Verse:Sphaera
This is the full conworld in which Fén Ghír originally evolved and home to numerous other languages which others began and I have been given permission to develop most of these languages directly. However, as the goal is to have all of these languages fit into a single Conworld [and were originally put forward by people as new to conlanging/linguistics], they may undergo radical change [including name change], esp. Proposed Protolanguages.
The continent has been tenatively named Borealis [Sphaera was previously adopted as a term for both the continent and world]. There are several areas lacking neutral geographical terms, particularly in terms of broad multinational areas. Tenative names for the major regions of Sphaera are the Eramos Plateau, Western-Borealis, Eastern-Borealis, Northern-Borealis.
My goal is to develop the languages and world until I have a setting which I can consistantly use and recycle for various purposes.
Zewani-Western Language Family
Collemosian/Kaetruylyl/Pyritto-Galav (†) |
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Castrian (No Native Name) [Ze'raani] (†) |
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As I can't quite get this chart working for me [having stolen it from Chrys with no idea how to code] here are the other languages/major dialects in simpler format;
Eramos
Eramos Lanuages |
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Meiya
Meiya(+) |
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Yon Enwaodi | |||||||||||||
Kergen
Isolate. Dialects will be added as they development.
Symbols
- (†)-Symbolizes a Dead Language.
- (?)- Symbolizes a tenative tie which may be broken or ignored, in favour of making the language an isolate or cramming it into a different family.
- ( * )- Symbolizes a Language which may be renamed due to further development.
- ( + ) - Symbolizes a language used without explicit permission from the author [though material is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License]. Name and/or more substantial changes may be made should the original authors later contact me to object [Most have given me explicit approval to do what I will, others I could not reach].
Sprachbunds
Collemosia Sprachbund [Pyritto-Galavo-So'raan]- Spoken in throughout the region of Collemosia, the English name derived through the Latin "Collebus Nemorosus", The Forested Hilly Lands, which is an approximate semantic translation of the native names for the region which include; Kaetruylyyra, Cwerêlâra, Cérúlíra and Kaetrulerin.
- Toryl [Dominant Politically]
- So'raan [Dominant Academically]
- Lihael [Heavily influenced by Toryl]
- Cwengâr
- Dussarit [Some Dialects]
- Fén Ghír [Peripheral]
Kergen- The Kergen Tribes are a rather insular people, believed to be amongst the first to arrive on the Islands, their siblings were pushed north or forced to assimilate to the waves of Collemosian and Eramosian migrants, the Kergen take their name from the Tribe that united them into their loose confederacy. Because of their insular ways, their language is perhaps the "purest" and the strangest in all of Borealis.
- Kergen
- Anan Càn
- Some Hainic
- Fén Ghír [Northern Settlements]
Trinationes Sprachbund [Zewani-Sarem-Meiya]- Derived from the Three Nations in Latin, it refers to the three principle nations of the Sprachbund which traditionally recognize eachother as the "civilized" nations in the region. Tribes and smaller nations in the region are also heavily influenced by these principle languages. The native name for this in Meiya is Kudoya [Kodōdi in Chilai dialect].
- Zewani
- Saremitas
- Meiya [esp. Northern Dialects]
- Viha
- Southern Islands
- Some Hainic [Mostly Zewani or Saremitas influenced, depending on region]
Notes
- Meiya is large and serves as a rough China analogue; it consists of numerous dialects, none of them are politically independant. Refering to it as a isolate is dodgy, rather it has long ago absorbed most of its relatives as Latin did.
- Viha invovles a lot of conjugation and declension. The rootwords far are largely heavily mutated Meiyan loanwords but rather than being a largely isolating language as Meiyan, they are more aggulative as the Eralih. It was developed independantly of Eralih and may yet develop into an isolate.
- Kergan is severly underdeveloped but is an isolate. They may serve as approximate Basque analogues in terms of linguistic history [though culturally are closer to Cossacks and/or Ukranians].
- Southern Islands were never named outside of a working Meiyan title. They are currently a blank slate.
- Castrian is derived from "Castra", Latin for Hill-Fort to reflect the Mountainous lifestyle of the People.
Long term Goals
Fully developed languages
- Fén [Galavic languages by extension]
- Possibly Toryl- Seems heavily influenced by Romance languages as the culture is vaguely Roman. I intend to introduce other elements, especially from the mess which is Galavic languages in order to keep it unique.
Partially Functional Languages
Some basic Phrases/Grammar sufficent for Place&Personal Names, Basic Conversation; 300 Word Maximum
- Meiyan- [Basic Notes Exist already from original author which I have modified and interpreted to some degree; in theory it is already functional but serves as a crueder cousin to Fén with unique roots].
- Eralih- Minimal notes save a basic idea. Will be case/conjugation heavy, influenced by Author's native language of Spanish along with Quechua and Tibetan.
- Saremitas-Highly Aggulnative.
- So'raan [Most words will be imported through sound change, via relation with Pyritto-Galavic Languages]
- Zewani- Same as above, Author made 100 word vocab and had a general idea for grammar. Closely related enough to So'raan that vocab can be shared with only a handful of sound changes.
- Viha [Some Notes which make it semi-functional however improvements may be made and new roots should be added whether Eralih or original]
Lexicon
Largely Personal and Place names, some basic phrases in order to give the impression of more developed language.
- Kergan- Designed to be a strange language with a forbidding phonology, little else is set in stone though it is apparently Tonal, which I have little experience with. Some infixing seems to be at play.
- Hainic Tribes- Saremitas with various sound changes. Not bothered develop much and for the most part, it is a fairly diverse group so once the general sounds/feel is set out, I'm free to scribble in whatever.,
- Dussarit-Eralih with sound changes. Originally based off Coptic Egyptian with a very forbidding phonology, it may end up more like a dialect of Eralih spoken through the filter of Accented Ze'raani.
- Southern Islands- A minor place. I may just end up making it highly isolating and putting in vaguely Hawaiian sounding names and places and hope no one notices.
Problems
- I have limited experience with sound changes.
- Players [including myself initially] were interested in keeping to "sounds they could pronounce" so many languages are "English with a lot sounds cut out and a couple added in to make it sound foreign". This might make it harder to create a retroactive history for them, though I may start developing stronger accents for them as I get more comfortable with phonology.