Language Families of Taharjin's Flame

The first human group to leave the northern pole, where life is thought to have originated, spoke a conjectured language, Proto-Ruhandic, which gave rise to the vast majority of extant human tongues. A second human group, which left the pole far later than the first, spoke Proto-Colmeric. Dynamic interaction between the descendants of these two proto-languages is observed most heavily on the continents of Arlok and Rela, where languages assume features from each. The map above illustrates the origins of language families according to patterns of migration, and does not fully survey all world areas where they are in current use. (See Language Rankings by Number of Speakers for an overview of today's living languages.) Numbers denote the order of evolution of a language line: languages in the Ruhandic family (#1), for instance, evolved prior to their closest cousins in the Sau-Serib group (#2), and so on. Certain families that emerged around the same time, such as Alabag and Sinnutian, are numbered identically. Language groupings for non-human/non-Elven Species are shown here, but there is too little scholarly evidence to trace their specific origins. These include Iazog, Gorog, Kerimuta, and Veret-Ti. Shu, spoken by a small cultural group in Dokeen (north Gnosit), has yet to be included in standard accounts. The master list of families and the languages they gave rise to appears below. Asterisks denote ancient tongues no longer spoken. Living languages include in brackets the nations in which they are most commonly heard. Languages employed as lingua franca across a large territorial expanse are indicated by all caps. The work of cataloging languages has long been the primary undertaking of The Speakers, a species renown for the number of polyglots it has managed to produce. Among them, one name - Uncipa - holds distinction as the greatest linguistic mind of all time, and it is his structure this article largely follows. Languages used for strictly arcane purposes are categorized separately under Magical Languages .

PROTO-RUHANDIC LANGUAGES

Ruhandic (Ancient 8 / Living 4)

Joral (Jor)

Emmherel (Relig)

Sawjewah (Msna, Jor)

TASHMIIJ (Aupek, Ceweren, Chalornok)

Sau-Serib (Ancient 5 / Living 3)

Si-Sau (Sau-Hezib, Del, Mador)

Ramaidora (Mador)

HEZDEL (Del, Sau-Hezib, Azon, Arlos, Draksineon, Kaul, Chalornok)

Erelic (Ancient 6 / Living 7)

Nagul*

Haidrak* (Middle Draksi)

DRAKSI (Draksineon, Galori, Rello, Beurin, Arlos, Mersi, Jolim, Miesz, Bim, Ceweren, Chalornok, Del, Sau-Hezib)

Ouram (Draksineon, Galori, Mersi)

Gahal (Galori)

Bonneru (Draksineon)

Pahu (Qa)

Iakali (Arlos, Del)

Vithari (Beurin, Bim)

Kannai (Ancient 3 / Living 5)

Umasz*

Gomal*

Wasa*

Borokaish (Language of nomadic group in Miesz, Albra, Galori, Mersi, Jolim)

Hunarish (Miesz, Albra – mutually intelligible with Zjnedua)

Zjnedua (Miesz – mutually intelligible with Hunarish)

Havar (Albra)

Pratsa (Albra)

Alabag (Ancient 2 / Living 6)

Jananalabag* (Old Alabag)

Oas*

MASOYAN (Masatoyahi, Jobaykal, Reloi, N&S Beribon, Uvan Empire)

Takkatiwac (Reloi)

Jobay (Jobaykal)

Nabongbong (Jobaykal)

Sawa (Masatoyahi)

Lilunga (Masatoyahi)

Sinnutian (Ancient 3 / Living 6)

Tchavit*

Pisandari*

Usal Sval*

Sivor (Mersi)

Masajol (Jolim, Mersi)

Pewanai (Jolim)

Tarels (Rello, Jolim, Mersi, Kahrilo, Kalio, Uvan Empire)

Chimelbas (Rello)

KAHREOL (Rello, Kalio, Kahrilo, Jolim, North Beribon, Uvan Empire, Liij)

Onsero (Isolate)

ONSERO (North Otoron, Tralgon)

Tyrilan (Ancient 4 / Living 12)

Osav*

Pesadoric*

High Tyrilan*

Havairu* (Old Vairuvand)

VAIRUVAND (Uvan Empire, Kahrilo, N&S Beribon, Liij, Mai, T'jau, Kalio, Oralt, Loy, Ansal, Rello, Jolim, Sassam, Najamur). Diglossic: High/Low

Beribonese (N&S Beribon, each with distinct dialects, Uvan Empire, Kahrilo)

Chwi (North Beribon - tribal)

Tagsyamut (South Beribon - tribal)

Sundardac (South Beribon - tribal)

Mai (Mai, Uvan Empire, T'jau)

T'Jal (T'jau)

Leriwend (Liij, Uvan Empire, Oralt, Loy)

Wendec (Oralt, Liij, Loy, Ansal)

Nillu (Loy)

Soroleph (Ansal)

Otor (Otoron, Bim, Tralgon, Loy)

Qildabic (Ancient 3 / Living 7)

Qiso*

Qusan*

Qiildabeh*

Qilaphma (Qildab, Sheishal, Shuri, Ek Jad)

Shichulcan (Sassam, Ilwe)

Uchechensabwa (Sassam, Gos (spoken exclusively))

Cunacayahup (Najamur)

Kamanuk (Ald Cyngric - north)

Onka (Ald Cyngric - south)

Taramba (Ald Cyngric – Jazzandah.)

Fiit (Effeti)

Ishadic (Ancient 8 / Living 10)

Yajjuc*

Ket (Tpoth – Sekh Anoob)

Kyzzig (Khashabul – Sekh Anoob)

Hishak (Djazeh – Sekh Anoob)

ALAWAQ (L'ai Alaq, Shuri, Tikwa Akn, Qildab, southern Sekh Anoob, Bluepool)

Siq'qul / Siq'qeln (L'ai Alaq, Shuri, Tikwa Akn, Qildab, southern Sekh Anoob)

Hal Tikwa (Tikwa Akn, Shuri, Ek Jad, Qildab, L'ai Alaq)

Jaadi (Ek Jad, Najamur, Sassam, T'jal)

Yashwish (Yei)

Najwat (Najwati)

Farhsat (Nurayah)

PROTO-COLMERIC LANGUAGES

Colmeric (Ancient 2 / Living 7)

Brhyttarigog*

Colmhædru (Old Colmerhæd)*

COLMERHÆD (Aolling, Fierthain, Bugh, Shagirrin, Sakxa, Reollan, Gilmere, Cernin, Chillwind, southern Dragonshead - Gnosit). Spoken in Aolling and Shagirrin with deeply regional accents, difficult for southerners to understand. In Gilmere it is almost another language.

Cerninlaw (“Dainty” version of Colmerhæd, spoken in Cernin)

Reodhrag (Reollan, Sakxa, Cerlin)

Bradocwil (minority group, Bugh)

SAKVIR / Sakvirghede (Hall Sakvir, noble). (Sakxa, Cernin, Reollan, Gnosit – Bluepool and Dragonshead. Some traces in Taramba, a Qildabic creole.)

Aggir (Shagirrin. Garraine)

Finnu (Fierthain. Chillwind)

Noray (Ancient 2 / Living 2)

Naensk* (derived from Colmhædru)

Frimarlü*

Estrenya (once Azon and Mador, now restricted to Mador)

Hagottragayöl (Azon)

Farang (Ancient 2 / Living 5)