Languages (Greyhawk)

The languages of Greyhawk have roots that go back to ancient roots. Learning these root languages facilitates the understanding of languages that grew out of that root. Many root languages are lost and not taught.

Human Languages

The following languages are spoken by different human cultures of The World of Greyhawk:

Common Speech

Imagine US English if there had been no British English, only a mix of other tounges The trade tongue of the Flanaess and the standard language of World of Greyhawk campaigns. Spoken in the central and south-west Flanaess, it is the universal second language of the Flanaess and spoken by most people to one degree or another. Common is a mix of Oerdian, Suel, and Flan, with Baklunish loan words and grammatical influences.

The culture associated with the Common Tunge is generally called the Common Culture, but sometimes the more fancy expression Cosmopolitan Culture is used to mean the same thing.

As you travel the world speaking Common, the language changes from region to region, incorporating more and more old regional languages. For a regular traveler, this is not an issue, as you have time to pick up the changes along the way. Traveling by teleport or similar fast means, each version of Common you encounter is hard to decipher.

• Amedi: The trade tounge of the Amedio jungles, this is mix of Suel with Olman, Draconic, and Flanaess Common.
• Cant Not quite a language, more a jargon used by rogues and hobos to convey double messages in a conversation. The language is secret and hard to learn by ear alone. Like the Common Speech itself it varies from region to region and takes a little while to pick up. The language has no written form, but signs discreetly carved to be noted only by those in the know are used to indicate dangers and opportunities.
• Hawkish: Spoken in Greyhawk and on the Wild Coast, Hawkish seems jaded and snide to outsiders.
• Keoish: This widespread dialect of Oeridian in the large and rich Selintarn valley in the south-west of the Flanaess, based on the speech of the ancient Kalgonite tribe, has absorbed local Kalgonite, Diembre, Suel, and Flan expressions. It is spoken in and around Keoland, and is the forerunner of the Common tongue.
• Mongrelman: A group of misshapen humanoids found in the Underdark and Netherworld. This language has a lot in common with various surface languages and can be a good introduction to Aklo for surface dwellers.
• Polyglot: A mix of Tuov, different tribal languages, Olman, and Flanaess Common. A trade tongue of northern and western Hepmonaland. Sort of the "Common" of that area, but less a separate language than the Common Speech of the Flanaess.
• Urnanthal : Fantasy German. Spoken in the lands of Urnst and in the Bandit Kingdoms, this dialect of Common developed separately from that in Keoland, but is remarkably similar, just sounding a bit rustic.

Baklunish

Spoken by the civilized successor states of the Baklunish Empire in the north-west of the Flanaess. Written Baklunish is very uniform. The spoken tongue has dialects, and it is generally quite easy to place a speaker by his accent, but most speakers can understand each other quite easily.

Chakji

Spoken by arctic peoples, hunters in the Land of Black Ice and arctic regions beyond. They live as fisher-folk or pastorals following herds. Generally reclusive but friendly once found, not much is known about them.

Flan

The language of the original natives of the Flanaess, spoken as a secret language by peasants and tribes people everywhere. Only a few remote lands, mostly in central northern Flanaess, still have Flan as a first language.

• Burnevian is the language spoken in the Burneal Forest to the far north-west in the Flanaess, bordering the land of Black Ice.
• Druidic: The druids' tongue of the Flanaess shares roots with Flan, but it is specialized and static, focusing only on the natural world. It also preserves many elements of Primordial. Druidic is a secret language, especially in its written form.
• Uirtag: A dialect of Flan in the north. Reputedly spoken by short-statured, blue-painted Flan aborigines with poison-tipped spears in the Burneal Forest.
• Ur-Flan: A dialect of flan with influences from Necril. The Ur-Flan was a civilization with Flan roots characterized by necromantic magic and small castle-cities. They were destroyed by the Aerdy and no known living people speak this dialect today, but it can be found in ancient writing and spoken by ancient undead.

