Jezik (ˈjɛ.zik)

"Ours is the oldest language still spoken in the Great Ring, and will one day be the only language spoken here." - Nabijač, the Kar of Vlast

Jezik is the language of the Pozoj people of the Korabovi Islands, and the official language of the Empire of Vlast. It is inspired by Croatian.

Dialects

There are several dialects of Jezik spoken in the Korabovi Islands, one for each of the major islands and several smaller ones. However, in recent years the Empire of Vlast has sought to eradicate regional distinctions in favor of the Jelenski dialect. This is the dialect spoken in the capital of the Empire, and those who use words or phrases from other regional dialects face discrimination and violence from representatives and soldiers of the Empire.

One dialect that is beyond the reach of the empire is that spoken by the Rusalje. These are the people who were transformed from Zmei to Zmajica by the goddess Sestra, and now live underwater in the Dvorsko Jezero. Their dialect is rapidly evolving to adapt to their new environment, and may soon become a language all its own.

Interesting Features

Jezik is widely considered one of the most difficult languages to learn in the Great Ring. It features a wide variety of complex consonant clusters that non-native speakers find difficult to distinguish or pronounce. Some of these consonants are ejective as well, meaning that they require a brief and dramatic burst of air to pronounce. When speaking Jezik, replacing an ejective consonant with a non-ejective one can completely change the meaning of the word, and is a frequent point of confusion for outsiders.

Related Languages

Jezik is distantly related to the other living Zmei languages, including Ostrov, Daco, and Mytesya. However, it is not mutually intelligible with any of them. It is most closely related to Językdym, but not so close as to allow easy communiction.

Naming Traditions

In Jezik, hatchlings are given a personal name and a nest name that indicates which communal nest their egg hatched in. Nest names typically end with the suffix 'vić'. In conversation, it is common to omit the nest name when the person being discussed is contextually clear, and it is a mark of prominence if one is never referred to by their full name. Some people are called Bezvić, or nestless - this is considered a mark of shame and the Bezvić are ostracized.

Writing System

Jezik uses the same writing system as other Zmei languages, that was created by the god Gorynych (who is now known as Reginn). In Jezik, this system is called Kogtice.

Spoken by

• Pozoj
• Rusalje

Common Female Names

• Hrvoja
• Mirta
• Gordana
• Biserka
• Svjetlana
• Milica
• Dubravka
• Zdenka
• Jasminka
• Ljubinka

Common Male Names

• Branimir
• Zdeslav
• Davorin
• Vjekoslav
• Borislav
• Radoslav
• Velimir
• Zvonimir
• Tihomir
• Vukoslav

Common Unisex Names

• Radovan
• Ljubomir
• Mirko
• Milenko
• Rastislav
• Davor
• Zdravko
• Zlatko
• Srećko
• Bogdan

Common Nest Names

• Gorski
• Plamović
• Dračović
• Jelenović
• Hridović
• Krilović
• Sjenović
• Plamenić
• Zmijski
• Vatrenović