LANGUAGES
On the surface, languages seem to have no purpose or use.
In truth, they do have some use, purpose and benefit -- but few people care to utilize languages.
The majority of people opt to speak in the universal Common Tongue rather than take advantage of languages.
You are not possessed if you speak in tongues, you are just just better versed than the rest! - Bonzz
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Search Bonzz's Site by typing a keyword(s) in the box below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
PURPOSES AND USES
1) NPC COMMUNICATIONS: Speak to NPC's in their tongue and possibly benefit by better cooperation. I had one incident where I was doing a quest and this came into play. In fact, it was the tax collection quest in Qeynos. At one point there is this (gnome?) in a bar. I could not get him to cooperate no matter what I said or how I said it... despite having a good idea of what I was supposed to say. Then, on a whim, I spoke to him in his native tongue. It worked. He responded as he was supposed to and I was able to finish the quest. I have also found that speaking to MOB's in the Plane of Justice requires use of their native language.
2) RECREATIONAL FUN: Learning new languages and advancing your skill in languages is a good hobby. It can pass the time while waiting for a spawn, power leveling a friend, waiting for the spires to activate, waiting on a raid to start up, selling in Bazaar and so forth.
3) MORE SECURE COMMUNICATIONS: There may be times when you may simply want only certain people to understand your chat. Perhaps you and your associates are speaking of issues that you do not necessarily wish others to hear or understand (re: real life issues, guild information, etc.). This will allow you to communicate within a group, outside a group and even in non-private chat channels while better assuring that only certain people understand what you are saying.
4) INTERPRETATION: Sometimes scrolls, books and similar items require that you know a language in order to be able to read and/or interpret the language. This is especially true with some casters.
.
LEARNING LANGUAGES
1) GUILD (TRAINING POINTS): Your character-type guild(s) (not Player Guilds) will offer you training in various languages as your progress in levels. You can use training points to increase your skill level in these languages. I would never use more than 1 Training Point -- just to "activate" the language.
2) SPAM (OTHER PLAYERS): You can learn languages from other players. To do this you must be in the same zone and in the same group (group chat) or via direct "tells." I have not experimented with guild chat, private channels or raid (/rs) in this area, so I do not know if those will work the same way. I understand that they will not work.
3) RUMOR: It has been rumored (unverified) that with certain NPC's, who emote (talk) regularly, that you can learn their language just by being close by and listening in.
I do know that it will NOT work with "say."
When you want to train someone else in a language, you must first set up a hot key for "spam." The "spam" can be anything. It can be gibberish, a poem, praise of your deity or whatever.
You will need to switch to the appropriate chat channel (tell, group...), switch to the appropriate language and then hit the "spam" button repeatedly. The other player will get line after line of your "spam." He / She will slowly but surely increase his/her skill in the noted language and slowly be able to read exactly what it is that your spam says.
You can train the other person up to your own level in a given language, plus one level (up to 100). Most people cross-train in languages. This means that while you are spam-training others, they are spam-training you in return. A lot of screen glut for sure, but it works!
You can actually train one (1) level higher than your current skill (meaning you can train back and forth with someone, all the way to a skill of 100)… even if neither one of you have a skill of 100 to start with!
The maximum you can go to, in any language, is Master (100). Unlike other skills or abilities, any character (of any race) can master any and all languages. However, it does appear that your character's Intelligence level affects how "fast" you can learn a language (example: 1 increase in 10 lines of spam or 1 increase in 15 lines of spam, etc.).
UPDATE: Rumor is that you can now simply spam yourself to max a language, you do not need someone else to do it.
.
HOW TO
Changing languages is very simple. You simply right click your chat window bar and choose from there, or just use this command: /language 00
That command will change you over to language 00 on your language list, with 00 being the number code for the given language.
NOTE: I have not tested this theory, but I am pretty sure that language numbering varies with race / character type (giving preference to native/original languages, I believe). For this reason, the language numbers show below may vary for you, especially if you do not know all the languages. To see what sequence/number your languages are, use this command: /language help. Or just use the right click menu in the chat window, to change languages.
