Bani Language
Bani, a language of the Proto-Zākh family, is spoken prominently in the southeast region of the Ausalon continent. The language is known for its simplification of the consonant system, along with an expansion of vowel length distinctions, setting it apart from its sister languages within the family.
Bani is primarily spoken in the centrally located coastal region, making it a vital language for trade and communication across the southeastern part of Ausalon. Additionally, Bani is the dominant language on Jazrat aṣ-Ṣaħab, a significant island off the coast.
Due to Bani's strategic position, it has become the lingua franca of the southeast Ausalon trade network. Merchants, sailors, and traders from different regions have adopted Bani as their second language to facilitate smooth communication and transactions.
Notably, Bani has influenced, and has been influenced by, neighboring languages due to extensive contact and exchange. The language's lexicon carries loanwords from various languages spoken in Ausalon, contributing to its rich and diverse vocabulary. This linguistic blending reflects the vibrant cultural interchange taking place in the region.
The rich history and the strategic importance of Bani make it a fascinating object of study for linguists and cultural historians. As the primary language of a bustling trade network, Bani continues to evolve and adapt, bearing testimony to the dynamic and interconnected world of southeast Ausalon.
Sound Changes
- Loss of pharyngeal fricatives /ħ/, /ʕ/.
- Palatalization of /k/, /g/ before front vowels. (k, g > c, ɟ / _i,e)
- Gemination (doubling) of voiced stops /b/, /d/, /g/ between vowels.
- Final vowel lengthening. Short vowels in final position become long.
- Depalatalization of /c/, /ɟ/ to /tʃ/, /dʒ/ respectively.
- Reduction of vowel system. The mid vowels /e/ and /o/ merge with /i/ and /u/, respectively.
- Loss of glottal stops /ʔ/ in all positions.
- Voiced stops /b/, /d/, /g/ in initial and final position devoice to /p/, /t/, /k/.
- Deletion of short unstressed vowels in word-medial position (i.e., syncope).
- Nasals /m/, /n/ merge to /n/ in all positions.
- Merging of /tʃ/, /dʒ/ into /s/, /z/ respectively.
- Lengthening of /a/, /i/, /u/ before voiced fricatives.
- Fronting of /u/ > /y/ in the environment of front consonants and vowels.
- Deletion of geminate consonants, reducing them to a single consonant.
- Stress shift to the final syllable of the word.
Root Languages
Spoken by