High Gothic

High Gothic (or "Tech") is the hieratic tongue of the Imperium, used in the titles of ancient institutions and organisations (such as the Adeptus Terra). It represents an older language and is regarded as holy. In the Age of the Imperium, it is the equivalent of Latin during the medieval age.

High Gothic is also known as "Tech" as it is a version of the language in which technical rituals and ancient works are recorded. This developed during the Dark Age of Technology. It derives from the common tongue of the time, an assimilation of English, European and Pacific languages which developed over many centuries in the American/Pacific region. This was the universal medium of written record until the Age of Strife, and was spoken as a first language by many and as a second language by almost everyone. Its idioms and vocabulary now appear archaic and mystic, many of its words have acquired religious significance over the years. It is the language of the tech-priests and of forbidden books.

High Gothic (represented in the game by Latinized English) is unintelligible to most Imperial citizens. It is only the language of important adepts and members of the Inquisition, and even among those who can speak it, it is only a second language. It is used only formally (as in pious benedictions), rather than as a casual language.

Low Gothic, a bastardized version of High Gothic, is the common tongue of the Imperium.