Languages of Aarthus

The human languages and dialects of Aorlis are as follows:

Aarchonian

Language of classical learning, preserved in the writing of Golden-Age Aarchonian scientists and philosophers. Still spoken in modern Aarchonian. It has its own alphabet.

Abur

This is the language family of North Kand.

Aenglik

Spoken nearly everywhere in Aorlis, this tongue combines Kaelthic with significant borrowings from Old Karmithian and Skalling. See also Central, Ostric and Westspeak dialects of Aenglik.

Amunk

The language of Uadan, and related to Ehmin.

Aogric

Spoken in the Baelrics, this aboriginal tongue is from the same language group as Auldic. It appears dense to the ear, but is well suited to music and poetry. See also “Auldic.” This language has become marginalized, as Aenglik becomes the common tongue in Baelric. It has no alphabet or written version, and using the Karmithian alphabet for it is difficult.

Arrend

Arrendos language

Auldic

Spoken in Allyn, Auldic is of the same language group as Aogric, but spoken at a faster clip. Aogric and Auldic speakers may make themselves understood to each other. This language is quite marginalized as Aenglik has become the first language in Allyn. It has no alphabet or written version, and using the Karmithian alphabet for it difficult.

Central Aenglik

This is the Aenglik dialect spoken in Gwyfned, Allyn and Baelric.

Chimal

A language group in Kthay

Chir

A language Group in Kthay

Draasun

This is an aboriginal tongue, but unrelated to the other aboriginal tongues still spoken in Aorlis. It has no written version, and it is in danger of being forgotten. Only the most reclusive Draas still speak it, because Aenglik has superseded throughout the region.

Duerm

Spoken in Trimontre, this is a variant of Skalling with numeorous Aenglik loan words. Luckily, they have no difficulty conversing with their neighbors to the south, Orlois.

Ehmin

The language group of Marlak, Ehmin is related to Amunk.

Ellidic

This is the language of angels. It is difficult to learn, but its words are charged with divine power.

Faerie

The language of Others, reminiscent of birdsong. Others include all the Fey, dwarves, and other creatures of that realm.

Ildathi

This is an extinct language of Ildathi people, rubbed out by Draas.

Kalthic

This is the most widely spoken language in Kaelthic Aorlis, before the Karmithians invaded. There is no written literature, because while Kalthic had a runic alphabet, it was used for spells, and marking location stones and staves, but not much else. Any Kalthic literature that survives was mostly epics, committed to memory and transmitted generation to generation, written down in Karmithian long after the fact. This is now a dead language.

Khemsid

This tongue is not associated with Telith-Eri or Khemt, but is the language of the itinerant Khemsid nation that migrates around the Known World. Khemsid’s root language is unknown.

Khemsid Handspeak

This is a sign-language version of Khemsid that coexists with it. Khemsid’s root language is unknown.

Legal Karmithian

This is Karmithian derivation spoken universally in the Aorlisian Church. As much a written language as a spoken one, it is used for all business transactions, almost all literature, prayers, and all church liturgy. Compared to Old Karmithian, the modern legal version has developed linguistic quirks of its own, but it is still interchangeable to a great extent.

Maliki

Maliki is spoken in Imerkand by the Im-Talik peoples.

Matsuun

Language group on Matsuun

Monk-Sign

A simple sign language used in all monastic orders in Aorlis. It developed for monks to communicate during required silence periods, such as when they eat.

Nanglik

A pigeon sailors language Nanglik (aka Neuvo Aenglik) is spoken in Eubrac.

Narbelle

This is an alternate form of Aenglik with many Arrend borrowed words. It is not interchangeable with Aenglik or Arrend, but communication with either country is possible.

Neuvo Karmithian

Spoken throughout the Holy Karmithian Empire, and West Karmithia, this is a simplified form of Old Karmithian still in regular use. Its confusing tenses and large passages of its vocabulary have been trimmed down, and it is much easier to learn.

Nhetherspeak

This is the native language of hell, and spoken by demons.

Old Aenglik

While still comprehensible to modern speakers, this more archaic form of the language seems more guttural than its later form. It was the wholesale adoption of Skalling terms after the Jotun invasions that made Old Aenglik into modern Aenglik.

Old Karmithian

Also known as Legal Karmithian or Classic Karmithian, this language came to Aorlis with its Karmithian conquerors, and it was the common tongue for about 400 years and never entirely left. It loaned much of its vocabulary to Kaelthic, creating Old Aenglik, but Karmithian’s true survival was its adoption as the universal language of the Church. This language is difficult to learn because it has a bewildering number of tenses. One of Old Karmithian’s source languages was Aarchonian, although they do not share an alphabet.

Ostric

This is the Aenglik dialect used east of the Aendril Mountains. Ostric and Westspeak speakers can communicate easily, but their accents are obvious.

Pigeon Aenglik

This is a polyglot tongue used by the merchants of Starshaven, and among mariners and in all ports in the known world. This tongue is Aenglik with a simplified structure, but it borrows its vocabulary from a wide mix of languages.

Sharimiac

The Sharim language is very ancient, and it still owes much to Tol.

Skalling

Spoken in Fiordlunde, this is actually more a language family than an individual tongue. It original alphabet and written form still exists, but it is runic, more appropriate in spells and markers, not so much in written history. For this, Skalling has adopted the alphabets of other languages.

Telith-Eri

The language of Khemt, both ancient and modern. It has its own hieroglyphic alphabet.

Tol

This is the original human language, before humanity diversified into all its myriad branches. This is a dead language, no longer spoken anywhere, although its vocabulary is present in all languages that followed. It had an alphabet, now only remembered by some wizards, where letter shapes were based on astrological forms, and tied into the cosmos. Religion teaches that Tol was created by Adramschar, the first man who was also called the Great Namer, because he invented the root language of subsequent languages, as he named all things. It is said that Tol may be intuitively comprehended by all humans, even those whom have never heard it spoken before. It is further claimed that Tol is the source of all true names, and its use in magic magnifies the results. Only part of the vocabulary has survived through time, and no one is sure about pronunciation. Spoken by Prateans, Noirites, and the Great Men of Old on lost Orlinaea.

Verdanne

The aboriginal language spoken by the Verdanne in their underground world.

Westspeak

This is the Aenglik dialect spoken west of the Aendril Mountains. Ostric and Westspeak speakers can communicate easily, but their accents are notable.