Languages

The languages of the known Galaxy are diverse. While many regional languages exist, there are few major languages which are of particular note for their large number of native speakers and status as official administrative and official species languages by governments and transtellars.

Human languages

Sol Common

With its roots in Mandarin Chinese, Common evolved as the official language of the Sol Alliance, with officials working to tie it together with a common tongue. It's spoken by state officials, taught in schools, and spoken by those who either feel a sense of national pride in the Alliance or otherwise fell sway to the culture. It became the Alliance' official language in 2105.

Accents

• Solarian: The typical Solarian accent has a hundred tiny variants and can be found on a multitude of planets in countless systems, and is often simply regarded as “the accent of humanity” due to its prevalence. It can be found on planets as prominent as Earth or as obscure as settlements of only a few million in the Sol Alliance’s Outer Ring.

• Cytherean: Venusian Common (referred to as Cytherean Common on Venus itself) is often regarded as the “most common” form of Sol Common due to the prevalence of its entertainment industry. It sounds extremely similar to Earthbound Sol Common. Many high-end entertainment IPCs used throughout human space come pre-programmed with this accent, due to its association with the Venusian entertainment industry.

• Jintarian: Jintarian Common is looked down upon on Venus itself for its association with Venusian surfacers, and is often used by the planet’s entertainment industry to mark a character as villainous or untrustworthy. As a result, it is often looked down upon throughout human space.

• Earth: The typical Earth, or Terran, accent of the modern era has its roots in Mandarin Chinese, the dominant language of Earth for much of its modern history. All accents found in human space - from Luna to Xanu - are, one way or another, descended from this ancient accent.

• Lunarian: The Lunarian accent is regarded throughout the Sol Alliance, and beyond, as a distinctive mark of being Lunarian. The accent is extremely hard for immigrants to Luna to pick up and replicate, and is carefully maintained by Lunarians abroad to keep their accent distinct. It is essentially impossible for a human not living on Luna to replicate a Lunarian accent, and it is considered a major faux paus to pretend to have one. Many Idris Incorporated IPCs are programmed with Lunarian accents to make them seem high-class in both appearance and in accent.

• Martian Common: Martian Common is a more guttural form of Sol Common that borrows some elements of Freespeak. The distinctive accent is, as a result, looked down upon as a “hick” dialect on Luna and Venus and regarded as the dialect of quarrelsome and annoying Martians elsewhere. Some Martians go to great lengths to hide their accents due to this reputation, which is still alive in the Republic of Biesel despite its separation from the greater Sol Alliance.

• Native Silversun: The native accent of Silversun is a sing-songy take on standard Sol Common that has, since massive investment into the planet by Idris Incorporated, come to be associated with the planet’s renowned tourism industry. Many native residents of Silversun are bitter that their accent - and planet - are seen as nothing more than an enormous vacation retreat by the greater Orion Spur.

• Konyanger: The Konyanger Common accent is quite similar to standard Sol Common, but has drawn some influence from Freespeak due to Konyang’s position near the border between the Sol Alliance and the Coalition of Colonies. A significant number of IPCs possess a Konyanger accent, due to the planet being the origin of IPCs and a major producer of them.

• New Hai Phongese: New Hai Phongese Common is, compared to the typical Sol Common accent, much more tonal. This has lent it a distinctive pattern of speech that is easy to tell apart from the standard Sol Common accent associated with the Solarian core worlds. The accent is often imitated by performers, particularly musicians, due to its unique tonal style. Due to the hazardous environmental conditions present on New Hai Phong, many residents of New Hai Phong carry another distinctive auditory cue: coughing and wheezing due to asthma.

• Himean: Himean Common is more guttural and harsh-sounding than the typical Sol Common accent, due to Himeo’s position in the Coalition of Colonies. The Himean accent and its distinctive guttural method of speaking are easily distinguishable from other Sol Common speakers, even when speaking Tau Ceti Basic or Freespeak. Himean Common has the unusual reputation of making its speaker always sound angry, no matter their mood, due to its more guttural nature.

