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GoCeraf
Learned Scribe
147 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Aug 2008 : 04:24:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
I almost agreed with you here, except for the fact that the Realms have so many alphabets that are sometimes used illogically... for instance, Halruaan uses the Draconic alphabet, Damaran uses Dethek, and Undercommon uses Espruar (see language section of FRCS). Mulhorandi uses Celestial, while Mulhorandi (Thay) uses Infernal...
I would hesitate to put halflings into the Thorass box, as they have been slaves to the Calim empire (Auran); Gnomes broke free from Netherese (Draconic) slavery to take refuge with the elves (Espruar).
If I had to make a fast ruling, I'd go for Halfling = Auran, and Gnomish = Espruar (especially since Undercommon, used by Svirneblin, is also Espruar)
Thoughts?
PS: this still doesn't solve it for the halflings... What does Auran looks like?!?  
I'll take a shot at this, if I may.
Let's first examine your argument against Thorass as the common language (as well as for halflings and gnomes).
Many of those other languages that you mentioned are the local languages, which I'll turn to in a few moments. I like to think of Common as English, and I think a lot of authors and designers agree with me (although there are discrepancies, since I've read references to English letters when Thorass is decidedly non-English). Aside from that, however, you also have the original Thorass language, the name of which I can't remember. Old Thorass, maybe...
Anyhow, this Old Thorass might more appropriately be like the Latin language of Earth, in that there are a multitude of languages which are based on it, all using the same written language. At the same time, however, many of the other languages of Earth use the same or similar written alphabets, like some of the Eastern Asian languages.
The FRCS lists several dead languages (the Old-Thorass-what-have-you) among them, as well as some others, like Aragrahk (old/high Draconic). It might be assumed that these are the original languages to use these alphabets, from which the languages are based. In a sense, there might be similarities among these languages since they share alphabets among one another. At the same time, it's also entirely possible that these alphabets are modified for each language, to better suit pronunciation (German and Russian writing has similar letters to English with different pronunciations).
Um... there might be a point up there.
Anyway, look at Halruaan, which is based on the Netherese language. I feel like I've read that magical writing and incantations are Draconic or something similar, and Nether (and more recently Halruaa) were/are magocracies. Looking at Mulhorandi and Thayan Mulhorandi, which use Celestial and Infernal, respectively; well, that's very much two sides of the same coin. Some accounts state that devils were fallen celestials (incidentally, I believe that's how it is in the Fourth Edition), which could insinuate a similarity in pronunciation.
Finally, to your actual point: what do these scripts look like?
I haven't the foggiest.
However, looking at the cultures might shed some light. Elves are seen as graceful and wise, and their alphabet is thus curved and prettily portrayed. Dwarves are short and sharp, and again, their blocky, angular script is the same. Thorass, serving as the common script, is simple and formulaic.
As such, Auran might look like wisps of wind, like spirals and clouds of varying sizes. Draconic, sharp and varied, complicated (maybe overly so), and arcane. Rock gnomes and deep gnomes need not use the same alphabet (after all, the various human languages don't use the same alphabets), and Undercommon is literally the Common of the Underdark. It is by no means the svirnebli's personal language.
My train of though was starting at stopping, but I may have grazed upon a coherent argument there.
All the best. |
Being sarcastic can be more telling than simply telling. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2008 : 19:22:24
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| I agree with all your points there. Yes... I think the Auran script (squiggly and flowing) would fit the Luirenian mindset very well... either that or Thorass, just to mimick Tolkien! (i.e. Bilbo seems to use the "common" script of middle-earth, and when he wrote his book in elvish, it seems like it was a big deal; i.e. they were surprised to see such worldliness from a hobbit, etc.) |
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Halfling, Gnomish and Draconic Alphabets
