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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 invented by the dwarves in order to trade with each other and later introduced to other races.[2][3] It is the most common language of Ferelden.[4]
  • The dwarven languages in the present day are no longer spoken, and only a few words and phrases remain in common usage.[2]
  • The elven language or Elvish[5] 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.[6]
  • Orlesian in Orlais[1][2]
  • Rivaini in Rivain[1]
  • Tevene is the current language in the Tevinter Imperium. People who are not Tevinter usually call the language Tevinter.[7]
    • Ancient Tevene is the ancient and dead language of the Tevinter Imperium. The annums (annual holidays) in the Thedosian calendar use a high name from Ancient Tevene, and a low name (Trade tongue).[8]

Notes

  • In Dragon Age: The Silent Grove, the witch Yavana speaks in an unknown tongue to a High dragon. However further information about this tongue is not known.[9]
  • 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.[10]

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.[11][12]

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Player's Guide, set 1, p. 37
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 BSN David Gaider (January 14, 2011). "The Official Fenris Discussion thread" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on June 12, 2014.
  3. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, Chapter 14
  4. Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Player's Guide, set 1, p. 20
  5. Tamlen, for example, refers to the language as "Elvish" at the beginning of the Dalish Elf Origin in Dragon Age: Origins.
  6. Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Player's Guide, set 2, p. 33
  7. Mary Kirby twitter
  8. Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Player's Guide, set 1, p. 14
  9. See here.
  10. Dragon Age: Asunder, p. 128
  11. BSN David Gaider (2010). "Writers of Dragon Age" . BioWare Social Network. Retrieved on June 6, 2012.
  12. BioWare old forums David Gaider[1] (archive). BioWare Forums (offline). Retrieved on June 6, 2012.
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