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  1. #1
    Player
    noxen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Limsa Lominsa
    Posts
    210
    Character
    Avanika Drovasch
    World
    Balmung
    Main Class
    Red Mage Lv 90

    Lore question: Languages?

    So I'm not very clued up on languages within the varying cultures and races of Eorzea. I know that the Far East/Othard appears to have its own dialect very similar to real world Japanese (Iijin being Gaijin, ect)

    My burning question is do the races have specific languages they speak? Like do Au'ra have languages within their own clans, do Viera and Hrothgar have their own languages and dialects?

    It was hinted at the Hrothgar had troubles communicating with the rest of the races on their splash page on the Shadowbringers website but I'm wondering if there's definitive confirmation for other races. I'm especially curious from an RP perspective!
    (1)

  2. #2
    Player
    StarDrake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Limsa Lominsa
    Posts
    205
    Character
    Yololo Yolo
    World
    Excalibur
    Main Class
    Dancer Lv 83
    We know that lalafells do possess their own language on their home islands, further south of Eorzea; this is evidently where the sounds used in lalafell (and even on the First, dwarven) names come from (and these are, from a real-world perspective, sourced from the syllabary of Japanese). Likewise, roegadyn names are sourced from the language spoken in Aerslaent, far to the north of Eorzea.
    (3)
    Always remember, please be careful.

  3. #3
    Player
    Enkidoh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Ala Mhigo
    Posts
    8,252
    Character
    Enkidoh Roux
    World
    Balmung
    Main Class
    Paladin Lv 90
    Moogles definetely have their own language that is believed to be almost unintelligible by the citystates (especially Gridania). This was particularly a plot point early on in 1.0 where the fact the player, a newly arrived adventurer in Gridania, could understand Mooglespeak (so could Yda and Papalymo too for that matter) - this was just one of the first hints that something very strange was going on (as it showed the Echo's ability to understand any language without having learned it first - Yda and Papalymo on the other hand probably were trained in it prior to leaving Sharalyan as part of their preperation for their mission to Gridania).

    Connected to that, again in 1.0, one of the first quests for Minfilia and the Path of the Twelve involved a group of sylphs breaking into the Waking Sands and Minfilia outright shouting out to anyone for help translating what they were saying (due to her own Echo power lacking that ability) - of course the player's character convienetly showed up at that moment and oblidged.

    So it's clear there are many languages in use by different races and regions, they're just generally ignored for the sake of gameplay and narrative convinience (the Echo often being used to handwave it away at worst).
    (9)
    Quote Originally Posted by Rannie View Post
    Aaaaannnd now I just had a mental image of Lahabrea walking into a store called Bodies R Us and trying on different humans.... >.<

    Lahabrea: hn too tall... tooo short.... Juuuuuust right.
    Venat was right.

  4. #4
    Player
    Sounsyy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    200
    Character
    Sounsyy Mirke
    World
    Balmung
    Main Class
    Warrior Lv 100
    This post is in need of some updates, but the short answer is that yes, each of the Spoken races has (or has had in the past) it's own unique language. Some of those languages are never used anymore and have all but died out, some are still spoken just not Eorzea, while still others get used but we don't get to hear them really due to our ability with the Echo translating all languages for us.

    Languages of Hydaelyn Lore
    (7)

  5. #5
    Player
    noxen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Limsa Lominsa
    Posts
    210
    Character
    Avanika Drovasch
    World
    Balmung
    Main Class
    Red Mage Lv 90
    Quote Originally Posted by Sounsyy View Post
    This post is in need of some updates, but the short answer is that yes, each of the Spoken races has (or has had in the past) it's own unique language. Some of those languages are never used anymore and have all but died out, some are still spoken just not Eorzea, while still others get used but we don't get to hear them really due to our ability with the Echo translating all languages for us.

    Languages of Hydaelyn Lore
    Thanks for this link!

    And thanks to the other posters for clearing things up/replying!
    (1)