Eyjamannaræða

"I love listening to the Eyjamaður speak - everything sounds so important, as long as you don't pay attention to what they are saying." - Miyagi Yumeko, in a letter to her son.

Eyjamannaræða is the language of the Eyjamaður, spoken mostly on Eyju. It is based on Old Norse. Eyjamannaræða is noted for its rhythmic cadence, which can make conversation sound like a prepared chant to the untrained ear.

Dialects

There are a few dialects of Eyjamannaræða found on Eyju and the smaller islands around it. They are all mutually intelligible, although some accents are harder to parse than others. The most common dialect is called Rasvelg, and is found in the eastern part of the island, especially in the city of Höfnvík. Another major dialect is the Eldfell dialect, which is centered around the town of Eldfell in the Vestaeyjar archipelago. A third is from the Kattaland islands, and is strongly influenced by Albidosian and Inselsprach - most other speakers of Eyjamannaræða consider the Kattlander dialect nearly unintelligable.

 

Interesting Features

Speakers of Eyjamannaræða make heavy use of alliteration and kennings, so much so that outsiders are sometimes confused about the subject of any particular reference. Combined with the distinctive cadence of the language, it can sound as if the every short speech is a part of an epic poem.

Related Languages

Eyjamannaræða is related to Inselsprach, the other major language of the Norður Islands. They are similar enough to allow simple concepts to be communicated across the language barrier, although the potential for misunderstandings is high.

Naming Traditions

Eyjamannaræða speakers name their infants at birth, and use both patronyms and matronyms to indicate lineage. Additionally, they frequently assign a wide variety of nicknames, bynames, and epithets to people to reflect personal qualities, life events, and accomplishments. A particular individual will frequently be called by more than a dozen different names, depending on the speaker and the context. This proliferation of names can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the practice, and has caused foreign scholars to accidentally assign deeds from one person to multiple and vice versa.

Writing System

Eyjamannaræða is written using a system of runes known as the Futhark. This has 24 characters that have both phonetic and symbolic values, and it is typically reserved for use in significant contexts, such as religious or magical situations. The Eyjamaður believe that the runes are linked to the spiritual essence of the world, and that particular arrangements of these characters can impact the world around them.

Geographical Distribution

Eyjamannaræða is spoken on the island of Eyju and on several of the other Norður Islands. There are also pockets of Eyjamannaræða speakers further south, notably in those regions of Ynys where Eyjamaður raiders have established long-term communities such as the Kattaland islands and the Kingdom of Suðya on Löngeyja.

Spoken by

• Eyjamaður

Common Phrases

• Halló - Hello
• Blessaður - Goodbye
• Takk - Thank you
• Þér verður velkominn - You're welcome
• Hjálp - Help
• Vinsamlegast - Please
• Hversu gengur? - How are you?
• Góðan dag - Good day
• Far vel - Farewell
• Þakka þér - Thank you

Common Female Names

• Freyja
• Ása
• Sigríðr
• Þórdís
• Ragnhildr
• Helga
• Gudrún
• Inga
• Jórunn
• Svanhildr

Common Male Names

• Óláfr
• Haraldr
• Eiríkr
• Gunnar
• Hákon
• Snorri
• Bjǫrn
• Þorsteinn
• Þórólfr
• Egill

Common Unisex Names

• Hildr
• Þórfinnr
• Kolr
• Jón
• Rún
• Ásfríðr
• Hafliði
• Þórgeirr
• Gæi
• Ásvaldr

Common Family Names

• Þórsson
• Eiríksson
• Haraldsdóttir
• Snorrisdóttir
• Jónsdóttir
• Gudrúnardóttir
• Bjǫrnsson
• Ragnarsdóttir
• Sigríðardóttir
• Ásdóttir