Aha, I knew I'd find a reference I was looking for! 
In the Roegadyn Naming Conventions, the devs indicate that there is a common tongue, and it's called (no surprise ), Eorzean. Specifically, it's referred to as "modern Eorzean," though I think that's more an indication that it's a living language than an admission that there were demarcated versions of the language similar to English.
The stance of that page is very much that any racial languages among the common Eorzean races (Roegadyn, Miqo'te, Hyur, Elezen, and Lalafell) are indeed dead if they existed at all, as Spiritual Machine noted. The post notes that books in the Roegadyn language are ancient and relatively rare, and the language itself suffers from generations of disuse. (I realize I'm repeating Spiritual Machine here. ) In practice, the Roegadyn language, such as it is, only continues on in (mostly Sea Wolf) names.
So... that's that, then, really, I think. There is a common tongue (Eorzean) and any racial languages that existed are dead and, it seems, largely forgotten by most Eorzeans. Perhaps scholars study them in the way Sanskrit and Coptic are studied.
In the Roegadyn Naming Conventions, the devs indicate that there is a common tongue, and it's called (no surprise
), Eorzean. Specifically, it's referred to as "modern Eorzean," though I think that's more an indication that it's a living language than an admission that there were demarcated versions of the language similar to English. The stance of that page is very much that any racial languages among the common Eorzean races (Roegadyn, Miqo'te, Hyur, Elezen, and Lalafell) are indeed dead if they existed at all, as Spiritual Machine noted. The post notes that books in the Roegadyn language are ancient and relatively rare, and the language itself suffers from generations of disuse. (I realize I'm repeating Spiritual Machine here.
) In practice, the Roegadyn language, such as it is, only continues on in (mostly Sea Wolf) names.So... that's that, then, really, I think. There is a common tongue (Eorzean) and any racial languages that existed are dead and, it seems, largely forgotten by most Eorzeans. Perhaps scholars study them in the way Sanskrit and Coptic are studied.
The Freelance Wizard
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
