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The modern alphabet is the most widespread writing system in the Northern Realms.

In The Witcher game series[ | ]

Developers CD Projekt RED use the Slavic Glagolitsa alphabet as the basic human alphabet though Andrzej Sapkowski's novels do not suggest that the Nordling alphabet resembles it.

Games use two styles of Glagolitic script - round and angular (Croatian[1]).

It is also worth noting that the Glagolitic alphabet is also used for entirely different cultures, like the Nilfgaardians or elves. Though for some ancient elven writings, games use Old Permic alphabet[2].

Round and angular Glagolitic[ | ]

Round and angular Glagolitic
Round and angular Glagolitic


These are used on posters, road signs, notice boards and etc.

Old Permic[ | ]

Old Permic alphabet

Old Permic script is used on ancient elven tombstones.

Decoding in-game texts[ | ]

Texts in the games use Glagolitic alphabet with transliteration of English or Polish. It's usually phonetic, but there are cases that resemble visual transliteration, where letters are matched by their visual similarity. It's not entirely consistent and can be mixed up in the same text at times.

Quite often texts also don't match shown captions. This can vary from simply different meaning to hidden out of character jokes.

Often transliteration was done simply using Glagolica Missal DPG keyboard layout for matching Latin letters, so this table can be useful for transcribing:

Glagolica Missal DPG keyboard layout

In-game text Actual content Caption Notes
The In at the Crossroads sign
Cross Inn

Viz?ma
Nowigrad

The Inn at the Crossroads It's a sign above the gates to the Inn at the Crossroads.
Viz?ma is partially covered by a board, and most likely means Vizima.
Purely phonetic transliteration would produce Powigrad instead of Nowigrad here, as well as Kpp instead of Inn. Designers used some other transliteration for letters N, and I in this case (possibly visual). It can also simply be a mistake.
Lindenvale noticeboard graffiti
Czarodziejki to kurwy (Sorceresses are whores) This insult to sorceresses on the noticeboard in Lindenvale is in Polish, and it's written in the mirrored upside-down fashion. Here is text flipped back:
Vertically mirrored text of the graffiti on the Lindenvale noticeboard
Notice poster
Notice

By imperial edict,
Temerian rebels are
hiding in these
woods and that
they are dangerous
be aware

See Posters in The Witcher 3 for various captions shown for this notice. Phrasing is messed up here, and actual text differs from captions shown in different places where this notice poster can be found.

It's using incorrect letter Ⱓ (YU) for W.

Wanted: Triss Merigold
Anted

Triss
Merigold

Triss Merigold, witch and harlot

is wanted for the practice of black magic and conspiracy against the crown.
Information leading to her capture will be rewarded.

Artists missed letter W here. Mistakes involving W are common in the posters with angular Glagolitic, possibly caused by developing using a font like Glagolica Missal DPG which doesn't match correct letter to W. The development method was likely typing the text in English, using Glagolitic font. You can notice that graffiti drawn by hand doesn't have this problem.
Wanted: Philippa Eilhart
Anted

Philippa
Eilhart

The necromancer and witch Philippa Eilhart has been declared a public enemy.

Information leading to her capture will be rewarded.

Missing: Anna
Missing

Anna
1000 orens reward

MISSING

Anna Strenger, wife of the Bloody Baron!
Presumed kidnapped
Hearty reward for whoever finds her or brings her in!

This poster uses Glagolitic numbering to denote 1000 (Ⰰ means 1, - means 0). It's again using incorrect letter Ⱓ (YU) for W, likely because of similarity of the angular variant.
Missing: Anna
Missing

Tamara
1000 orens reward

MISSING

Tamara Strenger, daughter of the Bloody Baron!
Presumed kidnapped
Hearty reward for whoever finds her or brings her in!

Same story with W as with Anna's poster.