Syntax – Mohai

Senduri: a linguistic overview

A distant cousin of Lemohai, yet so unlike it.

Senduri is a contemporary language from the planet Tekuo with deep historical roots. Its speakers are a race of Ike, who call themselves and their language Senduri. They call their home the Turi archipelago. In Lemohai it is known as Thuri.

Senduri is a fascinating language and was long thought to be a linguistic isolate. However, it has now been shown to be a particularly deviant descendant of Proto-East-Aheku. It is therefore a distant relative of the Cismontane and Transmontane languages and of Maritime languages like Lemohai.

Ezenii: a linguistic overview

The language of Ökla’s longstanding colony.

Ezenii is a contemporary language from the planet Tekuo. Its speakers are a race of Ike, who live in Ezekaa, a small nation-state on the continent of Umãka, to the north of Aheku. Like the people of Mohai and most of the rest of Aheku, they belong to the Utai race (or, Copperfolk).

They call both themselves and their language Ezenii. For much of the modern era, Ezekaa was part of the Öklane Empire. Ezenii has therefore been strongly influenced by Öklane.

Most Ezenii speakers live in Ezekaa though a few live in border regions of neighbouring countries. Five percent of the population of Ezekaa is first language Öklane and nowadays, the two language enjoy co-offical status. Historically though, Öklane was the prestige language and Ezenii seen as somewhat lower class and rustic.

Öklane: a linguistic overview

The language of Mohai’s rival power.

Öklane is a contemporary language from the planet Tekuo. Its speakers are a race of Ike, who call themselves and their language Öklane. Like the people of Mohai and most of Aheku, they belong to the Utai race (or copperfolk).

The language originated in Ökla, the largest nation-state on the continent of Umãka, to the north of Aheku. Ökla built an Empire in the early modern era, conquering much of South-East Umãka and North-East Aheku, but not Mohai.

Most Öklane speakers live in Ökla though there are sizeable minorities scattered across Ökla’s former empire. In Ezekaa for example, 5% of the population speaks Öklane and the language enjoys co-offical status with the local language Ezenii. Öklane is studied as a second language in many countries.

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 in the Mohai archipelago, though some moved to colonies abroad during Mohai’s Imperial Era.

There are some 29.5 million native speakers in all. Around 26.2 million live in 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.