Oerdian

The language of the recently dominant human people, now spoken mostly in the feudal areas of the central and eastern Flanaess. What is termed oerdian today is the dialect of Furyondi, tough this selection is arbitrary and mainly chosen because this dialect is the ones most accessible to the University of Greyhawk.

• Aerdi: The original dialect of the Aerdy, the main tribe who settled the Great Kingdom, especially the southern and central parts. Aerdi is sometimes refereed to as "High Oerdian" and was the court language of the Great Kingdom.
• Diembri: What is now Andoran was mainly settled by the Diembri tribe, worshippers of Pholtus. In the time of the empire, this dialect was considered rustic, but with the emergence of the republic, Diembri is now the official language of Andoria.
• Ferral: An old Oeridian tribal language now spoken only by officials of the Iron League. Ferral is used for military command purposes and is not a living language. Many fear that infiltration by agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood has compromised this code-tongue. The main interest in Ferral today is that it is the basis of signaling.
• Keolandish: This widespread dialect of Oeridian, based on the speech of the ancient Kalgonite tribe, has absorbed local Kalgonite, Diembre, Suel, and Flan expressions. It is spoken in and around Keoland, and is the forerunner of the Common tongue.
• Nyrondese: This Oeridian dialect is spoken in rural areas of Nyrond. It is the primary language of peasants, shopkeepers, and other common folk who distrust outsiders.
• Velondi: A dialect of Oerdian, originally spoken by the Vollar tribe of Oerdians, it is still spoken in Veluna and western Furyondy.

Olman

Olman slaves of the Sea Princes or Scarlet Brotherhood speak this strange tongue, their masters hate it. Its huge, complex "alphabet" is really a vast set of pictographs. It is heard most often in the western Sea Princes' lands and in the depths of the Amedio Jungle.

• Amedi: Naturalized Olman and Suel of the Amedio Jungle speak this corrupt form of Ancient Suloise with Olman influences. Its few written symbols are Suloise alphabet characters.
• Tlaman is the language of the yuan-ti of Hepmonaland and their slaves. It is largely derived from Olman with phrases from Touv and Yuan-Ti, altered to be best pronounced with forked tongues. It uses essentially the same pictographs as Olman, and an Olman speaker can understand approximately two-thirds of Tlaman.

Osirian

The language of ancient Erypt, a land dominated by the dead and by the ruins of a glorious past. This is actually several different languages of the early, mid, late, and current Osirian cultures.

Paynim

A second language family of the western plains, Paynim is spoken over a very wide area.

• Ordai: This dialect shared by the Wolf and Tiger Nomads bears some resemblance to Ancient Baklunish, but it is most similar to dialects spoken among the distant Paynims. Its written form is based on Baklunish script.
• Ulagha: The language of the Uli is a debased form of Paynim. If written, it is usually in Abyssal characters.

Rhopan

Unrelated to any other human language, Rhenne speak Rhopan. A melodious language well suited to poetry, songs, and curses.

Suel

The language of the ancient Suel civilization and their few surviving modern descendants. An important historical and magical language. The main concentration of modern speakers is in the Tilvan peninsula in the north-east and the Drawmidj Ocean region.

• Amedi: Only Suel of the Amedio Jungle speak this corrupt form of Ancient Suloise with Olman influences. Its few written symbols are Suloise alphabet characters.
• Cold Tongue: A dialect of Suel spoken by the Suel barbarians of the north-east. It is usually written using Dwarven runes.
• Lendorian: This obscure dialect of Suloise (influenced by Common and full of nautical terms) was spoken in the Lendore Isles by humans before they were deported by elves in 583 CY. Only human refugees know it now. It has no relation to Elvish and is not written.
• Qudran: Spoken in the desert lands on the far side of the mountains of the Nippon Territories and in the Bright Desert.
• Zankri: Spoken by the divine caste of Zindia, descendants of Suel invaders.
• Derrosh: is a combination of Dwarven and Suloise, spoken by the derro, evil subterranean dwarfs.

