Languages in the Forgotten Realms
by Bobby Nichols
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First off, let me stress that what follows is not cannon. In fact, I made
most of the languages up. So, chances are you will not see any of these
languages mentioned in any FR supplement or elsewhere other than my
materials.
I created the families of languages for the FRs mainly because I found it
to be unreasonable (unrealistic) for everyone to know Thorass (common). So
I implemented the following rules:
1. Only humans and halflings get Thorass for free (in terms of non-weapon
proficiencies). All other races must buy Thorass as a non-weapon
proficiency (based on I). Elves get Espruar and Dwarves get Dethak for
free. Half-elves get either Thorass or Espruar, depending on their
background, for free.
2. All modern languages are based on Intelligence as non-weapon
proficiencies.
3. All ancient languages are based on I-2 as a non-weapon proficiency.
4. Really ancient languages are based on I-2 also, but take two
proficiency slots to learn.
5. An ancient language that has "evolved" into a modern language can be
defaulted to as I-6. A really ancient language that has roots in a
known modern language can also be defaulted to as I-12.
6. A character that is from a border area where two or more modern
languages are spoken side by side (such as the Western Heartlands
where Northern, Cormish, and Calish are spoken side by side) may, at
the DM's option, know several languages for free.
Modern Languages
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Language | Where Spoken | Spoken Roots found in |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Aglarish | Aglarond | Tayish, Espruar, Cormish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Alarish | Estagund, Var the Golden, | Arkian |
| | Durpar | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Allesian | Thesk | Raumish, Auld Naric |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Batiric | Chult | goblin tongues |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Bedine | Anauroch | Netherian |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Calish | Calimsham, Tethyr, Amn | Amnic, Tramic, Waelish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Chandic | Vaasa, Damara, Impiltur, | Tharish, Raumish, Auld |
| | Tantras, Raven's Bluff, | Naric |
| | across the Vast | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Chessic | Chessentra | Alambish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Cormish | Cormyr, Sembia, Dalelands | Tharish, Turmish, Amnic |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Damish | Dambrath | Arkian, Drow Elvish, |
| | | Shaartan |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Dethak | dwarves | Auld Dethak and varous |
| | | other tongues |
+-------------+---------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Espruar | elves | Auld Espruar and various |
| | | other tongues |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Halric | Halruaa | Netherian |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Illuskan | Luskan, Mintarn, | Tramic |
| | Moonshaes, Ruathym | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Lantish | Lantan | Netherian |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Luiric | Luiren | Arkian, halfling tongues |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Malic | Chult (dwarves) | Auld Malic, dwarvish |
| tongues | | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Naric | Narfell, The Great Dale, | Ashanath |
| Auld Naric | | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Northern | Waterdeep, north to | Tramic |
| | Silverymoon, south to | |
| | Llork, west back to | |
| | Waterdeep | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Rasallesian | Rashamen | Raumish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Sempish | Semphar, Murghom | Raurish, Turamish, Mulanish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Shaartan | lands across the Shaar | Alambish, Arkian, Calish, |
| | | Reian, Enlilic |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Sossic | Sossal | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Tabaxan | Chult | influences of Malic |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Tharish | regions near the Moonsea, | Auld Tharish |
| | common tongue for the | |
| | Zhentarim. | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Thayish | Thay | Alambish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Thorass | across the Realms; trading | Auld Thorass and varous |
| | tongue | regional tongues |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Turmish | Turmish, Chondath | Alambish, Cormish |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Ulgarish | Ulgarth | Turmish, Shaartan |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Ulutiun | the Great Glacier | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Uthgaric | barbarians of the North, | Tramic |
| | barbarians of the High | |
| | Moor | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Waelish | the Moonshae Isles | |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
| Zhentish | Zhentil Keep, Darkhold, | Tharish, words common to the |
| | only used by the Zhentarim | priesthood of Cryic (Bane) |
+-------------+----------------------------+------------------------------+
Ancient Languages (mostly not spoken anymore)
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Ancient Language | Where Spoken |
+------------------------|---------------------------------------+
| Alambish | South of the east end of the Sea of |
| | Fallen Stars |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Auld Tharish | North of the Moonsea |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Auld Thorass | Trade Language, nearly everywhere |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Auld Naric | north east of the Sea of Fallen Stars |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Mulanish | east end of the Shaar |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Raumish | East of the Sea of Fallen Stars |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Tramic | Northman's tongue |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Turamish | east end of the Shaar |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------+
Really Ancient Languages
These languages are not spoken anymore anywhere. Generally, these are the
languages that are 3000+ years old. Mostly only sages know these langauges.
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Really Ancient Languages | Where Spoken |
+--------------------------|--------------------------------------+
| Amnic | the southern Sword Coast |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Arkian | The Shining South |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Auld Espruar | ancient elvish |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Enlilic | south east of the Alambic Sea (south |
| | east end of the Sea of Fallen Stars) |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Eshouish | Chult |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Netherian | Ancient land of Netheril (under |
| | Anauroch) |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Raurish | where the Raurin Desert now lies |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Reian | south west of the Alambic Sea (south |
| | east end of the Sea of Fallen Stars) |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+
Note: The languages above are mostly human tongues. Each of the races also
have their own tongues. Additionally, several cults have their own
language, as does the school of illusion and various thieves' guilds.
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