elvish. It is frequently learned by scholars of magic or history.

Real world mapping: Tolkien Elvish
Alphabet: Elvish

Lizardling

The language of the lizardfolk. Often learned by those who spend time living in lizardfolk communities. Although there are numerous dialectics, they are all mutually comprehensible.

Real world analog: Basque
Alphabet: Unknown.

Stoneborn

The language of the Stoneborn. Often learned by those who spend time in Stoneborn communities. There are no known variants or dialectics, and examples of writing are rare.

Real world analog: Xhosan
Alphabet: Stoneborn, but related to Giant

Orcish

The language gifted to the orcs by Thark, the God of War. While few outsiders speak this language, those who would engage with orcs in combat or negotiation (to the extent such a thing is possible) do sometimes find a way to learn this tongue. There are no known examples of Orcish writing.

Real world analog: Turkic
Alphabet: None known

Goblin

A term for a large number of related languages spoken by hobgoblins and their slaves and allies. Hobgoblin clans often invent secret languages for themselves, but a common creole, derived from the language spoken by Cha’mutte’s armies, is the closest thing to a common language. It is called katonylev (or “army tongue”) by speakers, but for most outsiders this is what is known as Goblin.

Real world analog: Katonylev is based on Hungarian. Other hobgoblin languages may have diverse real world mappings.
Alphabet: Hobgoblins and other goblinoids use a uniquely created Hobgoblin alphabet, which tends to be shared across languages.

Halfling

The secretive and rarely taught language of the halflings, made even more difficult for outsiders to learn given the expectation that speakers of this language will use telepathic cues for emphasis. The halflings’ language is preserved and learned via their shared ancestral consciousness; a single dialect covers all halflings across the world, even on diverse continents. The halflings rarely, if ever, teach their secretive language to outsiders. As far as outsiders know, there is no written form of halfling.

Real world mapping: Igbo, but may change or be diverse
Alphabet: Unknown

Exotic Languages

Many other creatures in the world of Taelgar speak a language of their own, including many of the unusual or rarer races in the world. These might include the strange language of clicks and hisses the Giant Eagles speak, or the strange demonic-influenced barking tongue of Gnolls. Most of these are difficult, if not impossible, to learn to speak without magic (and few have a written alphabet).

There is a wide diversity of these exotic languages but they are almost never spoken by outsiders, although the ones below are at least known to the scholars of Tollen and Chardon:

Centaur

The language of centaurs. Rarely, but not never, taught to outsiders. Most centaurs speak Elvish, Sylvan, or both in addition to their own tongue, and most outsiders who must speak with them do so in one of those tongues.

Real world mapping: Diverse, but names often have a classical Greek element
Alphabet: Unknown

Giant

The language created by the elder titans of old, and now spoken by the giants and their descendants. Often learned by scholars, or traders who would venture to giant settlements. Commonly learned by dwarves, especially those of the Sentinels.

Real world analog: Old Norse
Alphabet: Giant

Extra-Planar Languages

Time and space do not work on the other planes as they do on the material plane, and each plane tends to be represented by a single language. Barring special gifts or blessings of natives of these planes, or magical aid, these are typically difficult, although not impossible, for outsiders to learn.

Sylvan

The most common extra-planar language spoken in Taelgar, and the language of the Feywild. Commonly spoken by fairies, satyrs, and other fey inhabitants of Taelgar, as well as elves, Tyrwinghans, and others who have substantial dealings with the fey. It is a lilting and musical language and hints at magical power.

Real world analog: None, specifically, but it should sound lyrical. Many existing Fey names use Classic Greek, but Polynesian or Hawaiian might be interesting places for inspiration.
Alphabet: Commonly written in Elvish, but with a complex magical writing system as well (see Sylvan Writing for more details)

Primordial

The language family of the Energy Realms. At least four dialects are known: Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran, but more dialects may exist. Not commonly learned by natives of other planes, but occasionally studied by wizards, druids, or others regularly interact with elementals.

Real world analog: Not determined, and may vary among dialects. Named elementals tend to have long, multi-syllabic names.
Alphabet: Not determined.