Thexar-IV: The-Sha-Ruun — Sha-El 10: Shaven Xha-Mor — Dialects
"Three continents — three accents. Kharak — a hard 'r', Rhuval — a melodious 'a', Vexar — a breathy 'h'. The language is one, but the voices are different." — Phonetic Atlas, +3 200 Y.E.
Ruun-ak rass: → rhu [Thexar-IV, Sha-El 01, "Sha-Thar The-El"], → rhu [Thexar-IV, Sha-El 02, "Sha-Thar Vokh-El"], → rhu [Thexar-III, Sha-El 05, "Sha-El Xha-Thar"] Mor-ven: A common standard across the planet alongside other languages, but dialectal differences reflect the history and geography of the domains (→ rhu [Thexar-III, Sha-El 05, "Sha-El Xha-Thar"]). Dialects mutually intelligible — a result of centralization of writing and education. Five main dialects; standard = Kharak-Thar. Differences up to 5% of the lexicon.
10.1 The Main Dialects
| Dialect | Continent | Speakers | Distinguishing Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharak-Thar | Kharak | 1.2 bln | Standard |
| Kharak-Tor | Kharak | 0.6 bln | Hard "g," glottal stop |
| Rhuval-Ven | Rhuval | 0.8 bln | Melodious "a," elongated vowels |
| Vexar-Shan | Vexar | 0.4 bln | Breathy "h," nasal vowels |
| Island | Islands | 0.3 bln | Archaic vocabulary |
Standard dialect = Kharak-Thar — the language of the capital and the academies. Largest number of speakers — the standard (1.2 bln).
10.2 Mutual Intelligibility
All dialects mutually intelligible. Differences at the level of pronunciation and up to 5% of the lexicon.
Ensured by:
- A unified writing system — Sharuu does not reflect differences in pronunciation
- Centralized education — the standard is taught everywhere
- Mass media — standard speech on the air
10.3 Phonetic Features
Dialectal differences affect:
- Kharak-Tor — velarization and the glottal stop ʔ
- Rhuval-Ven — vowel elongation, "melodiousness"
- Vexar-Shan — weakening or strengthening of breathy h, nasalization
- Island — archaic tones
Trace back to the history of the settlement of the continents (→ rhu [Thexar-II, Sha-El 01, "Xha'ri Thar-Vokh"]).
10.4 Lexical Differences
Lexical differences (up to 5%) concern:
- Natural terms — local flora and fauna
- Economic terms — the specialization of the domains
- Borrowings — from the languages of the Kel'vash and the Moryn
10.5 Dialects and Identity
A dialect is a marker of domain identity (→ rhu [Thexar-III, Sha-El 05, "Sha-El Xha-Thar"]). Use of a dialect in everyday speech is combined with the standard in official contexts — "unity without unification" in language.
Ruun Ven
- Five main dialects; the standard is Kharak-Thar.
- All dialects mutually intelligible (up to 5% of the lexicon).
- Phonetic differences: velarization, elongation, nasalization, archaic tones.
- Mutual intelligibility — writing, education, media.
- A dialect is a marker of domain identity.
Speaking one dialect need not exclude speaking another: speaker figures cannot be added as disjoint population groups. Mutual understanding depends on exposure and learning; rare local words, rapid speech and an unfamiliar accent may require repetition.