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Languages

Language Name Example speakers
Argon The nondragons of Argonnessen
Deep Speech Aberrations, Underdark dwellers
Draconic Dragons, Kobolds, academics
Druidic Druids exclusively
Dwarven Dwarves
Elven Elves, Khoravar
Giant Giants
Gnomish Gnomes
Goblin Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears
Halfling Halflings
Human Humans, everyone
Khoravar Khoravar
Orcish Orcs, Half-orcs
Sylvan The Faerie, Shifters, Eldeen Reaches denizens
Celestial Celestials, Couatl, Silver Flame followers
Fiendish Fiends, Rakshasa, denizens of the Demon Wastes
Fiernian Fiernia natives, fire elementals
Golubbhan Golubbh natives, water elementals
Irian Irian natives
Mabarran Mabar natives, sentient undead
Ossuran Ossura natives, earth elementals
Risian Risia natives, frost elementals
Syranian Syrania natives, air elementals

Argon

The language of humanoids who live on Argonnessen and its lingua franca. Descends from Old Human.

Mainland Argon

Spoken by the denizens of mainland Argonnessen.

Seren Argon

Spoken by the denizens of the Seren Isles. Features loanwords and recent language changes from Khorvaire languages, since the Seren Isles frequently receive castaways from shipwrecks of ships originating from Khorvaire.

Deep Speech

The language of aberrations, and dwellers in the deep of the Underdark. For a seemingly normal person to know this language is a Bad Sign.

Draconic

The language of dragons.

Academic Draconic

Spoken by the academics of Khorvaire and Aerenal. This language is an academic one because many of the foundational texts of modern arcane, philosophical, and scientific study were written in Draconic by actual dragons prior to the coming of humanoids to Khorvaire. It's common for academics to learn Draconic to be able to read these texts in the original language.

This serves as the Latin of the setting for academic study.

Aereni Draconic

Spoken by the Elves of Aerenal. The Aereni consider dragons a national foe and it is learned as a foe language.

Kobold Draconic

Spoken by Kobolds. Simpler than True Draconic and spoken in narrower ranges of pitches.

Seren Draconic

Spoken by the people of the Seren Isles, off the coast of Argonnessen.

True Draconic

Spoken by the true dragons of Argonnessen. By far the most elaborate and challenging dialect to speak, especially for those who don't have a true dragon's vocal ability.

Druidic

The language of druids. It is a secret language; only Druids may learn it. For a druid to teach Druidic to a non-druid is a serious offense.

Dwarven

The language of Dwarves.

Mror Dwarven

Spoken by the Dwarves of the Mror Holds. Also the national language of the nation.

Interior Dwarven

Spoken by the Dwarves of the Five Nations, and elsewhere that Dwarves have assimilated, leaving the Holds behind.

Elven

The language of Elves. Also a language Khoravar tend to know but seldom speak.

Aereni Elven

Spoken by the Elves of Aerenal.

Drow

Spoken by the drow of Xen'drik. More different from other dialects of elven than they are from each other.

Khorvaire Elven

Spoken by Elves of the Five Nations and Elves who have assimilated to Khorvaire culture in general (as distinct from the Valenar).

Valenar Elven

Spoken by Valenar Elves. Since the Valenar only seized control of the region of former Cyre 50 years ago, and elven is not an easy language to learn on a good day, very few non-Valenar-Elves have had the means, motive and opportunity to learn it.

Giant

The language of giants.

Academic Giant

Spoken by the academics of Khorvaire and Aerenal. The reason this language is an academic one is so much arcane and historical knowledge goes back to discoveries in the Xen'drik ruins that it's common for academics to learn Giant to be able to read it without translation. In this respect it is a more recently adopted language than Academic Draconic, since the interest arises from discoveries in Xen'drik which occurred in the last few centuries. Giant is a logographic language like Chinese or Japanese.

Aereni Giant

Spoken by the Elves of Aerenal. The Aereni consider the giants a defeated racial foe and it's learned as a historical language. The fact that it can be used to talk to living Giants is not a major consideration for the Aereni.

Old Giant

Spoken by the original Giants of Xen'drik. This race is extinct or nearly so.

Ruokor Giant

Spoken by the Ruokor. Ruokor Giant is also the lingua franca of the Kapaerian Isles, the homeland of the Ruokor.

Gnomish

The language of Gnomes; gnomish is also the national language of Zilargo.

