E2. Registers and Slang
Ánhrushite Names and Onomasticon
English – Gomain Dictionary
Gomain Primer
Gomain is the first language of over 940 million shedhweingá, the humanoid inhabitants of the planet known in Gomain as Askath. It is the national language of the Second Republic of Ánhrush, the planet’s chief superpower, as well as of several smaller nations which were originally Ánhrushite colonies. In addition, Gomain is a global lingua franca, and so about two billion shedhweingá speak it as a second language. There are a number of dialects of this language, which we will cover at the end of this grammar; the remainder of the grammar deals specifically with the dialect of Ánhrush City, which is standard throughout the Republic of Ánhrush.
Gomain is a language of the Yavian family, belonging in particular to the Ham-Hamic branch of that family. It is therefore closely related to Hagen, less closely related to Argollan and Sollein, and still further removed from the languages of the Saruyi and Limre cultural spheres. Although its speakers have always referred to it as Gomain, it helps to distinguish the language of the past 1500 years from its most immediate ancestor, Ánhrushite. The Ánhrushite language was itself spoken from about the time of Ánhrush City’s settlement 6000 years ago until the end of the Empire of Ánhrush, when it evolved into Gomain and its closest relatives. This may sound like a long time for either language to remain one tongue, but it helps to recognize that linguistic change on Askath has been slow for many languages, including Gomain and other languages of the Yavian family.
Gomain has long been a literary language, with a corpus of thousands of texts spanning the past five-and-a-half millennia. The earliest extant documents, which properly belong to the Old Ánhrushite phase of the language’s existence, are trading accounts and passages of holy scripture; the most famous text of this era, and perhaps the most linguistically important because of its many updates into the vernacular of successive ages, is the charter of Ánhrush City, whose age is given by the very year of Ánhrushite reckoning. The first blossoming of Ánhrushite literature, meanwhile, belongs to the era of Classical Ánhrushite, beginning ca. 1100 HwÁ. Many poems, theological works, and plays date from this age, and also from the time of the Empire, when we say that Late Ánhrushite was spoken. The number and variety of written works has steadily increased since the establishment of today’s Second Republic some 14 centuries ago; and with today’s mass media, there are more examples of Gomain creativity, both on paper and online, then ever before.
The aim of this reference grammar is to give a thorough description of Gomain as it is spoken in the heart of Ánhrush today. This is a technical document, designed for an audience of linguists, and so much of it is bound to confuse the average reader. Those interested in learning Gomain are advised to seek out a primer on the language, such as one that will be forthcoming from this author. Nevertheless, readers seeking a challenge and a window into modern Ánhrushite society are welcome to dive right into the grammar. Happy reading!
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