In The Wheel of Time, Old Tongue (OT for short) is an ancient language, known only by few scholars and spoken fluently maybe by one or two born in current era. Lords and nobles are expected to know Old Tongue, but in practise most know only a few words to impress dumb farmlings with.

Since many of the old recordings are in Old Tongue, many scholars can read (note, read, not speak) it.

See also Old Tongue-English dictionary.