Potonic Delliks

The Potonus (red) within Nayarit (beige).

The **Potonic Delliks**, or **Potonians**, are an ethnically Dellik group who traditionally lived in the region of Potonus, on the shores of the Azal Sea and in the Potonic Mountains of northeastern Nayarit. Many later migrated to other parts of the Khozarian Isthmus. Those from northern Khozaria, Tyrus, and Therosia are often referred to as "Northern Potonic [Delliks]", in contrast to those from "South Potonus", which strictly speaking is Potonus proper. In modern times, Potonic Delliks from who lived east of Potonus are often referred to as Khozarian Delliks.

The Potonians have varying degrees of Dellik, Meztec, and Arshenian ancestry. Ancient Delliks colonized the region starting from 1000 BCE; by the 6th century BCE, the entire region was thoroughly Dellenized. The Potonic Delliks speak two related languages. The first, Potonian, is a Dellenic language that directly descends from the Ithopic dialect of Ancient Dellik. The second, Toneyka, descends from the Alexanian Dellik language spoken throughout the Dellenic world during the Dellenistic period, the Tonan Empire, and the Torosyan Empire.

## History

### **Rough**

The first established civilization in the Potonus was the Meztecs, a group thought to have originated in Khozaria. They continued to dominate the coast but lost inland territory to the Hassurians and Ukkurians, who likely migrated from the coastal regions of the Salaban Sea. During the Euterian expansions, the Hattiyans migrated to the region.

### **Antiquity**

#### **Early-Antiquity**

The first known civilization in the Potonus Mountains was the Meztecs, a group thought to have originated in Khozaria. The Meztecs dominated a region spanning from the northern shores of Tarkasan Gulf, to Lake Kula in the east, to the border with Ancotania in the south, and to the shores of Azal Sea.

#### **Mid-Antiquity**

The Potonus remained outside the reach of the Mid-Antiquity Age empires, of which the closest was Great Hattiya. The region went further uncontrolled by Hattiya's eastern neighbors, the Hassurians. Following the Hattiyan empire's collapse, Nasirian records recorded that the area of Potonus was controlled by the Ayami. The Ayami had linguistic and cultural connections to the Tatilians, an Arshenic group with origins in Orillia.

The first travels of Dellik merchants and sailors occurred around 1000 BCE. Settlement occurred steadily between 1000 BCE and the 9th and 8th centuries BCE, by the 6th century BCE the coastal cities were dominated by solidified Dellik settlements. It was around this time that the Samarians migrated out of northern Khozaria into Ancotania and the Potonus Mountains. They were eventually conquered by the Myrians.

## Origins

The Potonic Delliks are of mixed ancestry, mainly between the Dellik colonists and the indigenous population. The original inhabitants of the region were the Meztecs, followed by the Ayami, a tribe of Tatilians, an Arshenic group.

## Culture

### **Language**

Two related but mutually unintelligible languages are spoken in the region: Potonian and Toneyka. Potonian's linguistic origin stems from Ithopic; an eastern Dellik dialect spoken by the Eastern Dellik groups who colonized the Potonus. Owing to the remoteness of the region it survived and evolved into the modern Potonian language. Toneyka, also called *Tunca* and *Tuncika*, is mainly derived from Alexanian Dellik, which was spoken in the Dellenistic, Tonan, and Torosyan times. After the medieval invasions of the region, these speakers were isolated from the rest of the Dellik world and therefore began a linguistic divergence from Alexanian Dellik.

Today, Potonian is the dominant language among the Potonic Delliks as a result of urbanization. Potonian was traditionally concentrated among the coastal cities, while Toneyka was common throughout the mountainous farming populations. As rapid urbanization occurred many traditionally Toneyka-speakers abandoned their language when they integrated into the coastal cities. As a result, Toneyka has had a significant impact on the vocabulary of Potonian.