The tome of languages

The tome of languages is a book written a long long time ago detailing the different languages that existed in the world back then as well as some of the major dialects. The book includes an example text written in every language, an explanation of where the language is from, and who speaks it, as well as how it works and some common words. It is not so much a dictionary, as a guide to spelling and structure within the different languages. While almost none of the languages found within the book are spoken today, and those who are have become practically unrecognizable, the book has gotten many sequels and retranslations updating it. The original tome of languages is still around today, being kept mostly for historical value, and anyone studying it uses a newer much less valuable copy. It has proven time and time again to be a priceless source when translating old texts found in various languages, some long since dead. In the falling city, there aren't many uses for the book, seen as there's no ancient ruins or similar to find untranslated texts in, but the book still holds a special place in many historians and linguists hearts as it shows a small glimpse into what the world used to be like. The author of the book is unknown, as it isn't in any way signed that has been found. It was believed that the person who wrote it was some form of traveling historian, perhaps exploring the world to see what they could find and documenting their progress along the way. Some also speculate that they were travelling for the explicit purpose of recording different languages to make trading and other communications easier for people. Which theory is right, or if the reason was something completely different, no one will ever know.