Draconic is a language which has been spoken by dragons since prehistoric times. It is one of the most ancient of mortal languages, and is widely used as the lingua franca of wizards.
A less elegant form of the language is spoken by the reptilian kobolds.
Spoken form[]
Draconic has a great number of known dialects, variants, and accents. Each subspecies of true dragon has its own way of speaking the draconic language, for example, and one sufficiently learned in the language can discern a red dragon from a green dragon by sound alone.
Draconic has a harsh sound, with several hard consonants, sibilants (with distinct hissing sounds rendered as sj, ss, and sv), and a throated sound, (ach). These sounds are natural to dragons, but can grate on human ears. Draconic speech normally stresses the first syllable of a word, but can add emphasis by stressing both first and last syllable.
The draconic language changes very little over the centuries, which has been attributed to its origin in the divine supernal speech.[1]
Written form[]
Draconic is often written in the Iokharic script.[2]
An five-pointed asterisk-like symbol is used to denote emphasis, which is said to represent the five heads of Tiamat. Dragons may use this to make a point, a command, a threat, or when referring to themselves.[1]
History[]
Draconic is an ancient language, and the exact details of its creation are difficult. The legend of its creation varies considerably between worlds.
Dark Sun[]
In Athas, draconic was artificially created to serve as a common language of arcane magic. It was widely adopted by wizards, and from there became the language of the dragonborn, who were created in that world by Dregoth, the sorcerer-king of Giustenal.[3]
Nentir Vale[]
In the Nentir Vale, it is said that draconic, like many languages, was derived from from supernal, the original language of the gods. The Iokharic script was created by the draconic creator deity Io so that the dragons could record information for future generations.[1]
Vocabulary[]
Around 195 words in the draconic language are widely known.[4][5][6]
English to draconic[]
English | Draconic | Type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
above | svern | prep | |
adventurer | toovir | ||
after | ghent | prep | |
air | thrae | n | |
and | vur | conj | |
animal | baeshra | n | |
armor | litrix | n | |
arrow | svent | n | |
arrow | vaess | ||
ash | vignar | n | |
axe | garurt | n | |
bag | waeth | n | |
battle | vargach | n | |
beautiful | vorel | adj | |
before | ghoros | prep | |
behind | zara | prep | |
below | vhir | prep | |
beside | unsinti | prep | |
big | turalisj | adj | |
black | vutha | adj | |
bleed | rhyisj | ||
bleed | valeij | v | |
blood | iejir | n | |
blue | ulhar | adj | |
book | turasjir | ||
born as | tibur | ||
bow | vaex | n | |
bravery | sveargith | n | |
breath weapon | frahraek | ||
breathe | frahr | ||
breed | maurg | v | |
bribe | durah | v | |
bronze | aujir | n | |
burn | valignat | v | |
but | shar | conj | |
cave | waere | n | |
celestial | athear | n | |
century | ierikc | n | |
child | vrak | ||
claw | gix | n | |
cleric | sunathaer | n | |
copper | rach | n | |
cow | rhyvos | n | |
coward | faessi | adj | |
crippled | thurgix | adj | |
dance | vaeri | n, v | |
danger | korth | n | |
darkvision | sverak | n | |
day | kear | n | |
dead | loex | adj | |
deity | urathear | n | |
demon | kothar | n | |
die | loreat | v | |
disembowel | gixustrat | v | |
draconic creature | darss | ||
dragon | darastrix | n | |
dragonblood | darastrixethe | ||
dragonborn | ux Bahamuti | ||
dwarf | tundar | n | |
earth | edar | n | |
elf | vaecaesin | n | |
enchanted | levex | adj | |
