History Main / ClassicalTongue

* Hebrew. Interestingly it has been revived as everyday speech in a deliberate social engineering project of the Zionists. Many Ashkenazi Orthodox dislike this considering Hebrew a holy language and Yiddish the common language of the Jews...a position that Sephardi Jews, Orthodox or otherwise, find annoying.

** In the default setting, Draconic is one of the most ancient languages still in use, partly thanks to its use in magical notation.

** The Orthodox Sephardi also traditionally considered Hebrew a holy tongue, and their own common language was Ladino. Unfortunately, unlike Yiddish, which was invented by Eastern European Jews who were forcibly segregated from the rest of the community, and therefore was not very much like German, Ladino was invented by Spanish and Portuguese Jews who lived in a Muslim-dominated society, which meant they were tolerated and allowed to mingle - which means that modern Ladino sounds almost exactly like Spanish, with hardly any Hebrew influence. Which is why most modern Sephardi just prefer Hebrew.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has High Valyrian, the language of the lost Valyrian Freehold. In Westeros it's taught to the highborn as a sign of noble education, particularly in the Valyria-descended Targaryen Dynasty. In the East, it's been absorbed into local "bastard Valyrian" dialects in the Free Cities and blended with Old Ghiscari in the languages of Slaver's Bay.

The language may also be some kind of holy language spoken by those in a religious order, which makes the comparison to Latin all the more obvious. In these instances, see SacredLanguage. If forgotten, can become a LostLanguage.

* The Ancient Language in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' is used as a [[LanguageOfMagic spellcasting language]] in most contemporary settings and is the primary language for the Heron tribe. Most of what Princess Leanne says is in this language, translations of which can be found [[http://serenesforest.net/fe9/galldr.html here]] and [[http://serenesforest.net/fe10/ancient.html here]].

* Several in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''. Most prominent is Aldmeris, the language of the Aldmer (Old or First Elves), {{Precursors}} to all of the modern [[OurElvesAreBetter races of Mer (Elves)]]. It parallels Latin in that it didn't so much die out as evolve into several distinct but clearly related languages, some living and others, like [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemeris]] and the Falmer language, extinct. Translating Dwemeris is a side-quest plot point in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' while translating the Falmer language is a side-quest plot point in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''. Rediscovering the language of the dragons (Dovahzul) is a main quest plot point in ''Skyrim''.

The language may also be some kind of holy language spoken by those in a religious order, which makes the comparison to Latin all the more obvious. In these instances, see SacredLanguage.

* The Ancient Language in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'' is used as a [[LanguageOfMagic spellcasting language]] in most contemporary settings and is the primary language for the Heron tribe. Most of what Princess Leanne says is in this language, translations of which can be found [[http://serenesforest.net/fe9/galldr.html here]] and [[http://serenesforest.net/fe10/ancient.html here]].

* Arabic is an interesting case. Classical Arabic--the flowery language of Literature/TheQuran--is unquestionably dead, but it's not difficult to understand for one who speaks Modern Standard Arabic, which is less flowery and more businesslike. However, nobody speaks MSA as a first language, either: they speak one of the numerous varieties of Arabic. However, none of these are traditionally written down, and high-class colloquial Arabic blends seamlessly into MSA anyhow. The result is that while Classical Arabic is a classical language for Arabs (and a holy language for Muslims, Arab or otherwise), Arabic in general is very much alive.[[note]]The same process is how we got from Latin to the various Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, etc.), incidentally. Vulgar Latin, the form spoken by the masses, gradually broke up into different dialects that evolved in different directions. The difference is that the printing press and widespread literacy--and eventually broadcast media and the Internet--arrived in the Arab world before the split was complete. One of the peculiar discoveries of recent Arabic linguistics is that if you write most Arabic dialects in Arabic script (which leaves out most vowels) and use etymological spellings, Arabic-speakers can mostly understand passages in each other's dialects even if they wouldn't have a clue what was going on if the passages were read out loud. This discovery became widespread with the advent of the Internet, as Arabic-speakers increasingly needed to spell out their vernacular speech for chats, text messaging, Facebook posts, tweets, and so on.[[/note]]

* Arabic is an interesting case. Classical Arabic--the flowery language of Literature/TheQuran--is unquestionably dead, but it's not difficult to understand for one who speaks Modern Standard Arabic, which is less flowery and more businesslike. However, nobody speaks MSA as a first language, either: they speak one of the numerous varieties of Arabic. However, none of these are traditionally written down, and high-class colloquial Arabic blends seamlessly into MSA anyhow. The result is that while Classical Arabic is a classical language for Arabs (and a holy language for Muslims, Arab or otherwise), Arabic in general is very much alive.[[note]]The same process is how we got from Latin to the various Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, etc.), incidentally. Vulgar Latin, the form spoken by the masses, gradually broke up into different dialects that evolved in different directions. The difference is that the printing press and widespread literacy arrived in the Arab world before the split was complete.[[/note]]

* High Imperial in ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'''s ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'' books is the language once spoken by [[spoiler:Spook]] the Lord Mistborn, founder of the new civilization, and is now only used in old historical documents and occasional government ceremonies. [[spoiler: It's Spook's bizarre street slang from ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy''.]]

** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' has Auld Wyrmish -- the language of ancient dragon civilization on which different species talk with each other, while each kind itself uses derived dialects. Much the same applies to Giant, which is not the same as dialects e.g. stone giants or verbeeg use among themselves. Thorass or "Auld Common" is ancient written trade language from which "Common" is derived, still used for official records in some lands.

* High Gothic of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. It's rendered as DogLatin in the books, but WordOfGod is that it's just a TranslationConvention.

* In ''Fanfic/RWBYScars'', [[LittleBitBeastly faunus]] have a language separate from the CommonTongue everyone uses known as "Ishvi". They only use it amongst other faunus because for years they've been [[FantasticRacism persecuted by humans]] for speaking it.

* In ''Fanfic/RWBYScars'', [[LittleBitBeastly faunus]] have a language separate from the CommonTongue everyone uses. They only use it amongst other faunus because for years they've been [[FantasticRacism persecuted by humans]] for speaking it.

[[folder:Film]]
* The Divine Language spoken by esoteric priests and sexy living {{MacGuffin}}s in ''Film/TheFifthElement''.

A language that isn't typically known or used by the common man. It may be dead and mostly forgotten, or only spoken by educated elites such as nobility, scholars, [[SacredLanguage clergy]], or [[LanguageOfMagic mages]]. A few words from it might be used to [[PretentiousLatinMotto denote something special]], or it is used for something or someone's [[YouAreTheTranslatedForeignWord name]], or someone who knows it [[GratuitousForeignLanguage might drop a phrase here and there in an attempt to sound clever]], but don't expect the common masses to use it (anymore). It's often an {{Expy}} [[CanisLatinicus of Latin]], if it isn't [[AltumVidetur Latin itself]].

* [[AltumVidetur Latin]], of course.

* High Imperial in ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'''s ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'' books is the language once spoken by [[spoiler:Spook]] the Lord Mistborn, founder of the new civilization. [[spoiler: It's Spook's bizarre street slang from ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy''.]]

** Westron, the [[CommonTongue Common Speech]] of western Middle-earth during the time of ''Literature/TheHobbit'' and ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', is derived from Adûnaic, the language of the Númenóreans who founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor after losing their homeland to catastrophe.

* Several in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** Westron, the Lingua Franca and CommonTongue of the series, is derived from Adûnaic, the language of the Númenóreans who founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor after losing their homeland to catastrophe.
** Quenya serves in the same capacity for the Elves, being the language spoken by the Elf tribes who lived with the [[PhysicalGod Valar]] in the Undying Lands.
** Dwarvish is a static, ceremonial language, and Dwarves never speak their own tongue to outsiders except their BattleCry (and presumably the hearers are expected to soon be dead). When talking to outsiders and sometimes even among themselves they use Common Speech. And if an outsider knows Dwarvish that is a sure sign that he is considered to be a very honored friend and possibly that he has [[GoingNative Gone Native]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'', the dead Old Tainish language has been replaced by Tainish in common speech, but is still studied extensively as the LanguageOfMagic. Since it's the only language the BackgroundMagicField of the Khert understands, spell composers put a lot of work into rediscovering long-lost bits of vocabulary.

* The ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'' series has Throne Therin, the courtly language of the defunct Therin Empire. Amusingly, WordOfGod [[http://www.scottlynch.us/faq.html states]] that the Therin nobility {{invoked|Trope}} this, developing a "tarted-up" version of common Therin as a sign of erudition.

** In the ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' setting of Golarion, the language of the ancient Azlanti empire hasn't been used in millennia, but has been incorporated into the {{common tongue}}s of Taldane and Varisian and can still be found in some ruins.

* {{Downplayed}} on ''{{Grimm}}'' when Nick needs a text translated that is written in a medieval dialect of German. Monroe explains that the dialect has not been used in a long time but he can still translate it because it is close enough to modern German. Played straighter with the cloth covering the Templar treasure, which has writing in Aramaic and Latin. Rosalee can translate some of the Latin, but says it's archaic Latin, not Classical Latin (which, ironically given the trope name, would be easier to translate).

See also: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_language classical language]] on TheOtherWiki.