Old Claudish

The language of the Claudite writings and also the ancient Claudite peoples, this language is similar to Old Hebrew, the ancient language of the Jewish people.

=History= The earliest form of Claudish is from the time of Akhal. It was the language spoken by the common people. This, however, was a dark time, and the commoners were uneducated and very poor. Their language was simple and had little beauty or consistency. When Akhal, the first Prophet, came and rescued the people from their evil rulers, they themselves were raised up from their poverty and illiteracy to a time of flourishment and prosperity. The language they had spoken became insufficient for their new purposes, and so over time, what is known by scholars as Old Claudish developed. It was influenced by the prophecies, sermons, and writings of Akhal, who was said to have been given them by Claude himself. The language abounded in words for holiness, safety, redemption, and other terms, as this was the main focus of many of Akhal's writings.

Over time, as the Free Land began expanding, the language of the people mixed with those of the Kool'Jai orcs and the Silvenwood elves, gaining further refinement and versatility. The increase in sea trading led to the introduction of the Common Tongue, which slowly became the dominant language of the Free Land.

As of c. 150 YOP, knowledge of Claudish is restricted to a handful of fossil words carried over through cultural traditions and scholars. The writings of the Book of Akhal and other, later texts, have been translated into Common so that the people may read and understand the words of the prophets.

=A Partial Dictionary= ada - clean, healthy

aikia - ancient, historical, and in the archaic sense, homeland, the place of the burial of one's ancestors

alterium - shelter. Alterium is a borrowed word, though scholars are unclear of its origin. Some suspect that it it may have come from early relations between the Free Land and the Iron Empire, before relations became strained and eventually led to war.

aloni - steep, tall

anafa - protector, shielder

anafai - used only as a name for Claude, meaning "one who protects"

arcai - wild, untamed. Another borrowed word, arcai is thought to have come from the elvish dialect spoken by the residents of the Forest. However, this word is so ancient that the original meeting has likely been lost.

dan - cold, frigid

eli - fast, hurried, tumbling

elishiva - busy place, crowded area

gad - clear, shining

hildebrand - empty, flat, expansive

karmet - sinking, treachery, quicksand

klaern - place of rest

liran - strange, alien

lorknadan - A word older even than Old Claudish, it dates back to before the arrival of the prophet Khal. It's original meaning is lost, but when used now, it refers specifically to the area now known as The Free Land before the coming of the prophet.

meitar - striped, layered, colorful

naftali - city of the woods

neriad - safe place, cove, bay

nerishai - used only as a name for Claude, meaning "one who shelters"

netanya - stones of the mountains (especially quartz and other marbles)

ochlanus - mount of holiness

ophir - last, final

shamai - peace, tranquility, and in the archaic sense, a sacred place of peace not wrought by mortal hands

tzuria - snake, lizard, salamander

zaki - trader, merchant, foreigner