The Languages of Randland

[aznprince001]

The Forsaken kept the language together because of technology purposes. Also all the countries of Randland trade with each other frequently. Accents yes, strong distinctions in dialects...no.

 

The seanchan however are a totally different story, why don't they know a different language?

[Andvari]

Alright, from a logical and realistic point of view the language distribution is somewhat unrealistic and you can't reconcile it with the real world, and I think it would be nice if as well the regional accents (such as the Illianers do be talking like Westcountry yokels, and the Taraboners, they emphasise personal pronouns), there were more dialect words; never explicitly explained but used enough to get a feeling for - and here I will use an example which sort of acknowledges the Seanchan being different - things like da'covale.

 

A more plausible setting, I think, would be to have a situation that mirrors our world enough - where regional languages exist, but one language exists where most non-native people speak it because it would hinder them not to as much as anything else. Of course, I've not tried to write an epic around that limitation, so it may be hard to maintain a smooth flow, but in theory I think it could be done, and even plot points could be derived from it.

 

 

[Andvari]

And the other thing about the language is - what is the language? It is apparently English.

 

"This man has tohto us, Aan'allein, and we to him. It must be worked out."

 

Min spread her hands. "I don't know what anybody's toes have to dow ith anything, or feet either.."

 

[Winter's Heart, Ch. 12, p. 282]

 

There's also a part in, I think, The Fires of Heaven, where Elayne beigns to say Moghedien, but can change it to mother after "mo", which suggests mother is also  the same, though this is less conclusive.

 

So, is the language they speak meant to be English and what is the explanation for this?  Whatever type of cyclical time system you may believe is in operation I think the unaltered from of a language would not survive it.

 

It's one of the points I've always been quite dubious on, as it doesn't fit with the rest of the series as being reasonably well thought out.

[BKVMC]

2 things that have bothered me about the series  one of the 2 things being everyone seems to  speak  1 language  ( which i  find  unbelievable) and 2 ) that they dont have a name for their  world. But even with these 2  things  that  bother me it doesnt distract me from my  love of the series.