Languages – Mohai

What did Classical Lecekhon sound like?

Classical Lecekhon was the language of the ancient Empire of Cekhon. It had twenty-eight phonemes. It was characterised by five points of vowel articulation, a plain/aspirate contrast and the prominence of velar and palatal sounds. Syllables were simple or moderately complex.

A wide range of writings in Classical Lecekhon have survived to the modern era. These range from the popular and practical to the advanced and academic. They even include grammars of C Lec written by native speakers. We can, therefore, describe the formal registers of the language with confidence.

In search of Proto-Tekuo

What can we know about the planet’s first language?

In our world, those who think there was once a Proto-Human language have a tough time of it. They are told there is no reason to assume such a language ever existed. They are told they cannot say where or when it existed.

Supporters of the theory are also said to read what they want into the data when deriving words for the purported language. Some world-wide similarities, it is said, might be better explained as onomatopeia or sound symbolism.

What did Classical Lekuna sound like?

How ancient people spoke on Mohai.

When the ancient Kuna Empire was at its zenith, Classical Lekuna had twenty-four phonemes. It was characterised by four points of vowel articulation, a plain/aspirate contrast and the prominence of velar and glottal sounds. Syllables were simple or moderately complex.

Many written examples of Classical Lekuna have survived to the modern era. These range from graffiti and laundry lists to philosophy and epic poetry. They even include grammars of C Lek written by native speakers. We can, therefore, describe the formal registers of the language with confidence.

What did Proto-Maritime sound like?

How prehistoric people talked on the north-east coast of Aheku.

Proto-Maritime is reconstructed as having twenty phonemes. It was characterised by three points of vowel articulation, a lack of contrastive voice and the prominence of velar, uvular and glottal sounds. Syllables were simple or moderately complex.

The standard model of PM phonology has stood the test of time, but some uncertainties remain. The language was unwritten. It is believed that there were two dialects, one spoken in what is now Kuna, one in what is now Cekhon. Little is known about them, however.

What does Modern Lemohai sound like?

How people talk on Mohai today

Modern Standard Lemohai has a total of twenty-six phonemes. Their sounds vary a little according to their phonetic environment. They are arranged in simple syllables.

Languages of Tekuo: a typological overview

Some basic statistics for the planet’s languages, compared with the languages of Earth.

It is estimated that there are some 6,000 to 7,000 languages here on Earth. Tekuo is only 80% the size of Earth and only 24% of it is land (compared with 29% of Earth). This land is less densely populated than Earth and divided into just 85 nation-states.

Not surprisingly then, Tekuo harbours fewer languages than our world. The effects of modern communications, education and nation-building lower the total further to just 624 natural languages.

Lemohai: a linguistic overview

The main features of the language of Mohai, its history and status.

Lemohai is a contemporary language from the planet Tekuo. Its speakers are a race of Ike, who call themselves the Romohai. They are found mainly on the island of Mohai, though some moved to colonies abroad during the island’s Imperial Era.

There are some 15.6 million native speakers in all. Around 12.1 million live on Mohai, whilst the rest live in nearby countries, mostly in ports and large cities. Lemohai is widely studied as a second language across much of North-East Aheku.

Proto-Maritime: a linguistic overview

Reconstructing a prehistoric tongue.

The Proto-Maritime language, ancestor of the Maritime language family, was spoken by the Proto-Maritime people who lived on the north-east coast of Aheku, a continent of the planet Tekuo.

The language arose as a result of the mixing of two cultures some three thousand years Before the Present (BP). Until that point, the coast and nearby islands were the sole preserve of the Cismontane peoples.