Language - Revision history

Bartley: /* Ubrekti Subfamily */

2020-08-09T23:18:48Z

Ubrekti Subfamily

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:18, 9 August 2020
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	*Ubrekti - The language of [[Ubrekt]], the [[Temporal Authority]], and the most commonly spoken language in Wydmoor and the northern coastal lands which once made up [[Alexia]] (though Odessan is common in some communities near the border with Odessa). It has widespread usage for a variety of reasons, most notably its original codification and spreading by the [[Ubrekti Empire]] and later adoption by the [[Alexandrian Church]] as the language of Church Affairs, which in turn lead to its adoption as the ''de facto'' language of the universities and scholars across the Mainland.		*Ubrekti - The language of [[Ubrekt]], the [[Temporal Authority]], and the most commonly spoken language in Wydmoor and the northern coastal lands which once made up [[Alexia]] (though Odessan is common in some communities near the border with Odessa). It has widespread usage for a variety of reasons, most notably its original codification and spreading by the [[Ubrekti Empire]] and later adoption by the [[Alexandrian Church]] as the language of Church Affairs, which in turn lead to its adoption as the ''de facto'' language of the universities and scholars across the Mainland.
	*Flanneri - The language of [[Flannary]].		*Flanneri - The language of [[Flannary]].
	*Celesti - The language of [[~~Celestia~~]].		*Celesti - The language of [[Celstia]].
	*Hakni - The language spoken by the humans of the [[Hakan (Human Kingdom)\|Kingdom of Hakan]], it is rarely still spoken and only in a few parts of Ubrekt where the descendants of that kingdom were resettled.		*Hakni - The language spoken by the humans of the [[Hakan (Human Kingdom)\|Kingdom of Hakan]], it is rarely still spoken and only in a few parts of Ubrekt where the descendants of that kingdom were resettled.

Bartley: some things probably don't need to be stubs even.

2020-08-09T22:44:10Z

some things probably don't need to be stubs even.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:44, 9 August 2020
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	==Human==		==Human==

	All human languages of the Mainland are presumed to have originated with Prime, although the subfamilies diverge enormously, and in some cases the similarities are disputed. The Human language tree, as one might imagine from such a short-lived and prolific race, is much more diverse. All use one of two alphabets. Since the Human written tradition appears during the [[Ubrekti Empire]], all of the human languages of the civilized mainland use the [[Ubrekti Alphabet]]. Written language was only introduced to [[Ulan]] in the first century FI, by [[Mikos Lygit]] in exile, who taught the [[Zupan Alphabet]], a system of his own creation.		All human languages of the Mainland are presumed to have originated with Prime, although the subfamilies diverge enormously, and in some cases the similarities are disputed. The Human language tree, as one might imagine from such a short-lived and prolific race, is much more diverse. All use one of two alphabets. Since the Human written tradition appears during the [[Ubrekti Empire]], all of the human languages of the civilized mainland use the Ubrekti Alphabet. Written language was only introduced to [[Ulan]] in the first century FI, by [[Mikos Lygit]] in exile, who taught the Zupan Alphabet, a system of his own creation.

	===Fresian Subfamily===		===Fresian Subfamily===

Bartley: /* Other */

2020-08-09T22:38:42Z

Other

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	*Draconic - The legendary language of the extinct [[Dragons]].		*Draconic - The legendary language of the extinct [[Dragons]].
	*Naga - The legendary language of the extinct [[Naga]].		*Naga - The legendary language of the extinct [[Naga]].
			*Sahuagin - The legendary language of the utterly alien shark people who live under the seas. It is said that the sounds of Sahuagin language are a frightening combination of ethereal trills mixed with wet flapping and short grunts, punctuated by basso popping noises that can carry quite long distances under water. Sahuagin have not been seen on the mainland for ages and are are considered mythological to many, but they may still exist, lurking beneath the waters. Many sailors still tell tales of seeing them but few have believable stories of surviving an up-close encounter and many tales of hearing Sahuagin "talking" turn out to be simply seals, whales, or other mundane beasts.

	===Outlands===		===Outlands===
	The linguistic history of the [[Unknown Lands]] is largely unknown and unstudied. There is no regular or reliable contact or relations between the two lands and what few stories of contact do exist describe languages and writing systems with few similarities to Mainland languages.		The linguistic history of the [[Unknown Lands]] is largely unknown and unstudied. There is no regular or reliable contact or relations between the two lands and what few stories of contact do exist describe languages and writing systems with few similarities to any Mainland languages.

