Garlemald - Language

[Rocl]

I can't recall a single time where this was actually in play and someone present with us was bewildered by what someone was saying while we could understand it just fine.

Aside from the above mentions of Alpha and the Demiurges, this scenario did actually happen at one point in 1.0 where the player character was used as a translator for Sylphs. I can't recall if the Ashcrown Consortium spoke Sylvan too, but I definitely remember Minfilia being unable to understand ...? Despite her Echo (thus exemplifying how unique ours was with the whole memory jumping & alltongue)

[Enkidoh]

Aside from the above mentions of Alpha and the Demiurges, this scenario did actually happen at one point in 1.0 where the player character was used as a translator for Sylphs. I can't recall if the Ashcrown Consortium spoke Sylvan too, but I definitely remember Minfilia being unable to understand ...? Despite her Echo (thus exemplifying how unique ours was with the whole memory jumping & alltongue)

That is indeed correct - it showed Minfilia's talent in the Echo was actually weaker than the player character's (who could both view another's memories and had xenoglossia, where as Minfilia could only view another's memories). In fact, speaking of the 1.0 Waking Sands, there was a minor npc in the Path of the Twelve who stated he lacked the normal Echo ability of being able to view the past, but specifically had the power of xenoglossia, which he had made actually into a profitable venture for himself.

In fact, this Echo-ability to understand any language without having learned it was the first clue in the 1.0 Gridanian storyline that something very strange was going on (when the player could understand when a moogle was insulting them in Mooglespeak which resulted in a very bemused apology from E-Sumi Yan. Having said that, that same scene also revealed that Yda and Papalymo also knew Mooglespeak, but it was pretty clear in their case it was not because of the Echo but simply years and years of study (presumably that was part of their preparation prior to being sent to Gridania by Louisoix to ascertain Gridania's political situation).

Sadly, it seems the Echo's gift of language seems to have been mostly been handwaved away in ARR - as others have mentioned language problems rarely seems to pop up now in the story, unlike in 1.0 where it was specifically used as a reason (or was that just an excuse?) for the sadly long history of antagonism between the citystates and the beastmen.

In fact, the ability to speak the beast tribe languages was the Garlean's original excuse for hunting down Echo users - to them, that made them a beastman as well, and thus a Primal-summoning monster to be destroyed. Of course that was before they found out about the Echo's immunity to tempering, but it was a different time then prior to the Calamity.

[Anonymoose]

In fact, the ability to speak the beast tribe languages was the Garlean's original excuse for hunting down Echo users - to them, that made them a beastman as well, and thus a Primal-summoning monster to be destroyed.

This citation has always bothered me a bit; the phrasing is wonky as literally translated as it was.

You see, in the eyes of the Empire, the ability to communicate with the beast tribes makes you one of them.

"If you speak a beastman tongue, then the Empire thinks you're a beastman!" ...

The word used was 蛮族 (savage tribe). The distinction seems moot at first, but 蛮族 is the real-world word for "barbarian". That's the the play on words: in Eorzea, these tribal, uncivilized ... primal ... "barbarians" actually are beast-men.

The spirit of the claim seems to have been merely that the Garleans view the beast tribes as savages and anyone who would trade with them, speak their tongue, associate with them at all, must necessarily be swept under the umbrella of the enemies of order, for they are also savages. The journal says merely that "they, too, will be branded by the Empire as heathens".

EDIT: OHEY

蛮族どもの英雄め……。

Literally: "Hero of the barbarians..."
Localized: "Mark me, savior of the savages."