Makkese

Makkese is the native language of the Makki people that blends spoken words with sign language.

There are three primary dialects of Makkese, each of which is often considered its own separate language.

Traditional Makkese

Traditional Makkese is only spoken by the Makki. It combines both spoken and signed words to form a single complete language. Many words in Traditional Makkese cannot be purely spoken or signed, the two must be done in unison. Other words change meaning depending on the combination of spoken and signed syllables.

Blended Makkese

Blended Makkese is the most commonly used dialect of the language. It uses the sign language of the traditional dialect and combines it with spoken words from both Jirin and Common Thurnetorrian. It is much easier for most other people in Leitoria to pick up since it uses many of the same words as verbal languages.

Unlike Traditional Makkese, most sentences can be communicated using either the verbal or signed form. Instead of changing the words themselves, the choice in method alters the speaker's tone. The combined spoken and signed form is the most formal and polite tone. It is the version used in conversation with strangers and loose acquaintances.

Purely spoken Blended Thurnetorrian is used when alone with family in a casual environment, and it is rarely used outside the home. To native Common Thurnetorrian speakers, it sounds like a broken and grammatically incorrect version of Common Thurnetorrian with a few foreign words thrown in.

Purely signed Blended Makkese takes on an informal and aggressive tone. Many find it the perfect language to surreptitiously hurl insults at others who don't understand the language.

I always thought the Makki were a real polite people. Never heard one of them raise their voice or argue with anyone. Turns out they do all their shoutin' with their hands, and they can swear as good as the rest of us.

— A recent student of Blended Makkese

Signed Makkese

Signed Makkese does away with spoken words altogether. Hand gestures are much more complex than those in Blended Makkese to replace the nuance that would have been lost without the verbal component.

It has been adopted by many deaf and hearing-impaired people across Leitoria, even those that don't speak other Makkese dialects. Signed Makkese is also sometimes used as a secondary language of trade, since the hand gestures can more easily get meaning across a language barrier than spoken languages.

Distribution

The Makki are a nomadic people, and they have shared their language with people across Pelatoria. It is not the primary language in any nation, but almost all areas are home to at least a few people who speak the blended or signed forms of the language.