enemy | irlym | adj, n | |
evil | malsvir | adj | |
expand | turalisjth | ||
eye | sauriv | n | |
far | karif | adj, adv | |
fashionable | thul | ||
fate | haurach | n | |
female | aesthyr | ||
few | lauth | n | |
fire | ixen | n | |
flee | osvith | v | |
fly | austrat | v | |
food | achthend | n | |
for | ihk | prep | |
forest | caesin | n | |
fortress | hurthi | n | |
friend | thurirl | adj, n | |
gem | kethend | n | |
give | majak | v | |
gnome | terunt | n | |
go | gethrisj | v | |
gold | aurix | n | |
good | bensvelk | adj | |
green | achuak | adj | |
half-dragon | darasv | ||
halfling | rauhiss | n | |
hammer | jhank | n | |
hate | dartak | n, v | |
heal | irisv | v | |
holy | ioth | ||
home | okarthel | n | |
human | munthrek | n | |
if | sjek | conj | |
in | persvek | prep | |
invigorate | strix | ||
iron | usk | adj | |
kill | svent | v | |
knowledge | irthir | ||
kobold | petisse | ||
leader | maekrix | n | |
learn | vor | ||
magic | arcaniss | n | |
male | sthyr | ||
man | sthyr | n | |
many | throden | n | |
meat | rhyaex | n | |
mountain | verthicha | n | |
name | ominak | n | |
near | leirith | adj, adv | |
night | thurkear | n | |
no | thric | adv | |
nor | thur | conj | |
normal | munth | ||
ogre | ghontix | n | |
on | shafaer | prep | |
one | ir | n | |
or | usv | conj | |
orc | ghik | n | |
pain | loerchik | ||
peace | martivir | n | |
pillage | thadarsh | v | |
platinum | ux | n | |
powerful | versel | ||
prolong | ssearth | ||
prophecy | lorsvek | ||
protect | troth | ||
quest | geth | ||
rain | oposs | n | |
red | charir | adj | |
replenish | veschik | ||
rest | ssifisv | v | |
ruler | ssissth | ||
savior of | bejik | ||
scroll | sjir | n | |
secret | irthos | adj, n | |
see | ocuir | v | |
serve | faestir | ||
shadow | sjach | n | |
shrink | kosjth | ||
silent | ssej | ||
silver | orn | n | |
skin (hide) | molik | n | |
slaughter | kurik | v | |
slayer of | fintir | ||
small | kosj | adj | |
smart | othokent | adj | |
so | zyak | adv, conj | |
soar | hysvear | v | |
song | miirik | n | |
sorcerer | vorastrix | n | |
spawn of Tiamat | tiathar | ||
speak | renthisj | v | |
speaker | lexi | ||
spear | ner | n | |
spellscale | arcath | ||
star | isk | n | |
steel | vyth | adj | |
stone | ternesj | n | |
stop | pok | v | |
storm | kepesk | n | |
strong | versvesh | adj | |
stupid | pothoc | adj | |
sword | caex | n | |
take | clax | v | |
talk | ukris | v | |
thief | virlym | n | |
through | erekess | prep | |
to | ekess | prep | |
tomorrow | earenk | n | |
tooth | oth | n | |
travel | ossalur | v | |
treasure | rasvim | n | |
ugly | nurh | adj | |
undead | kaegro | n, adj | |
under | onureth | prep | |
unfashionable | nurthul | ||
valley | arux | n | |
victory | vivex | n | |
want | tuor | v | |
war | aryte | n | |
warrior | arytiss | ||
water | hesjing | n | |
we | yth | pron | |
wealth | noach | n | |
weapon | laraek | n | |
white | aussir | adj | |
with | mrith | prep | |
wizard | levethix | n | |
woman | aesthyr | n | |
wood | grovisv | n | |
word | lex | ||
year | eorikc | n | |
yellow | yrev | adj | |
yes | axun | adv | |
yet | sjerit | adv | |
you | wux | pron |
Draconic to english[]
Draconic | English | Type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
achthend | food | n | |
achuak | green | adj | |
aesthyr | female | ||
aesthyr | woman | n | |
ar- | my | prep | |
arcaniss | magic | n | |
arcath | spellscale | ||
ari- | my | prep | |
arux | valley | n | |
aryte | war | n | |
arytiss | warrior | ||
athear | celestial | n | |
aujir | bronze | n | |
aurix | gold | n | |
aussir | white | adj | |
austrat | fly | v | |
axun | yes | adv | |
baeshra | animal | n | |