• Gadpathurian: The Gadpathurian accent, otherwise known as Gadpathurian Common, is an older dialect of Sol Common that is often regarded as dated-sounding by other speakers due to the isolation of the planet during its period of reunification. Due to the government's tight control over Gadpathur, and push for unity in the face of the Sol Alliance, Gadpathurians have been described as sounding relatively similar no matter which area of the planet they hail from.

• Vulgar Morozi: The most common Dominian accent is Vulgar Morozi, a variation of Sol Common found upon Moroz itself. Dominian-spoken Sol Common and Tau Ceti Basic are both heavily influenced by Tradeband, the common language of both human and unathi nobility in the Empire. Vulgar Morozi has regional variations on the colonies of the Dominian Empire, and in the rebellious Morozian region of Fisanduh. The Fisanduhian accent is considered to be a distinctive higher-pitched variation of Vulgar Morozi that is often suppressed by insurgents to better blend in with the greater Imperial population.

• Fisanduhian: While it is similar to the typical Morozian accent, to those not familiar with it; or not from the Empire of Dominia, the standard Fisanduhian accent has some variations that mark it as distinctive. The accent is higher pitched than its Dominian counterpart, and has been described as more tonal. Members of the Fisanduh Freedom Front will often go to great lengths to disguise this accent, though most will slip back into it when off-world.

Tau Ceti Basic/Common

A spiritual successor of Esperanto, established in 2404 in Tau Ceti by Ceti intellectuals. Its unique, fully customized alphabet and structure allow it to be spoken even by most alien species. It's the official language of Tau Ceti and has growing traction in diplomatic circles and Universalists across human space. It is the most common trade language in human space and the official language of commerce in the Sol Alliance and numerous systems as well as being heavily promoted in non-human business schools.

Accents

• Biesellite: Often described as the “true” way of speaking Tau Ceti Basic, the Biesellite accent is easy to reproduce due to the phonetics of TCB.

• Elyran: The typical Elyran accent is an odd combination of Tau Ceti Basic and Sol Common due to the Republic’s independence from the Sol Alliance. The standard language of the Republic of Elyra is Elyran Common, a variation upon standard Sol Common that is closer to Tau Ceti Basic than other Sol Common dialects.

• New Gibsoner: The New Gibsoner accent is very close to the accent of Tau Ceti proper, due to the nature of the planet’s colonization. However, New Gibsoners are known for talking with a faster and more clipped accent than those from Biesel and, at times, sound as if they are tripping over their words due to the rapid pace at which they speak.

Tradeband

Descended from Latin and romance languages of old Earth, Tradeband remains the main tongue of the upper class of humanity. The language sounds elegant and well structured to most ears. It remains in popular use with traders, diplomats, and those seeking to hold onto a piece of a romantic past. It gained Sol Alliance recognized legal status in 2317 and is prominent in systems that have historically been major centers of trade.

Accents

• Eridanian: The accent of Eridanian “suits” is almost universally looked upon as the accent of corporate excellence throughout the Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. Speaking with this accent is a surefire way to get one’s foot into the door in the corporate world, and wealthier Suits often devote time and resources to refining their accent to be more properly Eridanian.

• High Morozi: The less common Dominian accent is High Morozi, a variation of Tradeband found upon Moroz itself. While Vulgar Morozi is typically associated with the common citizenry of the Empire, High Morozi is associated with the Imperial nobility. While most typically associated with nobles it is often taught to wealthy commoners in order to more easily brush shoulders with nobility. This accent is one of the most readily-recognised markers of Dominian nobility abroad.

• Jovian: The Jovian accent is an odd mish-mash of accents from Jupiter’s various moons, and has heavy variation on each of the moons. On Idris Incorporated-dominated Europa, the Jovian accent often takes on traces of Tradeband due to the amount of high-income tourism, while the Castillean Jovian accent is known for the rapid, breathless pace at which it is typically spoken. Ganymede is often seen as the “standard” Jovian accent, though some on Castillo vehemently believe that the Castillian accent should be the standard.

