On the Languages of the Planes

Excerpt from “On the Language of the Planes” by Claudious Winklesteinmiester, tiefling historian, third class, of the Fraternity of Order - Found in the Fraternity’s library in Sigil, misfiled between two larger tomes about languages of the Material Plane

It is no question that every species on every plane has its own sets of expletives. Mayhaps the common trait shared amongst all living (and even undead) creatures is their ability in times of great frustration to summon some means to express their displeasure verbally.

The difference, of course, is what these creatures choose to say as expletives. For example, Empyreans, with their ability to telepathically speak all languages, still choose to swear in celestial, despite having no true ’native’ tongue. Whereas fiends of the lower planes often choose to express their frustration in the language or languages of the most powerful entity on their plane, instead of whatever would be considered natural or native.

When translated, the phrases themselves can sound odd to non-native ears. Celestial expletives are often antiquated, as Celestial has been around largely unchanged for millennia; though they have tried to modernize a time or two due to attempts to shake their ancient “goody-two-shoes” image often bandied about by the less savory elements in Sigil and the Outlands. A celestial visiting Sigil may let out a “Oh my stars and garters” over a glass of Heaven’s Dew with as close to a snarky grin as they can manage. Infernal expletives, equally stuck in the past due to the age of the language, have had no such desire to move forward with the times, instead happily throwing the fiendish equivalent of “thou” and “thee” once common in Old Common. A fiend, if truly rousted, may let out a cry of “Thou warped swag-bellied measle” in the streets of Sigil.

Both of these, of course, sound far more impressive and carry far more weight in the native tongues of their speakers than translated into common, as I have here.

#sigil/lore