High Arumenic
From Mizahar Lore
| "The more complex a language, the greater its capacity to influence the thoughts of men." - Diranotep re Menehat |
High Arumenic is a complex language created by layering standard Arumenic vocabulary, intricate modes and a system of gestures to create a rich form of expression.
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Overview
Because early Eypharian culture relied on oral rather than written records and their history began with a mystical union between river-deity and human woman, the stuff of myths, little is known about the roots of the so-called High Arumenic dialect. Most linguists are in agreement that its forty-seven speech modes were derived from the work of Eyktoli poet Jalal al-Ada Balkhi whose intuitive approach to nader-canoch is mostly remembered in fragments and in the accounts of later generations of critics. Though nader-canoch, the Ancient Tongue, is spoken by a cultural and academic elite in the general Mizaharan population, it is considered a dead language. Arumenic remains the living language closest to its root, and High Arumenic remains the flower of linguistic ingenuity.
Linguists agree that in complexity of form and in raw communicative potential, the High Arumenic dialect surpasses all languages. Diranotep re Menehat characterized it as "the one language no outsider can ever truly master." Forty-seven speech modes allow for fine communication of social and emotive context, and secondary and even tertiary messages can be embedded in many simple statements. It is said that a master of the High Arumenic tongue can hold several different conversations at once, and true mastery of the language is so highly regarded that Eypharian poets are among the most celebrated of artists. While non-Eypharians rarely use the more obscure forms, most are familiar with the major contextual modes, and the ability to use them fluently in one's language is regarded as a sign of intelligence and social refinement among the upper classes.
The distinction between Arumenic and High Arumenic lies in an entirely neutral mode, which has been adopted throughout Eyktol as the "common Eypharian" or "Arumenic" tongue. Speech in this basic mode of High Arumenic is considered to be acceptable in all social situations, though Eypharians of the upper classes may look with disdain upon those who are too poorly educated to make their language more interesting.
Gestures
To make matters more complicated, with the development of Semhu, or traditional Eypharian theater - many of whose most famous poets were masters of High Arumenic - the Eypharian court began to adopt gestures adapted from said theatrical form to add another layer to their intrigue. This addition to the spoken language is often seen as a separate entity as it can be less effective in the dark or when speaking to the blind, but is often utilized without adding the complexities of High Arumenic to the spoken vector of communication.
When compared to similar sign languages, such as Drykas grassland sign, the theatrical nature of its origins prove marked. Known for their high level of stylization, the meaning of many gestures are decipherable by people without a command of even common Arumenic.
For an example, a human who puts a hand to a cocked hip and says: "Would you like to try that again?" might imply indignation, defiance, and irritation. Eypharians have four or six hands, ergo even their body language supports greater complexities of expression, and many idiomatic gestures are impossible for non-Eypharians to duplicate.
Lexicon
Verbal pronunciation and vocabulary is identical to traditional Arumenic.
Modes & Undermodes
Again, the Basic Mode of High Arumenic encompasses almost the entirety of common Arumenic. The modes and undermodes of High Arumenic are verbal linguistic markers that surpass moods, modalities, and cases to create a higher form. Therefore to begin to understand High Arumenic, one must simultaneously consider both sentence structure, connotation, declensions and how one may contradict the other and to what degree.
Examples
Khurat asked, "Have you any further business with me?"
Beiruz replied, "No, we are finished." His mode indicated: yes.
"Good." Khurat's promised: later.
"Certainly, one must keep one's hands clean," he agreed in an ironic undermode, four of his hands spread open for her perusal while the other two were balled in fists behind his back: secrets. "I must agree with Ozik, however, that you are indeed good for socializing," he said, frank admiration in the basic mode. The lack of undertones, though, could mean anything.
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Out of character note: For the purposes of gameplay, modes need not be named outright, but may be described as shown above. The language itself is mind-numbingly complex, but should not hamper ease of play. |