D&D 3E/3.5 Question about languages in d&d 1e through 3.5

[Lanefan]

Im trying to locate a complete and accurate (or as close as i can come for both of those qualifiers) tree of languages in d&d for these editions.

Clarifying edit: a tree that details how the languages dervie from older ones from the most ancient one or couple in the multiverse carrying forward. Sorry i was unclear.

Now that's something I've never seen done as an overall thing. I've seen it done for specific races e.g. tying all the variants of Elvish into a language tree, but not for all languages combined.

And thinking about it, I'm not even sure if an overall tree could really exist. There's just too many different creature types out there, some (many?) of whom might well have developed linguistic communication in complete isolation (i.e. taught themselves to speak, and then codified it into actual words with meanings) before contact with other speaking species.

It'd be like trying to tie the real-world Human language tree(s) in with the language trees of insterstellar aliens, should any come to call - they're completely separate.

Never mind that in the typical D&D universe you've also got deities who could grant (or remove!) speech and language to an entire culture on a whim.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Thankyou. Both useful answers. Both increase my perceptual scope on the topic.

Do you think there is a main trunk most of the languages fit into though?

Like languages that tie in some way with descending and parallel patterns to the language primeval? Ive seen a lot of connections to that one.

 

[jasper]

There was no main trunk. I have seen a few articles trying to hammer the messy mass of languages into a logical form. But my advice is too get the list of languages and come with your own version of a root language.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

There was no main trunk. I have seen a few articles trying to hammer the messy mass of languages into a logical form. But my advice is too get the list of languages and come with your own version of a root language.

Hmmm. Do you know of a complete list of languages with general descriptions i can get my hands on? Even if there is no main group...still, do you?

 

[Aaron L]

Several books list what script is used for the written version of each language; IE Elvish, Sylvan, and Undercommon all being written using the Elvish script. That might be helpful for you to determine some kind of language development tree. The 5E PHB has a small list of that type, and the 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book has a more extensive list of languages and the scripts they use. But I've never seen any kind of "in-universe" language tree like that.

If you're looking to discover some kind of root "Original Language" that all other languages descended from in D&D, I believe that role is supposed to be kind of filled by the Celestial tongue, which is a concept based on the esoteric occult ideas of "Adamic", and of the "Enochian" Angelic script created by the 16th century English polymath and occultist Dr. John Dee.

(I have a pretty cool idea for a character I want to try out soon: a Warlock with the Celestial Patron, based on the aforementioned Dr. John Dee, who is basically a Hermetic Kabbalist and uses a system of magic formed from a patchwork of numerology, divine names, and the Celestial language to draw Arcane magical energies from the Divine power of Celestial entities.)

 

[jasper]

Hmmm. Do you know of a complete list of languages with general descriptions i can get my hands on? Even if there is no main group...still, do you?

No, I know their a list in the 1E DMG. And some of the languages are described elsewhere.

 

[digitalelf]

Dragon Magazine #66 (October, 1982) has an article that is pretty much exactly what you are looking for! The article is: "Language rules leave lots of room for creativity in your campaign"

It has three language trees; One showing how the faerie tongue is the root of elvish and a few other languages, one for elven that show how it is the root of quite a few different languages, and finally, one for the giant tongue and how it is the root for several languages as well (including dwarven, gnome, and troll for example).

The issue's main theme concerns languages in AD&D (1e anyway). It has a second article that has a language tree splitting the common tongue into several different dialects ("Fantasy philology: Playing the fluency percentages")

The issue's special "pull-out" section is a "Thieves' Can't Pocket Dictionary".

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Dragon Magazine #66 (October, 1982) has an article that is pretty much exactly what you are looking for! The article is: "Language rules leave lots of room for creativity in your campaign"

It has three language trees; One showing how the faerie tongue is the root of elvish and a few other languages, one for elven that show how it is the root of quite a few different languages, and finally, one for the giant tongue and how it is the root for several languages as well (including dwarven, gnome, and troll for example).

The issue's main theme concerns languages in AD&D (1e anyway). It has a second article that has a language tree splitting the common tongue into several different dialects ("Fantasy philology: Playing the fluency percentages")

The issue's special "pull-out" section is a "Thieves' Can't Pocket Dictionary".

Excellent!

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Im actually wanting to do a bit with giants and fey too so this is useful in a special kind of way since it deals with some languages ill be leaning on.