like, is there a official site which allows us to translate "Hello, l would like to take some of your horde, but l will give you something in return" to draconic?
Or, "hey, can l live on your shell?" into aquan primordial?
or, "Wow, you look great" into elven?
rather then just: "i say in draconic......."?
( l know LINK exists, but they aren't official. though, i guess if this thread exists, the answer must be no, but l might be wrong, so l will keep this thread up)
Fairly certain the answer is no. The languages don't really exist at all besides maybe a few words. It's all meant to be theatre of the mind and all that.
The draconic one is really good. There are a few draconic dictionaries out there and all the translations I've use agree. The Drow one I don't use as much. Not because it's bad, I just haven't had a need. I do use the following dictionary though; https://tuelean.redbrick.dcu.ie/Junk/Drow-Dictionary.pdf
But none of these are _official_ D&D languages. While WOTC has provided alphabets for Elvish, Dwarvish, and Infernal, and probably others, WOTC hasn't published an official grammar and lexicon for any of these languages. I imagine there probably isn't even really an in house language used by the design team.
Sure Tolkien "invented" an Elvish language, are there are actually communities of people who create and innovate imaginary languages for fantasy or sci-fi writing but also sort of a hobby in and of themselves (with some philosophy of language and linguistics types dabbling too for proof of concepts in abstract areas), but there isn't an official D&D WotC endorsed language. So whatever you grab will be adopted from an unofficial source as far as D&D goes, which isn't a big deal.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Reading through the page notes, at least the Drow page and possibly the draconic were created by scraping through D&D official books. Have to take them at their word but this kind of thing is as close to official as you can likely get
That's fair. I don't see a citation anywhere as to where they're scraping the Drow from (maybe they've employed an Illithid to leach Salvatore's mind), but the Dragon lang does seem to put it's foundation in a Dragon Magazine article I'll have to read up (one of those people who likes reading about imaginary languages).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
You are absolutely right. My apologies, I got my references mixed up. I love languages and if playing a character try to adhere to the most accurate translations if available. The Drow translator checks out when referencing another "dictionary" I use that references it taking from a lot of early TSR and AD&D material.
Hope you enjoy reading about this even if it turns out to not be authentic. As someone who also enjoys fantasy languages, I found it really fascinating.
Maybe it might be better to replace DnD languages with real world languages like, Elvish = French and stuff like that?
But then what about the people who play the game in French? Does English swap places and become their Elvish while French is common? How would that work?
Maybe it might be better to replace DnD languages with real world languages like, Elvish = French and stuff like that?
But then what about the people who play the game in French? Does English swap places and become their Elvish while French is common? How would that work?
I haven't thought of that. Maybe english with an Accent :p
Maybe it might be better to replace DnD languages with real world languages like, Elvish = French and stuff like that?
But then what about the people who play the game in French? Does English swap places and become their Elvish while French is common? How would that work?
I haven't thought of that. Maybe english with an Accent :p
I think a lot of DMs do "accented" language, but if you're role playing a language you speak, why would you accent it? Some people do swap out real or historic language for their games fantasy languages too.
It's all fluff though. I enjoy looking at fictional language because it's fun, and you can also get at what the language's author is trying to make claims about the culture, basically an extrapolation of the old "metaphors we live by" take on language to find literal rhyme and reason for how a made up culture works. Bringing it to my table for actual play, too time consuming, my players would find it a distraction and bother etc. I've had to work with interpreters in the past, so I'm aware that interlanguage communication is more an art than a science so when I have moments where communication can break down, I know how to present it "Ok, while this dialect is a bit beyond the smattering of Goblin you picked up in the ports, you think the border guards are cool with you, does the party want to stand down?"
I'm personally not super big on referencing living accents. I try to swallow and "dry" my throat and mouth when speaking a reptile and some infernals. For aquatics, I build up more saliva in my mouth. Creatures with strong jawlines, I'll jut out my jaw, and have to talk around that. Treeents I do the slow speech right out of LOTR, etc. All you're trying to accomplish is give the players a sense they're talking to creature who speaks and sees the world differently.
Body language is useful too and take some regard for the other creatures anatomy. Tongue flicks, try not to blink or blink a lot. I naturally do the Han Solo "point" in my speaking style. What if I had clawed webbed hands that make that gesture problematic? I gather my fingers in a sort of cluster and thrust with it instead. Don't overdo it, just enough gestures to give the players the sense that they're not the player talking to the DM but the character talking to someone else.
like, is there a official site which allows us to translate "Hello, l would like to take some of your horde, but l will give you something in return" to draconic?