bejik | savior of | ||
bensvelk | good | adj | |
caesin | forest | n | |
caex | sword | n | |
charir | red | adj | |
clax | take | v | |
darastrix | dragon | n | |
darastrixethe | dragonblood | ||
darasv | half-dragon | ||
darss | draconic creature | ||
dartak | hate | n, v | |
durah | bribe | v | |
earenk | tomorrow | n | |
edar | earth | n | |
ekess | to | prep | |
eorikc | year | n | |
er- | my (friend) | prep | |
erekess | through | prep | |
ethe- | my (friend) | prep | |
faessi | coward | adj | |
faestir | serve | ||
fintir | slayer of | ||
frahr | breathe | ||
frahraek | breath weapon | ||
garurt | axe | n | |
geth | quest | ||
gethrisj | go | v | |
ghent | after | prep | |
ghik | orc | n | |
ghontix | ogre | n | |
ghoros | before | prep | |
gix | claw | n | |
gixustrat | disembowel | v | |
grovisv | wood | n | |
haurach | fate | n | |
hesjing | water | n | |
hurthi | fortress | n | |
hysvear | soar | v | |
iejir | blood | n | |
ierikc | century | n | |
ihk | for | prep | |
ioth | holy | ||
ir | one | n | |
irisv | heal | v | |
irlym | enemy | adj, n | |
irthir | knowledge | ||
irthos | secret | adj, n | |
isk | star | n | |
ixen | fire | n | |
jhank | hammer | n | |
kaegro | undead | n, adj | |
karif | far | adj, adv | |
kear | day | n | |
kepesk | storm | n | |
kethend | gem | n | |
korth | danger | n | |
kosj | small | adj | |
kosjth | shrink | ||
kothar | demon | n | |
kurik | slaughter | v | |
laraek | weapon | n | |
lauth | few | n | |
leirith | near | adj, adv | |
levethix | wizard | n | |
levex | enchanted | adj | |
lex | word | ||
lexi | speaker | ||
litrix | armor | n | |
loerchik | pain | ||
loex | dead | adj | |
loreat | die | v | |
lorsvek | prophecy | ||
maekrix | leader | n | |
majak | give | v | |
malsvir | evil | adj | |
martivir | peace | n | |
maurg | breed | v | |
miirik | song | n | |
molik | skin (hide) | n | |
mrith | with | prep | |
munth | normal | ||
munthrek | human | n | |
ner | spear | n | |
noach | wealth | n | |
nurh | ugly | adj | |
nurthul | unfashionable | ||
ocuir | see | v | |
okarthel | home | n | |
ominak | name | n | |
onureth | under | prep | |
oposs | rain | n | |
orn | silver | n | |
ossalur | travel | v | |
osvith | flee | v | |
oth | tooth | n | |
othokent | smart | adj | |
persvek | in | prep | |
petisse | kobold | ||
pok | stop | v | |
pothoc | stupid | adj | |
rach | copper | n | |
rasvim | treasure | n | |
rauhiss | halfling | n | |
renthisj | speak | v | |
rhyaex | meat | n | |
rhyisj | bleed | ||
rhyvos | cow | n | |
sauriv | eye | n | |
shafaer | on | prep | |
shar | but | conj | |
sjach | shadow | n | |
sjek | if | conj | |
sjerit | yet | adv | |
sjir | scroll | n | |
ssearth | prolong | ||
ssej | silent | ||
ssifisv | rest | v | |
ssissth | ruler | ||
sthyr | male | ||
sthyr | man | n | |
strix | invigorate | ||
sunathaer | cleric | n | |
sveargith | bravery | n | |
svent | arrow | n | |
svent | kill | v | |
sverak | darkvision | n | |
svern | above | prep | |
ternesj | stone | n | |
terunt | gnome | n | |
thadarsh | pillage | v | |
thrae | air | n | |
thric | no | adv | |
throden | many | n | |
thul | fashionable | ||
thur | nor | conj | |
thurgix | crippled | adj | |
thurirl | friend | adj, n | |
thurkear | night | n | |
tiathar | spawn of Tiamat | ||
tibur | born as | ||
toovir | adventurer | ||
troth | protect | ||
tundar | dwarf | n | |
tuor | want | v | |
turalisj | big | adj | |
turalisjth | expand | ||
turasjir | book | ||
ukris | talk | v | |
ulhar | blue | adj | |
unsinti | beside | prep | |
urathear | deity | n | |
usk | iron | adj | |
usv | or | conj | |
ux | platinum | n | |
ux Bahamuti | dragonborn | ||
vaecaesin | elf | n | |
vaeri | dance | n, v | |
