Languages of Meara

Languages fall into three different categories: national, species, and scholarly (or ancient) languages. The most widely spoken language in the world is the Pidgin, also known as the Common tongue, a chaotic mixture of many different linguistic scraps, used for trade and basic communication. More complicated conversations generally need to be had in another tongue.

National languages:

Modern Dwarven is the national language of the Halls of Civilization, and commonly spoken among the more mixed surface civilizations along the Rautamakia's surface. Aerial is the language spoken among the Aeries. Moderately related to Elven, but briefer and more guttural. Avarian is the official language of Avaria. Distantly related to Draconic, it has a coughing, consonant-heavy sound rather at odds with the affable nature of most of its speakers. Na'atene is the language of the Remnants of Na'akahere, a rhythmic and repetitive sounding tongue made up of as many or more vowels as consonants. Hisstakai is the language of the Ministry of the Wetlands, a slithery and drawn-out tongue that can be understood comparatively well even when spoken and heard underwater. Talk-talk is the Halfling language. They tend to adapt very well to the peoples around them, taking in vocabulary from surrounding tongues and developing variations with their own grammar and style. There are lots of varieties of the halfling tongue, which tend to be surprisingly comprehensible amongst each other, as well as by those whose languages have been adapted. So there's an Orc-halfling lingo, a Dwarf-halfling lingo, an Elf-halfling lingo, an Avarian-halfling lingo, etc.

Species or "Private" languages:

Not all sentient species in Meara have a language of their own, but the more isolated and insular a species is, the more likely they will. Species who do have "private" languages: Bat Folk, Bird Folk, Wolf Folk, Orcs (although different clans have very different versions, almost to the point of incomprehensibility between them), Wood Elves, Sea Elves, Gnomes, Turtle Folk. The Bat Folk tongue consists of sounds so high pitched it can only be spoken or comprehended by someone with the echolocation trait. The Bird Folk tongue is a blend of song, indistinguishable from bird song if you aren't familiar with it, and only pronounceable by someone with a bird's beak and vocal apparatus, or the Actor feat. The Wolf Folk language consists of barks and howls similar to the sounds of wild canines, excellent for communicating at great distances. It can be learned and spoken by anyone, however.

Rare, Ancient, and Scholarly languages:

Draconic Ancient Elven Also known as Sylvan (from the elven homeland) Ancient Dwarven (almost comprehensible if you know Modern Dwarven, but of very archaic grammar and spelling--think Middle English) Na'acouatse is the ancient tongue of the Anthropoid empire which once spread across Moltibek and Mantarbek. Celestial is the language of extraplanar beings of Good. Infernal is the language of extraplanar beings of Lawful Evil. Abyssal is the language of extraplanar beings of Chaotic Evil. Primordial is the inherent language of elemental beings, and used by extraplanar beings of Neutrality. Small Tongue is a strange language, not related to any others known, not spoken by anyone now living, and found only in writings of exceptionally tiny size, often on model buildings and contraptions found buried all over the world.