Tradetalk

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 20:04:50 +1300


David Dunham:

>[...] what if [Tradetalk] did become a mother
>tongue for someone, and became a creole? Could this have happened
>some time during the Imperial Age, when the Jrusteli spread Tradetalk
>widely? If so, where? Or would the magical nature of Tradetalk
>prevent creolization?

IMO Tradetalk should be treated like a spell rather than a language learnable by anyone. The chance of communication is proportional to the amount of magical energy either or both parties put into the spell. This way Tradetalk is useful wherever you go and you don't have to worry about whether the God Learners ever taught it to the people of Orathorn, the Seven Cities of Silver or even Zamokil. Under these circumstances, it would be difficult for creolization to occur.

It is possible for people to repeat Tradetalk words outside of their magical context/presence of the spirit of communication but given the origin of Tradetalk my guess is that the resulting speech would resemble goat-Orlanthi.

I doubt that the Jrusteli cared much for Tradetalk and so would limit its spread to the places where Orlanthi can be found (Maniria, Upland Ralios, Umathela and southern Peloria). I don't think Tradetalk would work in Fronela as a result of the murder of the God with Silver Feet.

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