Long language

The Long language is the spoken and written language of the Kingdom of Long. In addition to being the national language of Long, the Long language is also the language most commonly used among the Hu high nobility and the *lingua franca* used by international institutions such as the Merchants League.

The Long language is written using the modern syllabary and ancient glyph writing systems.

**History**

The Long language first developed in the Long Bay region and spread throughout the territory of present-day Long. The first texts on Long grammar were written during the Basiliscus Dynasty although the language was in use centuries prior to the dynasty's establishment.

Modern Long evolved during the Naja Dynasty with a number of changes occurring since then including the introduction of new words some of which are borrowed from the Hu language. The first Modern Long dictionaries were written during the Naja era.

The adoption of the syllabary writing system in the Naja period also led to the introduction of new types of grammatical rules into written Long related to phonetics and inflection. Many of these corresponded to practices already present in formal spoken Long, but not reflected in the logographic writing system which is disconnected from pronunciation.

These new rules were first formalized in the works of Naja dynasty grammarians (and the works of the period’s most revered writers). The foremost authority, still cited in the modern period, is the writer known as “Worn Inkstone” who lived towards the end of the second century of the Naja period.

The grammatical rules of written Long have evolved since the Naja dynasty. The recognized authorities regarding formal writing in the modern period date to the beginning of the Varanus dynasty (i.e., after the kingdom had been reunited under central rule). Several grammarians wrote during the Warring Dukes era, but they are viewed only as predecessors of the accepted authorities whose works are primarily studied by philologists interested in the history of language. Many modern rules simplify rules and regularize exceptions; others reflect changes in the spoken language which occurred over the intervening centuries. Grammarians also established rules for the treatment of Hu loan words. Most modern Long writers consult Hebius for rules of grammar, style and usage.

**Adoption of Long Language in Hu**

Early adoption of the Long language in Hu began in part because those wishing to study in any field of philosophy must necessarily turn to texts written in Long. A few personalities during the Smilodon Dynasty called for a large-scale translation of works into Hu, but this never took place because of (i) the huge corpus of written works in Long made this impractical, (ii) Longophilia resulting in the use of the Long language becoming a marker of status and education, (iii) lack of a pre-existing Hu written tradition.

**Language Variants**

COMMON LONG, often, and sometimes pejoratively, called SOUTHERN SEA LONG, refers to the form of the Long language widely used throughout the two kingdoms and universally intelligible to all Long speakers. It has undergone simplification as well as dialect levelling. The prevalence of Common Long has increased throughout the modern era.

There is no established standard for Common Long although it is fairly uniform. Common Long is the form of the language used in Hu and by non-native speakers. It is also used across the Kingdom of Long particularly in communications between people from different regions or communications between the educated classes and commoners. It first developed as a spoken language but by the era of Filial Devotion it is frequently used in writing as well: written works classified as Common Long vary from the simplified style and grammar of the spoken vernacular to those employing a higher register and more of the formalistic elements of Varanid Long.

VARANID LONG is the variant of Long used in modern official texts and in many modern literary works. It is the “prestige dialect” spoken by the educated class in the Varanus area and, to a lesser extent, by nobles and scholars elsewhere in the kingdom. Varanid Long is strongly rooted in Naja Long but reflects changes in usage which occurred during the Warring Dukes and early modern period. Outside of official government texts the use of Varanid Long has steadily declined in favour of Common Long.

CLASSICAL LONG is the written language used during the Basiliscus dynasty period. For many Long speakers Classical Long is scarcely intelligible; it must be formally studied. A large portion of literate Long-speakers only know the works of the Basiliscus writers and poets through edited versions produced during the Naja dynasty.

NAJA LONG or “Middle Long” is the written language used during the Naja dynasty period. Thanks to dictionaries and grammar books written by Naja writers the language became standardized. Scholars and formally educated Long speakers can all understand Naja texts (some better than others) and Naja grammar books are still used in the modern era by some instructors when teaching the Long language. Naja Long is perceived as lofty and antiquated.

HIGHLANDS LONG, the dialect of Long spoken in the Pteron Highlands. It is perceived as rough, provincial, and sometimes comical, and other Long speakers have difficulty understanding Highlanders with strong accents.