Zameltonian
Zameltonian1 was the official language of ancient Zameltonía, a major power in central Adynía during bronze age, where it was primarily spoken by the dwarven Zameltoníans, both aristocrats and commoners, while most non-dwarven subjects of the empire conversed in their native tongues in their daily life. It evolved from an early form of Halinkazian spoken in the Darka Mountains in northern Adynía, and while the aristocracy could communicated with ancient Halinkazíans with relative ease form most of Zameltonía's reign, dialects spoken by common zameltoníans diverged much earlier due to different environment (the empire was centered on the Meldon Plain) and influences from other languages.
After the empire's fall at the end of bronze age, zameltonian split into two distinct languages: Katargysian, used by the dwarves who fled to Gysikan in eastern Adynía on one hand, and the different dialects of Tanikazian used by the Tanikaz-Dwarves, descendants of zameltoníans who stayed behind. While the former retained the structure and vocabulary of zameltonian for the most part, the latter became highly specialized as a language primarily spoken by shepherds, weavers and smiths.
After the empire's fall at the end of bronze age, zameltonian split into two distinct languages: Katargysian, used by the dwarves who fled to Gysikan in eastern Adynía on one hand, and the different dialects of Tanikazian used by the Tanikaz-Dwarves, descendants of zameltoníans who stayed behind. While the former retained the structure and vocabulary of zameltonian for the most part, the latter became highly specialized as a language primarily spoken by shepherds, weavers and smiths.
Writing System
Zameltoníans wrote using a logogram based on an early form developed in the Darka Mountains, which became the basis for all native dwarven scripts today.
Vocabulary
While very similar to halinkazian in terms of grammar, zameltonian vocabulary greatly expanded either via neologisms or words borrowed from neigbouring languages due to the zameltoníans being the first dwarves to settle in a radically different environment compared to the original homeland of the dwarves to the northeast.
Examples of these new words include haþen (lion), kvaz (cattle), úkvó (horse), bol (wine) and remúz (sea).
Examples of these new words include haþen (lion), kvaz (cattle), úkvó (horse), bol (wine) and remúz (sea).
1Original icelandic: zameltoníska.
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