Language of Erwt

## Origin of Indigenous Languages

When Erwt was young and humans first appeared in prehistoric times (circa 400 000 years ago), the tribes of man developed their own languages out of whole cloth. Each language arose out of the needs and circumstances specific to their region of origin, and were all very different from one another.

Five indigenous languages can be traced to the Landscapes of the Great Weald, Ennobel, Isolet, Ardellia/Indonardel, and Mangali, respectively. That leaves Gutreal, Samala, and Arif as possibly not having indigenous populations, or that these have been subsumed by neighboring cultures to such a degree as to make any further analysis impossible. The remaining Landscapes, Exympor, Quipmen, and the Aether Waste certainly don't have indigenous populations or associated languages.

## Development of Indigenous Languages

As time went on and relations between the early tribes grew into trade, the indigenous languages influenced each other rather fluidly. Even now, we can trace the geographic diffusion rather easily, since the indigenous aspects of the modern language spoken in Isolet are much more similar to that of Ennobel than the Weald. This tendency generally holds across all of Erwt, with the greatest difference being between Isolet and Arif. The great Wastes between Isolet and Arif formed an effective barrier, completely isolating the two regions, which would otherwise be as near as Isolet is to Gutreal.

## Origin of the Common Language

When the First Wizard appeared circa 40 000 years ago, he brought His Golden Book. In it were the first written words in Erwt. When He travelled the world in His Pilgrimage of Reason, he brought knowledge of writing (and mathematics), and taught how the written language was to be spoken. This is the basis of the Common Language. Some say the real gift of the First Wizard to the people of Erwt wasn't magic, but rather the ability to communicate without misunderstanding. Obviously misunderstandings occur even within any language, but spreading knowledge of a common language was clearly a project that was important to the First.

## Development of the Common Language

The nature of the Common Language, coupled with the method with which it was spread and taught, and the fact that the Golden Book was the only written word for a long time, all contributed to elevating the Common Language over the indigenous languages in all social classes.

Over time, the indigenous languages became incorporated into the common language, so that all the people of Erwt spoke a single language in a very real sense, while each landscape, region, nation, city, village, and hamlet adopted a dialect with roots in the indigenous. With a common grammatical core and vocabulary, a nomad from Arif can reasonably converse with a fisherman from Isolet, when both parties invest the necessary care, patience, and attention.

## Language Research

Although the indigenous languages have disappeared completely, diligent study of regional variations in the use of the common language can give indications of how the indigenous languages must have sounded, the words they must have had, and even some hints about the grammar that gave them structure.

By some estimates, there are about 600 distinguishable dialects in Ennobel alone. Other Landscapes will have fewer, given smaller populations, fewer settlements, and less habitable land area, but a tireless expert could theoretically enumerate about 5000 dialects in all of Erwt.

## Constructed Languages

In the Age of Wizard-Kings, some particularly creative rulers created new languages to serve a number of purposes:

The only one we have reliable information on is the language of Solresol, which was taught to messengers, spies, and aides, whose memories or mental faculties were magically altered to disable the ability to express the common language. People caught by the enemy couldn't divulge information, even when tortured, when the enemy only hears gibberish.

## Landscape Dialects

### Great Weald

Light and lilting, lisping the *s* and with a crisp, rolling *r*.