	===Planar and Outsider===		===Planar and Outsider===
	Creatures from outside [[The Veil]] typically speak their own languages, but outside of especially scholarly clerics, wizards, or those with strange magical powers few ~~would~~ even know of the existence of these.		Creatures from outside [[The Veil]] typically speak their own languages, but outside of especially scholarly clerics, wizards, or those with strange magical powers very few even know of the existence of these.

	*Abyssal - The language of Demons		*Abyssal - The language of Demons
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	*Primordial - The language of Elementals, made up of Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran dialects, one for each of the four elemental planes. Creatures that speak different dialects of the same language can communicate with one another.		*Primordial - The language of Elementals, made up of Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran dialects, one for each of the four elemental planes. Creatures that speak different dialects of the same language can communicate with one another.
	*Sylvan - The language of Fey creatures.		*Sylvan - The language of Fey creatures.

	~~===Sahuagin===~~
	The legendary language of the utterly alien shark people who live under the seas. It is said that the sounds of Sahuagin language are a frightening combination of ethereal trills mixed with wet flapping and short grunts, punctuated by basso popping noises that can carry quite long distances under water. Sahuagin have not been seen on the mainland for ages and are are considered mythological to many, but they likely still exist, lurking beneath the waters. Many sailors still tell tales of seeing them but few have believable stories of surviving an up-close encounter and many tales of hearing Sahuagin "talking" turn out to be simply seals, whales, or other mundane beasts.

	===Ssel'it subfamily===		===Ssel'it subfamily===

Bartley: minor reformatting

2020-08-09T22:34:41Z

minor reformatting

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	===Odessan Subfamily===		===Odessan Subfamily===
	*Odessan - The language of the [[Odessa\|Odessan]] people, by virtue of its highly traditional societal mores and relatively stable long-term government, is fairly unique among the Prime branch of languages in that it has been relatively unchanged for the past couple of millennia. Even records from the very beginning, in the time of the [[Ubrekti Empire\|Ubrekti Empire's]] dominance, are readable to any person literate in Odessan, even if they can be difficult to understand.		The language of the [[Odessa\|Odessan]] people, by virtue of its highly traditional societal mores and relatively stable long-term government, is fairly unique among the Prime branch of languages in that it has been relatively unchanged for the past couple of millennia. Even records from the very beginning, in the time of the [[Ubrekti Empire\|Ubrekti Empire's]] dominance, are readable to any person literate in Odessan, even if they can be difficult to understand.

	===Petaran Subfamily===		===Petaran Subfamily===
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	===Ubrekti Subfamily===		===Ubrekti Subfamily===

	The languages that derived from that spoken by the Ubrekti Empire are among some of the most influential in the world, and it is the Ubrekti alphabet that is generally used by all save the Ulan subfamilies. Speakers of these languages can often pick up on the vocabulary and structure of words spoken in the others of this group, and simple ideas can often be expressed between them, if the speakers are patient.		The languages that derived from that spoken by the Ubrekti Empire are among some of the most influential in the world, and it is the Ubrekti alphabet that is generally used by all save the Ulan subfamilies. Speakers of these languages can often pick up on the vocabulary and structure of words spoken in the others of this group, and simple ideas can often be expressed between them, if the speakers are patient.

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	===Giant subfamily===		===Giant subfamily===
			The Giants have their own, very ancient, tongue, usually called Giantish by outsiders. Many Giants, living solely or in small family groups among larger groups of other Servitors, speak it very rarely, instead opting for the more common Goblin or Orcish tongues. The Giantish tongue is a mystery, not just because it is little known, but because it has survived for so long - [[Giant-kin]] tend to be spread out, and mingle with other races, yet Giants, when alone, will communicate with each other in Giantish. Anecdotes have reported that the vocabulary is even consistent among widely separated Giant groups, but due to the lack of interest among the Goodly Races in the language, as well as the sheer rarity of Giant kind, such stories are an unreliable source at best.
	*Giantish - The Giants have their own, very ancient, tongue, ~~but many~~ Giants, living solely or in small family groups among larger groups of other Servitors, speak it very rarely, instead opting for the more common Goblin or Orcish tongues. The Giantish tongue is a mystery, not because it is little known, but because it has survived for so long - [[Giant-kin]] tend to be spread out, and mingle with other races, yet Giants, when alone, will communicate with each other in Giantish. Anecdotes have reported that the vocabulary is even consistent among widely separated Giant groups, but due to the lack of interest among the Goodly Races in the language, as well as the sheer rarity of Giant kind, such stories are an unreliable source at best.

