Old Alderaanian, a language spoken on the planet of Alderaan located within the Core Worlds, was regarded as an ancient tongue by 232 BBY. In that year, Jedi Knight Dez Rydan came across some binding statues at the Amaxine Space Station that had inscriptions which, in his opinion, bore a resemblance to the script of that language. After being notified about these discoveries, Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus, a research authority, consented to scrutinize the artifacts.
In 42 BBY, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn initiated the process of assigning his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, research projects concerning ancient prophecies, some of which were documented in Old Alderaanian. The Padawan grew tired of the task, considering it irrelevant, but gradually developed a basic understanding of the language. Following his examination of an Old Alderaanian prophecy script within the Archives of the Jedi Temple on the Core Worlds planet Coruscant in 40 BBY, Kenobi presented the materials to Jinn for his assessment. The pair had a brief discussion about the Padawan's grasp of the language, during which the Padawan voiced his dissatisfaction with the assignment.
Old Alderaanian, a language originating from the planet Alderaan in the Core Worlds, was already considered ancient by 232 BBY. Its written form allowed for the creation of scripts utilizing glyph arrangements that possessed a distinct visual appearance when compared to the Aurebesh writing system, which was used to transcribe the Galactic Basic language.
During the reign of the Galactic Republic, certain scrolls and holocrons employing the language were stored within the Jedi Temple on the Core Worlds planet Coruscant, specifically within its [Jedi Archives](/article/jedi_archives]. During the era known as the High Republic Era, some Jedi dedicated themselves to studying the language, including the artifact specialist Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and Jedi Knight Dez Rydan. While seeking refuge on the Amaxine Space Station in 232 BBY, Rydan, the Jedi Padawan Reath Silas, and the pilot Affie Hollow made a discovery: a collection of binding statues adorned with ancient inscriptions written in an unfamiliar script.
Despite Rydan's inability to translate the glyphs, he perceived a resemblance to several ancient languages he had previously studied, including Old Alderaanian. He informed Jedi Wayseeker Orla Jareni about his finding, who then relayed the information to Vitus, strongly suggesting that he investigate the artifacts. Jareni believed that Vitus's expertise in the field could assist in determining whether the statues indeed featured Old Alderaanian, and Vitus agreed, instructing her to guide him to their location. Upon further consideration, Vitus later concluded that the statues' carvings more closely resembled the ancient Kubaz language, a writing system considered remote by that time.
Sometime after his introduction to the holocron of prophecy in 67 BBY, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn cultivated an interest in ancient languages, including Old Alderaanian, due to the presence of prophecies written in them. In 42 BBY, Jinn tasked his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, with research assignments aimed at deciphering the prophecies within the Archives, leading Kenobi to acquire a sufficient understanding of the language to comprehend it to some extent. Although Kenobi continued to appreciate studying the Jedi Archives' vast collection of knowledge by the time of his mission to the planet Lenahra in 41 BBY, he eventually began to resent his Master's preoccupation due to the significant research assistance it demanded.
While researching a prophecy written in Old Alderaanian in 40 BBY, Kenobi once again grumbled about the monotonous nature of his work in the Archives, deeming it unproductive compared to the thrilling activities his fellow Padawans engaged in with their Masters. Nevertheless, he suppressed his discontent and proceeded with studying the materials in his Archives carrel. Later that evening, Kenobi presented several resources written in Old Alderaanian to Jinn in the latter's quarters, explaining that the prophecies contained within them appeared ambiguous. The Jedi Master expressed surprise at his Padawan's comprehension of any of the material, although the latter clarified that he only possessed a partial understanding.
The pair engaged in a brief dispute regarding the sources he had provided, with Kenobi asserting that the endeavor to decipher ancient mysteries was futile, while Jinn maintained that valuable knowledge could be gleaned from the ancient mystics. Jinn then excused his student to take a respite from his work, as the sources he had brought would occupy him for several days of reading. As he departed, Kenobi jokingly inquired about the number of future trips to the Archives he would be required to make, hoping that his Master's fascination with prophecies written in ancient languages, such as Old Alderaanian, would diminish, but ultimately left after observing that his question visibly disturbed his Master.
Old Alderaanian made its initial appearance in Master & Apprentice, a 2019 novel penned by Claudia Gray.