>So the Sartar dialects would probably be mutually comprehensible for at
>least the basic words -- say, that first 30% of a language.
The backvalley rural Sartarites will likely speak "Incomprehensible" rather than urban Sartarite, I agree, but with the introduction of cities Sartar has suffered a similar fate as other countries with the introduction of radio or TV.
>It's when you get into the more specialized stuff about
>local crops, or geography, etc. that I think you need tradetalk.
I very much doubt that. Unlike tourist/internet English, tradetalk has never been a complete language with specialized vocabulary outside of trade items. (Since sale is done by appraising, I suggest that Tradetalk consists of more descriptive adjectives than any other word types summed up.)
>Stormspeechisms would probably be commonly used for weather, considering
>how widespread Orlanthio is in the region.
I suppose the more upper-class people try to behave, the more stormspeechisms they will use to distract from what they aren't saying.
>And note that the Sartarites may be borrowing words from the lunars --
>IMO, if the Lunars "invented" using mass magicians on the battlefield, the
>terminology Argrath uses when he does this is going to be Lunar.
Sound argument in principle, but IMO not applicable to this example. IMNSHO Argrath used _native_ magics (and magic users) to form and train his magician units. If he had used Lunar Newspeak, half his magicians would have been illuminated anyway, and no longer any use against Bat or whatever bad.
>Perhaps you see good Orlanthi beating up those
>traitors who adopt Lunarisms?
You mean the Orlanthi are like the French (gouvernment, at least), banning the use of "that filthy language" from writing?
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