*****The Story AYA (Ask You Anything) [Topic 8: Language] *****

Oh geez this is hard one because I’ve only needed to partially develop it and then destroyed it like 10 seconds later :joy:

Yes, yes and yes. It’s kinda like the pre-middle-high layout, with pre and middle looking a lot like the generic system (I haven’t really developed these because they’re just background). High takes place at the Academy which is currently in 3 of the stories. I guess it’s more of a university with on campus living :thinking: No idea how many years it is as my characters are in the final year for all 3 stories.

There’s basic stuff like language, literature, math, science, sports, etc. But then there’s also other things like magic studies, technomagic, crystaltech, combat, medical, many different branches of art, science, history, business, and many different branches of magic and types of combat. There’s also specialist classes that only last a few weeks per semester where guest teachers come in. But yeah, lots of classes, lots of teachers, lots of students, lots of species, lots of different requirements. There’s a reason the Academy is an entire island.

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The education system in my world varies depending on the locale, wealth and profession. This is the common formal schooling system in the Mainland and the Deserts.

Early childhood

From birth up until seven years of age, schooling is informal. Commoners are often instructed by their family or village elders on basic religious concepts and reading and writing. Noble children are often instructed by a tutor.

Temple School

From ages 7-13, all children are mandated to study at the local temple. This school is free to attend, and children are instructed on religion, mathematics, reading and writing.

This is the highest formal schooling most children receive. After this, most peasant children begin work in their family’s smallholdings. The children of artisans seek apprenticeships in their trade. Those seeking religious education and service, remain in temples or join monastic orders. The nobles and bourgeoisie, however, seek further education in the Gymnasium.

Gymnasium

From ages 14-18, wealthy children are enrolled in the Gymnasium. These are high schools located in big cities, which deliver further instruction. Some Gymnasia provide lodging for students. Subjects include, law and contracts, governance, natural sciences, philosophy, history and customs, advanced reading, writing & mathematics, foreign languages and basic physical and military training.

Gymnasia are secular institutions, and they charge high annual fees. Young men of noble lineage or wealthy backgrounds (children of merchants, lawyers etc.) make up the majority of students in Gymnasia. A small n of young women, about ten percent, also attend Gymnasia. Peasants are encouraged to send their children here, but they only make up five percent of all students. and they tend to do so under a wealthy sponsor.

Students take written, oral and physical examinations. After graduation, students find moderate paid work as government officials, administrators, notaries, tutors and translators. They may also join military academies or guilds such as Merchants and Barbers which require Gymnasium schooling in order to join. Some pursue further education at universities.

Universities

Universities are prestigious, highly selective institutions that offer specialised education under the tutelage of Masters. There are several universities across the world which offer specialisations in fields such as Advocacy, Medicine and Philosophy, among others. The fees for university education varies depending on the Masters, and students often take up work alongside their studies.

University education takes between 3-5 years. Upon successful completion, students receive the title of Learned, which gives them license to practice in their chosen field. The Learned may continue their scholarship to produce a thesis — which, upon successful defence, earns them the title of Proctor, and a further thesis with at least ten years in the field earns them the title of Master.

University-educated people are highly sought after in almost every state and kingdom. They may become royal advisors, specialists, lawyers, magistrates, doctors, architects, inventors, cartographers, public intellectuals etc with high-paying jobs.

Military Academies

Military academies are run by the state and are free for citizens of that state. These academies train soldiers and naval officers, through intensive physical training and battle tactics, for the army/navy of the state. Some academies offer training for teamsters, guards and seamen for a fee. Military academies also research and develop military technology.

Promising students are recruited from Gymnasia, and from recruitment drives in cities and towns. Training may take up to 3 years, and upon successful completion, they go into service of the state military/navy, royal guard, personal levies in middle-high positions or may continue in research.

The Vidomic Order

The Vidomic Order is a fraternity of Vidomurges (a special category of magic users). They are responsible for all Vidomurrges of the world regardless of statehood.

This type of magic is dangerous, and therefore they take it upon themselves to educate and train their own. Inquisitors search for young children displaying magical talents and bring them to train at the Bastion in Ramistova. These children may be as young as five years old, or older at twelve, but most are detected at the age of seven.

In addition to reading, writing and mathematics, these children are taught vidomurgy, combat, religion and religious rites, medicine, philosophy, law, foreign languages, history and customs. Formal schooling lasts up until 18 years of age, and upon completion, they join the Order and remain in service for life. Members of the Order play diplomatic, religious, social and military roles serving in their own militia, foreign royal courts, hospitals and temples.

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There’s a school for the Magia, an apprenticeship thing for the Druidborns, and a school that Illyria founded before becoming queen.

There’s also the camp that the Ferme go to, but that’s not so much a school.

The other races don’t have their own set schools, but they do have ways to teach.

Magia School

This school is set inside a castle, where the Magia live while learning the different spells. It’s a good couple of years before they graduate. They get taught all the light-based magic first, then, in their final school year, they learn about the dark-based magic. They only get taught dark-based magic as examples of what happens when used (and the things used for this are like, plants and stuff, since they obviously don’t want to use it on people, and using plants can still give an idea of how the magic works). There is HEAVY emphasis on never using the dark-based spells against anyone.

After graduation, they can choose from a range of different job options, including becoming a teacher themselves.

Druidborn Apprenticeship

Druidborn apprentices and mentors are chosen based on who other Druidborns think would do well together. Their education takes slightly longer than Magia. They live in a forest for one year out of their training, which helps to strengthen their healing powers.

