Ral Ranta (language)

Ral Ranta is a language with a distant past connection to Solomani dialects. It is spoken within the Ral Ranta Empire and in some adjoining systems.

Description (Specifications)

Ral Ranta is a very guttural, abrupt, and physical language. The written version is a form of cuneiform, supposed by linguists to be from speakers using daggers and edged weapons to write it in the distant past.

Structure

Grammar

Ral Ranta uses male and female nouns, and other words where gender is involved. Neuter cases defer to male.

• Examples:
  • English: You -- Ral Rantan: (male) Sin, (female) Siz
  • English: I / me -- Ral Rantan: (male) män, (female) mäz
  • English: His / hers / its -- Ral Rantan: (male) onun, (female) onuz, (neuter = its) onun
  • English: Him / her -- Ral Rantan: (male) ona, (female) oza

Ral Rantan is also primarily a face-to-face language. It can be written or used in communications via things like radio but it loses some of its meaning when so employed, if the person communicating doesn't add in additional terms to explain their thoughts.

• The subject of a sentence or conversation is usually implied rather than specifically put into speech.
• Plural and singular are implied when it should be obvious to the listener.
• Threats are commonly added in to show the degree of emphasis the speaker means or intends. That is, if you told someone to do something you would include a threat to show your emphasis.
  • Example: The phrase in English "Get to work!" -- in Ral Rantan (the parenthetical items are implied not spoken):
    • (Do your) work or else! -- Isk vä daha!: Mild emphasis
    • (Do your) work or (get) beaten! -- Isk vä döymäk!: Some emphasis
    • (Do your) work or die! -- Isk vä ölüm!: Highly emphatic

• In English these might be said as:
  • Get to work!
  • Get to work now!
  • Get to work or you're fired!

• Another common usage of emphasis is to repeat the word.
  • Example:
    • Yeni = Fresh; Yeni yeni! = Very fresh, the freshest.

• Verbs are optional in speech when they can be inferred or implied by the speaker and understood that way by the listener. There is no need for a noun-verb agreement in most speech, the relationship is often implied instead.
• In face to face speech, gestures -- always made with the palm flat and all fingers extended (using a single finger or just two fingers is considered a demeaning insult) -- can substitute for verbs or words as well.
  • Examples:
    • English: That's incredible! -- Ral Rantan: (clap hands or throw them up in air) Calalli!
    • English: Hand me that blade (as an order) -- Ral Rantan: (gesturing with hand) Aqiz vä döymäk!

• Plurals are not normally used. This is implied and the word is the same as the singular version.
  • Example: English: I have two brothers -- Ral Rantan: (tap chest) Iki qardasc. "I have" is implied in the gesture and the plural is implied by the number given.

Greetings

Pleasantries are rarely used in Ral Rantan. One never says "please" or "thank you", for example.

Typical greetings:

• Salamat!: "Be well!", "Be victorious!" (Usually answered in kind)
• (Gesture with a hand at another person) Yox ölüm?!: "(You're) not dead?!"

Appropriate responses might be:

• Ilk öldümäk!: "(I'll) kill (them) first!" (whether this is true or not is irrelevant)
• Csaliscmäk! Alt. Säy etmäk!: "Try (it)!", "You can try if you like!"
• (hand gesture) Sin?!: "You?!" This is a humorous answer meaning something like “I'm surprised you aren't dead!”

When departing:

• Dädäbaba gömäk: "(May your) ancestor(s) watch (over you)". Note: Most Ral Rantans have a deep reverence for their ancestors.
• Düscmän diz / äsmäk / csömelmäk!: "(May your) enemy(s) kneel / tremble / cower"
• Scanli ölümäk!: "(To a or your) glorious death!". Implies you will be remembered. Also used commonly as a toast.

Threats used can be real as corporal punishment is very common for any infraction of social rules or for even minor disobedience. Common speech will be filled with threats, insults, and orders growled or barked by the speaker(s).

Lexicology

Lexicon:

• Äbädi: "Eternal"

• Dädäbaba: Ancestors; there is a relationship to Äbädi

• Döymäk: Action with the hands; passing, beating, etc.

• Düscmän: "Enemy", literally "foe-man"

• Gömäk: To watch, observe

• Hämiscä: "Always"

• Hecs: "Never"

• Isk: "Work"

• Ölüm: "Death, dying"

• Ölümäk: "Death", specific; your death

• Säräf: "Honour"

• Scanli: "Glorious"

• Tälasik: To be rushed or hurried

• Täsüf: To regret

• Usta: A Master

• Vä: "Or"

Selected Proper Nouns

• Dermif Na
• Deymun Na
• Kosmik äsgär
• Mkono Memusi
• No Wärii
• Owato
• Sässiz Ölüm
• Serala Na

Pragmatics

Ral Ranta is a very physical language. Speakers use a wide range of gestures in face-to-face communications as part of the language.

History & Background (Historical Linguistics)

Ral Ranta is a derivative of an ancient Solomani dialect that has survived and evolved in a local region of space within the Hinterworlds Sector.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This language is primarily in use in the following areas:

• Hinterworlds Sector, within the Ral Ranta Empire and nearby systems.
  • Adar Subsector
  • Cimeon Subsector
  • Darvis Subsector
  • Tlianke Subsector

References & Contributors (Sources)

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• Author & Contributor: Enoki