	===Goblin subfamily===		===Goblin subfamily===
	*Goblin - The Goblin language is of uncertain origin--all that is really known about its history is that it is quite old, and several regional dialects exist, some of which are barely comprehensible to the others. It serves as a sort of ''lingua Ubrekti'' for subterranean Servitor races. It has a fairly large, albeit fairly unstandardized, vocabulary, and its main utility stems from its relative ability to convey difficult or abstract concepts, when compared to certain other Servitor languages (notably Kobold).		The Goblin language is of uncertain origin--all that is really known about its history is that it is quite old, and several regional dialects exist, some of which are barely comprehensible to the others. It serves as a sort of ''lingua Ubrekti'' for subterranean Servitor races. It has a fairly large, albeit fairly unstandardized, vocabulary, and its main utility stems from its relative ability to convey difficult or abstract concepts, when compared to certain other Servitor languages (notably Kobold).

	*Kobold - Kobold is less a language, and more of a pidgin of several regionally related languages (notably Gildenhome Goblin and Dwarvish). Its structure is not suitable for extremely abstract discussion, but its simplicity makes it a common language between Servitor groups when not enough time exists to form a proper linguistic connection (which is most of the time, since Servitors are hardly known for being particularly cooperative). Different regions have wildly different variations, but the language's sheer simplicity allows highly disparate Kobold cultures to communicate in broad strokes, which is usually more than enough to support the majority of Kobold diplomacy (as it is mainly composed of the actions "Fight" and "Do Not Fight"). The simple structure and vocabulary of Kobold make it particularly suited for battlefield use, especially in a group of varying linguistic background.		*Kobold - Kobold is less a language, and more of a pidgin of several regionally related languages (notably Gildenhome Goblin and Dwarvish). Its structure is not suitable for extremely abstract discussion, but its simplicity makes it a common language between Servitor groups when not enough time exists to form a proper linguistic connection (which is most of the time, since Servitors are hardly known for being particularly cooperative). Different regions have wildly different variations, but the language's sheer simplicity allows highly disparate Kobold cultures to communicate in broad strokes, which is usually more than enough to support the majority of Kobold diplomacy (as it is mainly composed of the actions "Fight" and "Do Not Fight"). The simple structure and vocabulary of Kobold make it particularly suited for battlefield use, especially in a group of varying linguistic background.

	===Orcish subfamily===		===Orcish subfamily===
			Orcs have developed their own tongue, thought to be distantly related to Sidhe, but muddling from surrounding Human and Dwarvish groups (and a lack of living speakers of Sidhe on the Mainland) have kept any such speculations from being verified. Contrary to the rough nature of Orcish appearance, the tongue is melodic, and Orcish chants might be considered some of the more beautiful in the world, if they didn't regularly precede the destruction of the town that heard them.
	*Orcish - Orcs have developed their own tongue, thought to be distantly related to Sidhe, but muddling from surrounding Human and Dwarvish groups (and a lack of living speakers of Sidhe on the Mainland) have kept any such speculations from being verified. Contrary to the rough nature of Orcish appearance, the tongue is melodic, and Orcish chants might be considered some of the more beautiful in the world, if they didn't regularly precede the destruction of the town that heard them.

	==Other==		==Other==

	===Druidic===		===Druidic===
	*Druidic ~~- The~~ magical and mysterious language shared by all [[Druids]] regardless of background. Sometimes confused with being related to Sidhe or the strange Slyvan languages common to Fey creatures due to some mingling of vocabulary, it is a separate language with unique characteristics. The Druids themselves are not known to have made any comment on the matter, but the language seems to have some magical component as it is indecipherable and can not be learned by mundane means. Outside of short-lived magical spells such as ''comprehend languages'' or ''tongues'' only people who have trained as a druid can speak, read, or understand it.		Druidic is the magical and mysterious language shared by all [[Druids]] regardless of background. Sometimes confused with being related to Sidhe or the strange Slyvan languages common to Fey creatures due to some mingling of vocabulary, it is a separate language with unique characteristics. The Druids themselves are not known to have made any comment on the matter, but the language seems to have some magical component as it is indecipherable and can not be learned by mundane means. Outside of short-lived magical spells such as ''comprehend languages'' or ''tongues'' only people who have trained as a druid can speak, read, or understand it.

	===Extinct Mythological Languages===		===Extinct Mythological Languages===
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	===Planar and Outsider===		===Planar and Outsider===
	Creatures from outside [[The Veil]] typically speak their own languages, but outside of especially scholarly clerics ~~and~~ wizards few would even know of the existence of these.		Creatures from outside [[The Veil]] typically speak their own languages, but outside of especially scholarly clerics, wizards, or those with strange magical powers few would even know of the existence of these.