Goblin

The language of Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears (collectively, "goblinoids").

Dhakaani Goblin

Spoken by the goblinoids who dwell in the Seawall mountains and the Underdark region beneath it, who carry on the traditions of the old Dhakaani Empire. This is functionally Old Goblin and seems archaic to speakers of other Goblin dialects.

Southern Goblin

Spoken by the Darguul goblinoids, i.e. the surface-dwelling goblinoids of the Darguun area who lived there prior to the founding of the nation and who initiated it.

Western Goblin

Spoken widely in the Western Wilderness region of Khorvaire— i.e. the Eldeen Reaches, the Shadow Marshes, and Droaam. Serves as a lingua franca for the region.

Zil Goblin

The Zil Gnomes trade heavily with the goblinoids of Darguun to their west, and have learned the language as a trade language. It has a somewhat stilted, formalized nature compared to other dialects.

Halfling

The language of Halflings.

City Halfling

Spoken by the Halflings of the Five Nations.

Plains Halfling

Spoken by the Halflings of the Talenta Plains; the original dialect of Halfling.

Human

The language of Humans, citizens of the Five Nations, and citizens of Khorvaire in general. Serves as a lingua franca wherever Human or Khorvaire culture is found.

Khoravar

The language of the Khoravar (half-Elves) of Khorvaire. Shows some signs of heritage from Elven and Human, but includes so many borrowed words, phrases, idioms, and entire syntactic structures from every other language the Khoravar have met that it stands on its own.

Orcish

Eastern Orcish

Spoken by the Orcs of the east coast of Khorvaire, including those who live in the mountains of the Mror Holds (called Jhorash'tar Orcs) and those of the Lhazaar Principalities. Also known as "green Orcs". This dialect has sharply diverged from the western dialects.

'Taal Orcish

A close dialect of western orcish spoken by Half-orcs (who in their tongue are also called the jhorgun'taal, or "children of two peoples").

Western Orcish

Spoken by the Orcs of the western wilderness, and those who have migrated to the Five Nations. Also known as "green Orcs".

Sylvan

The language of the faerie.

Eldeen Sylvan

The unofficial national language of the Eldeen Reaches and a lingua franca of the larger area. Unofficial because the Eldeen Reaches isn't well-organized enough to have an official anything.

Shifter Sylvan

The racial language of Shifters. Also spoken in Shifter-dominant communities in the Eldeen reaches.

True Sylvan

Spoken by the true faerie. This is the most elaborate, circumlocutory dialect.

Planar Languages

Celestial

The language of celestials. Commonly spoken by Couatl and their shulassakar servants. Also used as a holy language by the Church of the Silver Flame, where one would find Latin in the Catholic church of our world.

Fiendish

The language of devils, demons, and fiends in general. Commonly spoken by Rakshasa (tiger-like fiends who rule the Demon Wastes) and Demon Waste denizens in general.

Fiernian

The language of the denizens of Fiernia, the elemental plane of fire. Commonly spoken by Ifrit (fire djinn), the Fiernia djinn'asi they create, and fire elementals in general.

Golubbhan

The language of the denizens of Golubbhan, the elemental plane of water. Commonly spoken by Marid (water djinn), the golubbhan djinn'asi they create, and many aquatic creatures on Eberron; serves as a lingua franca for aquatic creatures in many areas.

Irian

The language of the denizens of Irian, the plane of light and radiant energy. Commonly spoken by Ravid (radiance djinn), the irian djinn'asi they create, and the deathless of Aerenal.

Mabarran

The language of the denizens of Mabar, the plane of shadow and necrotic energy. Commonly spoken by Khiäl (shadow djinn), the mabarran djinn'asi they create, and sentient undead. Is also an uncommon language for people in Karrnath, most often in the military owing to their use of undead soldiers. It's also an occasional language for followers of the Blood of Vol faith, which treats undeath as a higher form of being than being alive.

Ossuran

The language of the denizens of Ossura, the elemental plane of Earth. Commonly spoken by Duav (earth djinn), the ossuran djinn'asi they create, and earth elementals in general.

Risian

The language of the denizens of Risia, the elemental plane of Frost. Commonly spoken by Qorrash (frost djinn), the risian djinn'asi they create, and frost elementals in general.

Syranian

The language of the denizens of Syrania, the elemental plane of Air. Commonly spoken by A'asht djinn, the syranian djinn'asi they create, and air elementals in general.