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Beginning in the mid-ninth century E.B., Olgish begins to transition into its Middle stage. By the early eleventh century, the spoken dialects are significantly removed from the holy language still spoken in the temples, and when [[Saint Fádin]], then an elder of the [[Olgish Church of the West|Western Church]], seeks to ensure that all temples within his church’s domain carry a complete and canonical copy of the [[Lonsorigi]], he soon realizes that its language ought to be updated to keep its contents accessible to the populace. The translation of the Lonsorigi into Middle Olgish becomes the most significant project of his life, greatly contributing to his eventual veneration as a saint in both major [[Olgish religion|Olgish churches]]. Like the scribes of Enethin, he is inspired chiefly by the dialects of the [[Belkondíl|Belkondilian heartland]], borrowing mostly from the variety of [[Soskilón]], but many of his choices in translation are also his own, creating a dialect of his own that is readily noticeable among the rapidly evolving spoken dialects of Olgish. | Beginning in the mid-ninth century E.B., Olgish begins to transition into its Middle stage. By the early eleventh century, the spoken dialects are significantly removed from the holy language still spoken in the temples, and when [[Saint Fádin]], then an elder of the [[Olgish Church of the West|Western Church]], seeks to ensure that all temples within his church’s domain carry a complete and canonical copy of the [[Lonsorigi]], he soon realizes that its language ought to be updated to keep its contents accessible to the populace. The translation of the Lonsorigi into Middle Olgish becomes the most significant project of his life, greatly contributing to his eventual veneration as a saint in both major [[Olgish religion|Olgish churches]]. Like the scribes of Enethin, he is inspired chiefly by the dialects of the [[Belkondíl|Belkondilian heartland]], borrowing mostly from the variety of [[Soskilón]], but many of his choices in translation are also his own, creating a dialect of his own that is readily noticeable among the rapidly evolving spoken dialects of Olgish. | ||
This [[Liturgial Middle Olgish]], or ‘Fádin’s Tongue’, quickly spreads across the Olgish-speaking world, largely thanks to the success of Fádin’s new Lonsorigi. Both the Western and [[Olgish Church of the East|Eastern Olgish Church]] adopt it as their holy language, and upon his accession as Emperor of all Olgs, [[Beldárin Fadhérún]] declares it the official language of [[Lécaron|his empire]. It is this clerical role that keeps Fádin’s Middle Olgish preserved as the ubiquitous formal language in most of Elondor; in particular, its use among the [[Imperial Office of Magic and Augury]] cements its position as the language most commonly used in [[Prayer spell|Olgish prayer spells]]. | This [[Liturgial Middle Olgish]], or ‘Fádin’s Tongue’, quickly spreads across the Olgish-speaking world, largely thanks to the success of Fádin’s new Lonsorigi. Both the Western and [[Olgish Church of the East|Eastern Olgish Church]] adopt it as their holy language, and upon his accession as Emperor of all Olgs, [[Beldárin Fadhérún]] declares it the official language of [[Lécaron|his empire]]. It is this clerical role that keeps Fádin’s Middle Olgish preserved as the ubiquitous formal language in most of Elondor; in particular, its use among the [[Imperial Office of Magic and Augury]] cements its position as the language most commonly used in [[Prayer spell|Olgish prayer spells]]. | ||
The Middle Olgish dialects, meanwhile, proceed with their rapid evolution, eventually taking on the form of a [[New Olgish|Modern Olgish]]. But even in its earliest days, they are already a minority language group in Fadhérún’s diverse empire, most of whose provinces have long relied on various forms of [[Lécaronian Soskish]] as a lingua franca. Even though the most widely used clerical language, by the early 6th century, only four of the old Olgish languages remain spoken in Lécaron, New Olgish in [[Orininon]] and areas of Geran, [[Wertian language|Wertian]] on the [[Geranian Heath]], [[Brethanian language|Brethanian]] on the [[Mairn]], and [[Corbian language|Corbian]] in [[Corbin]]. Additionally, the [[Northern Feldin|Feldin]] of [[Timburgh (Lécaronian Province)|Timburgh]] have spawned their own offshoot of Middle Olgish, the [[Northern Feldic language]] (which is entirely unrelated to [[Southern Feldic language|Southern Feldic]], an [[Avalian languages|Avalian]] language). In L.R. 540, finally, Emperor [[Ésôrin the Wise]] declares Soskish the official spoken language of the Empire, obliging all imperial offices to make themselves accessible to Soskish speakers and reducing Olgish to a purely written function. | The Middle Olgish dialects, meanwhile, proceed with their rapid evolution, eventually taking on the form of a [[New Olgish|Modern Olgish]]. But even in its earliest days, they are already a minority language group in Fadhérún’s diverse empire, most of whose provinces have long relied on various forms of [[Lécaronian Soskish]] as a lingua franca. Even though the most widely used clerical language, by the early 6th century, only four of the old Olgish languages remain spoken in Lécaron, New Olgish in [[Orininon]] and areas of Geran, [[Wertian language|Wertian]] on the [[Geranian Heath]], [[Brethanian language|Brethanian]] on the [[Mairn]], and [[Corbian language|Corbian]] in [[Corbin]]. Additionally, the [[Northern Feldin|Feldin]] of [[Timburgh (Lécaronian Province)|Timburgh]] have spawned their own offshoot of Middle Olgish, the [[Northern Feldic language]] (which is entirely unrelated to [[Southern Feldic language|Southern Feldic]], an [[Avalian languages|Avalian]] language). In L.R. 540, finally, Emperor [[Ésôrin the Wise]] declares Soskish the official spoken language of the Empire, obliging all imperial offices to make themselves accessible to Soskish speakers and reducing Olgish to a purely written function. | ||
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New Olgish almost fully disappears over the following two centuries and is replaced by nearly all speakers with [[Lécaronian Soskish]]; it remains a popular language among the Olgish clergy and nobility, and, more rarely, [[Eskosi]] Olgish nationalists in Seligon. Brethanian, Corbian, and Northern Feldic remain in constant use within their fringe domains, while Wertian experiences a boom in popularity in the late 7th century, spurred by the [[Geranian Wars|Geranian independence movement]]. | New Olgish almost fully disappears over the following two centuries and is replaced by nearly all speakers with [[Lécaronian Soskish]]; it remains a popular language among the Olgish clergy and nobility, and, more rarely, [[Eskosi]] Olgish nationalists in Seligon. Brethanian, Corbian, and Northern Feldic remain in constant use within their fringe domains, while Wertian experiences a boom in popularity in the late 7th century, spurred by the [[Geranian Wars|Geranian independence movement]]. | ||
===Chronology=== | ===Chronology and languages=== | ||
;[[Proto-Olgish]] :when? | |||
====Cëlacian dialects==== | |||
;[[Old Olgish|Old Cëlacian]] (Old Olgish or Early Old Olgish) :is considered to start diverging from Proto-Olgish in the mid-Bronze Age, around the 14th century B.E.B. | |||
;[[Old Olgish Koiné]] : | |||
;[[Old Wertian]] : | |||
;[[Old Corbian]] : | |||
;[[Liturgical Middle Olgish|Early Middle Olgish]], whence Fádin’s Liturgical Olgish : | |||
;[[Middle Olgish]] : | |||
;[[New Olgish]] : | |||
;[[Northern Feldic]] : | |||
;[[Wertian]] : | |||
;[[Corbian]] : | |||
<table> | <table> |