.
THE KNOWN LANGUAGES
An Unknown Tongue Alaran Common Tongue Barbarian Combine
Dark Elf Dark Speech Dragon Dwarven Elder Dragon Elder Elvish
Elder Teir'Dal Elvish Erudian Faerie Froglok Goblin Hadal
Gnoll Gnomish Halfling Lizardman Ogre Old Erudian
Orcish Shar Vahl Thieves Cant Troll
.
LEARNABLE LANGUAGES
AKA: N/A.
/language 26
This was an actual language at one time. However, it was removed from the game as of the Veil of Alaris Expansion.
It was replaced with the Alaran language.
.
AKA: N/A.
/language 26
This is the language of Alarans.
You can learn this language from a quest called "Words of the Unspoken" out of that starts in Shard's Landing with Councilman Nostulia.
.
AKA: Common.
/language 1
This is the language of commerce. It was first spread by human merchants. This is the universal language of all races.
All creatures and races in EQ (pretty much) can speak and understand this language.
When you start the game, you will all ready be a master at this language. This is the language the vast majority of players converse in -- the vast majority of the time.
.
/language 2
This is the rough sounding language of the northern people (barbarians).
If your character is of the Barbarian race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
AKA Combine Empire; Giantish.
/language 17
The ancient language of the Geomancers. This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race.
Now spoken only by Giants, but Vah Shir are fluent as well.
.
AKA: Tier'Dal, Dark Elvish.
/language 5
The harsh and hateful language of the Dark Elf race.
If your character is of the Dark Elf race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
/language 24
This is a patchwork of a language shared by evil races.
You will have be a master of this language from the start if your character is a Dark Elf, Iksar, Ogre or Troll.
.
AKA: Dragonspeak, Wurm, Wyrm.
/language 22
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. This is the language of the Dragons (the Wurms or the Wyrms).
.
AKA Dwarf, Dwarvish.
/language 6
The gruff and deep (guttural) language of the deity Brell.
If your character is a Dwarf, you will start out as a master in this language.
.
AKA: Elder Dragonspeak, Elder Wurm, Elder Wyrm, Old Dragon, Old Dragonspeak.
/language 23
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. This is the ancient root language of the Dragons (the Wurms or the Wyrms).
.
/language 13
The ancient root and melodic language of the deity Tunare. This language very musical and / or poetic in nature.
.
AKA: Elder Dark Elf, Elder Dark Elvish.
/language 18
The ancient root language of the harsh and hateful language used by the Dark Elf race.
.
AKA: Elf.
/language 4
The melodic language of the deity Tunare. This language is all most musical in nature -- poetic. A pleasant language.
If your character is an Elf, High Elf or Wood Elf -- you will start out as a master in this language.
.
AKA Erudite.
/language 3
The rather complicated language of the Erudian people from Odus.
You start out as a master of this language, if your character is a Erudite.
.
/language 21
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. This language is one of music, not words. A very delightful language.
.
AKA: Frog, Frogluk.
/language 14
This is the language of the amphibian frog people. It is marked by sounds, chirps, burps and chatter that range from the deep and guttural to the high pitched.
If your character is of the Froglok race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
/language 15
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. It is the language of the Goblins that seem to infest Norrath.
The language has an evil tone and sound to it. It is vicious and basic.
.
/language 16
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. This is the language of the canine Gnoll race.
It is a language of barks, growls, howls, panting and similar.
.
AKA: Gnome, Gnomadic.
/language 9
This is a scientific variation of Dwarvish. The Gnomes are the scientist and cerebral race of EQ.
This language evolved from the Dwarf language and has become practically unrecognizable from its root language -- with its technical, scientific/advanced phrases, words, terms and annunciations.
If your character is of the Gnome race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
/language 27
This is the language of the Hadal, a sea serpent like race.
You can learn this language from the "Oseka's Knowledge' quest that starts in Sarith, City of Tides with Solphius Kelprunner.
.
/language 10
The lilting and merry language of the Halflings (Hobbits). This is a fun and upbeat language.
