Arabic The language of The Prophet and his followers, Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages of the Levant. Arabic is written using a distinctive script, which like the language itself, is related to certain dialects of Aramaic, a lost language once widely spoken in the Levant, and Akadian an even earlier language associated with the Babylonians. Arabic and its script are not only related to human languages, the language of the Jinn is said to be a significant influence, though others claim the language has a divine origin.
Finn Finn is the language of mysterious Finmark. It includes the strong dialect of the Sami people who live far in the arctic north, as well as the Baltic dialect of Estonian. While some claim that Finn is related to certain dialects of Eldar, the language is very different from other languages of Europa. The dialects of Finn are spoken languages, it is said that runes are sometimes used, but little is known of them.
Greek For centuries the language of learning in Europa, Greek is still used in Achea, and a dialect is spoken in other parts of the Byzantine Empire. Many scholars in other parts of the world still study Greek due to its widespread use in ancient documents. Orthodox clergy outside the Byzantine Empire also sometimes use the language. The Greek alphabet is a direct descendent of the original Phoenician (which is claimed to have its roots in the language of dragons), and in turn is the basis for the Latin and the Cyrillic alphabets. The Centaur dialect of Fey has clearly had an influence on Greek, and some claim the legendary dragon tongue has as well, in addition to the alphabet.
Gaelic The language of the Celts, Gaelic is believed by some to be a descendent of the Sylvan dialect of Eldar, but has also been influenced by Fey and earlier human languages and even Gnome. Gaelic was once spoken throughout Europa, but is known only widely used in Amorica (Brytonic), Caledonia, Cornwall, Cymru, and Hybernia, each of which has its own dialect. There is also a “Bardic” dialect used for ancient tales and lore. Historically, Gaelic is a spoken language, with the true bards acting as the main repositories of knowledge. However, the druids are said to use a script called Ogham, about which little is known.
Germanisch Along with Romansch, Germanisch is one of the most widely used languages of Europa. The principal language of The Empire and Albion, the merchants of the Mark League have spread Germanisch to many other parts of the continent. Germanisch has many dialects, including the English of Albion, the Saxon so used in much of the Empire, and the Mark Cant used by mariners and rogues. While the Dutch and Flemish dialect have a distinct Gnome influence, the language as a whole is a clear descendent of the One Tongue, in spite of its use of a Latin alphabet.
Latin For centuries the most widely spoken language in Europa, Latin is now only widely used in the Roman Republic, and within the hierarchy of the Holy Church. However, scholarly works are still regularly written in the language, and most formal education in Europa entails learning some Latin. The Latin alphabet is derived from the Greek, which in turn has it roots in the Phoenician alphabet. Certain sages claim that this alphabet is a derivative of the legendary language of dragons. Such sages also claim that Latin has other “Draconic” similarities as well, though the origins are disputed.
Norse An ancient tongue of the Teutonic people, and forerunner of Germanisch, Norse is spoken in Norge, Sverge, Danemark, and Isaland, and each region has its own dialect. Isaland Norse is closely associated with the skalds the island is famous for. Dwarves have lived in Scandinavia for millennia, and the influence of the One Tongue on Norse is unmistakable. This influence is most obvious in Norse’s runic alphabet. The use of runes is limited however, Norse is primarily a spoken, not a written language. Recently, some skalds in Isaland have begun to record the sagas using the Latin alphabet.
Persian One of the three principle languages of the Levant, Persian is the language of the Empire that is its namesake, and is also a language of culture and learning in neighboring lands. Persian was originally written using a cuneiform alphabet, but now a script heavily influenced by Arabic is the standard alphabet. Like Arabic, the tongue of the Jinn has been an influenced Persian. The oldest forms of Persian are also related to Sanskrit, which in turn is a descendent of “the language of devas”, or so it is claimed.
Romansch Spoken by millions in lands ranging from the western most reaches of the continent to the distant Carpathians, Romansch may be the most widely used language in the known world, though Germanisch and some of the tongues of the Levant are probably close seconds. The primary language of Galia and Iberia--each region has a number of dialects--Romansch is also spoken in the southern part of the Western Empire and by the Rumanians in the east. A direct descendent of Latin, Romansch has also been influenced by Gaelic, Germanisch and even Arabic. However, whether indirectly through the original Gaelic, or via later contacts, the most notable influence outside of Latin is Eldar, especially in the dialects of Galia.
