Bukk

Bukk /bʊk/ is a family of languages, also known as Bukkean languages, which are spoken in northern Tarnaria, specifically in Laeooy Coast, former Heran and the Overpol Expanse, later Overpol Region in Homestead.

Main languages include Hureed, Commonground Hureed and the Eastern Torv. The main progenitor is Asdoh, a dead language named after the state of Asdoh where the language was spoken. Asdoh's influence on Bukk is fundamental and is reflected in many words that are used to this day but clearly don't obey the spelling and pronunciation rules of a local dialect. In a way, Asdoh is the most consistent part of the Bukkean languages.

Bukkean languages are known for their fluid pronunciation rules which make it hard to navigate the various dialects, versions and offshoots. Written Bukk is more consistent and can usually be understood by people who might have difficulty understanding each other's dialects.

Bukkean languages have a characteristic intonation of finishing a phrase or a sentence with the tone going up, which to a foreigner might sound like the speaker is counting or listing items off. This monotonous quality is widely regarded as aesthetically pleasing and also a sign of nobility when utilized in formal situations, such as weddings, funerals and legal proceedings. Mandae is frequently read with a similar monotonous intonation, albeit with a different tonal pattern.

Evolution

Bukk's main progenitor was Asdoh, a language of the third wave of the Dawn. Asdoh's origins are unclear, as the language does not seem to share much relation to languages of Gantolia, Yammoe or any of the second wave populations in Loodori and Ybuwyn. It is, thus, suggested that the language originates in Western Dantria.

Eastern Tarnaria began to come in contact with the Utuka, resulting in the Oaleed borrowing the writing system, vocabulary and pronunciation quirks from Utuka's Mae Hureed, resulting in what today is known as Old Hureed. The Dolysoh dynasty, which was in conflict with the Oaleed, nevertheless adopted their writing system. According to the legend, Modosoh Dolysoh liked how his name looked when written in Hureed. This accelerated the adoption of written Hureed in the north, although even during Gened's time both spoken and written Asdoh was still the main language of Toor. The dissolution of Toor led to a steady migration to Commonground from Mantar, which slowly infused Hureed into the northern lands of Tarnaria.

The definitive wide adoption of spoken Hureed was due to Stogen, which eliminated both Asdoh the state and Asdoh the language.

The influence of Jabi was always strong due to religions reasons, but in the case of Asdoh Jabi was more of a written modifier, used in geographical names, titles and personal names. Hureed is influenced to a greater degree, although Jabi influences are usually very clear and localized to certain uses and contexts.

Written Bukk

Bukkean languages are known for their circular letters.

Written Bukk generally does not utilize double vowels, unless the intent is to make the vowel long, which is rare. Rather, it employs a special "modifier letter", which is usually transcribed as "a". It is in combination with "a" that written Bukk produces the more interesting sounds. This explains why it's difficult to immediately figure out the pronunciation of Bukk words. A good example would be a name such as Noana Kaogee /'nwɑnə kjuːgiː/ where the relevant combinations of "oa" and "ao" produce very particular sounds.

While this is uncommon for everyday words, geographic names and personal names in Tarnaria sometimes employ Jabi, the language of the Xaewoon religion, and part of the word are then spelled using Jabi script. This is done as a sign of the individuals noble lineage and is especially characteristic of the family names of ooron. When applied to names of geographic locations, this is to extend the noble status of the owner to said location. However, in some cases the incorporation of Jabi in a geographic name might also carry a religious connotation.

For instance, the city Goolkoon, a word in Jabi that is pronounced as /guːl'kuːn,/ and which would otherwise be orthographically transcribed in Bukk as Gulkun, is actually spelled as Goolkoon, with both "u"s replaced by four letters in Jabi script. For some time Goolkoon was seen as a religiously significant city and had its original title embellished by Jabi as a sign of its higher status.

An example of similar spelling in names can be seen in, say, Porteek /pɑr'tiː/, the historian. In Jabi his name should be transcribed as Partee and in bukk as Portyk. But his name used a mix of scripts, as an indication that Porteek was a noble.

Another way to hint at society classes are silent postfixes. Porteek has a "k" added, which is a letter used to signify hereditary ooron titles in the state of Asdoh. This was less followed in Toor, but eventually became standard practice there and across Tarnaria proper.

Another common silent postfix is "d", used for geographic names. Example: Koalderood, which was a mining site owned by a noble family in Chusoh. Another example are the Oaleed people, where the "d" describes not only the people, but also their geographical location, specifying the people that are of the Oalee culture that live in the Mantar region. The use of Jabi here carries a religious connotation.

Underbukk

It was customary for noble families to design their own version of the Bukk language that only family members were taught and allowed to speak. One of the requirements of marrying into such a family would be the mastering of the family's Underbukk. The ritual is known as "morotōsha". Going through the ritual signifies the good will of the family, since learning it would require several members of the family to teach it to the newcomer. The whole family then tests the newcomer's knowledge, by requiring them to tell a story and answer questions.