Midani language

Midani was the common tongue of Zakhara. It was spoken by all "enlightened" citizens of that region as well as by most unenlightened savages of that land. A version of Midani, known as Uloushinn by some scholars, was also spoken by the Bedine.

Variants
Zakhara had five regional dialects. In Qudra and the Free Cities, Midani was spoken with a sharp, precise rhythm, with the ends of sentences frequently clipped. In the Pearl Cities, most voices were more melodious. In the Pantheist League, consonants were trilled, seemingly at random. In eastern Zakhara, Midani was spoken with a nasal accent. In Huzuz and Hiyal, the accent sounded flat and mechanical compared to other Midani speakers. The latter, of course, believed that they spoke the "true" Midani tongue, which was known as the "Golden" dialect.

The Bedine spoke a dialect of Midani. They had no name for their own language, but some linguists called it Uloushinn, and some even went so far as to categorize it among the Low Ulutim languages because of the influence of Netherese and related languages on the dialect. The Bedine forgot the original alphabet of Midani and instead used the Thorass alphabet.

Thieves' Cant was a choppy Midani lingo spoken only by rogues. It varied slightly from city to city.

Maran was a related language.

Dead Tongues
Related to Midani were several forgotten languages no longer spoken by any living cultures. They included Noga and Kadari (from the Ruined Kingdoms). Other dead languages once spoken in the Zakhara region, such as Affa, Drow Elven, and Chun, were apparently not related to Midani.

History
Midani had roots in all four elemental tongues.

In -339 DR, nomads migrated through a portal from Zakhara to the Anauroch Desert, intermingling with a handful of Netherese survivors, eventually becoming the Bedine. The Bedine retained their ancestral Midani tongue, but lost all knowledge of the written version of that tongue. Centuries later, traders from surrounding lands introduced the Thorass alphabet to the Bedine, which they adapted.