Wymgani (language)
| Wymgani |
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Wymgani-speaking nations:
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| Genetic classification:
Austronesian |
Wymgani is the language of Indigenous Ariddians, a people inhabiting the Ariddian Isles in the South Pacific. It is one of the three official languages in Ariddia, along with French and English.
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Indigenous Ariddians
Main article: Wymgani
Wymgani people are a distinct ethnic group of the South Pacific, notable for their fairly pale brown skin, and hair ranging from brown to black.
Traditional Wymgani culture places a high emphasis on respect for nature. One of the most surprising aspects of Wymgani culture is their utter lack of spirituality. Before the colonisation of the Ariddian Isles by Europeans, Wymganis had never conceived of spirituality. Their concern is with living in harmony with the world around them, and viewing mankind as a part of nature, designed to live in respectful symbiosis with it rather than pitted against it. This may explain why many Wymganis have been active members of the ecologically-orientated Democratic Communist Party.
See also: Wymgani self-government; Wymgani history
Wymgani alphabet
Written Wymgani uses a Latin alphabet devised by French Ariddian linguist and explorer Yves Noël. Prior to European arrival in the Ariddian Isles, in the seventeenth century, the Wymgani language had no written form. Famous fourteenth century Indigenous explorer and anthropologist Wa We had learnt to speak, read and write Latin while in Europe, but had apparently not considered the skill to be of any great use; it was lost to her people after her death. She never made any attempt to put her native language into writing.
Noël's original alphabet contained nine letters, the number of which later increased as he and others realised there were regional variations to account for. The most common letters/sounds nationwide are:
vowels
a - almost always "ah", virtually identical to the French a (as in chat)
o - usually as in "cot" or "not", but there are variations
e - if alone, usually pronounced "ee"; if followed by a vowel, or preceded by any letter and followed by none, usually "ih" (as in "big"); if followed by a consonent, usually "eh" (as in "get")
u - almost invariably "oo", although there are variations; sometimes "uh" (as in "luck") if followed by a consonent
i - variable according to dialects: can be "ee" (close to the French i) or "ih" (as in "big")
Vowels are always pronounced seperately from one another. Hence, "ea" is pronounced "ih-ah" (close to the sound of the word "ear"), never "ee".
consonants
The four most common consonents are, by far, l, w, s and sh. Others exist regionally, which explains unusual names such as Aj Ud (with the "u" as in "luck").
Note that the word "Wymgani" itself was transcribed before Noël's alphabet was established; hence the unusual letters. A more accurate rendering would have been "Wimhani", or even "Wih'ani".
Lwellsl Wymgani
The inhabitants of the small island of Lwellsl are thought to be descendants of Wymgani explorers who settled there almost two millenia ago. They have evolved their own language (Lwellsl Wymgani), but it shares common roots with modern Wymgani as it is spoken in the Ariddian Isles.
For an example of Lwellsl Wymgani, see the article on the ulek.
Ariddian Arctic Wymgani
A small number of people in the Ariddian Arctic Islands speak Ariddian Arctic Wymgani, a language which origated when Wymgani settlers reached the islands in the fifteenth century. It has evolved seperately from Wymgani since then, but is now considered an endangered language, as very few Islanders still speak it.
Syvorjin Wymgani
Inside Syvorji, at the Western Archipelago, a community called "Xaipu," where 2,709 Wymgami, out of 57,191 Wymgani live in the country speak Wymgani, but use an entirely different script, based off the Huynma script, which is the main script in Syvorjin. As a result, Wymgani in Syvorjin is, "ปฟรยีฟื," but in Syvorjin Wymgani, it is "ศรทเัฟทีฟ" or Limgyamua, practically making the Syvorjin Wymgani dialect different. Likewise, O Tau is ฯัี ธฟัี, or Oau Tayu. The separate dialect was as a result of a mixture, by Syvorjins, Wymgani, and ethnic Greeks. An example of the Greek influence is that they call Syvorji, "ฆันพปร," or Syoorxi, after the Greek pronunciation of Syvorji.
Famous Wymgani
- O Tau, possible leader of the first ever settlement of the Ariddian Isles
- Wa We, fourteenth century explorer and anthropologist
- Sho Ea, fifteenth century artist and philosopher
- Prime Secretary Aj Ud, former head of State of Ariddia
- Prime Secretary Nuriyah Khadhim, head of State of Ariddia
- Ue Alt, former captain of the Ariddian national football team
- Ea L'lew, West Ariddian politician
It should be noted that Princess Serena Eu of San Adriano is of Wymgani descent, but that, since many Sanadrianese are of mixed ethnicity, few identify as Wymgani.
See also
- Lank Jan, a pidgin language derived from French and spoken by some Wymgani on the Ariddian island of Se'asho
