Ah, languages. A personal passion of mine, though I speak only two at present. Languages, of course, serve as the gateway to other cultures – it is well known that you will be received quite differently in the Jeddan District of Aranor if you speak Jeddan. If you and I speak the same tongue, we have something in common – communication on a very precise and personal level that allows a degree of intimacy not attainable via a translator.
Language is an evolving entity – no language alive is truly static, save perhaps older tongues which are spoken only by scholars. Thus the second section of this treatise will explore Commontalk – the quick-changing common speech used by less-educated speakers of Caradorian. I have enlisted Lord Tavaan, my fellow compatriot here at Illumination, to set down some of the common terms and phrases used today. But first, I will briefly explore the roots and history of our modern tongues.
It is surmised that there were two original languages. The language of the Great Wyrms likely evolved over time, but by the time of the Shaping of the World, it was a highly evolved language. When the Shaping took place, the fae evolved from the Great Wyrms' magic, and they came with their own language, now known as Old Tongue.
The language of the Great Wyrms and that of Old Tongue thus became our first, root languages, and the traces of those languages can be found in many modern tongues.
From the mating of fae and shape-shifted wyrms came the first two races – the Eldritch, and Humankind. Soon after came the Demons. The Eldritch spoke their own tongue, known today as Eldritch, while the Demons spoke a language which has lost some of its purity to dialects, but is known to scholars as Demonic.
While these four languages have remained relatively pure, the humans quickly confused things. First of all, many of them were already speaking ‘code languages’, designed long ago by the Great Wyrms to have a means of communicating with each other at the expense of other groups of wyrms. At this time the wyrms were dividing into different groups based on philosophy, and secret methods of communication became necessary. These code languages had no similarity to any other tongues, and thus traced their roots to nowhere. As humans evolved out of the breeding of wyrm and fae, they took some of these languages with them. These code languages then combined with one or more of the original four tongues as the humans spread throughout the world, and a confusing amalgamation of languages was born.
Our modern Caradorian is, unfortunately, based on a code language brought to Masalla long ago, and thus has few ties to the four root tongues. Old Masallan is strongly influenced by Old Tongue, Jeddan and Japuran by Demonic, Tirané by Old Tongue, and Maelmuirian by Eldritch. Lantrielle is a pure code language.
Lastly, it should be recognized that languages other than code languages are considered to be saporitic – that is, they have the essence of a thing contained in its name. Thus, the Old Masallan word for water, Sel, is said to possess something of the essence of water, and such a word is often used in magical incantations intended to invoke that elemental power.
Today the amount of languages in the world is immense – over a hundred in the Known Lands alone. I’ll do my best to make a comprehensive list.
Great Wyrm Lantrielle
Old Tongue Sereg
Eldritch Maelmuirian
Demonic Northern
Old Masallan Taeidorian
Caradorian Native Rel Morde
Native Moraithian Sian
Shavay (over eighty languages) Jeddan (six major languages)
Now I hand the horn to Tavaan.
My dearest readers, you’ll note that fine Lord Brant ended his writing with a little saying – ‘I hand the horn’. Which, if I may display my formidable level of learning, is an old saying derived from the Tirané practice of handing about a blowing-horn during council, which meant that the holder had the right to talk, and could blow the horn if people spoke out of turn.
Of course, ‘I hand the horn’ is as archaic as day-old pastries, so here you’ll find a listing of some modern speech you’d hear walking down the streets of Aranor.
Archaic- out of style.
Vicious- something that’s very amazing in a good way.
Wicked- something that’s amazing in a bad way.
Chocolate Drop- a woman who has too much lushness on her body.
Lush- either a woman who is full-bodied and curvy, or a woman who drinks too much spirits.
Into His Cup- a man who partakes of too much spirits.
Soft- a man who is a chocolate drop.
Pricket- a person who only gives things with a price attached.
Simoom- a person who makes loud outbursts about nothing.
Tight Crossbow- a person who loses their temper easily.
Edana’s Heavenly Breasts!- a saying used to express amazement at something you appreciate.
Kissing at (someone’s) Shadow- longing for someone who will never be attained.
Go to- a way of telling someone to get lost, or a way of expressing disbelief.
Vivid- very vicious but in an enlightening or educational manner.
Feel the Fetch- to desire something.
Tiff- a tumble in the furs – to bed someone playfully, as between friends.
Tumble- a more passionate, anonymous tiff.
Rogue- a younger man who has a way with the women.
Wolf- an older, more powerful man who dominates women.
Wearing a Bodice- being snobby or acting upper class.
Twylah- a dock-whore.
Tight-laced- a person who doesn’t have any fun, and possesses too many morals.
Light Between the Ears- someone who is lacking in wits or intelligence.
Silkworm- someone who must have the best of everything.
Mirror- someone with no originality, who copies mannerisms or dress.
Die in His/Her Arms- to want to bed someone so badly you feel like swooning.
My Friend- a word used to greet someone you wish to be on good terms with.
Spinner- a crazy person.
Venomous- Someone who is mean, nasty, and deceitful.
Gothic- noble and alluring, yet dangerous.
Arcane- difficult to understand, overly complicated (like Brant)
Alchemy- passion, or a connection between two people.
What in Lorenai?- an explicative used when you see something wicked.
Sunk Weight - As in, 'you sunk your weight with me'. Means that you've proven yourself trustworthy.
Wisp-trail - A fruitless task or endeavor.
Willowbound - To be hopelessly in love.
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