There are several languages among the populations and races of Thedas. Some were lost with the passing of time and were replaced by others.
Languages
- Ander in Anderfels[1]
- Antivan in Antiva[1]
- The common tongue, also referred as the King's Tongue or Trade tongue, was introduced by dwarves to humans in order to trade with each other.[2][3] It is also the most common language of Ferelden.[4]
- The dwarves had several dialects,[2] but they are no longer generally spoken, and only a few phrases remain in common usage. Some of the words have roots which predate the dates that dwarves made contact with elves or humans.[5] In current times, it is rarely ever spoken, however the dwarves of Kal-Sharok still retain the accent of this ancient language due to their isolation from the rest of the world.
- The Elven language or Elvish[6] was largely lost when Elvhenan fell to the Tevinter Imperium. In modern-day Thedas, elves use some Elvish words (the Dalish more frequently than city elves), but speak the common tongue on a regular basis. Keepers are the only ones who know the secret of writing it.[1]
- Qunlat, the Qunari language.[7]
- Orlesian in Orlais[2][1]
- Rivaini in Rivain[1]
- Tevene is the current language in the Tevinter Imperium. People that are not Tevinter usually call the language Tevinter.[8]
Notes
- In Dragon Age: The Silent Grove, the witch Yavana speaks in an unknown tongue to a High dragon. However futher information about this tongue is not known.[10]
- Dwarven runes are used on signs by the dwarves as well as by the humans on the surface. In the latter case, they are used instead of the native language, as it is common for peasants to not be able to read.[11]
Trivia
- During the development on Dragon Age: Origins, BioWare hired a linguist (who went by the username "Beesechurger" on the old forum) to work on elven and dwarven languages, but opted to use only some words or phrases.[12][13]
References
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