	*Abyssal - The language of Demons		*Abyssal - The language of Demons
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	===Sahuagin===		===Sahuagin===
			The legendary language of the utterly alien shark people who live under the seas. It is said that the sounds of Sahuagin language are a frightening combination of ethereal trills mixed with wet flapping and short grunts, punctuated by basso popping noises that can carry quite long distances under water. Sahuagin have not been seen on the mainland for ages and are are considered mythological to many, but they likely still exist, lurking beneath the waters. Many sailors still tell tales of seeing them but few have believable stories of surviving an up-close encounter and many tales of hearing Sahuagin "talking" turn out to be simply seals, whales, or other mundane beasts.
	*Sahuagin - The language of the utterly alien shark people who live under the seas. Sahuagin have not been seen on the mainland for ages and are are considered mythological to many, but they likely still exist, lurking beneath the waters. Many sailors still tell tales of seeing them but few have believable stories of surviving an up-close encounter~~. They are widespread~~ and ~~speak a variety~~ of ~~tongues~~, ~~but since very little is known about the race itself~~, none on the Mainland knows much beyond that. The sounds are a frightening combination of ethereal trills mixed with wet flapping and short grunts, punctuated by basso popping noises that can carry quite long distances under water.

	===Ssel'it subfamily===		===Ssel'it subfamily===
			Ssel'it, the language of the [[Lizardfolk]], is unique among the languages of the Mainland, largely due to their unique physiology. Much like cursive writing, all its sounds are combined into one sibilant chain of phonemes that is almost impossible for the untrained to distinguish into lexical units.
	*Ssel'it ~~- The~~ language of the [[Lizardfolk]] is unique among the languages of the Mainland, largely due to their unique physiology. Much like cursive writing, all its sounds are combined into one sibilant chain of phonemes that is almost impossible for the untrained to distinguish into lexical units.

	=Naming=		==Naming==
	Tips from the World Master on good naming themes:		Tips from the World Master on good naming themes:

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	* Is it Sidhe? Leave it to the WorldMaster usually.		* Is it Sidhe? Leave it to the WorldMaster usually.

	== Tools ==		=== Tools ===
	* [http://donjon.bin.sh/name/#german_town Donjon random name generator] - Can generate town names, character names, etc.		* [http://donjon.bin.sh/name/#german_town Donjon random name generator] - Can generate town names, character names, etc.
	* [http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator Squid RPG Name Generator] - Generate along popular themes		* [http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator Squid RPG Name Generator] - Generate along popular themes

Bartley: /* Demihuman */

2020-08-09T22:16:52Z

Demihuman

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:16, 9 August 2020
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	==Demihuman==		==Demihuman==
			These languages are presumed to descend from Prime, although the mechanics and alphabets of Dwarven, Human and Elven show almost no similarities.

			===Dwarven===
			The language of the [[Dwarves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Gildenhome]]. Uses the Dwaven Alphabet.

			===Gnomish===
			The language of the [[Gnomes]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Hakan]]. Uses the Gnomish Alphabet which has strong similarities to the Dwarven one, although Gnomes themselves argue that is due to linguistic corruption during the [[Gnomish Vassalage]] rather than a sign that some aspect of Gnomish culture is taken from the Dwarves.

	~~These languages are presumed~~ to ~~descend from Prime, although~~ the ~~mechanics and alphabets of Dwarven, Human and Elven show almost no similarities~~.		===Halfling===
			An extinct oral language with no writing system that was lost after the fall of the Halfling Khans to the early Ubrekti Empire.

	*Dwarven - The language of the [[Dwarves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Gildenhome]]. Uses the Dwaven Alphabet.		===Sidhe===
	*Gnomish - The language of the [[Gnomes]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Hakan]]. Uses the Gnomish Alphabet which has strong similarities to the Dwarven one, although Gnomes themselves argue that is due to linguistic corruption during the [[Gnomish Vassalage]] rather than a sign that some aspect of Gnomish culture is taken from the Dwarves.		The language of the [[Elves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Sidhe-Praxen]]. A flowing melodic language that reflects the elven perception of the natural world. Indeed, ancient folklore and sordid tales speak of Sidhe's almost spell-like ability to evoke the emotions of listeners (usually fair ladies or handsome gentlemen put under the unfortunate thrall of a seductress). Written in Elven Script.
	*Halfling - An extinct oral language with no writing system that was lost after the fall of the Halfling Khans to the early Ubrekti Empire.
	*Sidhe - The language of the [[Elves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Sidhe-Praxen]]. A flowing melodic language that reflects the elven perception of the natural world. Indeed, ancient folklore and sordid tales speak of Sidhe's almost spell-like ability to evoke the emotions of listeners (usually fair ladies or handsome gentlemen put under the unfortunate thrall of a seductress). Written in Elven Script.

