Character languages

Hayley translating the prediction of Hope

Every character on The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Legacies speaks some form or variant of a language. The predominant language spoken on the original broadcasts of the show is American English, though variants of this language, as well as entirely different languages are used, often with English subtitles.

Aramaic

• The Aramaic language was spoken dating back to Biblical times (3rd millennium BC to 1st millennium AD), but due to the complexity of the Aramaic language, there are few people who have the knowledge of the language necessary to translate text or words, depending on the intention.
• Aramaic script was widely adopted for other languages and is ancestral to both the Arabic and modern Hebrew alphabets.
• Qetsiyah was a notable speaker of Aramaic as was shown in her spells, and the connection to her name and possible origin.
• Klaus also spoke the language. ("Down the Rabbit Hole")
• The Hunter's Mark and the Sword of Alexander have Aramaic writings.

Bulgarian

• Katerina Petrova, her parents and sister spoke Bulgarian ("Katerina").
• Klaus also spoke Bulgarian ("Know Thy Enemy").

Czech

• The Travelers used this language for their spells and rituals.

Cuneiform

• Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East and appears to be what is inscribed on the Necromancer's enchanted shackles. A passing sphinx was able to read the inscription since the Necromancer could not. ("To Whom It May Concern")

English

• Most of the characters speak English with American accents. Some characters have distinctive accents when speaking English, showing their countries of origin and those include:
  • Scottish accent - Galen Vaughn and Alistair Duquesne
  • English accent - Rose-Marie, Lorenzo and the Mikaelson Family

French

• The French Quarter witches, as well as most of the New Orleans witches, use this language for their spells and rituals.
  • Many New Orleans witches, particularly those born in Algiers and the Tremé, along with some French Quarter witches, such as Celeste Dubois, use Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini), a French-based Creole language.
  • Some other witches, such as Nandi LaMarche, speak with a slight Cajun accent.
  • Vincent is shown to understand Creole. ("Keepers of the House")
• Isobel Flemming and Cherie speak French ("Isobel (Episode)").
• Rebekah and the casket girls spoke French in the 18th century. ("The Casket Girls")
• Niklaus spoke French in the 19th century. ("The River in Reverse")
• Elijah and Antoinette spoke French. ("Le Grand Guignol")("Ne Me Quitte Pas")
• It is one of the classes taught at Mystic Falls High School. ("Pilot")

German

• Klaus and Greta Sienna spoke German in the 1930s. ("Don't It Just Break Your Heart")

Greek

• Pothos has an understanding of Greek and can provide modern translations of the inscribed words of various types of love on his arrow. ("What Cupid Problem?")

Italian

• Leonardo DaVinci and Cleo Sowande speak Italian. Jed speaks a little Italian because he was on a vacation in Rome. ("I Was Made To Love You")
• Alexander and Rebekah lived in Italy in the 12th century and were fluent in Italian.
  • Furthermore, Rebekah helped Matt with his Italian classes, but clarified that "languages have a way of evolving". ("She's Come Undone")
• It is one of the classes taught at Mystic Falls High School. ("She's Come Undone")

Japanese

• Kurutta and Josie Saltzman speak Japanese. ("Since When Do You Speak Japanese?")

Latin

• In 100 A.D., a young boy, his mother and Egyptian woman spoke Latin. ("Was This the Monster You Saw?")

Old Norse

Main article: Runes

• Ancient Nordic witches such as Dahlia and Freya use this language for their spells and rituals.

Polish

• Silas speaks Polish. ("True Lies")
  • Paul Wesley who portrays Silas is Polish and can speak the Polish language fluently.

Sanskrit

• Josie took a class on Sanskrit, though she claims to have forgotten everything. Knowledge of the class, however, is retained within her subconsciousness. ("You Can't Run From Who You Are")

Spanish

• Vicente Cruz, and possibly his daughter, speak Spanish. ("Postcards from the Edge")

Spell Languages

• Most of the witches use two variations of made up languages for various spells and rituals.
  • In The Vampire Diaries, the spells are translated to Latin and then mucked up. Kat Graham calls it "the Plecan" after the show's creator Julie Plec, because "it is actually a mix of Latin and some words that look like real words".
  • In The Originals, the spells are translated to French and then mucked up.

Yoruba

• Cleo Sowande, her sisters and their grandmother speak and cast spells, inclusive of black magic, in Yoruba. Furthermore their last name is Yoruba.
• Elijah mentions that the Yoruba name for the witch is "aje" ("mother"). ("Après Moi, Le Déluge")