• Europan: Europans are known to be much quieter and speak at a slower pace than their counterparts on Callisto, despite the close proximity of the two moons. Solarian linguists have traced the whisper-like nature of the accent origins to the planet’s submarines: crews believed that quieter voices interfered less with sonar, and were less likely to be heard by whatever was outside the hull. Europans that have succumbed to "Deep Crazy", a psychological phenomenon found on the moon, are known to abandon the typically hushed nature of Europan speech for screaming hysterically.

Freespeak

A language of renegades and frontiersmen descending from various languages from Earth like Hindi combined into a multi-rooted jumble that sounds incoherent or even barbarian to non-native speakers. This language is the only common cultural identity for humans in the frontier. Speaking this language in itself boldly declares the speaker a free spirit. Often called 'Gutter' by Alliance citizens. It was Recognized by Sol Alliance as a spoken language in 2321. Considered a 'rough, informal' language, Freespeak is believed to have evolved in Martian slums, quickly spreading throughout the Galaxy. It is prominent in working class settlements across human space leading it to be the most common language in the frontier and second most common in the outer rim of known space. It is one of the few frontier cultural identity pieces.

Accents

• Xanusian/Coalition Standard: The frontier is home to an unknowably vast amount of humans and settlements, covering everything from small outposts of only a few hundred to major planets such as Xanu Prime. The Frontiersfolk are as diverse as their accents are, but the most common “frontier accent” is generally regarded as that of Xanu Prime - the arguable capital of the massive Coalition of Colonies.

• Scarabs: The common accent of the Scarab Fleet has dozens, perhaps hundreds, of small variations due to the Fleet itself being spread throughout a massive number of individual ships, most of which have their own unique variations upon the standard Scarab accent.

• Eridanian, Dreg: The Eridanian “dreg” accent is almost universally looked upon as the accent of petty criminals and ne’er-do-wells throughout the Orion Spur. Speaking with this accent in the proximity of most humans is a surefire way to gain their suspicion, and those speaking with this accent often find themselves under enhanced security surveillance in corporate facilities. Eagle Corp, one of the major employers of dregs in Eridani, devotes a significant amount of its training to making its dreg recruits drop this distinctive accent.

• Vysokan: The typical Vyoskan accent is regarded as a throatier and harsher variation of Freespeak, with the planetary accent possessing many harsh tones. Some non-Vysokans have noted that the accent sounds similar to Himean Common at times, due to both accents being more guttural than average. However, the Vysokan accent remains distinctive from Himean Common due to its roots in Freespeak rather than Sol Common.

• Deep Frontier: The so-called "Deep Frontier" accent is not truly a unified accent at all, and instead defines a broad range of accents from the more "wild" frontier outside of human control. Those with these accents are almost universally looked down upon as wild savages by their counterparts in more civilized space at best. Speakers of this accent are almost always found in lower-end positions in civilized space, due to the typically impoverished and anarchic nature of the Deep Frontier.

Tajaran languages

Siik'maas

Siik'maas is theorized to have been the ancient language of the Tajara, the 'religious' tongue shared between most Tajara from their onset as a species. Despite Tajaran society evolving to a point where religious devotion became less encouraged, the universal service language used in all churches and worship sessions became the lingua franca and almost every Tajara knows how to speak it. It has been taught as the primary educational language amongst most Tajaran ethnicities since the Migration Age and continues to be the most prevalent tongue on Adhomai since.

It is capable of being spoken by a learned human, as it is not as reliant on body language as Siik'tajr or the other native languages on Adhomai. However, just as Tau Ceti basic is difficult for Tajara to master given their muzzle structure, Siik'maas is the same to humans, since they lack the proper biology to perform certain inflections properly. Despite it focusing more on spoken word than others, some of the vocabulary requires subtle body movements that are challenging for humans to grasp, no less perform. Even if one were to learn these movements, they tend to be sluggish and slower, giving the speech a sort of 'drunken' feeling. Tajara speaking this over the radio often find themselves in similar positions.

Accents

• Republican Siik'maas: the dialect of north and central Ras'nrr. It was spoken by the Hadii dynasty and its subjects before being adopted as the official version of the People's Republic Siik'maas. This variation is taught in all Republican schools since the end of the first revolution and is considered as the most pure and correct form. PRA citizens are encouraged to learn and adopt it, as speaking another accent is frowned upon. It is notable for its unusually rigid grammatical construction as opposed to most other Adhomian dialects. Republican Siik’maas is the language of Hadiist loyalists, both in and outside of S'rand'marr.