	==Human==		==Human==

Bartley: /* Ubrekti Subfamily */

2020-08-09T22:00:12Z

Ubrekti Subfamily

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:00, 9 August 2020
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	*Old Ubrekti (Extinct)		*Old Ubrekti (Extinct)
	*Ubrekti - The language of [[Ubrekt]] ~~and~~ the [[Temporal Authority]]. It has widespread usage for a variety of reasons, most notably its original codification and spreading by the [[Ubrekti Empire]] and later adoption by the [[Alexandrian Church]] as the language of Church Affairs, which in turn lead to its adoption as the ''de facto'' language of the universities and scholars across the Mainland.		*Ubrekti - The language of [[Ubrekt]], the [[Temporal Authority]], and the most commonly spoken language in Wydmoor and the northern coastal lands which once made up [[Alexia]] (though Odessan is common in some communities near the border with Odessa). It has widespread usage for a variety of reasons, most notably its original codification and spreading by the [[Ubrekti Empire]] and later adoption by the [[Alexandrian Church]] as the language of Church Affairs, which in turn lead to its adoption as the ''de facto'' language of the universities and scholars across the Mainland.
	*Flanneri - The language of [[Flannary]].		*Flanneri - The language of [[Flannary]].
	*Celesti - The language of [[Celestia]].		*Celesti - The language of [[Celestia]].
	*Hakni - The language spoken by the humans of the [[Hakan (Human Kingdom)\|Kingdom of Hakan]], it is rarely still spoken and only in a few parts of Ubrekt where the descendants of that kingdom were resettled.		*Hakni - The language spoken by the humans of the [[Hakan (Human Kingdom)\|Kingdom of Hakan]], it is rarely still spoken and only in a few parts of Ubrekt where the descendants of that kingdom were resettled.

	===Ulan Subfamily===		===Ulan Subfamily===

Bartley: /* Odessan Subfamily */

2020-08-09T21:56:35Z

Odessan Subfamily

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:56, 9 August 2020
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	===Odessan Subfamily===		===Odessan Subfamily===
	*Odessan - The language of the [[Odessa\|Odessan]] people, by virtue of its highly traditional societal mores and relatively stable long-term government, is fairly unique among the Prime branch of languages in that it has been relatively unchanged for the past couple of millennia. Even records from the very beginning, in the time of the [[Ubrekti Empire\|Ubrekti Empire's]] dominance, are readable to any person literate in Odessan, even if they can be difficult to understand. Odessan is also still the most commonly spoken language in the northern coastal lands which once made up [[Alexia]] though Ubrekti is more popular in the eastern parts closer to the [[Temporal Authority]].		*Odessan - The language of the [[Odessa\|Odessan]] people, by virtue of its highly traditional societal mores and relatively stable long-term government, is fairly unique among the Prime branch of languages in that it has been relatively unchanged for the past couple of millennia. Even records from the very beginning, in the time of the [[Ubrekti Empire\|Ubrekti Empire's]] dominance, are readable to any person literate in Odessan, even if they can be difficult to understand.

	===Petaran Subfamily===		===Petaran Subfamily===

Bartley: /* Goblin subfamily */

2020-08-09T21:55:25Z

Goblin subfamily

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:55, 9 August 2020
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	===Goblin subfamily===		===Goblin subfamily===
	*Goblin - The Goblin language is of uncertain origin--all that is really known about its history is that it is quite old, and several regional dialects exist, some of which are barely comprehensible to the others. It serves as a sort of ''~~'lengu~~ Ubrekti''' for subterranean Servitor races. It has a fairly large, albeit fairly unstandardized, vocabulary, and its main utility stems from its relative ability to convey difficult or abstract concepts, when compared to certain other Servitor languages (notably Kobold).		*Goblin - The Goblin language is of uncertain origin--all that is really known about its history is that it is quite old, and several regional dialects exist, some of which are barely comprehensible to the others. It serves as a sort of ''lingua Ubrekti'' for subterranean Servitor races. It has a fairly large, albeit fairly unstandardized, vocabulary, and its main utility stems from its relative ability to convey difficult or abstract concepts, when compared to certain other Servitor languages (notably Kobold).

