Re: Conlang collaboration

John Cowan wrote:
>Peter Bleackley scripsit:
> >
> > This is an idea I've had for a while, unrelated to my other conlangs. I
>was
> > wondering if the list might enjoy discussing how it might work.
> >
> > English as we know it arose from a situation where a Germanic language
>(Old
> > English) was the everyday language of the majority, whereas an elite
>used
> > Romance languages (Norman French for the aristocracy, Mediaeval Latin
>for
> > the Church). I'm wondering what might have evolved had the situation
>been
> > reversed. Suppose that after the defeat of Quintillius Varus, Arminius
>has
> > We then have a situation where a
> > Latin speaking majority is ruled by a Germanic speaking elite. What
>might
> > Latin have evolved into under such circumstances?
>
>French.  The Franks were German-speaking.
Or Italian, or Spanish - the Goths were Germanic-speakers too. Or, in really
unlucky cases, it may've turned into Portuguese or even Dalmatian.

Tangentially, Germanic-speaking barbarians also overran the remaining bit of
the Western Empire, namely NW Africa. I suppose some Romance language
must've been in development there by the time the Arabs turned up. Is
anything much known of it, and has it a name?

Taking off along another tangent, can the Frankish language really be
properly called "German" (as opposed to "Germanic")?

                                                   Andreas

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