Re: Translation Project! (was Re: Let the hammer fall!)

CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU writes:
>I would like some background on everyone's language, like who would have
>used it?  Where?  and When?
Well, since you asked... ;)

Montreiano is spoken by the Montreianos, whose  country exists in Ill
Bethisad (probably, since IIRC, their history has little effect on the
main history of that world) ,  on the western coast of North America,
taking up part of the coast of what we call California. It extends from
what is in our world Clear Lake in Sonoma county (which is an interesting
lake, and is 3 million years old BTW), all the way south to the Santa
Clara river. Which in our world flows between the cities of Ventura and
Oxnard, and as far east as the head waters of the San Joaquin river.

They originated in the area of Spain that is bounded by Portugal to the
west, the Duero river to the north, the Adaja, and Alberche to the east,
and bordering Extremadurra to the south (since I couldnt decide, i just
decided that ;)). There are still a few older people who speak Montreiano
(still need to figure out the name of them in Spain, perhaps
"Salamanqueño" since that city falls within the territory).

However, the differences are quite substantial because of little contact
between the areas since the great migration in the 1600's - 1700's when
California was discovered. Much of the difference is in vocabulary, and
Montreiano in Spain has been greatly influenced by Castillian. It also
seems to be dying out in Spain, surviving in pockets in Salamanca, and
Vitigudino.

Also, the language has had a few sound changes (/B/ becoming /w/, dropping
of final e after certain constanantal sounds, final l  becoming /w/), as
well as
orthographical differences between Iberian Montreiano, and Montreiano in
North America:

- in Spain, they use c in front of i or e, whereas in Montrei, ç became
standard, even though it's somewhat uneccesary.

- In Spain, intervocalic and final d is weakly pronounced, and still
written, whereas in Montrei, it dropped out of both speech and in writing.

- Spanish Montreianos also  write initial /w/  as gu, gü (in front of i
and e), whereas in Montrei, it's always just u: guardar - Spanish
Montreiano, uardar - Montrei

Also, Influence by Spanish has caused Montreiano in Spain to sound much
more like Spanish.

Their modern language exists parallel to our timeline right now (they have
cars, electricity, computers, the internet, etc. etc.). The name of course
reflects the area where the majority of the speakers are from, the nation
of Montrei. Montreiano also replaced Spanish as the language of
Government, Business, and Education after Independance (until then, it had
only been used around town informally and at home).



____________________________

Yours truly,

Cesar Javier Jaime Garcia