Languages of Athas

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

lollerkeet

Sep 17, 2006 0:44:36
I think this list is complete, please tell me if it isn't. (Rhul-thuan is Jagged-Cliff halfling).

Aarakocra
Anakore
Anakore
Aquan
Athasian Sign
Auran
B’rohg
Balican
Beasthead Giant
Belgoi
Braxat
Bvanen
Common
Crag Giant
Desert Giant
Drajan
Druidic
Dwarf
Elven
Ettercap
Feylaar
Genie
Gith
Giustenal
Goblin Spider
Gulgan
Gulgan
Halfling, Forest Ridge
Halfling, Jagged Cliffs
Hej-kin
High Draxan
Ignan
Jozhal
Kenku
Kip
Kurnish
Lizard Man
Low Draxan
Magera
Meazel
Nibanese
Nikaal
Pterran
Raamin
Reggelid
Ruvoka
Saragarn
Scrab
Silt Runner
Slig
Ssurran
Tarek
Tari
Terran
Thri-kreen
Tohr-kreen
Trin
Tul’k
Urikite
Yuan-ti

Two questions:
1. "The shadow people speak the ancient languages of Ur Draxa and the civilized halfling nations"; is this one language or two?
2. WTF is a Meazal?
#2

thebrax

Sep 17, 2006 2:09:44
Tyrian
Eldaarish
Kurnan
Neshtap Hand Signal
Cuurnu
Eldaarish Drumcode
Eloy
Moratuc
#3

jon_oracle_of_athas

Sep 17, 2006 2:48:01
I believe it is Draji, not Drajan. Perhaps you are confusing it with Draxan?
#4

jon_oracle_of_athas

Sep 17, 2006 2:52:03
A meazel is a D&D creature the Dark Sun boxed set listed as being suitable for Athas. On the same list was the remorhaz, which exists in an arctic climate. ;)
#5

squidfur-

Sep 17, 2006 21:43:44
Common

City-State Languages
Balikite
Bodachi
Draji
Eldaarish
Giustenal (spoken by the dray and Dregoth)
Gulg
High Draxan (still spoken by the shadow giants and the few survivors of the city-state)
Kalidnese (no it is not a dead languages, it is still used by house Mareneth as a secret language.)
Kurnan
Low Draxan (could still be spoken by the rare surviving slave or ka'ardani)
Nibenese
Raamin
Saragarian
Tyrian
Urikite
Yaramukite

Racial/Regional Languages
Aarakocran
Anakore (Dune Freak)
Baazrag
Belgoi
Braxat
B’rohg (simple grunts and sign language)
Bvanen
Dark Spider (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Dolphin (impossible for humaniods to speak without magic/psionic aid)
Drik (spoken by High Drik only)
Dwarven (new, spoken by the dwarves of the tablelands)
Dwarven (old, spoken by the dwarves of the Last Sea region)
Eloy (???)
Elven (new, spoken by the elves of the tablelands)
Elven (old, spoken by the elves of the Last Sea region)
Feylaar
Gaj (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Giant
Gith
Gnomish (spoken by undead gnomes)
Goblin (spoken by ???)
Halfling (forestridge and losthome halflings)
Hej-Kin
Hunting Cactus (psionic language?)
Jozhal
Kirre (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Klar (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)Lizardfolk
Magera
Mindhome
Mountain Spider (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Nikaal
Orc (spoken by ???)
Pterran
Reggelid
Rhul-Thuan (cliff dwelling halflings)
Rhulisti (Still spoken by the shadow giants)
Scrab
Silt Runner
Slig
Ssurran
Sylvan
Tarek
Tari
Tembo (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Thri-kreen
Tohr-kreen
Trin
Tul'k
Xerichou (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Yuan-ti
Zhackal (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)

Elemental Languages
Aquan
Auran
Ignan
Terran

Special
Eldaarish Drumcode
Kreen-sign (??)
Neshtap Hand Signal


as far as I know, this list should be complete (and accurate to spelling/usage)...well add those mentioned by brax and it should be (added some but not sure where Cuurnu, and Moratuc would be categorized)

...and to note - according to the monster entry (in Monsters of Faerun), meazals speak common, ie. they do not have a language of their own.

oh, and can someone tell why the hell "sylvan" is on my list?
#6

Pennarin

Sep 17, 2006 22:19:14
oh, and can someone tell why the hell "sylvan" is on my list?

Nope. A Search of ToA and TotDL reveals no presence of the word...
#7

thebrax

Sep 18, 2006 0:59:20
Moratuc is the language of the Moratuc dwarven community on the Charvass peninsula. The Dragon's Crown module says that the Moratuc language is only partially understandable by dwarves. The Moratuc, and their ally Trenbull from house M'ke, have significant roles in the Lost Cities supp, but I haven't used Marcus, Trenbull's father from DC, other than to suggest that he's gone back to his island and has contact with Trenbull, creating a possible link back to the Road of Fire.

Cuurnu is a regional language, known throughout the dim lands and to a lesser degree in the Trembling Plains and among slaves in Kurn.

Cuurnu's closest analogy is the dance language of Nibenay, but involves much more subtle gestures and expressions. As Prodigy said in Wisdom of Terror, every dance has a poem, and every fight has an argument. Two people wordlessly fighting may suddenly stop, and if you don't know Cuurnu, you don't understand that they came to agreement.

I've been told today that there's actually a real world equivalent to this, in ... Brazil, is it?

Beyond that there are nearly a hundred nameless dialects in Eldaarich since the labor camps aka slave villages have been so isolated for King's Ages that their only link is the Cuurnu that the wandring peasants teach them.
#8

methvezem

Sep 18, 2006 8:17:52
Special
Kreen-sign (??)

The kreen sign language exists and is described in TKoA under Proficiencies. ;)
The to'ksa and jeral have each a specific sign language that is not readily understood by the other subrace. No mention is made of the sign language of the northern kreens, but these can also exists.

Racial/Regional Languages
Sylvan

My guess is that Sylvan is for the pixies, which aren't listed. The MM states that they speak Common and Sylvan.