If your character is of the Halfling race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
/language 19
This is the snake-like language of the Lizardmen. The language is very smooth and involves a lot of hissing sounds.
If your character is an Iksar you will be a master of this language from the start.
.
/language 8
The very basic and simple language of the Ogre race, with little or no complication. However, the language does have an excess of terminology for topics relating to war and warfare.
If your character is of the Ogre race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
AKA Elder Erudite, Elder Erudian.
/language 12
The rather complicated old language of the Erudian people from Odus that bears some resemblance to Common.
.
AKA: Orc.
/language 20
This is one of the languages that does not originate from a player race. This is the language of the Orcs.
It is guttural and -- to be blunt -- stupid. The Ogre language is an advanced language compared to this one.
.
AKA: Cat.
/language 25
This is the language of the feline race known as the Shar Vahl. It is a language that ranges from purrs to growls to hisses to purring and mewing. It is a soothing language, for the most part.
If your character is of the Shar Vahl race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
AKA: Sign Language.
/language 11
This is a language spoken completely through hand signs and/or body signals. Perhaps it was developed by thieves so that they could communicate in stealth while in the process of committing their crimes.
If your character is a Rogue, you will start out as a Master of this language.
.
/language 7
The language of the Troll race. This language is very vile and harsh. It is very scary to listen to as it is intimidating and tends to invoke a fearful response.
If your character is of the Troll race, you will start out as a Master in this language.
.
OTHER NON-PLAYER LANGUAGES
Languages that seem to clearly exist with MOB's -- but seemingly not with Player Characters.
Grimling
The Grimling race on Luclin clearly have some language of their own.
.
Kerran
On Norrath there are some Cat People known as Kerrans (Toxxulia). This is reputed to be their language. However, I have never met anyone who knows this language. I suspect Shar Vahl is in fact the Kerran language (the language of the cat people from Luclin).
.
Kobold
The lore is that this is the language of the canine Kobold race. However, I have never found anyone who speaks any level of such a language. I suspect that this is actually the language known as Gnoll and is shared by all canine races, to include the Kobolds.
Rumor is that this language actually existed in EQ, early on, but was replaced by Elder Tier'Dal (/shrug).
.
Tegi
Some people call this language Akheva.
The Tegi is the race of "moon men" on Luclin. They clearly speak in some unknown tongue when you fight them. In fact -- one quest reveals that "Akuel xi ans Vius" means "The Gift of Dark." The rumor is that this is, in fact, an "actual" language, so to speak. Meaning each word has an actual real-life English-language translation.
Using the example noted above, I would say Akuel = Gift, xi = of, ans = the and Vius = Dark (literally, Gift of the Dark).
.
Other Suspected Tongues
Other non-player races suspected of having a distinct language: Troglodytes, Netherbians, Fungal Creatures (Fungal Fiends, Mushrooms...), Goranga's, Aviaks (bird people), Brownies, Centaurs, Drolvargs, Pixies, Sarnaks, Treants, Greater Apes (Yeti, Gorilla's...), Coterie (Vampires), Tizmaks and Ulthorks.
.
If you note any errors, misspellings, item name errors, misinformation or anything that needs addressing on this page -- PLEASE let me know via an in-game EQ Message (Bonzz on the Bertoxxulous server), or post on Bonzz's Discord Server!
This Page Last Updated March 16, 2023
This fan site is created and provided free (uncompensated, no ads, no sponsors, no registration / log-in), by Bonzz of Bertoxxulous.
Images / graphics / sounds on this web site are in-game (EverQuest) captures, originate from Sony / Darkpaw / Daybreak Games (EverQuest) and / or with permission from others (if any). Some graphics may be modified (re-sized, cropped, etc.) from their original form.
Any pages that play sounds / music, are intentionally set at low volume. Most of them are under two (2) minutes or less, and should play once and then stop. If any sound / music continues to loop (play over and over), let me know!
EverQuest is copyright / trademark / owned / operated by Darkpaw Games, which is owned / operated by Daybreak Games, which is owned / operated by Enad Global 7.