Tuov

The trade tongue of Hepmonaland and the language family of the Tuov peoples.

• Polygot: A mix of Tuov, different tribal languages, Amedi, and Common. A trade tongue in northern and western Hepmonaland. Sort of the "Common" of that area, but less a separate language than the Common tongue of the Flanaess.

Zindran

Spoken in Zindria, the civilized jungle nations south and west of the Amedio jungle.

• Zankri: A dialect of Suel used by the magic cast of Zindia, descendants of Suel invaders. This language has very few similarities to Zindran and is mostly used in hymns and magical texts.

Demi-Human Languages

The languages of non-human humanoids, from giants to gnomes.

Dwarf

An ancient language related to Primordial and thus to the elemental powers of creation. It is written using runes, which are keys to magical power, especially curses and enchanted objects. Sagas are not written down but learnt by heart. Dwarf is closely related to Giant and its various dialects.

• Cloud Giant: The giants of air consider themselves nobility. Their language has links to Auran.
• Cyclops (Ghol-Gan): Cyclops are one-eyed prophetic giants that once had an empire of their own, called Ghol-Gan.
• Derrosh: is a combination of Dwarven and Suloise, spoken by the derro, evil subterranean dwarfs.
• Fire Giant: These black giants have the stature of huge dwarfs, and much of the same mindset. There is even similarity in language, tough Fire Giant also has Ignan influences.
• Frost Giant: A model for the Thillonrian barbarians, frost giants are warriors and raiders.
• Hill Giant: Just one step above ogres, other giants look down on hill giants and their language is primitive.
• Ogre: Ogres are degenerate creatures speaking a pidgin version of Giant.
• Stone Giant: Relatively friendly, Stone Giant is one of the more accessible dialects of Giant. It has influences from Terram.
• Storm Giant: The royals of giantkind, their dialect is the most advanced. Their language is related to Aquan.

Elven

Elven is an old language of uncertain origin. The long life of elves means the language changes slowly—elven dialects differ in the specialized words for each environment and in idioms and tone deliberately introduced to set tribes apart form each other.

• High Elven: A successor language of Grey Elven, this is the language of elven nobility and the high elves of civilized elven nations. This is the version of elvish most taught to other races.
• Grey Elven: The noble elves that built the first cities in what is today the Hellfurnaces. Mostly a dead language, used on some ceremonial occasions.
• Fey Elven: Spoken by elves of the Feywild and carries influenced from Primordial.
• Drow: A mix of elven and the various language of demons and the Underdark, used by the dark elves. Drow has had a strong influence on Undercommon.
• Drow Sign: Drow have a of signs and poses, used in battle and intrigue. Each house has their own dialect, hard for outsiders to understand, but there are also common signs used by many. Speakers of elvish (even Drow) cannot understand Drow Sign unless they learn it as a separate language.
• Wood Elven: Wood elves speak this dialect. It has influences from Sylvan, about a third of conversation is legible between the languages.
• Gruach: Wild elves speak this dialect, looked down on by other elves. It has influences from Beast Speech, speakers can communicate greetings and simple concepts with each other.
• Shadar-Kai: A language granted to the elves moving to the Lendore Isles by intervention of the goddess Sehanine. It is a mix of Elvish and Celestial. It lacks any similarity to the human Lendorian language.
• Genie On the edge between elemental languages and elvish.
  • Ifrit: The mirage-like fire elves live in the Sea of Dust and Bright Dessert, but many think they are a myth. The language has many influences from Ignan.
  • Oread: Elves of mountain vales and slopes. The language has many influences from Terran.
  • Sylph: Elves of cloud and mountaintops, these winged creatures are a legend few know the truth of. The language has many influences from Auran.
  • Undine: Sea elves, the most well known of the elemental elf tribes. The language has many influences from Aquan.
  • Kryas: Ice elves, reclusive elves of the north. The language has many influences from both Auram and Aquan.
• Gnome: Sometimes called low elvish, this is the language of servants and common folk in the Feywild. Gnome is a low-status language compared to Sylvan and Elvish. Related to Dwarf, Sylvan and Elvish, but also to Goblin. Its spoken form is sort of the trade tongue of Fairy, but has less penetration that Common has on Oerth. Gnomish is written using Elvish letters or in a series of rebuses and improvised pictograms intermixed with letters from other languages. Basically, each gnome has their own version, but strangely most other speakers can also read simple texts without too much trouble.
  • Barbegazi: Ice gnomes of the north speak this language.
  • Caligni: Dark Folk speak a language named after their masters, the Caligni. Are Dark Folk the gnomes of the Shadowfell? The languages show similarities.
  • Goblin: Goblin is strangely similar to Gnome, with influences from Giant. Spoken by bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins. Less common speakers include norkers and xvarts. Not a united language, Goblin has one dialect for every tribe.
  • Halfling: A malleable language, today's Halfling has much Common in it.
  • Kobold: Small reptilian miners and trappers, the Kobold tongue is a mix of Draconic and Goblin.
  • Korred: A wild fey relative of gnomes.
  • Svirfneblin: Deep gnomes live in the Netherworld, their language is influenced by Aklo and Undercommon. One of the most accessible languages of the Underdark.

