Rifts-Ganuo languages
The Rifts-Ganuo language family is a language family spoken by majorities in the rifts separating Delezia, Házélé, and Aitoma, by minorities in the western hills of Hac, the southern portions of Nicho, and by almost all residents of Ganuo. The most commonly spoken language of the Rifts-Ganuo family is Ganuoan, by over one billion people in Ganuo and by many more worldwide. The total number of speakers of all the other languages in the family is less than a tenth that of the number of speakers of Ganuoan. The family contains <<between 100 and 200>> languages in <<seven or eight>> different lineages descending from the language Proto-Rifts-Ganuo, (oft abbreviated as PRG). Most today have either a pitch accent system, such as Ganuoan, or simple tonal systems.
Proto-language
Urheimat
The proto-language of Rifts-Ganuo languages, known as Proto-Rifts-Ganuo, was spoken around <<5k to 7k>> years ago on the southeastern edge of the rift zone by a culture that often used boats to go up and down the rifts and trade with other cultures in the area. They were more proficient with boats when compared to other peoples in the area. Their cultural organization was that of a small 'homeland' with many trade colonies along the rifts in spots with <<more water/a river/a harbor, waiting on climate>>. Many words from Proto-Rifts-Ganuo, especially ones related to ships, were borrowed by other languages of the area and many from other languages were borrowed into it, especially for goods found most often in its trading colonies.
Phonology
Main article: Proto-Rifts-Ganuo language#Phonology
Grammar
Main article: Proto-Rifts-Ganuo language#Morphology
History
The Rifts-Ganuo languages spread from their origin, becoming the dominant language family along the rifts between 5N and 30N, and between 25E and 45E in the north within a thousand years of their origination. They continued to spread from there, becoming dominant in the parts of Nicho south of 45N within another thousand years. Its maximum expansion to the north and west of the urheimat reached <<the third major lake of the northwest rift>>, as well as northwards to the glacial lakes, beyond 50N. Around 7000Y, it rapidly expanded and replaced the old Ganuoan languages, becoming the prestige variety spoken in Ganuo. It then began slowly declining in Nicho and in the rifts until the present, but it remains dominant today in Ganuo. The region between Hac and Ganuo, today occupied by Kasi, has switched back and forth between speaking Hac languages and Rifts-Ganuo languages since 7500Y.
Languages
| Proto-Rifts-Ganuo |
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Eastern languages - divergent branch that immediately went south along the coast towards edeto, presence in kasi
Ganuoan languages - like the chinese languages
South rifts languages - all tiny languages now
North rifts languages - second largest after ganuoan - national languages in gasta ēs̀ d́rēẃ and narpolbat
Bluwat languages - in nicho, most conservative
Kerinaan languages - in delezia