Dzarba (dzɑrˈbɑ)

The people in Ulzuz will be nice and friendly, and will only speak to you in Common, or in your language if they speak it. But they'll never speak Dzarba to you and if you overhear any of it, it is polite to pretend you didn't. And never, never, ask them to teach it to you - they're offended by the idea that anyone else would use their tongue. - advice to young merchants visiting Dzarbah for the first time.

Dzarbah is the language of the Tigzirin people of the island of Dzarbah. It is inspired by Jerba Berber.

Dialects

Given the scant information the Tigzirin share about their language with outsiders, it is difficult to determine how many dialects there are. Given the small geographical distribution of Dzarba, it seems likely that there are few, if any.

Interesting Features

Since the language is not spoken to or even around outsiders, little is known about it. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the secrecy that surrounds the use of Dzarba. Those Tigzirin who have been willing to say anything about their language have intimated that it has a sacred quality to it, and that it is the only language that Red-Crowned Niet will speak or respond to. Some scholars have speculated that there may be some form of Folk Magic bound into the language, but there is no evidence of this they can point to.

Related Languages

Those outsiders who have heard some Dzarba have noted that it has some similarities to Nagari. This is surprising, since it is unclear how these languages could be related, given the difference in species and origins. Some have believed that the similarities were embedded into Dzarba during the brief period when the Nagarajya ruled over Dzarbah, but this stretches credibility. More likely, the answer lies somewhere in The Dream, and may involve some kind of cross-dimensional resonance that hasn't been clearly identified.

Naming Traditions

Children are named on the seventh day after birth, in a ceremony that involves the parents, close family, and the Amenokal of their tribe. Their parents bestow a given name to the child, while the Amenokal is charged with giving the family name. In some instances, the Amenokal will refuse to recognize the child as a member of the tribe - this is considered a great scandal and typically results in the parents leaving the tribe entirely.

The Tigzirin structure their names with the given name presented first, followed by the family name. They may also receive names during their lifetime that are associated with their deeds or status - these are considered to be honorifics. When people marry, they will both adopt a single family name, based on which family they will be residing with, with the approval of the Amenokal. If the Amenokal denies the outside partner's adoption of the name, the couple may not live with tribe, and will usually seek to join the tribe of the other partner.

Writing System

The Tigzirin use an ancient writing system that predates their arrival in the world of the Great Ring. It is a combination of pictograms and logograms, and is considered to be as sacred, and as private, as the language itself. Outsiders are rarely allowed to see written Dzarba, and they will use Nagari script and language for commerce and other mundane tasks.

Geographical Distribution

Dzarba is only spoken on the island of Dzarbah, in the Southeastern Region. While some individual Tigzirin have left to live elsewhere, they do not speak the language with outsiders and it has not spread.

Spoken by

• Tigzirin

Common Female Names

• Tasnim
• Tinhinan
• Kenza
• Lalla
• Thiyya
• Tamilla
• Adas
• Tinirt
• Iseflan
• Aziza

Common Male Names

• Amastan
• Aksel
• Yazid
• Aderfi
• Ifsan
• Amazigh
• Udad
• Tazult
• Anzar
• Dihya

Common Unisex Names

• Anir
• Idir
• Rayan
• Nassim
• Izem
• Isli
• Amani
• Tanit
• Thanit
• Gaya

Common Family Names

• Ou-Brahim
• Haddad
• Saadi
• Cherif
• Mansour
• Belkacem
• Oukaci
• Ammar
• Bouzid
• Oulad