	*Kobold - Kobold is less a language, and more of a pidgin of several regionally related languages (notably Gildenhome Goblin and Dwarvish). Its structure is not suitable for extremely abstract discussion, but its simplicity makes it a common language between Servitor groups when not enough time exists to form a proper linguistic connection (which is most of the time, since Servitors are hardly known for being particularly cooperative). Different regions have wildly different variations, but the language's sheer simplicity allows highly disparate Kobold cultures to communicate in broad strokes, which is usually more than enough to support the majority of Kobold diplomacy (as it is mainly composed of the actions "Fight" and "Do Not Fight"). The simple structure and vocabulary of Kobold make it particularly suited for battlefield use, especially in a group of varying linguistic background.		*Kobold - Kobold is less a language, and more of a pidgin of several regionally related languages (notably Gildenhome Goblin and Dwarvish). Its structure is not suitable for extremely abstract discussion, but its simplicity makes it a common language between Servitor groups when not enough time exists to form a proper linguistic connection (which is most of the time, since Servitors are hardly known for being particularly cooperative). Different regions have wildly different variations, but the language's sheer simplicity allows highly disparate Kobold cultures to communicate in broad strokes, which is usually more than enough to support the majority of Kobold diplomacy (as it is mainly composed of the actions "Fight" and "Do Not Fight"). The simple structure and vocabulary of Kobold make it particularly suited for battlefield use, especially in a group of varying linguistic background.

	===Orcish subfamily===		===Orcish subfamily===

Bartley: Created page with "There is no "common" trade tongue, but Ubrekti comes close on the Mainland and most educated and literate people can read and write it. People generally speak the tongue of th..."

2020-08-09T21:42:43Z

Created page with "There is no "common" trade tongue, but Ubrekti comes close on the Mainland and most educated and literate people can read and write it. People generally speak the tongue of th..."

New page

There is no "common" trade tongue, but Ubrekti comes close on the Mainland and most educated and literate people can read and write it. People generally speak the tongue of their homeland, while most traders and many in border regions are multi-lingual. Church business and most official international correspondence is conducted in [[Ubrekti]]. Adventurers generally fit into the "educated populace" paradigm, and will thus for one reason or another have that as a starting language. In addition, most of the nations of the mainland will have developed their own tongue, in which the day-to-day is conducted. In more Nationalistic countries (like Odessa), almost everyone can be expected to speak the national tongue (like Odessan), but in countries where national identity is a little more fluid, such as Fresia, this expectation is less certain. For countries like [[Gildenhome]] and [[Sidhe-Praxen]], racial mixing is low enough that the national language is, in fact, named after the races (Dwarven and Sidhe, respectively).

The mother-tongue is generally called Prime, and is thought to have been primarily an oral language. Some particularly ancient monuments, such as the [[Obelisks]], bear a unique and never-deciphered script that some believe to be Prime.

==Demihuman==

These languages are presumed to descend from Prime, although the mechanics and alphabets of Dwarven, Human and Elven show almost no similarities.

*Dwarven - The language of the [[Dwarves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Gildenhome]]. Uses the Dwaven Alphabet.
*Gnomish - The language of the [[Gnomes]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Hakan]]. Uses the Gnomish Alphabet which has strong similarities to the Dwarven one, although Gnomes themselves argue that is due to linguistic corruption during the [[Gnomish Vassalage]] rather than a sign that some aspect of Gnomish culture is taken from the Dwarves.
*Halfling - An extinct oral language with no writing system that was lost after the fall of the Halfling Khans to the early Ubrekti Empire.
*Sidhe - The language of the [[Elves]], and the primary language written and spoken in [[Sidhe-Praxen]]. A flowing melodic language that reflects the elven perception of the natural world. Indeed, ancient folklore and sordid tales speak of Sidhe's almost spell-like ability to evoke the emotions of listeners (usually fair ladies or handsome gentlemen put under the unfortunate thrall of a seductress). Written in Elven Script.

==Human==

All human languages of the Mainland are presumed to have originated with Prime, although the subfamilies diverge enormously, and in some cases the similarities are disputed. The Human language tree, as one might imagine from such a short-lived and prolific race, is much more diverse. All use one of two alphabets. Since the Human written tradition appears during the [[Ubrekti Empire]], all of the human languages of the civilized mainland use the [[Ubrekti Alphabet]]. Written language was only introduced to [[Ulan]] in the first century FI, by [[Mikos Lygit]] in exile, who taught the [[Zupan Alphabet]], a system of his own creation.

===Fresian Subfamily===
The language of [[Fresia]]. The Fresian tree diverged in relatively recent history within the past couple of thousand years. At least thirty variants are spoken, but any speaker of a Fresian language can understand any other speaker of a different Fresian language, although sometimes with difficulty if the two are of the more divergent subgroups. Some speculate that the lack of a single language is what keeps the nations from uniting under a strong central government, while others speculate that it is the other way around. Some of the most-spoken variants include Malusian, Temforith, Temrennith, and Dulisian

===Odessan Subfamily===
*Odessan - The language of the [[Odessa|Odessan]] people, by virtue of its highly traditional societal mores and relatively stable long-term government, is fairly unique among the Prime branch of languages in that it has been relatively unchanged for the past couple of millennia. Even records from the very beginning, in the time of the [[Ubrekti Empire|Ubrekti Empire's]] dominance, are readable to any person literate in Odessan, even if they can be difficult to understand. Odessan is also still the most commonly spoken language in the northern coastal lands which once made up [[Alexia]] though Ubrekti is more popular in the eastern parts closer to the [[Temporal Authority]].