• Nazira Siik'maas: native to the southern regions of Ras'nrr. This accent is the oldest and most solemn form of Siik'maas, avoiding contractions of words and speaking its sentences slowly. It is commonly associated with the church of S'rand'marr, due to its proximity to Sana Sahira. Priests are taught to replicate this dialect when conducting religious service.

• Crevan Creole: once the dialect of merchants and sailors across all Adhomai. Born from the melting pot that is Crevus, where Tajara from all the planet would bring and mix their cultures. Thanks to the importance of the city during its trading age, it can be found in most Tajara ports as well. Crevan Creole is known for its heavy focus on nasal sounds, with many Adhomian comedians parodying it.

• Das'nrra Siik'maas: found on the island of Das’nrra, this accent is famous for its emphasis at the end of vowels and uncommon pronunciation of glottal stops. While tracing its origins back to the rural population, it was shaped by the urban workers that emerged after the first revolution. It is associated with Democratic People’s Republic citizens and its offworld community.

• High-Harr'masir Siik'maas: used by the natives of northern Harr'masir. It is deemed to be a rustic and harsh-sounding form of siik'maas; the accent is associated with peasants and uneducated Tajara. It is the most common dialect among New Kingdom of Adhomai commoners. The nobility usually attempts to mask this accent due to its relationship with the common people. It is also spoken by the New Kingdom population living in Tau Ceti.

• Lower-Harr'masir Siik'maas: native to the southern area of Harr'masir. In comparison to other Siik'maas dialects - it is the one that deviates the most from the standard version. Thanks to Republican propaganda, it has gained the fame of being the tongue of criminals and guerrilla fighters. Most speakers are Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai citizens. Its words are spoken in a hushed manner.

• Amohdan Siik’maas: spoken by the Tajara from the island of Amohda. Despite past Republican attempts to destroy this dialect; it survived and is now undergoing a period of revival by Amohdan nationalists. It can also be found in the New Kingdom because of the Amohda Exiles. Due to royalist influence, it has many Ya’ssa loan words. Amohdan Siik’maas has a characteristic drawl tone to it.

• Northern Ras'nrr Siik'maas: While similar to the Republican Siik'maas, Northern Ras'nrr Siik’maas is relatively free from the Hadiist additions. It is known for its short, sharp vowel sounds and clear pronunciation. Most speakers are found in the DPRA controlled area of the region, but some do exist within the PRA borders.

Siik'tajr

Siik'tajr is the opposite of Siik'mas completely. A recent construction, it has seen more use recently following the overthrowing of the plutocracy. It was birthed from the necessity for a language that was difficult for law enforcers to understand, enabling revolutionaries to converse privately without having their conversations monitored or overheard. Revolutionary radicals have been a part of Adhomai's history for a long while, but were always small; however, when the Great War broke out, Siik'tajr saw widespread use by rebel forces during military operations similar to Navajo radio operators. It is a combination of Siik'mas and the more body language inclined Nal'rasan, a tongue traditionally used by hunters. It is not normally used in daily life due to its complexity, it is often maintained as a secondary language, especially for families who fought in the Great War.

Delvahhi

Delvahhi is a language closely related to the Zhan-Khazan Tajara. It is still widely used in religious ceremonies dedicated to Ma'take and amongst settlements comprised mostly of Zhan-Khazan. It is also the favored language of farmers, who have adopted it in the wake of government intrusions into the agricultural industry of Adhomai. It is considered a subversive tongue by People's Republic authorities.

Accents

• Rural Delvahhi: the form of Delvahhi spoken by settled Zhan-Khazan communities. It has been heavily influenced by Siik’maas. It is also used as the liturgical language by some Ma’ta’ke priests. Rural Delvahhi speakers usually speak siik’maas with a slower and throaty tone.

• Nomadic Delvahhi: the version of Delvahhi used by the Rhazar'Hrujmagh. It emerged after the breakup in the primordial Zhan-Khazan population. Unlike the rural dialect, it remained relatively unchanged over time. It is far more guttural and brief than its sister tongue.

