Draconic

as taken from Dragon Magazine #284 "Dragontounge: A Draconic Language Primer" by Sean K. Reynolds with a Draconic lexicon by Author: Owen K.C. Stephens.

Compiler's Note: As a service to D&D players, Dragon Magazine fans, conlangers and fantasy role-playing gamers everywhere, I have codified and reduced the article that introduced this language into the basics. This is not my original work, but a presentation of just the bare essentials and mechanics of this fantasy language.

Alphabet and Punctuation

Mr. Reynolds theorized that Draconic was one of the earliest languages, influencing, or creating the language of kobolds, lizardfolk, and troglodytes. The script is believed to have been influenced by the Dwarven runes, but Dragons themselves are unwilling to admit this connection. Draconic script is also used to write the elemental languages of Auran and Ignan.
Punctuation is the same as English, with the exception of a special character consisting of six lines radiating outwards, similar to a fireburst (*). When this character is written, the word is spoken with both the first and last syllable stressed. Dragons often use this when referring to themselves, for example, the dragon Karajix would be written *Karajix* and pronounced "KA-raj-IX".

Basic Grammar

Draconic is a language of hard consonants and sibilants that usually sounds like hissing when spoken. It inculdes sounds that sound very snake-like to humans, including: sj, ss, and sv. It also includes a sound similar to a creature clearing its throat, like the German "ach".
Mr. Reynolds wrote that words which modify other words can be place before, or after, the words they modify, however the most important word is always placed before, and sometimes, for added emphasis, might be added after, as well. So, a dragon that wanted to say a big, black, evil dragon was coming near, but wanted to emphasise might say:
Malsvir darastrix turalisj vutha gethrisj leirith
[evil dragon big black go near]

or, Malsvir darastrix turalisj vutha malsvir gethrisj leirith
[evil dragon big black evil go near]

Genrally, the Draconic sentence follows the order of Subject Verb Object, though the Subject may be omitted if it is understood or part of a command. Also, if a sentence is a command, and written, is will often include the previously mentioned "fireburst" symbol (*).
Draconic has no word for "my" or "mine", but uses a series of prefixes, depending on the exact meaning. An object that is claimed a dragon speaker would begin with "veth" or "vethi", a being with a relationship to the speaker, such as friend or relative, begins with "er" or "erthe", and all other forms of the possesive begin with "ar" or "ari". For example, for a dragon to say "my sword", or "the sword is mine", he only needs to say "vethicaex". Or, to say "my enemy", he would say "arirlim". To indicate possession by another, the name of the possessor is combined with the object into a single word and prefaced with "ar" or "ari". For example, to say "my enemy's sword" he would say "arirlimcaex".

Other notes:

Mr. Reynolds wrote in his article that Draconic is one of the oldest languages, according to the Dragons, second only to the language of the "outsiders". Also, he speculated that the reason so many reptilian races spoke a form of Draconic was not because they were related physically to dragons, but because at some point early in their history the dragons had enslaved them.
There are dialects of dragon for each of the various species of dragon, but the differences are very small and can often only be heard by dragons themselves. So, someone who learns Draconic from a red dragon will be able to understand, and make themselves understood by, a blue dragon or gold dragon.
Draconic itself, he wrote, has not changed in hundreds of years.

Sample phrases:

The elf says the magic sword we want is in the lich's tomb.
Vaecaesin ner levex caex levex yth tuor persvek arikaegrowaere.

A red dragon! Scram!
Charir *darastrix*! *Osvith*!

Gimli, hit the orc with your axe!
Vargach *ghik* mrith arigimligarunt!

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Word List:
Author: Owen K.C. Stephens

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