vaess | arrow | ||
vaex | bow | n | |
valeij | bleed | v | |
valignat | burn | v | |
vargach | battle | n | |
versel | powerful | ||
versvesh | strong | adj | |
verthicha | mountain | n | |
veschik | replenish | ||
veth- | my (object) | prep | |
vethi- | my (object) | prep | |
vhir | below | prep | |
vignar | ash | n | |
virlym | thief | n | |
vivex | victory | n | |
vor | learn | ||
vorastrix | sorcerer | n | |
vorel | beautiful | adj | |
vrak | child | ||
vur | and | conj | |
vutha | black | adj | |
vyth | steel | adj | |
waere | cave | n | |
waeth | bag | n | |
wux | you | pron | |
yrev | yellow | adj | |
yth | we | pron | |
zara | behind | prep | |
zyak | so | adv, conj |
Notes[]
The prefix "ar" or "ari" is a possessive prefix used for all cases except for friends or relatives (er/ethe), or physical possessions (veth/vethi).
If someone other than the speaker possesses something, that individual's name is combined with the object and prefixed with "ar" or "ari"; e.g. aridarastrixiejir, "dragon's blood".
Publication history[]
Earlier editions[]
In the Council of Wyrms (1994), each type of dragon has their own language, though they share an ancient language known as High Draconic which serves to communicate between groups. FOR1 Draconomicon (2e) (1990) describes various individuals speaking languages such as "green dragon" or "silver dragon".
D&D 3rd edition[]
Throughout D&D 3rd edition and onward, all true dragons and many dragonlike creatures and others speak a single language, draconic.
The draconic language vocabulary and structure was detailed in the article Dragontongue: A Draconic Language Primer, Dragon #284 (Jun 2001), p.38-39, by Owen K.C. Stephens. It included word types (noun, verb, adjective, etc), with unique categories for nouns such as creatures, weapons, elements, places, and wealth.
This list was reprinted in Draconomicon (3e) (2003), p.157, omitting special noun categories.
An extended version with approximately 25% more words was printed in Races of the Dragon (2006), p.146-148. This removed the word categories entirely, so that words above without categories were drawn from that book. However, it printed useful lists both English-first and draconic-first.
Races of the Dragon also made two changes to the vocabulary. "Arrow" was changed from svent to vaess, as svent was duplicated on the list, meaning "kill"; vaess now matches the word for "bow", vaex. "Bleed" was changed from valeij to rhyisj, which better matches rhyaex, "meat", and rhyvos, "cow".
D&D 4th edition[]
Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (2008), p.24-25, describes the draconic langauge and reprints the word list from the D&D 3rd edition Draconomicon. However, it does not incorporate the two word changes in Races of the Dragon, and does not include the fifty or so new words from that book. It does, however, include a font for the Iokharic script.
Some additional dragonborn sayings are described in Player's Handbook Races: Dragonborn (2010), p.22. These have not been included in this article's wordlist, as they are sentences rather than individual words, and it is not directly clear if these can be translated literally, or which draconic words refer to which.
D&D 5th edition[]
The Iokharic alphabet appears in the Player's Handbook (5e) (2014) as an example of what draconic script might look like.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (2008), p.24-26.
- ↑ Player's Handbook (4e) (2008), p.25.
- ↑ Dark Sun Campaign Setting (4e) (2010), p.14-15.
- ↑ Dragontongue: A Draconic Language Primer, Dragon #284 (Jun 2001), p.38-39.
- ↑ Draconomicon (3e) (2003), p.157.
- ↑ Races of the Dragon (2006), p.146-148.