Skyrdagor: Difference between revisions

|pronunciation = [ɧu͡ɯ˞ˈdeːɜ̯n ɟ͡ʝæ͡ɑɮɯn]

The '''Skyrdagor''' language (native name '''Skyrdegan gjalyn''' [ɧu͡ɯ˞deːɜ̯n ɟ͡ʝæ͡ɑɮɯn]) is the koiné language of ''Greater Skyrdagor'' ([ɧu͡ɯ˞dɒː˞], in Sky. ''gilyjlydh Skyrdagor'' [ɟ͡ʝiɮʊɪ̯ɮɘː ɧu͡ɯ˞dɒː˞]), a plurinational area on the planet of [[Verse:Calémere|Calémere]], in northeastern Márusúturon, once part of the Skyrdagor Empire. It is the official language in all countries of this area, as well as a minority language in Brono (''Brovn''), Qualdomailor (''Hvaldymajlyr''), and the [[Verse:Chlouvānem Inquisition|Inquisition]] (''Snevanemfocsiv''). It is one - and by far the most spoken - of the [[Fargulyn languages]].

Written Skyrdagor, usually referred to as ''International Skyrdagor'' (''szelyhtonggyrhin Skyrdegan gjalyn'' [sɛɮɯxtoŋɣɯ˞xin ɧu͡ɯ˞deːɜ̯n ɟ͡ʝæ͡ɑɮɯn]), is a standardized Dachsprache for most of the Skyrdagorian languages, which are the local, usually mutually intelligible, languages of most countries of Greater Skyrdagor. It is based mostly on the Skyrdegan dialect of ''Tol Sakszyv'' [tɔɮ ʃɑksuː], former imperial capital and modern-day capital of the Republic of Skyrdagor.

I do not know when I first used the name "Skyrdagor" in one of my maps (probably around 2010, maybe even later?) but when I found it again I did like the sound of it - even if, predictably, I pronounced it [skirˈdaːɡor] - and when making up the overall landscape of Calémere I decided to use it for a major country; thinking of the "Chlouvānem" (or whatever those who had that role back then were called) as "Calémerian" India, Skyrdagor should have been either a parallel to China or Japan. In the end, how it currently is on Calémere, while I would say the Toyubeshians are better at representing both (China for the overall geography and position, Japan for how their language sounds), at least in contemporary Calémere I think China is a good parallel (though maybe the Chlouvānem themselves are even better). Anyway, Skyrdagor is what it is and Greater Skyrdagor is a fun part of Calémere to work with, imho. As for the language, the inspirations are clear: Hungarian, Mongolian, Swedish, Marshallese... and the will to have a relatively deep orthography kinda like English has (though definitely Skyrdagor's reminds more of Danish and Swedish). There are a couple of minor inspirations I used for specific dialects, for example Scottish Gaelic for Askandor.

'''Skyrdagor''' [ɧu͡ɯ˞dɒː˞] proper is an archipelago nation, made up of the islands in the Skyrdagor Inner Sea. The central and largest island, ''Tuf Kjegesmeth'' [tup͡f c͡çeːɛ̯ʃmɛθ], is the most populated and the cradle of Skyrdagor civilization. On it lies ''Tol Sakszyv'' [tɔɮ ʃɑksuː], the former imperial capital, the present-day capital of Skyrdagor, and the largest city of Greater Skyrdagor. Almost all islands are divided in two large areas: a narrow northwestern coast, usually cold and windy due to polar winds flowing south and reaching them, and a much more vast southeastern plain where most of each island’s population lie.

'''Askand''' [ˈaʃkand], locally [ˈæʃkʰɑnt] is the northernmost country of Greater Skyrdagor and, due to its location, also the second-least populated. Most of the country lies above the 60th parallel north and 90% of its population lies along the ''Zyszovkes'' [dzɯsoːkɛʃ] (locally [zɤsuːkʰeʃ]) river in the south of the country. It has, however, more than 70% of the total human population on Calémere living above 60ºN.

'''Aksalbor''' [akʃɑɮbɚ], the third-northernmost country (the northernmost islands of Skyrdagor reach 65ºN, three degrees north of Aksalbor’s northernmost point), is the largest country of Greater Skyrdagor by area, and the second least densely populated (after Askand). Most of its population lies in the southwestern corner of the country, on the north side of the large ''Gepten'' [ɣɛftɛn] estuary, which is shared with neighboring Arkjatar. Most of the rest of the country is taiga, and the climate is in large areas marked by bitter cold winters, like in most of northern Márusúturon (still not as cold as the areas to its north and east).

