Elven vs Drow

[Mikayla]

In WotC's Forgotten Realms "Drow" is a dialect of Elven, and in some Drow racial attribute summaries it has been listed as "Elven (Drow)." In Core D&D the entry for Drow in the Open Gaming License materials lists the automatic languages for Drow as "Common, Elven, Undercommon" leading to the implication that Drow and Elven are one and the same. I personally think the Forgotten Realms take on it is the best - Drow being a dialect of Elven. Drow Sign Language, of course, is a completely seperate language.

[Bhaern Quel]

The SRD offers here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/speakLanguage.htm common language of races. Looking at the list Undercommon is the Typical Speakers by Drow, Undercommon however uses the same alphabet as Elven.

Undercommon per the SRD is basically Drow language, adapted to changed condictions. Undercommon also appears to be the trade language perhaps because the Drow in general was the most powerful force to effect a common language. Much like Common of the surface in general appears to be based on human language.

Drow and Elven have the same roots and alphabet, however are no longer the same language, both are based on the same language that existed before the Crown Wars.

[Unen_Stealthfoot]

[quote="Mikayla":3hh3l70g]Drow Sign Language, of course, is a completely seperate language.[/quote:3hh3l70g]

[color=indigo:3hh3l70g]However, Avariel Sign, one of the bonus languages of the winged elves is very similar to drow sign. (according to candlekeep (I think it was candlekeep))[/color:3hh3l70g]

[silke_rahn]

Well I am new here, but the way I see it the relationship between Drow and Elven is like the relationship between Hochdeutsch and Plotdeutsch or even Aleman. Both the later are dialects of Hochdeutsch. So Drow is a dialect of Elven that over time developed into its own tongue. There are similarities, but over time each developed enough differences that it may be more like the difference between Deutsch and Holandisch (German and Dutch). One could say that though they may sound similar they may not be as mutually intelligible as Spanish and Italian.
Silke

[Shir'le E. Illios]

Yeah, that's more or less how I look at it as well.


Love -x-x-x-

Shir'le

[Shayera]

[quote="silke_rahn":pnd6x9y3]Plotdeutsch[/quote:pnd6x9y3]

You mean 'Plattdeutsch'. By the way, Plattdeutsch (at least the version in northern Germany) and Dutch are very alike - its not the same, but if you can speak one you can understand the other one.

Imho they are both based on an older (root-)language...