Language

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The various races of the Warhammer World speak different languages, sometimes language can even differ within a race. Languages are often represented in writing with arcane symbols known as runes, which often have magical power.

[edit] Languages

Human languages:

Human languages are often represented by English.

• Reikspiel is the language of The Empire, likely similar to German. Reikspiel is commonly spoken by merchants across the Old World, due to the dominance of Marienburg - a formerly Imperial city - of Old Worlder trade.
• Bretonni is spoken by the Bretonnians and is similar to French. In some ways it reminds of Reikspiel, but communication between the two is hard.
• Estalian, similar to Spanish and spoken by the people of the Estalian Kingdoms.
• Tilean, similar to Italian, and spoken by people of the Tilean City-States.
• Kislevarin, spoken by the men and women of Kislev, and commonly spoken in northern parts of the Empire, particularly Ostland and Ostermark. The language is similar to both Russian and Polish, as the nation of Kislev draws on both those cultures for inspiration. The nomadic Ungol tribes of the northern Oblast speak their own language as well.
• Arabyan, possibly similar to Arabic or other north African/Middle eastern languages.
• The language of the Northmen - The tribes of the north and the Chaos Wastes tend to have a few distinct languages - the Kurgan, Hung and Norscans all possess unique languages, the Norscans most likely speak a language reminiscent of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, at least determining from the tribal names. However all Northmen tribes also make use of the Dark Tongue of Chaos, primarily for ritual and/or religious purposes.
• It is likely the Cathayans, the people of Nippon, the people of the Kingdoms of Ind and the people of Khuresh speak separate languages. These will most likely be similar to the languages of the real world nations they represent, for instance, in Cathay they will most likely speak something reminiscent of Cantonese/Mandarin and in Nippon they will speak Japanese.

Dwarf languages:

• The Dwarfs speak Khazalid, while the written form of their language is known as the Klinkarhun (chisel-runes) and Aldrhun (old-runes). The magical runes inscribed by Dwarfen Runesmiths are distinct from the runes used in Dwarfen writing.
• The Chaos Dwarfs speak a corrupted form of Khazalid.

Elven languages:

• The High Elves speak Eltharin, also known as Tar-Eltharin. This is the purest form.
• The Dark Elves speak a corrupted dialect of Eltharin - Druhir, but nobles also learn Tar-Eltharin.
• The Wood Elves speak Fan-Eltharin, a dialect deeply changed by their isolation.

Halflings

• Halflings dwell in the Moot in the Empire, and so speak Reikspiel.

Beastmen

• Beastmen generally speak a corrupted and guttural form of the Dark Tongue of Chaos. This is a language that a sheep(with the proper intelligence) can learn, as various Beastmen lacks some speaking organs.

Greenskins

• The main body of Greenskins, depending on their geographic location tend to speak a gutteral simplified form of the most common (and often simplest) language spoken in the area. In WAR and most Warhammer publications, this is represented as a corrupted form of English similar to Cockney slang.
• The Savage Orcs speak a language consisting entirely of different intonations of the word WAAAGH!.

Skaven

• The Skaven speak a language known as Queekish. The language is spoken very rapidly and is almost incomprehensible to humans and other races. Few Skaven are literate, but those who are use a script that resembles seemingly meaningless scratches.

Lizardmen

• The Slann and Lizardmen speak a language to themselves, but little else is known about it. This could be the language used by the fabled Old Ones.

Ogres

• Ogres start life as unintelligent brutes and gradually take on the culture and sophistication of the people they are close to. For example; an Ogre who wandered in Araby may speak Arabyan. However, the Ogres themselves do have a common language - Grumbarth - which is notable for its array of terms relating to combat and eating and primarily spoken in the Ogre Kingdoms.

Undead

• The Vampires take on the language of the place in which they live. And will also speak the language which they spoke before becoming a vampire.
• The Tomb Kings and Liche Priests speak the ancient language of Nehekhara.