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Shaaran, also called Shaartan[1], was a regional language of Southern Faerûn, and the dominant language of the Shaaran people.[2]

Speakers[]

Besides the Shaar, other places where Shaaran was commonly spoken among humans included: Amn, Calimshan, the Chondalwood, Chult, Dambrath, the Golden Water, Halruaa, the Lake of Steam, Lantan, Lapaliiya, the Nelanther Isles, Sembia, Sespech, Tashalar, Tethyr, Turmish, Unther, and the Vilhon Reach.[2][3] It was also sometimes spoken among the gold dwarves of the Great Rift,[2][4] the wild dwarves of Chult,[4] the wild elves of Chondalwood,[5] the wild elves and wood elves of the Wealdath,[5] ghostwise and strongheart halflings,[2][6] and the halflings of Luiren.[2][6] Even planetouched creatures and wemics wre known to speak it.[7]

Scholars divided Shaaran into several dialects, among them, Northern Laker, Southern Laker, True Shaartan, Reacher, Lapaliiyan, and Tharsult.[8]

Script[]

Speakers of the Shaaran tongue used the Dethek alphabet of the dwarves,[9] which they learned from gold dwarven traders from the Great Rift before the rise of the Shoon Imperium.[10]

History[]

According to some sources, Shaaran was one of the Akalaic languages, which were all part of the Chessan languages group. This made Shaaran distantly related to such languages as Chessentan.[8] Others claimed that the language was unrelated to any other Faerunian tongue, though over the centuries had adapted some loan words from cultures trading in the area.[11]

Examples[]

Surnames in Shaaran were composed of multiple words. Common examples included Cor Marak, Hiaw Harr, Laumee Harr, Moq Qo Harr, Taw Harr, and Woraw Tarak. Common male names included Awar, Cohis, Damota, Gewar, Hapaw, Laskaw, Moktar, Senesaw, and Tokhis. A female might be named Anet, Bes, Dahvet, Faqem, Idim, Lenet, Moqem, Neghet, or Sihvet.[12]

Appendix[]

References[]

  1. Thomas M. Costa (1999). “Speaking in Tongues”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon Annual #4 (TSR, Inc) (4)., p. 26.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 30–32. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  3. Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 11–16. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 26. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  7. Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Thomas M. Costa (1999). “Speaking in Tongues”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon Annual #4 (TSR, Inc) (4)., p. 29.
  9. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  10. Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 108. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  11. Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
  12. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.

Connections[]

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