Each character starts with one native language for free. Literacy is common in Yrth; illiteracy is a -3 point disadvantage.
Additional languages can be bought at Broken proficiency for 2 pts, Accented for 4, and Native for 6. In addition, characters may choose to buy Spoken or Written Only for half points. Or you may mix and match - a character may have Accented spoken  and Broken written  Dwarven for 3 points total.
Major human languages:
Anglish - a language evolved from medieval English with heavy outside influences, particularly Norman-French.
Northland - a language related to Anglish with Germanic features.
Aralaise - a heavily accented version of Anglish spoken by inhabitants of Araterre (a region of people brought from France by the Banestorm in the 16th century).
Old Aralaise - a distinct language resembling 16th-century French.
Some Asian langauges are spoken in outlying island villages, such as Balinese.
Arabic - Because of devout Koranic study, written Arabic is nearly identical to Earth Arabic, although the spoken tongue has drifted.
Latin - medieval church Latin spoken by Christian scholars, clergymen, and some Megalan nobles.
Ladino - a language closely related to Spanish but written in Hebrew characters and spoken by Jews, who also use biblical Hebrew as a liturgical tongue. Both languages were carefully preserved after being brought through the Banestorm.
Border regions have developed simple pidgins. The city of Tredroy, for instance, has a patois that is a mixture of Anglish, Arabic, and various old Earth words. Tredroy is the second-largest city in Ytarria after Megalos and is located where the kingdoms of al-Wazif, al-Haz, and Cardiel meet (each kingdom controls its own region of Tredroy).
Learning other languages
Many languages in Yrth have drifted significantly. Anglish, Northland, and Aralaise are too remote from either modern or medieval Earth languages, although some of the roots and structures can be recognized.
However, a modern French speaker gets Old Aralaise at Broken (spoken and written) for free. Anyone versed in writing Classical Arabic has the same level of literacy in Ytarrian Arabic; anyone with knowledge of spoken Earth Arabic (classical or modern) can speak the Yrth language at one less level of competence for free.
Native-level Anglish or Arailaise gives familiarity with the other language at accented levels.
Anglish or Northland at native levels translates to the other at Broken.
Only kobolds and orcs lack a written script, although reptile men rarely write anything down. There do exist transcribed written versions of the kobold and orc tongue in Anglish and Arabic scripts.
There is one written form of the elven language, but there are dozens of spoken dialects - these translate to other elven dialects at one lower level. The language humans call "Elvish" is a formal trade/diplomatic language, which most elves themselves only speak at accented levels.
Dwarves speak a single language, but there are regional accents.