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Difference between revisions of "Geran"
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==Etymology and Names== | ==Etymology and Names== | ||
The oldest known mention of the name is found in the inscription on the [[Menhir of Nambara]], dated to the 16th century B.E.B., which credits [[Nambara]], then ruler of a petty kingdom along the upper Ilathw, with | The oldest known mention of the name is found in the inscription on the [[Menhir of Nambara]], dated to the 16th century B.E.B., which credits [[Nambara]], then ruler of a petty kingdom along the upper Ilathw, with | ||
<blockquote>''engeli lendes nærth Iglethi Gæran-kôrethin''<br/>‘a great victory (or many victories)<ref>In the [[Olgish Dialects|Ebrinine dialect]] of [[Early Old Olgish]], ''engel'' (''jengíl'' in the [[Olgish Dialects|dialect of Soskilón]]) could denote either size or quantity, and number was not yet consistently marked on nouns, ''lendes'' ‘battle’ being a singular form (cf. ''lendis'' in Soskilón). The ''-i'' suffix has been interpreted | <blockquote>''engeli lendes nærth Iglethi Gæran-kôrethin''<br/>‘a great victory (or many victories)<ref>In the [[Olgish Dialects|Ebrinine dialect]] of [[Early Old Olgish]], ''engel'' (''jengíl'' in the [[Olgish Dialects|dialect of Soskilón]]) could denote either size or quantity, and number was not yet consistently marked on nouns, ''lendes'' ‘battle’ being a singular form (cf. ''lendis'' in Soskilón). The ''-i'' suffix has been variably interpreted as either signifying plural to ''engel'', yielding a meaning closer to ‘many battles’, as an elative suffix, creating ‘a very great battle’, or as actually part of a second word ''ilendes'', then meaning ‘a great slaughter’.</ref> against the Iglethi of the Gæran-heath’</blockquote> | ||
The ''Iglethi'' ‘people of thirst’ are thought to refer to the [[Yamenaens|proto-Yamenaen]] [[Western Kattasi Peoples|Kattasi]] settlers who from ca. 1600 B.E.B. had begun to expand into the [[Geranian Heath]] and in the process had driven out the native [[Geranians|Geranian]] population; the name ''Gæran'' itself, however, is presumably much older and originates in the [[Common Geranian|common language of the Geranians]]. It most likely derives from a Common Geranian root ''*gyār-'' ‘extension, reach, plain’ (hence Kal. ''kear'' ‘bed, range’ and Haj. ''gor'' ‘plain, field, garden’), either with the [[Olgish Languages|Olgish]] nominalizing suffix ''-an'', or directly from a form ''*gyārhāɲ'' ‘plain of heather’. The extent of the area so denoted is not known, and it can be presumed that the term was applied somewhat loosely to any region north of the Ilathw, or, by extension, north of [[Belkondíl]]. | The ''Iglethi'' ‘people of thirst’ are thought to refer to the [[Yamenaens|proto-Yamenaen]] [[Western Kattasi Peoples|Kattasi]] settlers who from ca. 1600 B.E.B. had begun to expand into the [[Geranian Heath]] and in the process had driven out the native [[Geranians|Geranian]] population; the name ''Gæran'' itself, however, is presumably much older and originates in the [[Common Geranian|common language of the Geranians]]. It most likely derives from a Common Geranian root ''*gyār-'' ‘extension, reach, plain’ (hence Kal. ''kear'' ‘bed, range’ and Haj. ''gor'' ‘plain, field, garden’), either with the [[Olgish Languages|Olgish]] nominalizing suffix ''-an'', or directly from a form ''*gyārhāɲ'' ‘plain of heather’. The extent of the area so denoted is not known, and it can be presumed that the term was applied somewhat loosely to any region north of the Ilathw, or, by extension, north of [[Belkondíl]]. | ||
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The Aribelians equate Geran with the '''[[Felnermi]]''' ‘meadow of plenty’, the legendary fertile land the early Aribelians are said to have inhabited after leaving [[Almen]], possibly reflecting the presence of the Proto-Aribelians in Geran in the early Bronze Age. | The Aribelians equate Geran with the '''[[Felnermi]]''' ‘meadow of plenty’, the legendary fertile land the early Aribelians are said to have inhabited after leaving [[Almen]], possibly reflecting the presence of the Proto-Aribelians in Geran in the early Bronze Age. | ||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
Geran is located north of Belkondíl south of Aribel and west of the Reknayan Mountains. Its traditional borders are considered to be the Ilathw to the south, the Kalpa and the Kalparian Sea to the north, the Black Mountains and the Mountains of Dermon to the east, and the Runion to the west. | Geran is located north of Belkondíl south of Aribel and west of the Reknayan Mountains. Its traditional borders are considered to be the Ilathw to the south, the Kalpa and the Kalparian Sea to the north, the Black Mountains and the Mountains of Dermon to the east, and the Runion to the west. | ||