High Shou

The Shou language, also called High Shou or Kao te Shou, was the language spoken by the Shou people inhabiting Shou Lung. It was of the Shou Chiang languages group, and came from the same root tongue as the T'u Lung language.

Speakers
It was the official language of the empire, by custom and imperial edict. It was spoken by all Shou, from all social classes and professions, including the Emperor, a commonality that helped to unify the nation.

Dialects
The official dialect was in fact Kao te Shou, or High Shou, as spoken by the Emperor and the scholars and officials of the Mandarinate that governed the Empire, as well as others of high education. High Shou was viewed as the model that all other dialects of Shou and their speakers were expected to strive for.

However, in practice, there were many dialects for each of the provinces, some of which became well known and familiar nevertheless, such as the Chukei Kao of Chukei province. Chukei Kao sounded blunt and harsh to most ears, unlike the softer voices of Wang Kuo province. Regardless, all the dialects were similar enough that easy and clear communication was possible.

Written
The written form and alphabet of the Shou language was called Shou Chiang. The Shou language was also written using the Draconic script.