Re: Silindion Dialects [was an axe to grind]

--- Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...> wrote:

> Elliott Lash skrev:
> > --- Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Elliott Lash skrev:
> >>
> >>>yes, that's what i meant....just had to quickly
> >>
> >>send
> >>
> >>>the email since i was at work. ;)
> >>>
> >>>Although, i'm not sure if it's an across the
> board
> >>>change, that is, i dont know if i-umlaut happens
> >>
> >>in
> >>
> >>>every circumstance.
> >>
> >>Why not?
> >
> >
> >  Well, because I have written some Silindion texts
> by
> > a purported author named "Eril" whose backstory
> tells
> > that he comes from a northern family, and while
> this
> > may be true, the texts that I've written by him
> > contain forms without this i-umlaut.
> Unfortunately, I
> > dont have much access to any of my files, since
> > they're on my New York computer and I'm down here
> in
> > Virginia, indefinitely.
> >  -Elliott
>
> This has been nagging me, so I have to respond even
> if
> late.  It is nothing strange with a writer writing
> in
> a dialect more prestigeous than his native one.
> There
> is also not strange if personal names are not
> exequitated
> but remain in their original dialectal form.  Rather
> it
> is the situation to be expected.  E.g. all Swedes
> have
> for centuries been using a written language based on
> mid
> eastern Swedish dialects, despite rather great
> differences
> between traditional dialects and remaining
> differences
> between local accents.  At the same time many names
> appear
> in several forms both learned and hailing from
> different
> dialects, e.g. Georg, Jörgen, Göran; Johan, Jon,
> Jan, Jung,
> Hans, Hannes; Erik, Jerker, Jerk.
>
> Of course the standard language would usually adopt
> some words and forms from other dialects...

   This is actually a good point that you raise, and
one which I ought to have been aware of. There are
many dialectal differences in Silindion, according to
both regional and social criteria. There are regional
dialects of the spoken language, which is termed "Low
Silindion", and then there are regionally tinged
varieties of the more formal register, termed "High
Silindion". Within both varieties, there are more
poetic styles and less poetic styles, according to
whether one is composing a poem or song for popular or
religious/formal consumption. Eril, may have been
writing in High Silindion, tinged here and there with
northern features, namely the name "Erelion", rather
than "Erolion". He may also have been using the High
Silindion of the capital, Silinestin, but keeping the
native form of the name "Erelion".  So you are right,
I completely left that dimension to the story out. I
wish I could actually see what I wrote, so I could be
sure what's going on.

 -Elliott


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