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This was taken from an *old* issue of the Polyhedron (in the 70s, IIRC). I
had it is ASCII form on my computer and since the discussion Waterdhavians
came up, here is Ed's words on the matter.....

"How else can we touch each other, down the passing years,
save by words?"

Laeral of the Nine,
Thoughts On Life And Wizardry
Year of the Snow Winds

Elminster bid me pause in our guided tour of the Realm while
he cleared up a few terms of speech. So here's a look at:

Language Lore

A Tiny (But Hopefully Handy) Glossary of Phrases,
Sayings, and Words of the Realms.

The words we delve into here should prove useful for DMs and
players alike seeking to spice their characters' speech with the
flavor of the Realms.

Greetings & Farewells

The shaded box on page 9 of the Cyclopedia of the Realms book
(in the original FORGOTTEN REALMS boxed campaign set) contains
salutations and partings widely known among folk of various places
and races in Faerun. In addition to the words and phrases there,
know ye these:
AlaE (ah-LAY: "Fortunate meeting," a contraction of an old
elven phrase of the same meaning)-a greeting (and reassurance of
peaceful intentions) between travelers in the southern and eastern
coastlands around The Sea of Fallen Stars.
Durgos (DUR-ghosz: "Peace") a corruption of the orcs durgreos
(see below), used by mongrelmen and some human slavers.
Durgreos (Dur-GREE-ohzz: "No quarrel") a responsive greeting
and parting used by orcs of the north.
Hykyath (Hik-ah-YATH: "Prance!") a parting used by satyrs.
It has been picked up by some poets among the elves and half elves,
and even orcs have been heard, in battle, derisively telling their
foes and underlings to "look lively" in the few breaths left before
they die.
Lammath Drios (Lham-math DREE-ohs: "Fortune find you") a
parting used in Essembra and in the country-side south of it as far
as the seacoast, and west as far as the Thunder Peaks. It is not
favored within the proud cities of Sembia, where only "bumpkins"
and "country dung-carters" are thought to speak so.
Rhambukkya (Ram-BOOkh-yah: "Ride high") used as both greeting
and parting by the nomads of the Shaar.
Sabbas (Sab-BAS: "Run free") a parting used by centaurs.
Stettar Voh (Stet-tar VOE-hh: "Gods-power [keep you] well")
formal, peaceful greeting and parting among merchants in The
Shining South.
Tantam (TAN-tam: "Hello") peaceful way-greeting among
merchants of the north.
Uluvathae (Oo-loo-VAW-thay: "[May your] fortune bring you
joy") a friendly, informal greeting and parting used by elves and
half-elves to others (of any race) they welcome the company of.
Between close friends, its use is an insult, or a neutral
"say-nothing-we're-being-listened-to" warning.
Vlandranna (Vlan-DRANNA: "Gods grant [approval, or that what
is spoken of occurs by their will]) an old, corrupted dwarven word
from the region that is today the Vast and Impiltur; now used by
all trading races in The Sea of Fallen Stars.

Other Terms

In the Realms, "Power," capitalized, means "divine magical
powers."
Where we would say "a moment or two," most humans in the
Realms say "a breath or two" - and what we would call a minute is
"a goodly breath or three."
Dwarves tend to call the same span of time (actually, anything
up to about three minutes) "but a little while," whereas a halfling
would call the same span of time "a long song." To a halfling, a
minute is "a tune," and 10 minutes is "three long songs." Most
halflings tend to speak of longer time periods, within a day, in
terms of how much the sun has progressed.

The Written Word

Published Realms products contain little heraldry and runic
script, but enough "bare-bones" linguistic notes to address most
writing and DMing needs. The "Cyclopedia of the Realms" book in
the, original Realms set contains (on page 7) the styles of names
used by folk of various races and professions (consider this
generalized information to be superseded by later, contradictory
but more specific notes and details in other Realms sourcebook
products). Further, alphabets are found in the "Cyclopedia," page
8, and languages on pages 8-9. A more detailed delving into
dwarven names, Dethek runes, and runestones can be found on the
covers of FR11 Dwarves Deep. Inside the module, on pages 11 and
12, is a selected glossary of dwarven words and lists of clan
names.
In like manner, chapters 9 and 10 of FOR2 The Drow of the
Underdark explore drow names and words. The forthcoming
Menzoberranzan boxed set expands drow lingo a little more - for
readers willing to pick information out of text dealing with other
topics. FR13 Anauroch does the same for the human Bedine desert
nomads.

Place Nomenclature

Largely derived from human speech, these terms have become
widely used by all trading races in the Realms.
In this list, look up the place on the left. After the colon
appears the term that applies, so that one can write "Amnian wine"
instead of "wine of Amn."

