Re: Maps of Ill Bethisad.

En réponse à John Cowan <cowan@...>:

> Christophe Grandsire scripsit:
>
> > I saw it and I like it! :) In Ill Bethisad I would speak Norman
> French! :)
>
> You bet.  You would have learned Francien in school: it's the language
> of
> administration, though somewhat looked down upon as a language of high
> culture.
>
Francien? It would probably be *Franciam or *Franceam in Narbonósc (don't know
for sure whether the glide /j/ is there or not. I still have to do more research
to find the different endings existing in Narbonósc. Right now, a quick overlook
gives -ósc, -ceam/-sam, -âou, -arr, and that's all. Now if the -ien descends
from -anus with Bartsch effect - like canus -> chien -, then the Narbonósc
ending would be -am. But if the ending was -ianus in Latin, then in Narbonósc it
would be -iam. Now, where does Francien come from? Francanus or Francianus? :)
).

As for Francien as the language of the administration, it is of course the
language of the administration of France, that's to say the Northern part of the
country (ruled from Paris). But the Southern part of the country, called Gaulhe
(ruled from Lyon which is also the official capital of the whole country. The
Northern citizens of the country are not very happy with it, but it was Lyon or
Paris, and only Parisians wanted it to be Paris :) ), uses Narbonósc for its
administration. And Lyon is completely bilingual (as should be the rest of the
country :) ). Funny, this situation reminds me of the situation of Belgium
*here*. It could be a good model to know how the country works in Ill Bethisad
(still have to find a definite name for the whole country, if we decide that
France only refers to the Northern part, and Gaulhe to the Southern part - like
Wallonie and Flanders in Belgium *here* -). Any idea?

> Of course the Norman language there is somewhat more influenced by
> English
> as well.
>
Plain normal, seen how much influenced by Norman French is English :) .

So if I sum up, if I lived in Ill Bethisad, I would speak Norman French as my
first language, would have learned both Francien and Narbonósc at school (but
would use more Francien since it is the language of all those damn official
papers you have to fill if you want to move your butt in this pays de merde :)
). I wouldn't expect to have to speak Narbonósc ever (well, unless I have to go
to the capital, but then I would surely stay in the Francien-speaking part
anyway). After all, what do I have in common with those lazy guys who only know
to lie down in their gardens and sunbathe! :) Of course, at the same time, a
Southerner would wonder why he has to learn the language of those Eskimos out
there :) . The capital speaks his language (after all, it's in his part of the
country) and what would he do more in the North? It's freezing out there!
:))))))))))))

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

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