Chessentan, also called Chessic,[1] was the regional language of the confederation of Chessenta, located in the Old Empires region of southern Faerûn.[2][3]
Speakers[]
It was spoken primarily by both Chessentans and Ixinosians[1] but included speakers in Aglarond, Altumbel, the Chondalwood, the Dragon Coast, Impiltur, the Moonsea region, Mulhorand, Sembia, Thay, Turmish, Unther, and the Vilhon and Wizards' Reaches.[4][5]
Lightfoot halflings also sometimes learned Chessentan as a second language,[4] as did the gold dwarves of the Smoking Mountains[6] and the elves of the Yuirwood.[7]
There were three major dialects—Western, Threskian, and Ixinosian.[8]
Script[]
Chessentan was usually written in the Thorass alphabet,[2][9] but as late as 1357 DR, in their written records, Chessentans employed a variant of Untheric runes, reduced to the form of an alphabet.[10]
History[]
Chessentan was one of the Chessentic languages, derived from Auld Chessic and related to Alambit.[8]
Whilst they were a part of Unther's empire, the Chessentan people generally spoke Untheric. Following their liberation, they eventually abandoned this tongue some time around the mid–12th century DR, adopting instead the Common language of the west[10] and presumably returning to the use of their original native tongue. Modern Chessentan was thus strongly influenced by Untheric and Chondathan, with some Shaaran influences as well.[9] So strong was the Untheric influence that some scholars categorized Chessentan as a Rauric language.[11]
Examples[]
Typical surnames from this tongue included Aporos, Corynian, Heldeion, Morieth, Nathos, Sphaerideion, and Zora. Male children were given names such as Aeron, Daelric, Eurid, Nicos, Oriseus, Pharaxes, Thersos, or Xandos. Women might be named Ariadne, Cylla, Eriale, Halonya, Idriane, Mera, Numestra, or Sinylla.[12]
Appendix[]
Reference[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas M. Costa (1999). “Speaking in Tongues”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon Annual #4 (TSR, Inc) (4)., p. 26.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 110. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 30–32. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 11–16. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 23. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Thomas M. Costa (1999). “Speaking in Tongues”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon Annual #4 (TSR, Inc) (4)., p. 28.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 64. ISBN 978-0880388214.
- ↑ Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
Connections[]
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