'''Arkjatar''' [ɒ˞c͡çatɒ˞] is a peculiar country as, apart from the markedly oceanic coast, its interior sees the border between the subarctic taiga and the temperate biomes (decidual forests closer to the coast, but also some grasslands farther away). The Gdaron [ɣdɒ˞ː(n)] river, the main one of the country, is somewhat a boundary as north and east of it the taiga predominates while south and west the temperate biome is dominant; the lower Gdaron also forms part of the border with Cselsengeg.

'''Cselsengeg''' [tʃæ͡ɑɬɛŋɒ] is a mainly inland country, covering a relatively low-lying area (with, however, notable hilly formations) in the southern part of the Gdaron river basin. It also has a short coastline to the north.  

'''Karynaktja''' [kar(ɯ)natʃa] is the most populated country of Greater Skyrdagor, thanks to the large alluvial plain of the ''Gjolvyr'' [ɟ͡ʝo͡ɔɮvu͡ɯ˞] river that makes up most of the country, apart for the ''Ratszan'' [ratsan] mountains in the north (just south and parallel to the 50th parallel north) and the colder coast north of it. The climate in most of Karynaktja, thanks to these mountains that shelter it from the winds from the polar regions to the north, has more in common with the central and southern islands of Skyrdagor (Tol Sakszyv being roughly on the same latitude as central Karynaktja) and the southern countries than to the subarctic ones to the north, being markedly mediterranean on the coast and continental inland (central-southern France being the closest example on Earth).

'''Byrzsysztav''' [bɯ˞ʒɯstɔː] is the smallest country in Greater Skyrdagor and the least populated (however, quite densely populated when compared to most), an inland country south of Arkjatar and southeast of Cselsengeg, also bordering Ajversziv to the south and Čīwēynac to the east. It is mostly hilly and rural.

'''Tulfasysz''' [tuɮɑʃɯs] is a mid-sized landlocked country , and it is made up by three different river basins - one draining in the northern Inner Sea through Cselsengeg, Byrzsysztav, and Arkjatar, another into the southern Inner Sea through Karynaktja, and the third into the endorheic ''Plezyth'' [pɬɛzɯθ] inland lake, shared with Gorjan and the Chlouvānem Inquisition. It has the driest climate of all Skyrdegan countries, with many grasslands, but the abundant freshwater still supports a relatively large population.

'''Ajversziv''' [aɪ̯vɚsʊɪ̯] is an inland country, northeast of Tulfasysz and south of Byrzsysztav, mostly hilly or mountainous, but with a population mostly centered in the valley of the ''Skjulec'' [ɧuɮæ͡ets] river, which runs south into Tulfasysz and ultimately into lake Plezyth.

'''Lajsmelik''' [ɮɑ͡æɪ̯ʃmɛɮi] lies south of Karynaktja and directly west of Tulfasysz. It is densely populated, mostly flat, fertile, and with a humid continental or mediterranean climate.

'''Gorjan''' [gɚjan] is the southernmost of the adjacent countries of Greater Skyrdagor (and containing the southernmost point of the whole area, including Ylvostydh), and the homonymous river (that begins in Southern Gorjan, a diocese of the Inquisition) that runs all the way through it, south to north, is the main geographical feature of the country. It is the third most populated country of the region, and due to its close proximity with culturally Bronic areas, as well as having been the first area to be contacted by the Chlouvānem cultures, it is culturally peculiar in Greater Skyrdagor, for example for being the only country in the area where up to 37% of the population is Yunyalīlti.

'''Ylvostydh''' [uːʃtɘː], locally [uːʃtɯð] is the geographical outlier of Greater Skyrdagor, being located on the other side of the Inner Sea, divided from the other mainland countries by the Bronic-speaking areas. It was historically the last area to be colonized by Skyrdagor peoples (something that causes it to have the most phonologically conservative dialects of the language), and it also has a peculiar culture due to being nestled between the Bronic culture space to the southeast and the Qualdomelic one to the southwest. It has the warmest climate of all Greater Skyrdagor, as it is surrounded by the sea on two sides and, apart from the northernmost tip, the whole of the country lies south of the 40th parallel north.