Hunter's Sign Language

Many of the native leanorian peoples acquired food through hunting in small groups with bow and arrow. Since communicating verbally or in any other audible way would scare away game, they developed a system of sign language that was originally used only on the hunt. It therefore first mainly contained terms and phrases necessary for the hunt such as words related to plantlife, game and landscapes as well as ways to adress the group or individuals.

With time, the vocabulary was expanded as necessary for new situations. In times of oppression, many of the leanorian peoples started using their sign language as a form of secret communication, because most foreigners could not understand it. They also used their native spoken languages for this reason, but sign language was commonly used in situations where it was crucial not to be heard. As the use of the language changed, different vocabulary became necessary and was implemented. Eventually, it became applicable in nearly any imaginable situation.

Nowadays, many of the leanorian peoples changed their way of life, making their sign language irrelevant. Many of them do not use it anymore, so only a few learned individuals still know it. One exception are the Serbaith, native to the Dragon's Ridge, who still live and hunt the old way and therefore still use the language for its original purpose. Serbaith children generally learn both sign language and spoken language from birth and often use them simultaneously or interchangeably, depending on the context.

While the verbal language of the Serbaith was supressed and nearly forgotten during the four centuries in the Acadean Empire, being replaced by Acadean, the sign language survived almost unchanged. This is mainly due to the fact that the Serbaith continued to hunt the old way, so the sign language was only changed and expanded instead of replaced.