Or, "hey, can l live on your shell?" into aquan primordial?
or, "Wow, you look great" into elven?
rather then just: "i say in draconic......."?
( l know LINK exists, but they aren't official. though, i guess if this thread exists, the answer must be no, but l might be wrong, so l will keep this thread up)
Fairly certain the answer is no. The languages don't really exist at all besides maybe a few words. It's all meant to be theatre of the mind and all that.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Here is one for draconic; www.draconic.twilightrealm.com
And here is one for Drow http://www.eilistraee.com/chosen/language.php
The draconic one is really good. There are a few draconic dictionaries out there and all the translations I've use agree. The Drow one I don't use as much. Not because it's bad, I just haven't had a need. I do use the following dictionary though; https://tuelean.redbrick.dcu.ie/Junk/Drow-Dictionary.pdf
Hope you find these useful
But none of these are _official_ D&D languages. While WOTC has provided alphabets for Elvish, Dwarvish, and Infernal, and probably others, WOTC hasn't published an official grammar and lexicon for any of these languages. I imagine there probably isn't even really an in house language used by the design team.
Sure Tolkien "invented" an Elvish language, are there are actually communities of people who create and innovate imaginary languages for fantasy or sci-fi writing but also sort of a hobby in and of themselves (with some philosophy of language and linguistics types dabbling too for proof of concepts in abstract areas), but there isn't an official D&D WotC endorsed language. So whatever you grab will be adopted from an unofficial source as far as D&D goes, which isn't a big deal.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Reading through the page notes, at least the Drow page and possibly the draconic were created by scraping through D&D official books. Have to take them at their word but this kind of thing is as close to official as you can likely get
That's fair. I don't see a citation anywhere as to where they're scraping the Drow from (maybe they've employed an Illithid to leach Salvatore's mind), but the Dragon lang does seem to put it's foundation in a Dragon Magazine article I'll have to read up (one of those people who likes reading about imaginary languages).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
You are absolutely right. My apologies, I got my references mixed up. I love languages and if playing a character try to adhere to the most accurate translations if available. The Drow translator checks out when referencing another "dictionary" I use that references it taking from a lot of early TSR and AD&D material.
https://tuelean.redbrick.dcu.ie/Junk/Drow-Dictionary.pdf
Hope you enjoy reading about this even if it turns out to not be authentic. As someone who also enjoys fantasy languages, I found it really fascinating.
Maybe it might be better to replace DnD languages with real world languages like, Elvish = French and stuff like that?
: Systems Online : Nikoli_Goodfellow Homebrew : My WIP Homebrew Class :
(\_/)
( u u)
o/ \🥛🍪 Hey, take care of yourself alright?
But then what about the people who play the game in French? Does English swap places and become their Elvish while French is common? How would that work?
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
I haven't thought of that. Maybe english with an Accent :p
: Systems Online : Nikoli_Goodfellow Homebrew : My WIP Homebrew Class :
(\_/)
( u u)
o/ \🥛🍪 Hey, take care of yourself alright?
I think a lot of DMs do "accented" language, but if you're role playing a language you speak, why would you accent it? Some people do swap out real or historic language for their games fantasy languages too.
It's all fluff though. I enjoy looking at fictional language because it's fun, and you can also get at what the language's author is trying to make claims about the culture, basically an extrapolation of the old "metaphors we live by" take on language to find literal rhyme and reason for how a made up culture works. Bringing it to my table for actual play, too time consuming, my players would find it a distraction and bother etc. I've had to work with interpreters in the past, so I'm aware that interlanguage communication is more an art than a science so when I have moments where communication can break down, I know how to present it "Ok, while this dialect is a bit beyond the smattering of Goblin you picked up in the ports, you think the border guards are cool with you, does the party want to stand down?"
I'm personally not super big on referencing living accents. I try to swallow and "dry" my throat and mouth when speaking a reptile and some infernals. For aquatics, I build up more saliva in my mouth. Creatures with strong jawlines, I'll jut out my jaw, and have to talk around that. Treeents I do the slow speech right out of LOTR, etc. All you're trying to accomplish is give the players a sense they're talking to creature who speaks and sees the world differently.
Body language is useful too and take some regard for the other creatures anatomy. Tongue flicks, try not to blink or blink a lot. I naturally do the Han Solo "point" in my speaking style. What if I had clawed webbed hands that make that gesture problematic? I gather my fingers in a sort of cluster and thrust with it instead. Don't overdo it, just enough gestures to give the players the sense that they're not the player talking to the DM but the character talking to someone else.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.