Saarenkieli (ˈsɑːrenˌkie̯li)

The riimulauluja of the Saarelainen is one of the most impressive displays of Folk Magic documented anywhere in the Great Ring, and any agents dispatched to Kotimaa must be familiar with them in order to be effective. - excerpt from the Librarian's report on the Kotimaa island group.

Saarenkieli is the language of the Saarelainen people, and is spoken mostly in the Kotimaa islands. It is also the international language of astronomers and astrologers, due to the influence of Tähtitieteilijä University. It is inspired by Finnish.

Dialects

Several dialects of Saarenkieli can be found in the Kotimaa islands. The most widely known is the Hiidenmaa dialect, due to the influence of Tähtitieteilijä University. The other large islands have their own dialects as well, as do many of the communities within the interior of the Kotimaa.

Interesting Features

More than any other language, Saarenkieli has become a major component of the local Folk Magic. The locals use rune songs, known as riimulauluja in Saarenkieli, to access a wide array of magical effects. These effects scale with the number of participants in an individual riimulaulu, with the most impressive ones impacting whole islands at once. As with all Folk Magic, riimulauluja are most effective on supernatural elements of the world, and a well-chosen riimulaulu has been known to ward off monsters and evil spirits with amazing results. When sung by large choirs, a riimulaulu can have more tangible effects - correctly performed, they can alter the weather, heal the injured, or place barriers against invading armies. They seem to harness and focus the Egregoric Force to render the power of collective belief more impactful, at least as long as the song is still in the air.

Related Languages

While those who have traveled in The Dream claim to have encountered languages similar to Saarenkieli, there are no related languages found in the Great Ring.

Naming Traditions

The Saarelainen have a number of customs related to names. Children are given a personal name at birth, based on a strict pattern which is very rarely deviated from. A first-born son is given the same name as their paternal grandfather, while a first-born daughter recieves the name of the maternal grandmother. Second-born children switch branches (so that the second son receives the name of the maternal grandfather, while the second-born daughter is named for the paternal grandmother). Subsequent children are named for more distant ancestors - the third son will recieve the name of their paternal grandfather's father, while the fourth is named for their maternal grandfather's father. If one of the children dies before becoming a parent themselves, the next child will inherit that name so that the more recent relatives remain prominent.

Each male child is also given a patronymic based on their father's given name, while each female child recieves a matronymic based on their mother's name. A patronymic is constructed by appending 'poika' to the father's given name, while the matronymic appends 'tytär' to the mother's name.

Finally, nearly all people are eventually given a professionym to indicate what they do for the community. For example, a baker would recieve the professionym of Leipuri, indicating their profession. A person's professionym can change based on their actions; the Saarelainen will sometimes use this as a form of public shaming by changing a person's professionym to something like Valehtelija (liar), or Murhaaja (murderer).

Outside of the professionym, names are rarely changed during a person's lifetime. The Saarelainen do not use inherited family names, and do not change a person's name due to life events like marriage. Nicknames are often used to differentiate between people with the same name, but these are almost entirely informal.

Writing System

Saarenkieli uses the same writing system as other languages of the Norður Islands. This is known as the Futhark, and Saarenkieli borrowed it directly from Eyjamannaræða. Before the Futhark was introduced, Saarenkieli was an entirely oral language.

Geographical Distribution

Saarenkieli is spoken almost entirely within the Kotimaa. Beyond this region, it is spoken only by astronomers and astrologers who follow the work done at Tähtitieteilijä University.

Spoken by

• Saarelainen

Common Phrases

• Terve - Hello
• Näkemiin - Goodbye
• Kiitos - Thank you
• Ole hyvä - You're welcome
• Auta - Help
• Ole kiltti - Please
• Hyvää huomenta - Good morning
• Hyvää iltaa - Good evening
• Anteeksi - Sorry / Excuse me
• Mitä kuuluu? - How are you?

Common Female Names

• Aino
• Tellervo
• Mielikki
• Lemmikki
• Sinikka
• Vuokko
• Loviisa
• Tuulikki
• Marjatta
• Annikki

Common Male Names

• Ukko
• Ilmari
• Tapio
• Kaleva
• Väinö
• Ahti
• Jouko
• Tarmo
• Kullervo
• Sampo

Common Unisex Names

• Lumi
• Soma
• Saana
• Ilma
• Kajo
• Helka
• Rauha
• Usva
• Pihka
• Kuu