===Petaran Subfamily===
[[Petara]]'s two major ethnic groups divide strongly on linguistic lines between its nomadic and its agrarian peoples.

*Old Petaran (Extinct)
*Petaran - The language of coastal Petara, as well as some parts of [[Utrell]].
*Bedowyld - The languages of the nomads and Bedouins of inland Petara and the Bedowyld Steppes. Bedowyld further divides regionally into several dialectical variants.
*Utrellik - A Petaran-rooted pidgin dialect spoken primarily in the Principality of Utrell and among the sailors, traders, and pirates of the [[Heretic Sea]]. Based on Petaran syntax, it borrows Celesti word structures and is peppered with words derived from Odessan, Elven, and Ubrekti.

===Ubrekti Subfamily===

The languages that derived from that spoken by the Ubrekti Empire are among some of the most influential in the world, and it is the Ubrekti alphabet that is generally used by all save the Ulan subfamilies. Speakers of these languages can often pick up on the vocabulary and structure of words spoken in the others of this group, and simple ideas can often be expressed between them, if the speakers are patient.

*Old Ubrekti (Extinct)
*Ubrekti - The language of [[Ubrekt]] and the [[Temporal Authority]]. It has widespread usage for a variety of reasons, most notably its original codification and spreading by the [[Ubrekti Empire]] and later adoption by the [[Alexandrian Church]] as the language of Church Affairs, which in turn lead to its adoption as the ''de facto'' language of the universities and scholars across the Mainland.
*Flanneri - The language of [[Flannary]].
*Celesti - The language of [[Celestia]].
*Hakni - The language spoken by the humans of the [[Hakan (Human Kingdom)|Kingdom of Hakan]], it is rarely still spoken and only in a few parts of Ubrekt where the descendants of that kingdom were resettled.

===Ulan Subfamily===
Little studied, the Ulan subfamily is quite diverse, and consists of the various tongues spoken by its various tribal families. Writing was not developed independently in the Ulan--the alphabet used there was constructed and introduced by [[Mikos Lygit]], one of the [[Children of Tragedy]] and adopted son of [[Sayid ibn Maimun]], who used it as a vehicle to promote his own Alexandrian Heresy, known as [[Zupanism]]. He was wildly successful, and its use has spread throughout since. The following languages are a small selection of the most commonly spoken tongues in the region, although possibly as many as a hundred variants have been noted.

*Root Ulan (Lost) (Oral only)
*Yarnich - Ulan language variant that is spoken most often in the northern areas of Ulan that border Fresia and Hakan. As this variant is also spoken by the barbarian tribes in southern Fresia, Yarnich is the only Ulan language spoken in large amounts outside of Ulan itself.
*Medrol
*Tefthur
*Medrich
*Kreblin
*Bledoc
*Eweack

==Servitor==

The Servitor language groups are much less-studied, but nevertheless have their own groups.

===Giant subfamily===

*Giantish - The Giants have their own, very ancient, tongue, but many Giants, living solely or in small family groups among larger groups of other Servitors, speak it very rarely, instead opting for the more common Goblin or Orcish tongues. The Giantish tongue is a mystery, not because it is little known, but because it has survived for so long - [[Giant-kin]] tend to be spread out, and mingle with other races, yet Giants, when alone, will communicate with each other in Giantish. Anecdotes have reported that the vocabulary is even consistent among widely separated Giant groups, but due to the lack of interest among the Goodly Races in the language, as well as the sheer rarity of Giant kind, such stories are an unreliable source at best.

===Goblin subfamily===
*Goblin - The Goblin language is of uncertain origin--all that is really known about its history is that it is quite old, and several regional dialects exist, some of which are barely comprehensible to the others. It serves as a sort of '''lengu Ubrekti''' for subterranean Servitor races. It has a fairly large, albeit fairly unstandardized, vocabulary, and its main utility stems from its relative ability to convey difficult or abstract concepts, when compared to certain other Servitor languages (notably Kobold).

*Kobold - Kobold is less a language, and more of a pidgin of several regionally related languages (notably Gildenhome Goblin and Dwarvish). Its structure is not suitable for extremely abstract discussion, but its simplicity makes it a common language between Servitor groups when not enough time exists to form a proper linguistic connection (which is most of the time, since Servitors are hardly known for being particularly cooperative). Different regions have wildly different variations, but the language's sheer simplicity allows highly disparate Kobold cultures to communicate in broad strokes, which is usually more than enough to support the majority of Kobold diplomacy (as it is mainly composed of the actions "Fight" and "Do Not Fight"). The simple structure and vocabulary of Kobold make it particularly suited for battlefield use, especially in a group of varying linguistic background.

