Linguistics (Janochia Supplement)
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Janochian Linguistics[edit]
This page talks about the Linguistic side of Janochia. The information about the languages and writing in this setting is here. The languages are going to be divided up based on time periods and families in which they had derived from.
Note: Supernatural creatures, like angels; devils; and demons; along with the deities are above the need for languages. They can communicate through thought and can basically come out in one's native language.
Pre-Cataclysm[edit]
The first language ever spoken was spoken by the first mortals on Janochia. This was post-humorously called the Alphus-Genesis language because of the united mortal family under these two. It continued to be spoken with one another until the Forgotten War came around. At that point, the various races constructed their own languages for their own autonomy as a distinct race from all of the others.
Humans developed Manthus and the Xarnel (half-elves) formed their own racial language too.
When the drow were first formed, they spoke Xarnel. After they were banished to the caverns below, their Xarnel would deviate from the surface language and would become heavily influenced by the Underdark and become the Drow language.
After the Cataclysm, the races tried to reunite with each other linguistically among other things. But sadly, the Alphus-Genesis language had become extinct and all traces of that original language were destroyed by the Forgotten War. So scholars from all of the races came together to come up with a constructed language to serve the role of a tongue that could cross all races an be the Common language for all. The end result was Tąrapeg. This language would be placed alongside of the racial languages as the cross-racial language. The racial languages and Tąrapeg would evolve over time.
Before the Season of Eternal Night, three distinct dialects would form: Leishola, Otozak, and Sodanoor.
The xarnel that had been expelled into the Underdark took their Xarnel tongue with them. It took a different evolutionary path due to its location and isolation from the main xarnel population. It would become the Drow language.
After the Season of Eternal Night, Tąrapeg went into the Underdark it quickly spread. But the language had undergone changes in the Underdark, the changes quickly turned Tąrapeg into a new language, Dąrabek, which would be the Undercommon. Like the language it evolved from, it serves the Underdark in the same way that its predecessor unites the surface world.
The two languages have around 80% mutual intelligibility, but however there is an unbalance in understanding. It is easier for a surface dweller to learn Dąrabek than it is for an Underdark dweller to learn Tąrapeg. Mainly due to the simplified grammar Dąrabek has and the surface dwellers watched the transformation happen in front of them.
Linguistic Family Tree[edit]
1) Alphus-Genesis language
2a) Manthus (Human) language
2b) Elven (Elf) language
2c) Xarnel (Half-Elf) language
2d) Dwarven (Dwarf) language
2e) Gnomai (Gnome) language
2f) Golitha (Golaith) language
Tąrapeg[edit]
This is the common language, this is spoken by all of the surface dwelling races. Because of its role as a unifying language, there is a close observation over this particular tongue to make sure deviations are kept to a minimum; And when deviations do occur, everyone knows about it.
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