Monster Languages

Aklo

Also called Undercommon, Aklo is variant of Sylvan with influences of what might be Deep Speech. Aklo is the language of unseelie fairies and the trade tongue of the Netherworld. Aklo is not really a root language for the Netherworld, that might possibly be Deep Speech or Aboleth, but Aklo is a much more common and useful language. The languages of the Aklo language group are widely different, communicated by different means (sound, light, vibrations, scents, psychic) by different creatures.

• Aboleth: The aboleth once had an ocean-spanning civilization and created the skum. Theirs is a language of illusion, scent, and tentacles.
• Beholder: Eye tyrants are often telepathic, but loathe to risk having another beholder invade their mind. Their language uses their eyestalks for signaling, but they can revert to normal speech as well.
• Deep Speech: The language of aberrations, an alien form of communication originating in the Far Realms. When written by mortals it used the gnomish pictograph, as the only way to properly convey the language is with esoteric symbology. It is an extremely complex highly contextual language, reliant heavily on more than just sound, tone, and inflection. It utilizes body language, scents, trilling, gurgling, and a whole manner of unpleasantries that most mortals struggle with. Is this the language of the Far Realm, or a for refugees of the far realm? Sages can't agree on this. All this makes Deep Speech an almost useless language to normal folk.
• Drow: A mix of elven and the various language of demons and the Underdark, used by the dark elves.
• Elder Thing : Spoken by the Great Race of Yith, this language might be found in written form in the ruins of their civilization, if Yithians ever lived on Oerik.
• Encephalon: Encephalon gorgers (sometimes known as cranial vampires or star vampires) are brain-consuming creatures. A large part of their language is transmitted by exposing patterns in their otherwise transparent bodies.
• Flail Snail: Exotic inhabitants of the netherworld, and among the least hostile of all aberrations, but still very hard to communicate with. Flail snails major means of communication are the slime trails they leave. Two flail snails deep in conversation move in a circle, following each others' lime trail.
• Flumph: Fungous floaters originating in another star system, Flumph sometimes appear as messengers or explorers.
• Grimlock: A race of blind humanoids perfectly adapted to navigating in the Underdark.
• Gug: Huge humanoids similar to giants common in the Dreamlands and Netherworld.
• Illithid: Mind-flayers are mysterious humanoids with cephalous heads.
• Mongrelman: A group of misshapen humanoids found in the Underdark and Netherworld. This language has a lot in common with various surface languages and can be a good introduction to Aklo of surface dwellers.
• Myconoid: Spoken by myconoids, a hierarchy of different animate fungi.
• Nagaji: Spoken by naga and nagaji.
• Skum: Monstrous fish-men, once serving the Aboleth but today often their own masters.
• Svirfneblin: Svirfneblin or Deep Gnomes live in the Netherworld. Similarities to Gnomic makes this a rather accessible language from the Aklo language family.
• Vegepygmy: A race of small fungous humanoids speak this language.

