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[Nagidal]

I think I remember seeing a Linguist visiting my library. I did not pay much attention to what he was doing, but I imagine that he could be studying the languages of foreign civilizations and write grammars. Is this already implemented?

I wish we also had Translators (or Interpreters) which would know foreign languages and would be able to translate books into other languages or translate foreign books into our civilization's language (I'm assuming that at some point will have different languages for different dwarven civilizations). They would also write dictionaries, even dictionaries specialized on certain topics, e.g. agricultural, military, masonry, clothesmaker's dictionary, etc.

[Grand Sage]

If I remember correctly, DF is largely modeled around the world of LotR. I think the idea here is that all the races have there own languages (they do, mainly for name gen i think), but they also speak the common/trading language. While i definitely like the IDEA of translators/linguists, it would add a lot of confusion to the game if dwarves no longer were able to read elvish books ect. not to mention if every culture had there own language. this would mean that either: every dwarf has a skill for each language (like instruments and songs are handled right now) OR: the Languages are tracked fortress wide (like animal training is handled fortress wide). either way, probably a lot of work.

[Sbcc]

There is already multiple languages, and the game is based more on D&D than LotR. The translation idea can't be too bad, and I think it would be fun in that it would be very hard to communicate with elves, leading to more wars with the hippies, which I don't think anyone minds.

[Azerty]

If we're going to make each culture have its language, could the sectors of use be divided?

For exemple, in the Middle Age, the average French used (Old) French daily and Latin while at church and doing scholarly enterprises; likewise, in post-1066 England, the poor peasants spoke (Old) English while the nobility used (Old) French and the clergy used Latin.

I could see cultures where several languages would be used: for exemple, there would be one for the daily life, one as sacred language, one as lingua franca for the traders, one sor the scholars and one by social class.

This could depend from the history of this culture: the sacred language might come with the religion currently practised (as Classical Arab used by Muslim scholars worldwide), the lingua franca would come from the contact with other merchants and its structure would depend from the tongues of its users and the scholarly form could be the language of a more advanced and prestigious cultore or be the archaic form of the standard language.

every dwarf has a skill for each language (like instruments and songs are handled right now) OR: the Languages are tracked fortress wide (like animal training is handled fortress wide). either way, probably a lot of work.

The first might be more realist but the second might be better for purposes of performence and simplicity.

I still take the first, as it would nicely mix with the Adventure Mode and make more strategic the use of Linguists.