Terran Language Families

This page lists language families in Terra and their members.

Seleyo-Artanian
Seleyo-Artanian is the largest known language family in Terra. They are largely Ergative-Absolutive, in contrast to the Subject-Object form of such families as Dundorfian, Romance and Deltaro-Jelbic.

There are two main ideas about its point of origin: the most common idea is that it appeared in northern Seleya, a theory supported by such things as the Valrizen Trigger and possible Likaton and Gao-Indralan links; this idea is normally called the Seleyan theory. However, a small but growing minority believe that the group originated in east-central Artania, and use such things as Artanian diversity and the "Seleyan Pulse" system as proof.

Either way, the Seleyo-Artanian family consists of two main branches, normally called "Artanian" and "Seleyan".

Artanian
The Artanian branch is spoken largely in central and eastern Artania. It may at one time have spread across Artania, from Rutania to Endralon and Hobrazia, but it is now only spoken in four countries.

Kundrati was probably the first language to split off of Artanian. The remaining three languages are closely related, and are Luthori, Ikradonian, and Anantoese. Anantoese, spoken in Kalistan, may seem an odd cousin to the other two, as it is located in Seleya; but it is very closely related to Ikradonian, and was probably brought to the island of Ananto by Ikradonian traders.

Proponents of the Artanian theory claim that the original Seleyo-Artanian language was spoken in the area of modern-day Ikradon. They say that the Seleyan languages appeared through a "pulse" system, with several flows of people and language across to Seleya. The most recent of these produced Anantoese; an earlier one created the Seleyan languages. Possible earlier ones may have produced the Likaton and even Gao-Indralan language families.

Seleyan
The Seleyan branch is largely spoken in Valruzia and the areas bordering it. Related languages may have been spoken in Lodamun, Baltusia, Tukarali and mainland Kalistan, but these have all been replaced by English.

The Valruzian languages fall into three main groups:
 * The Kaenirelona languages, spoken in Dugathan, southeastern Valruzia, were probably closest to the languages of Baltusia and Tukarali. They are all small, with some in danger of extinction, and have been swamped by the spread of Valrizen.
 * Zuman is the predominant language in northern Valruzia. It shares some notable features with Likaton.
 * The largest of the Seleyan languages is Valrizen, which is notable in that it is the only known Seleyan language that is not Ergative-Absolute. Instead, it is a Trigger language, a detail it does not share with any other Terran language.

Proponents of the Seleyan theory use the diversity of languages in such a small area to say that the Seleyo-Artanian languages must have originated in Seleya, specifically pointing to Valrizen's trigger. Artanian theorists counter that the Artanian languages are just as diverse, and the Seleyan ones may have been pushed into their close geographical proximity by the spread of English.

Gao-Indralan
Another important language family is Gao-Indralan, spoken in northern Dovani and the island of Indrala, east of Seleya. The most prominent of these languages is Gao-Showa spoken by the eponymous people of Gishoto. The other two languages, Indralan and Chyoo, are both spoken in Indrala.

There is also a debate about the origin point for this set of languages. Some believe that Gao-Showa is the oldest, and thus the Indralan languages spread from Gishoto; others say that both sets of languages began in the largely unexplored parts of southern Dovani, and spread from there. It has been theorized that Gao-Indralan was an early "pulse" from eastern Artania, predating the Seleyan pulse by hundreds of years (see Superseleyan); this is evidenced by the relative closeness of Chyoo to the Seleyan languages like Valrizen.

Likaton
There are two major Likaton languages, Likaton (spoken in Likatonia) and Telamonese (spoken in Telamon). The Likaton language family is one of the things that proponents of Greater Likatonia use to claim that Likatonia, Keymon and southern Telamon should be united into one country. It has been theorised that the Likaton languages are an early Artanian "pulse" (see Superseleyan).

Dundorfian
The Dundorfian language family originated in northern Artania. The most notable member of this family is English, which began as a humble dialect of German but has spread to become the dominant language in Terra. Other notable languages are German, spoken in Dundorf; the languages of Dorvik, most notably Lormann; Hulstrian in Gishoto, which is related to the Artanian languages and probably reached Dovani from the east; and, most recently, Nuncspeak, a new form of English created by the Nuncirists of Solentia.

Dundorfian is probably related to the Romance language family.

Romance
The Romance languages are all descended from one root language, Latin. The origins of Latin are unknown; the most common guess is that it originated in Kazulia, where it is still an official language. It spread to various corners of Terra, most notably northern Dovani, eastern Keris, western Artania and far southern Seleya and Majatra. It also became "corrupted" and diverged into a number of different languages:
 * Alorian in Aloria. Alorian is a very simplified form of Latin, most similar to Istalian.
 * French in Alduria, Kanjor and Rildanor. The three French-speaking nations were formerly united in the Union Francaise, but this alliance is now defunct.
 * Istalian in Istalia. Istalians have long had tension with the Arabic-speaking population, but have suppressed several pro-Arabic uprisings.
 * Portuguese in Darnussia. Portuguese is similar to the Spanish spoken in Egelion; it has now almost disappeared, due to the Deltarian invasion.
 * Spanish in Egelion and Sekowo. The two nations speak very different forms of Spanish: Egelion's is closer to Portuguese and Latin, while Sekowo's has Gao-Showan and Indralan influences.
 * Selucian is probably the most distantly related Romance language. Selucia mostly preserved the Latin culture, but not the language; it has many influences from English, Arabic, and even Deltaro-Jelbic.

The Romance languages are probably related to the Dundorfian languages, but htis is unproven.