Draconic

Draconic is one of the oldest languages; early draconic humanoids had a civilization before the gods fully entered the world. Today Draconic speakers are mostly debased primitives. The Draconic spoken by true dragons is considered the purest.

• Babbler: Primitive dinosaur-kin, babblers are close to beasts.
• Boggard: Frog-folk.
• Bullywugs: Monstrous frog-folk.
• Kobold: Small reptilian miners and trappers, the Kobold tongue has been influenced by Goblin.
• Lizardfolk: The most common Draconic-speakers, lizardfolk are hunter-gatherers often found in swamps.
• Tlaman is the language of the yuan-ti of Hepmonaland. It is largely derived from Olman with phrases from Touv and Yuan-Ti, altered to be best pronounced with forked tongues. It uses essentially the same pictographs as Olman, and an Olman speaker can understand approximately two-thirds of Tlaman.
• Troglodytes: Underground lizard-people. Believed close to primordial Draconic humanoids, but debased.
• Yuan-Ti: Serpent people once had a primordial civilization that used this language. Today it is rare even among the Yuan-Ti who mostly speak the degenerate Tlaman.

Astral

The hypothetical lost root language of the languages of the deep astral plane that scholars think splintered into Celestial and Infernal. The best a student of the Astral can do is to learn Celestial and Infernal.

There are claims that Astral and Primordial have a root language, the Words of Creation, a language whose words are so precise they can only be spoken once, ever, at the creation of the world. Primordial being scoff at the idea that the universe started with something as structured as words.

Note that Abyssal is now in the Primordial language family, since demons are now Primordial beings.

• Celestial: The language of the higher spheres.
• Daemonic: The language of fiends that are not devils.
• Garuda: Garuda are bird-like outsiders of good.
• Infernal: The language of devils.
• Modron: The language of modrons and other creatures of pure law. This is an algorithmic language of almost pure logic.
• Samsaran: Celestials living in physical form on the material plane.
• Slaadi: Slaadi are chaotic frog-like outsiders native to the chaotic regions of the Astral.
• Sphinx: Sphinx is a mysterious language, suited to philosophical discussions and statements. Potentially this could be the oldest of all languages, a mixture of Astral and Primordial, close to the original Words of Creation.
• Lendor Elvish: A language granted to the elves moving to the Lendore Isles by intervention of the goddess Sehanine. It is a mix of Elvish and Celestial.

Primordial

The earliest "language" of the ethereal realms, Primordial is not a language for conversation, it is more suited to dramatic exclamations and words of power. The other languages of this family are more mundane and suitable for everyday use.

• Abyssal: The language of demons and the Abyss. This language is a development of Primordial, making it capable of conversation, if limited one. With demons becoming ethereal beings, their language is a development of Primordial, not Astral.
• Aquan: The language of water.
• Auran: The language of air.
• Druidic: The druids' tongue of the Flanaess shares roots with Flan, but it is specialized and static, focusing on the natural world. While related to Flan, it is also close to Primordial.
• Ifrit: The mirage-like fire elves live in the Sea of Dust and Bright Dessert, but many think they are a myth. The language has many influences from Ignan.
• Ignan: The language of fire.
• Oread: Elves of mountain vales and slopes. The language has many influences from Terran.
• Sylph: Elves of cloud and mountaintops, these winged creatures are a legend few know the truth of. The language has many influences from Auran.
• Sphinx: Sphinx is a mysterious language, suited to philosophical discussions and statements. Potentially this could be the oldest of all languages, a mixture of High Astral and Primordial. Or it might not be.
• Terran: The language of earth.
• Undine: Sea elves, perhaps the most well known of the elemental elf tribes. The language has many influences from Aquan.

Shadowtongue

The language of creatures native to the Shadowfell.