Slavic Common languages in Eastern Europa, various dialects of Slavic are spoken in the Polish-Lithuanian Empire, Rus, and some parts of the Byzantine Empire. This language is related to Germanisch and Norse, and like both those tongues is a descendent of the One Tongue of the Dwarves. Over the centuries however the language has diverged significantly, borrowing from other human languages and non-human ones, Giant dialects of the Urals are said to have been a great influence, as have the local dialects of Fey. Slav is currently written with the Cyrillic alphabet, closely related to Greek, but in earlier eras limited use was made of a runic alphabet.
Turkik A language whose origins lay in Scythia, at the edge of the known world, the Ottoman, or Turkish, dialect of the Turkik is one of the main languages of the Levant. Most Turkik dialects use a script similar to that used by Arabic and Persian, however in other ways the language is very different, and its origins remain something of a mystery.
Other Human Languages
Gypsy seems to share little with the languages of the many areas where Gypsies currently live. Some have connected it to Egypt, Babylon and the “tongue of devils”, but little evidence supports these views. Gypsy is primarily a spoken language. Magyar has origins similar to Turkik, to which it is related. Magyar is currently written using the Latin alphabet. The language of the small Iberian kingdom of Navarre, Basque, is another language of unknown origin. Some have connected this spoken language to the tongue of Giants, but this is highly speculative. Egyptian hieroglyphics are well known, however it is not certain that any one alive today can still read them, at least using conventional means, and again their origins are a mystery. Other lost languages include Aramaic, a language related to Arabic, and the precursor to both: Akadian, the language of the Babylonians. Akadian used a cuneiform alphabet, however many languages use an alphabet derived from lost Phoenician, which some have compared to the script of dragons, assuming there is such a thing. While not a lost language, Sanskrit is a legendary one used beyond the known world that is said to be close to the language of the heavens.
Eldar A truly ancient language, Eldar consist of strong dialects for each main population of elves, including the High, Gray, and Sylvan dialects. There are also variations in the script used, though these variations are small. In any case wild elves, like the Sylvan, make limited use of writing. Its origins lost in prehistory, Eldar shares some common features with Fey, but is otherwise distinct, except for the human languages it has influenced. Amongst humans, Eldar is considered a language of high learning, and mages, scholars and aristocrats will often attempt to learn some Eldar.
Fey More a language family then a distinct language, creatures speak Fey across Europa including centaurs, dryads, various sprites, and many others. In spite of its variety, speakers of its different dialects can usually communicate with each other eventually-assuming they want to. Fey has some similarities with Eldar and Gnome, little is known of its written form, or forms.
Giant Each kind of true giant speaks a dialect of this ancient and powerful language. Written using intricate runes, Giant is somewhat ironically related to the One Tongue of the dwarves, and perhaps the mythical language of dragons.
Gnome Most gnomes that humans come in contact with speak the same dialect, however there are at least two others, the dialect of the “deep” gnomes, as well as the “ice” gnomes of the far north. Related to the One Tongue, some dialects of Fey, and some human languages, and some say the language of “earthen creatures” the Gnome language has changed very slowly over the millennia. Gnome is written in a distinctive alphabet, and most gnome towns have large libraries with documents that can be several centuries old.
Grusch A simple language focused on basic needs and violent actions, a multitude of Grusch dialects and subdialects are spoken by goblins and their larger relatives, as well as the orcs and lesser giants like trolls. Giant, and some speculate more refined, ancient troll tongues, are the main influences on Grusch, as is the One Tongue (though no dwarf would admit it). In any case Grusch, while having a wide range of sounds, is a very limited language, and there is no written form of Grusch.
The One Tongue The language of dwarves, while having local accents, is not divided into dialects the way other languages are, and there is certainly no other dwarven language, or it least that is the claim. The One Tongue is related to Gnome, Giant, and the human languages like Norse that it has influenced. Some speculated that it is also connected to a language of “earthen creatures”. It is well known for its runic alphabet, however there are in fact two kinds of runes used by dwarves: the common ones for most writing, and the less well- known high runes.
Other Non-Human Languages
All sorts of fantastic languages are said to exist, languages for dragons, for devils, for Jinns and elemental creatures, for the angels themselves. Many of these languages are said to be impossible, or at least very hard to learn, and most of what is claimed about them should be taken skeptically.