Evandorian languages

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Evandorian
Created by
Geographic
distribution
planet of Calémere: most of the continent of Evandor, then in almost all of the planet
Linguistic classificationOne of Calémere's primary language families
Proto-languageProto-Evandorian
Subdivisions
  • Northern Evandorian
  • Central Evandorian
  • Western Evandorian
  • Southern Evandorian
  • Kegdevian lgs.
  • Narenian lgs.
  • Holenagic
  • Urkunkian

The Evandorian languages (Cer.: šérošu Évandorion; Nor.: þêukor Evandóran; Aur.: itxifsreyɣ idIwanduyyirɣ) are one of the language families of the planet of Calémere, the largest in terms of native and, most notably, second-language speakers. As the name says, the Evandorian languages are native of the continent of Evandor, one of the "continental areas" of the landmass called Greater Evandor (Sémánton Évandó) in Cerian sources, more commonly divided in the three continents of Evandor, Márusúturon, and Védren. All major languages of the continent are Evandorian languages, and, as Evandor was the birthplace of Western Calemerian civilization, Evandorian languages have had a large impact first on neighboring language and, in the last 700 years, on the whole planet due to exploration and colonization. Íscégon and Ancient Nivarese were the languages of the two main ancient Evandorian civilization and still prestige languages today, while the languages of the colonial powers (Cerian, Nordulaki, Auralian, modern Nivarese, and Dorumon above all, but also others) are spoken and understood in many areas of the planet; Cerian is possibly the most important trade language today, as the lingua franca of the Western world (opposed to Chlouvānem, the Eastern world's lingua franca).

Classification

Distribution of Evandorian languages across their homelands in Evandor.

Evandorian languages are divided in six major branches and two other languages — their names are mostly geographical — denotes extinct languages:

  • Northern Evandorian
    • Gathura
    • Velken languages
      • Nordulaki
      • Spyŋun
      • Landward Velken
        • Kalese
        • Hyxynen
          • Majkjaržen (Northern Hyxynen)
        • Voguž
        • Genestian
        • Opyžän
        • Megorian
        • Zaikrenvaścik
        • Voukotian
  • Central Evandorian
    • Íscégon
    • ancient Quanarian †
      • Pjast †
      • modern Quanarian (AKA Kierışpası)
    • Pentilian †
    • Hennevian †
  • Western Evandorian
    • Xend languages
      • Norpkarďaz
      • Majo-Bankravian
    • Shoronic languages
      • Shoronian
      • Rištećek
      • Pevân †
      • Isèlkan
    • Helinetian
  • Southern Evandorian
  • Kegdevian languages
    • Northern Kegdevian †
    • Southern Kegdevian †
      • Antlorian
      • Kajran
  • Narenian languages
    • Spāq †
    • Trešian[1]
    • Alsimian
    • Vuljakađi
    • Greubican
    • Tørenči
  • Holenagic
  • Urkunkian (often considered a group of two different languages, usually called North and South Urkunkian as almost every town gives it its own name — both are spoken in Olymagù, one of only five[2] countries in Evandor whose official and majority language is not an Evandorian one)

Writing

There are three different scripts in use for Evandorian languages:

  • Most languages in the family use an adapted variant of the Íscégon script: such languages include all of the Western and Central branches plus Holenagic (isolate among the family), Nordûlaki, Spyŋun, Gathura, and Hyxynen (all Northern), Auralian and Nüktünian (Southern) and, since the last fifteen years, also Alsimian and Greubican (both Narenian languages).
  • The Nivarese script is mainly used in the southern part of Evandor, and is the writing system used for Nivarese and all remaining Southern Evandorian languages, the Kegdevian languages, and Tørenči (a Narenian language). Being the official script of Olymagù, it is also used by Urkunkian speakers to write their language, even if it mostly exists in oral form only.
  • The Véraj script, originally an offshoot of the Nivarese script, is used for the Landward Velken languages and Vuljakađi (a Narenian language).

Note that Hyxyn is a digraphic country, using officially both the Íscégon and the Véraj script for Hyxynen. The Véraj script is predominantly used in formal contexts, while informal writings are in the Íscégon script. Hyxynen as spoken in Majkjar as well as Majkjaržen (whose status as a separate language is disputed) are however only written in the Véraj script.

Trešian, spoken in an autonomous region of Rūfīyya, is nowadays generally written in the Rūfī script due to it being the only official script of the country; however it has historically been written mostly in the Nivarese script.

Numbers in various Evandorian languages

Proto-Evandorian Central Northern Southern Western Holenagic
Hgâhlenaihduq
Íscégon Cerian
Čérízon
Besagren
Besodxun
Dorumian
Dorrumìggjen
Nordulaki
Nordûlaki
Kalese
Kalávyn
Hyxynen Genestian
Ğeneštven
Gathura
Gatḫuruiš
Ancient Nivarese
Nīvaʼōnīs
Nivarese
Niveóni
Auralian
ahAwralyir
Aghrocian
Ɂaḡručun
Gazimyukian
ʕazimyük
Majo-Bankravian
Majustin ~ Bankrawstin
*ŋ̊ʷe "one" nue nau nue ge že že že g̃e qe ki ḥa gi ge hngav [ŋ̊ɔ]
*sip "two" sipo šíu seu šipe xiu ší šiv šiv šib sep sif sif šī sip hluib [ɬupʲ]
*srwaɁ "three" liúa iúa dxu jubba surá thrá šro sró sura surwō surov srway uršā oras swörr svaq [svaq]
*l̥its "four" tisís tiše tissi tišši lleix ļiš liš liš liz śit šet ṣir sič yis sjis hleiȟ [ɬex]
*däps "five" depso deuso dessu dièppese tait toš toš toš teš dafes dáfis tefs dač des dast dehf [teː]
*dä.m̥eɁ "six" iame ján dxame jamme teim tém tim tím teme dufē dufí tfeɣ dafi dafe täm dahm [ta]
*Ɂʷi.täɁs "seven" uisies víše bisse uišše deit zöš jež zýš iz ʼisōs isó yaswa gisa giye kwess qehtq [q͡χɛxq]
*kʰo.dol "eight" hodó odò joddo kau ko qul khovol khuvú ḥuẓl xuzul xuzow hjådn qâl [q͡χɔw]
*laks "nine" dax dáso dassu daccese llas lás vos lós las lax laš laks lač les läx lahs [laːj]
*Ɂal.lakʷ "ten" ádau ódo addo uaddo olbá óvä uvo úva alaḫ ʼalox áluš arḥ Ɂaḡulaḥ aḡolak ågl qarȟ [q͡χarx]

Notes

  1. ^ Majority language of the Treš region in northern Rüfisg.
  2. ^ 40% of Rūfīyya is not in Evandor, but most of its population is. However, Northern Rūfīyya predominantly speaks Trešian, an Evandorian language.