LetsBuild5e:Languages
What languages do people speak?
In the starting region, there is a widely-spoken common tongue, alongside some cultural languages and some primarily racial languages. (Decision: [1])
Eight languages are currently under discussion for inclusion. Each language is representative of a more or less separate linguistic family from the others, and it's likely not all of them will end up being used. A sample paragraph is provided, which has been translated into each language:
- "The king and queen ordered the warriors to defend the town. The good warrior shoots the fierce dragon with his bow and arrows. The bountiful queen will reward the great warrior."
Each language's translation follows, along with pronunciation notes and gradually-growing linguistic information:
A: This language is pronounced with main stress on the penultimate syllable. The Gs are all hard, and double vowels are generally diphthongs - 'ai' as the vowel in the English word high, and 'ua' as the vowel in the French word roi. All vowels are pronounced; e is the vowel in the English dress if unstressed, and the one in the English face if stressed.
- Reno mu rene geros orpet partoge ubaragepti. Gero parno urimairet roxairet harraima mu gasitutua actip. Rene mobu gerot balmet denolop.
B: This language is pronounced with main stress on the antepenultimate syllable, moving forward in words with fewer than three syllables. All double consonants are geminated - that is, they are given a longer pronunciation than single instances of the same consonant. E is the vowel in the English dress; ë is a schwa; and é is the vowel in the English face.
- Umren tiennal miento lierlio corrariné. Lierril orbë ri en tanté fitoéwé vayerré vorroé piorrië. Umarë vehellë lierloé marroé serronzotië.
C: This language contains no nasals, and a limited range of vowels. The mark ! indicates a palatal click (and not the alveolar click more usually written thus - the palatal click sign isn't as recognisable). An apostrophe represents a glottal stop. The final syllable is usually stressed.
- !k’kethek esst se!ess !kssa!ek sthepthath!k. Essessk kezhith k!th k’pess !ss !kv’vess v’e kethek va’eth p’essi!k. Kethek li’ith ssa!ek p!azheth !hav’thi!k.
D: This language is tonal. Vowels with acute accents are pronounced with a rising tone, those with grave accents with a falling tone, and unmarked vowels with a level tone. This language has no inherent distinctions of syllable stress, as most words are very short.
- Ta-lán-ga a ta-lán-kò lór-te bero ta-bíhan ré-sho. Ta-shá-sho fen ama byà-ziró a za-byà-ting ta-girá-ràng. Ta-kere-pyo-lán-kò pyan-fo ta-tahà-sho.
E: This language is stressed on its antepenultimate syllables. All the vowels are short. The vowel ö has the same value as in Swedish, similar to a non-rhotic pronunciation of the English fur.
- Kegur manet retlak kugrendl vaz ftekur. Fta zold akakit go mözlit tzat mazlidz gragakur rör. Kagur zener bednidz ztob ftak harg.
F: This language is stressed on its antepenultimate syllables. As in language E, the vowel ö has the same value as in Swedish.
- Bazelum ek denengum aniv yugita viktunn dönelk garti. Skilto viktum tuniv vöstir bruga vumum dem etz pör ek irraz. Vytentzo denengum velliv böni vöra viktum.
G: As in language C, an apostrophe here represents a glottal stop. Aw is pronounced to rhyme with English how. The stress is on the antepenultimate syllable.
- Vurwa’arog b’vurzhirog watira vurgbrak ghbirka m’hol. Vban vurbrak atra furg khabist got vafidra b’vagpyaw. Viggr vurzhirog vipirza mob vurbrak.
H: This language has primary stress on initial syllables, and secondary stress on penultimate syllables in words of at least four syllables. The apostrophe again represents a glottal stop. E is the vowel of English press, except at the ends of words, where it is the vowel of English face.
- Jebirotoshih are hakihen b’are kihen swe bilelmunu werido are wul’lau. Zehiposh are bilel mabolol are Shelinegu malonogu ibe wazaheprun ba zahpamunrun hagorun. Betifobesh are kihen rebotof are bilelu rebololu.