Nal'rasan

Siik'maas and Siik'tajr were always widely used by M'sai, but the body-focused language of Nal'rasan was their creation. Because the mrowling and vocal expressions of Siik'maas could sometimes alert prey to their presence and drive them away, hunting parties adopted this language to prevent such a thing from occurring. Rebel sects saw the use of this language and made use of it for covert discussions and the transmission of highly classified information before and during the Great War.

Ya'ssa

Siik'maas was the widely spoken language of Njarir, though amongst themselves they preferred to use the Ya'ssa dialect. Presumed to be the traditional tongue of the nobility, it uses a more refined alphabet and speech pattern believed to have evolved from a less-used ancient dialect. Hadii members have been recorded to still use Ya'ssa, though ultimately with the widespread annihilation of noble families, this language has fallen into disuse until its revival by the New Kingdom of Adhomai.

Accents

• Old Ya’ssa: the tongue of the old Tajaran nobility, spoken by those who were born before the first revolution. It differs from the modern Ya’ssa by having a far more complex set of rules, long-drawn-out sentences, and compound words. Old Ya’ssa is a dying tongue; as the version taught by the New Kingdom of Adhomai has mostly replaced it in the post-revolution noble generation.

Unathi languages

Sinta'Unathi

The common language of Izweski-controlled Moghes, composed of sibilant hisses and rattles. Historically, it is a symbol of the Izweski Hegemony's domination across half the planet of Moghes. It is believed to be the language of "the civilized Unathi".

Accents

• Hegemonic Noble: The Noble Hegemonic accent is eloquent and flowing, staying near the front of the mouth. Airy and filled with hissing, this accent requires birth-right or years of practice to properly convey. The families of Lords, Sk'akh Priests, noble warriors, and some merchants will often share this accent, and will mostly find the Sinta'Azaziba language and Traditionalist accent more savage. The Noble Hegemonic accent is primarily found in the Untouched Lands, and originates from the Sinta'Unathi language.

• Hegemonic Peasant: Lowborn guilds-workers, first-generation merchants, simple warrior levymen, and hundreds of other tasks for the common Clans - this is the most common accent for Unathi, stereotypically. It still holds a slight air of royalty to it compared to the Traditional accents. It is most commonly found in the crowded Untouched Lands and in colonies. It originates from the Sinta'Unathi language.

Sinta'Azaziba

A language of Moghes consisting of a combination of spoken word and gesticulation. While waning since Moghes entered the galactic stage, it enjoys popular use by Unathi that never fell to the Hegemony's cultural dominance. It was notable for being the primary language of the now eradicated Coalition of Kingdoms against the Izweski Hegemony.

Because of its history against the Izweski Hegemony, Sinta'Azaziba is looked down upon as the language of 'savages' and 'wastelanders'. In reality, it is a language filled with culture and traditional beauty that helps many Unathi cling to their ancestral language.

Accents

• Traditional Noble: A more guttural, droning accent - although one that would demand respect on Moghes before the Contact War, and still demands it in the Wasteland. Primarily born from the guttural intonations and physical movement required to communicate in Sinta'Azaziba, this Noble Traditional accent requires clan-training from a family member or shaman - and has become either a sign of survival or defeat to most who see this ancient accent fading from existence.

• Traditional Peasant: Primarily derived from the guttural intonations and physical movement of Sinta'Azaziba, common Unathi from the Wasteland would have this grittier speech pattern. Although filled with variety due to the multitude of kingdoms composed in the Wasteland, the borders of where these accents used to be set no longer exist and have simply become what it is now, struggling to find identity.

• Deep Wastelander: Deep within the Wasteland, the most savage lands dominated by bandits, death cults, and nomadic peoples that have lost any connection to their ancestors culturally. The Deep Wasteland accent comes from a disconnection to original talking styles, and adds in more aggressive speech patterns. To both Hegemonic and Traditionalist, the Deep Wastelander accent is the sign of an individual who has grown up without a home or clan that could have taught them an ancestral dialect. The accent is apparent in both Sinta'Unathi and Sinta'Azaziba.