===Orcish subfamily===

*Orcish - Orcs have developed their own tongue, thought to be distantly related to Sidhe, but muddling from surrounding Human and Dwarvish groups (and a lack of living speakers of Sidhe on the Mainland) have kept any such speculations from being verified. Contrary to the rough nature of Orcish appearance, the tongue is melodic, and Orcish chants might be considered some of the more beautiful in the world, if they didn't regularly precede the destruction of the town that heard them.

==Other==

===Druidic===
*Druidic - The magical and mysterious language shared by all [[Druids]] regardless of background. Sometimes confused with being related to Sidhe or the strange Slyvan languages common to Fey creatures due to some mingling of vocabulary, it is a separate language with unique characteristics. The Druids themselves are not known to have made any comment on the matter, but the language seems to have some magical component as it is indecipherable and can not be learned by mundane means. Outside of short-lived magical spells such as ''comprehend languages'' or ''tongues'' only people who have trained as a druid can speak, read, or understand it.

===Extinct Mythological Languages===
*Draconic - The legendary language of the extinct [[Dragons]].
*Naga - The legendary language of the extinct [[Naga]].

===Outlands===
The linguistic history of the [[Unknown Lands]] is largely unknown and unstudied. There is no regular or reliable contact or relations between the two lands and what few stories of contact do exist describe languages and writing systems with few similarities to Mainland languages.

===Planar and Outsider===
Creatures from outside [[The Veil]] typically speak their own languages, but outside of especially scholarly clerics and wizards few would even know of the existence of these.

*Abyssal - The language of Demons
*Celestial - The language of Celestials
*Infernal - The language of Devils
*Primordial - The language of Elementals, made up of Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran dialects, one for each of the four elemental planes. Creatures that speak different dialects of the same language can communicate with one another.
*Sylvan - The language of Fey creatures.

===Sahuagin===

*Sahuagin - The language of the utterly alien shark people who live under the seas. Sahuagin have not been seen on the mainland for ages and are are considered mythological to many, but they likely still exist, lurking beneath the waters. Many sailors still tell tales of seeing them but few have believable stories of surviving an up-close encounter. They are widespread and speak a variety of tongues, but since very little is known about the race itself, none on the Mainland knows much beyond that. The sounds are a frightening combination of ethereal trills mixed with wet flapping and short grunts, punctuated by basso popping noises that can carry quite long distances under water.

===Ssel'it subfamily===

*Ssel'it - The language of the [[Lizardfolk]] is unique among the languages of the Mainland, largely due to their unique physiology. Much like cursive writing, all its sounds are combined into one sibilant chain of phonemes that is almost impossible for the untrained to distinguish into lexical units.

=Naming=
Tips from the World Master on good naming themes:

* Is it Gnomish? Make it long, and don't skimp on "g"s and "n"s! Feel free to give places non-gnomish "alternate" names.
* Is it Odessan? Make it just left of conventional. Boooring.
* Is it Ubrekti? Latin that shit up! -i, -ae, -us, etc make great endings here.
* Is it Fresian? -berg or -burg are always good, if predictable, suffixes for major towns. This would be a good place to put those Z's you've been holding on to. Austrian, Polish, & Germanic flavored names all work well here, but careful not to stray too far into the Slavic.
* Is it Petaran? Persian and Turkish traditions are good places to start.
* Is it Bedowyld? No, of course not, because they don't have cities! But, they still name stuff, and when they do it's an Arab/Mongol mashup.
* Is it Flannari? Frenchify that shit! Focus on the fruity endings: -aux, -ailles, etc.
* Is it Celstian? Gaelic mashup! The mountainy parts are more Scottish flavored, while the lowland and foresty parts are more Irish themed. I do believe the Gaelic language likes consonants.
* Is it Alexian? Hardly matters, since it's a polyglot culture. You could do worse than looking at the Ancient Greek cities.
* Is it Hakni? Iberian works well here, though Portuguese is probably better than Spanish when push comes to shove.
* Is it Dwarven? So far been naming them after Dwarves from LotR (Port Turin) or just making stuff up whole cloth (Draglet).
* Is it Sidhe? Leave it to the WorldMaster usually.

== Tools ==
* [http://donjon.bin.sh/name/#german_town Donjon random name generator] - Can generate town names, character names, etc.
* [http://www.squid.org/rpg-random-generator Squid RPG Name Generator] - Generate along popular themes