Amn: Amnian
Anauroch: Anaurian
Arabel: Arabellan
Athkatla: Athkatlan
Baldur's Gate: Baldurian (Never "Balduran," which is the name
of the city's founder. To misuse his name is to insult his memory
and the city.)
Berdusk: Berduskan
Calaunt: Calauntan (Not "Calauntian" or Calaunan."
"Calaunthead" is a deliberate outlander's insult heard most often
among Inner Sea sailors).
Citadel Adbar: Adbarrim
Citadel of the Raven: Ravenar (A citizen; garrison soldiers
are referred to as "Citadel-helms," or, less politely, as "stone-
heads.")
Cormyr: Cormyrean or Cormyrian ("Cormyte," a more slang,
familiar term, is also used, and is favored by the current monarch,
Azoun IV.)
Daerlun: Daerlunian
Elturel: Eltulian (Not ""Elturelian.")
Elversult: Elversian (Not "Elversultian," which is much used
in Calimshan, and considered an insult by Elversians.)
Eveningstar: Evenor (An archaic, little-used, formal term.)
Faerun: Faerunian
Gond: Gondryr (Not "Gondian,"although this old term is
sometimes applied to temples, vestments, and other items.)
Hillsfar: Hillfarian (The old, scholarly term "Helvar" is
also sometimes heard.)
Immersea: Immersean ("Immerian" is also sometimes heard, but
is frowned on locally, because it was used in the past to refer to
smugglers, slavers, and pirates.)
Iriaebor: Iriaeben or Iriaeban
Lantan: Lantanna
Luskan: Luskar
Marsember: Marsembian ("Marsemban" is also correct, but
rarer.)
Melvaunt: Melvauntian
Mintarn: Tarnian (Never "Mintarnian.")
Mulmaster: Mulmasterite or Mulman (The former term applies to
people, the latter to things.)
Myth Drannor: Myth Drannan
Neverwinter: Neveren or Neverwintian (The second term is
rarely heard outside of poetry, pedantic speech, or among the
arrogant Calishites.)
Nimbral: Nimbran or Nimbrian (Either is correct; the former
is usually applied to beings, and the latter to things, but not
always.)
Ordulin: Ordulian or Ordulan (The rarely-heard second term
applies to goods, companies, animals, and items, but never to
people.)
Procampur: Procampan
Ruathym: Ruathen
Saerloon: Saerloonian or Saerlunan (The second, older term is
heard less often.)
Scornubel: Scornubian or Scornubrian (Both are correct, but
the second term is little used.)
Selgaunt: Selgauntan or Selgite (The second term applies only
to art and workmanship.)
Sembia: Sembite or Semmite (Either term, applied to the
citizens, is correct, the former is used most often in the north
and in the Dragonreach lands, the latter used more in the south.
One speaks of a chair or sword of "Sembian" make, but of "Semban"
habits, beliefs, or style of workmanship. Outlanders often call
citizens of Sembia "Sembians," and the citizens usually don't
bother to correct them.)
Shadowdale: Dalefolk (Like all other Dale-dweller; they use
no other term," in Sembia, Westgate, and the Vilhon Reach, where
folk of the Dales are thought of as backwards bumpkins, the term
"Daler" is sometimes heard; it corresponds to "dungcarter" or
"hayseed.")
Sossal: Sossrim or Sossar (Use the first term for beings, and
the second for items.)
Suzail: Suzailan
Tantras: Tantran
Tashluta: Tashlutar (The term "Tashalar" refers to the
surrounding coastlands, subject to the rule of Tashluta.)
Thay: Thayan
Tilverton: Tilverian (Never "Tilvertonian," locals refer to
themselves as "'Gap folk,"'and will say, "I'm from the Gap."
Urmlaspyr: Urmlassan (Not "Urmlaspian," although snobs from
Selgaunt use this term, which is resented in Urmlaspyr.)
Waterdeep: Waterdhavian
Westgate: Westhavian or Westar
Yhaunn: Yhauntan (Not "Yhauntian.")
Zhentil Keep: Zhent or Zhentish (The former term applies to
a being [plural: "Zhents"], the latter to work or goods produced
by those citizens. The archaic term [used today mainly for
artifacts and other olden-work] is "Zhentarian." The term
Zhentilar, refers only to Zhentil Keep's soldiers, and the term
"Zhentarim" only to the mages, priests, and agents of the evil
organization that currently controls Zhentil Keep).

Racial Nomenclature

This section collects a few widely used terms for intelligent
races of the Realms. The names in parentheses refer to those who
usually use such terms. If no parentheses appear, assume that the
name is in general use (certainly among surface-dwelling humans and
merchant folk of all races).

Drow: the Dark Elves, The Accursed (other elves).
Dwarves: the Stout Folk.
Elves: the Fair Folk, the People (elves, of themselves,
collectively).
Gnomes: the Quiet Folk.
Halflings: the Quick Folk, the Sly Folk (humans and dwarves).
Humans: the Manyhanded (halflings, elves; a.k.a "The
Manyhanded Curse"), Brittle Bones (orcs), "Oroosh" (= "never-
stopping talkers;" treants), Hurbryn (= "heavy-footed ones;"
brownies, halflings, korred, satyrs).
Korred: the Dancing Folk.
Ogres: Beast-Men.
Orcs: the Mighty (orcs, of themselves), Slaugh ("pigs"among
some elves; this term literally translates as "mud-wallowing-dogs;"
and is beginning to be heard in use by half-elves, dryads, and some
other forest dwelling folk).
Satyrs: the Free Folk.
Svirfneblin "deep gnomes": the Deep Folk.

Collective terms most widely encountered are:
Meat = all intelligent prey (orcs).
The Proud Peoples = dwarves and elves collectively (humans).
Ugrukh ("broken bones") = wounded, defeated, slaves or those
too weak to defend themselves or to be worthy of attention [used of
all creatures] (orcs).
Worms = lesser goblinkin (orcs).