• Caligni: Dark Folk speak a language named after their masters, the Caligni. Are Dark Folk the gnomes of the Shadowfell?
• Necril: A language of undead and the Shadowfell, Necril is a useful language for necromancers because of its large vocabulary on the subject.
• Rhopan: Unrelated to any other human language, Rhenne speak Rhopan, as does some natives of the Shadowfell.
• Shadar-Kai: Spoken by the shadow fey, it is closer to elvish than to Shadowtounge.
• Shae: Shae, and the half-Shae known as Fetchlings are spirits of shadow.
• Ur-Flan: A dialect of flan with influences from Necril. The Ur-Flan was a civilization with Flan roots characterized by necromantic magic and small castle-cities. They were destroyed by the Aerdy and no known living people speak this dialect, but it can be found in ancient writing and spoken by ancient undead.

Sylvan

Also called First Speech or Fey, Sylvan is the language of the fey, including dryads, brownies, and leprechauns. It is also the root language for the languages of many intelligent plants. It uses the Elven alphabet.

• Treant: Spoken by treeants and animated trees.
• Wood Elven: Wood elves speak this dialect of elvish that has influences from Sylvan, speakers can communicate greetings and simple concepts with each other.
• Wrang: is spoken by the natives in the Nippon Territories. It originated as Nipponese, but has absorbed Celestial, Qudran and, Zindran
• Beast Speech is spoken by beastfolk using of vocalizations, body postures, scents, and alterations of fur patterns. Beast-folk are common in Nippon and Wrang, rare otherwise. Non-beastfolk can communicate only very simple topics in their dialects. Civilized forms of Beast Speech with less animal influences become more and more similar to Nipponese.
  • Adlet: Wolf-folk speak Adlet. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Banderlog: Baboon-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Catfolk: Catfolk are adventurous. They are uncommon, but not unseen, except when they want to be.
  • Chike: Crocodile-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Girtablilu: Scorpion men. Exist in the Bright Desert and Erypt.
  • Gnoll: Hyena-folk, relatively common in Flanaess.
  • Gruach: Spoken by wild elves, who are not beast-folk at all. Gruach is a mix of Elvish and Beast Speech.
  • Leonine: Lion-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Nipponese: The common tounge of Nippon, a land with many anthropomorphic animals to the west of the Pearl Sea. It has many influences from Beast Speech, but without the physiological oddities. Still, this is a sublte language where context and posture convey much of the information. It can be written in several alphabets, most commonly using Celestial pictograms.
  • Orc: Orcs or pig-folks add squeals and snorts to their Sylvan.
  • Sciurian: Squirrel-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Tabaxi: Catfolk native to jungles. Are these the same as Catfolk? Who knows. Very reclusive.
  • Tanuki: Tanuki-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Thriae: Humanoid bees.
  • Vanaran: Monkey-folk. Rarely seen in Flanaess.
  • Vishkanya: Snake-folk. Not the same as Yuan Ti. Rarely seen in Flanaess.influences.
• Tengu Tengu and its dialects is the Beast Speech of bird-like creatures. Tengu are flightless humanoid avians reminiscent of crows or ravens. The most common birdfolk by far, their language is the most well known avian beast speech.
  • Aarakocra: Reclusive eagle-folk.
  • Eblis: Intelligent, non-anthropomorphic cranes.
  • Kenku are related to Tengu and might be just a Tengu culture. They can mimic the sound of anything they hear and use these sounds to communicate. A kenku asking for money might make the sound of coins clinking together, and a kenku referring to a busy marketplace can reproduce the cacophony of hawking vendors, barking dogs, bleating sheep, and the cries of street urchins. When mimicking voices, they can only repeat words and phrases they have heard, not create new sentences. To converse with a kenku is to witness a performance of imitated sounds.
  • Shibaten: Duck-folk.
  • Strix: Hexapetal winged humanoids, hostile to humans. Syrinx is also owl-folk, of the same or a different kind.