The Peoples of Ialfa

The humans of Ialfa are divided into six broad genetic groupings: The Imonger, The Hasaler (Ludians), the Puseser (Fesc), the Thisitonim, the Islanders and the Whiteskins. Most of these are further divided into specific cultures.

The Imonger people mostly occupy the mountainous area in the north-central part of Kamko continent. The Hasalar the east and northeast including most of the eastern rainforests, the Puseser the south, south central, and southeast -- including vast expanses of serengeti, and the Thisitonim the west. The people inhabiting the north and northwest portion of the continent (Biar Sapso) are of mixed genetic heritage, with Thisitonim being the most common, but insufficiently so for the others to be considered 'minorities'.

Languages

I find it difficult to recreate dialog from an alien culture (I prefer the term 'alien' to 'foreign' when speaking of invented cultures) without creating at least some alien vocabulary. Although I have assigned language groupings to various peoples across the primary continent of Ialfa, I have only created a significant amount of vocabulary for the Borgim Empire.

The languages of Ialfa are divided into groupings corresponding largely with the genetic groupings of the peoples who speak them. The Imoneger are the smallest of the genetic groupings, and their society is coherent enough that dialectal variations amoung them are fairly small. All the Imonger speak the same language: called 'Imoneger'. The strongest outside linguistic influence on Imonger is that of the kekish language, but as the grammatical systems of the two languages are incompatible, even that influence is mostly confined to the occasional borrowing of vocabulary. Occasionally references can be found to 'Ancient Imoneger.' This, of course, is the language the Imoneger spoke millennia ago. Ancient Imonger is more closely associated with the other languages of Ialfa (except Kekish) than is 'modern' Imonger.

The Hasaler people, on the other hand are extremely fragmented, and their languages likewise. The only language from this grouping that is used outside of the originating region is known as 'Ludian' and originates with a group of coastal dwelling Hasaler peoples. This language not only has one of the largest bases of native speakers of all the Hasaler languages, but it also is the one whose speakers have the most contact with non-Hasaler peoples.

There are three major Puseser Languages, plus the closely related dialects of the Nomadic Fesc clans of the Plains. Again, for simplicity, the vocabulary identified as 'Fesc' is drawn from one specific nomadic dialect. The other Puseser languages are identified as Pecesai, Tolsequo, and Biilteelt -- named after the largest city in each of the areas where those languages are predominant.

The main bulk of the Thisitonim people speak Borgim, Gidomi or Sokili, these all descend from an older language called Thisitonim. Other descendants of the Thisitonim language are the Islander language, the Whiteskin language, and Biari-- the official language of Biar Sapso.

To learn more of the individual cultures, please click one of the links in the sidebar.


 
Sayings from Ialfa
 
'If you don't follow the river's curve you might lose its course.'
 
-- A Borgim Proverb
 
 
Copyright © Michelle Bottorff

Email mbottorff at lshelby period com