One year after they complete their training, they can apply to become a mentor themselves. After they have taught at least one apprentice, they can start helping with the pairings.

Illyria's School

This school is one Illyria made for anyone to join. This school has a huge range of subjects that can be taught, from math to art to music. The school was created not only so students could learn more subjects, but also as a way to foster good connections between the different races, to help them get along and become friends with each other.

At the end of the Age of Light arc, some of the students are shown in what they chose to do after they graduated. These include one of them becoming a Druidborn apprentice (what I mentioned for another question), a few becoming guards to Illyria when she became queen, one of them becoming a messenger for her, and one of them becoming a babysitter for the new baby princes.

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Hi yes I’m back from the dead.

Not quite sure who you’re referring to? Hota was the Hero of Mind and could hear everyone’s thoughts, but that’s my only H-character.

Yessei has a long, winding fate until she ends up becoming the Time God Sêj but obviously there’s no H in Yessei.

I’ll have to back read and see if anything comes to mind lol. Lmk if this helps (ik this is eons old now).

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Good to see you back.

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Idk, I have a vague memory about my vague memory XD

Good to see you again!

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Yes, I haven’t been back here for a while. Haven’t been inspired for a new topic.

Topic 8: Language
What are the languages like in your world? Are there different dialects? Are there old languages no one speaks anymore? Are there languages that no one is allowed to speak? Does language decide class?

These are just some example questions to ask yourself when it comes to language in your fantasy world.

Remember language isn’t just about different languages that people speak. You can talk about where it came from, too. People could have migrated and the language could spread that way. Or maybe there was an invasion and a group of people were forced to learn the new language and abandon their own.

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Yeah this one will be a long one, so strap in. I’ll wrap it into drop-downs because this will be a long one to accurately describe.

Meiste

Zispoel languages The Zispoel languages are all descended from Old Classical Zispoel. They are all confined to Zeneste natively.

Ipol

  • Eastern Zispoel Language
  • The Zenestian lingua franca. Spoken by over a billion. Many, many dialects.
  • Medium-sized consonant inventory; large vowel inventory
  • Phonemically long vowels.
  • No voiced obstruents
  • Highly fusional with some agglutinative tendencies.

High/Low Zeneth

  • Two Western Zenestian languages and are highly related
  • Spoken by several hundred million.
  • Highly analytical. Very little morphology

Dead languages
Classical Zispoel

  • The native language language of the Heroes of Life/Earth/Language
  • Very fusional, large consonant inventory, average vowel inventory
  • Attested in the Epic
Hotapise Languages There are so many Hotapise languages and they span a very large area. There are three major subdivisions of the Hotapise languages: Atepsi, Odapir, and Ytosi.

Atepsi

  • Spoken by several hundred million, most of whom live in Atepsi
  • small consonant inventory, medium vowel inventory
  • Highly analytical, not very much morphology at all
  • Lots of influence from Classical Zispoel

Odapir

  • Spoken by just over a billion between Zeneste and Odapir
  • Small consonant inventory, large vowel inventory
  • Fusional, borrows morphology from Ipol and C.Zispoel
  • Lots of borrowing from Old Ipol and Classical Zispoel
  • Official status in Odapir only.

Ytos/Itaush

  • Spoken by at most 1 million across the Republic of Ytos and the Duchy of Itaush.
  • Large consonant inventory, small vowel inventory
  • Very fusional without borrowing too much from Zispoel
  • Again, lots of influence from Classical Zispoel (especially in Itaush).

Dead Languages

  • Each of these language families derives from a Classical form of the language, and they’re all related to a proto-form of the language. Nothing too crazy.

IWH (Yessei’s universe)

Bumpe Nende languages The Bumpe Nende language family is very old. There are two branches: Northern and Southern.

South Bumpe Nende

  • Yessei’s native language. She and her sister Yenansi are the only remaining native speakers.
  • Large consonant inventory, large vowel inventory
  • Phonemic stress that affects word meanings
  • Very fusional, plenty of irregularities
  • Two grammatical genders: Common and Neuter

North Bumpe Nende

  • Spoken by a population of nearly 20,000 Vampires in Universe III and 500,000 in Universe VIII.
  • Large consonant inventory, medium vowel inventory
  • Split into two dialects across two Universes
  • Plenty of irregularity
  • Fusional language
  • Three grammatical genders: Animate, Idea, Inanimate
Katla Languages The Katla languages are spoken by a vast majority of residents in New Katla Khi. (At the time, the only known language is Katla Khi: a South Katla language.)

Katla Khi

  • Isolating, analytical language
  • Spoken by ~80 million residents of New Katla Khi
  • has 6 tones
  • Super irregular syntax; influenced by the previous Khi language before the Great Egress.
Khi Languages

There are two remaining Khi languages which both call themselves Khi, but they’re split across two Universes.

Khi (Universe IV)

  • Small consonant inventory, small vowel inventory
  • Long words with simple syllable structures
  • Simple register system and pitch-accent system
  • Gave a lot of loanwords to Katla Khi
  • Spoken by ~15 million remaining Khi people in New Katla Khi

Khi (Universe VIII)

  • Mutually intelligible with the Khi in Universe IV
  • Small consonant inventory, small vowel inventory
  • Simple pitch-accent system
  • Borrowed a lot of words from North Bumpe Nende for “bad” terms

I could go on, and if prompted I could share one (or a couple) sample sentences, but this is the gist of it!