Zardic language

Zardic
Zarda lingvo
Region	South Majatra
Ethnicity	Zardic people
Language family	Heludic Enetric Selucic South Selucic
Official status
Official language in	Zardugal, minor language in Cobura,Vanuku and Jelbania
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Zar

The Zardic language is a South Selucic language and the most widely spoken language in Zardugal. It is closely related to other South Selucic languages, including Ushalandan, Arbanian, and the Estalian languages, although it has some unique features owing to its distinct history.

Zardic is characterized by a simplified and regular grammar with few exceptions and heavy influences from neighbouring languages, including Dunic, Delic, and Kalopian. Because of this it is often considered a creole language.

Writing system

Comparison of the Selucian and Tokundian scripts used to write Zardic, as well as the pangram ble ĉiu kvazaŭ-deca fuŝĥoraĵo ĝojigos homtipon. (Maybe every quasi-fitting bungle-choir makes a human type happy.)

Zardic is written in the Selucian alphabet, with several diacritics. Its writing system is based on the Selucian script used by the Deltarian language.

In the past Zardic widely used the Tokundian script. Zardic Tokundian had a 1:1 correspondence with the Zardic Selucian script.

In modern times, as a consequence of Augustan nationalism, Zardic was officially written in the Kalopian script. This was however not widely accepted and has since been abandoned.

Grammar

The Zardic language has a very regular and simplified grammar, lacking exceptions and constructing words and phrases in a simple and regular manner. These features are uncommon in spoken languages, with the significant exception of pidgins and creoles. On account of this Zardic is sometimes considered a creole language derived from Old Augustan.

Zardic grammar can be summarised in just 16 rules:

1. There is no indefinite article (Luthorian a, an); there is only a definite article la, alike for all genders, cases and numbers (Luthorian the). The use of the article is as in other languages. People for whom use of the article offers difficulties {e.g. speakers of Rodshyan, Indralan, etc.) may at first elect not to use it at all.
2. Nouns have the ending -o. To form the plural, add the ending -j. There are only two cases: nominative and accusative; the latter can be obtained from the nominative by adding the ending -n. The other cases are expressed with the aid of prepositions (genitive by de (Luthorian of), dative by al (Luthorian to), ablative by per (Luthorian by means of) or other prepositions, according to meaning).
3. Adjectives end in -a. Cases and numbers are as for nouns. The comparative is made with the word pli (Luthorian more), the superlative with plej (Luthorian most); for the comparative the conjunction ol (Luthorian than) is used.
4. The basic numerals (not declined) are: unu, du, tri, kvar, kvin, ses, sep, ok, naŭ, dek, cent, mil (Luthorian one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand). Tens and hundreds are formed by simple juxtaposition of the numerals. To show ordinal numbers we add the adjective ending; for multiples, the suffix -obl; for fractions (actually, reciprocals), -on; for collectives, -op; for divisionals, the word (particle) po. Noun and adverb numerals can also be used.
5. Personal pronouns: mi, vi, li, ŝi, ĝi (for an object or animal), si, ni, vi, ili, oni (Luthorian I, you, he, she, it, oneself, we, you, they, they-one-people); the possessive pronouns are formed by addition of the adjective ending. Declension is as for nouns.
6. The verb does not change for person or number. Forms of the verb: present time takes the ending -as; past time, -is; future time, -os; conditional mood, -us; command mood, -u; infinitive mood, -i. Participles (with adjectival or adverbial meaning): present active, -ant; past active, -int; future active, -ont; present passive, -at; past passive, -it; future passive, -ot. All forms of the passive are formed with the aid of the corresponding form of the verb esti (Luthorian to be) and the passive participle of the required verb; the preposition with the passive is de (Luthorian by).
7. Adverbs can be formed from adjectives by changing the -a ending to an -e ending (like Luthorian -ly).
8. All prepositions take the nominative.
9. Every word is read as it is written.
10. The accent always falls on the next-to-last syllable (vowel).
11. Compound words are formed by simple juxtaposition of words (the main word stands at the end); the grammatical endings are also viewed as independent words.
12. When another negative word is present, the word ne (Luthorian no, not) is omitted.
13. To show direction, words take the accusative ending.
14. Every preposition has a definite and permanent meaning, but if we have to use a preposition and the direct meaning doesn't tell us what preposition we should take, then we use the preposition je, which has no independent meaning. Instead of je the accusative without a preposition may be used.
15. The so-called foreign words, i.e. those taken by the majority of languages from one source, are used in Zardic without change, taking on only the orthography of this language; but for different words from a single root it is better to use without change only the basic word, and form the rest from this latter according to the rules of Zardic.
16. The final vowel of the noun and the article may be dropped and replaced by an apostrophe (without effect on stress).

Old Augustan

Zardic is a modern descendant of Old Augustan, originally called just Augustan (Aùgustiam Lingwom), is a language derived from the Selucian language spoken in the ancient Augustan Empire and that saw extensive use as a literary language between the 16th and 19th centuries. Old Augustan preserves much of the Selucian inflexionary system, entirely lost in Zardic, and uses a different system of transliteration into the Selucian alphabet.

Dialects

Owing to the large territory over which it is spoken, Zardic has a number of dialects and local varieties, all descendant from Old Augustan and sharing numerous features, including mutual intelligibility. Most of these dialects are not written and have no literary corpus, with the notable exception of Egatan (OOC Ido), spoken in Egato and Venetio and with its own literary tradition.

Below is the Zardic national anthem L' Espero, in the three most prominent dialects and in Old Augustan, followed by the Luthorian translation.

Standard Zardic (Esperanto) En la mondon venis nova sento, tra la mondo iras forta voko; per flugiloj de facila vento nun de loko flugu ĝi al loko. Ne al glavo sangon soifanta ĝi la homan tiras familion: al la mond' eterne militanta ĝi promesas sanktan harmonion.

Egatan (Ido) Aden la mondo venis nova sento, Tra la mondo iras forta voko; Per nov ali di lejera vento, Nun de loko flugas ol a loko. Ne al glavo sangon dursteganta Ol la homal familio tiras: A la mond’ eterne militanta Ol santa dezir’ di pac’ inspiras.

Kastelan (Popido) En lo mondên venit nova sent, Tra lo mond irat forta vok; Per flugils de facila vent Nun de lok flugu ĝi al lok. Nej al glav sangên soifanda Ĝi tirat lo homa famili: Al lo mond eterne militanda Ĝi promesat sankta harmoni.

Old Augustan (Arcaicam Esperantom) En Mondod wenit unn nowam Sentom, Tra Mondom irrat unn phortam Wocom; Per Phlugiloy phatziles Wentes Nun del Locom phlugu eghi Locod. Ned unn Glawod Sangon soiphantam Eghi tirat homan Phamilion: Adu Mondom eternœ militantam Promesat sanctan Harmonion.

Luthorian (English)

Into the world came a new feeling,
through the world goes a powerful call;
by means of wings of a gentle wind
now let it fly from place to place.
Not to a bloodthirsty sword
does it draw the human family:
to the eternally fighting world
it promises sacred harmony.