View source for Ilayan Language

{{Infobox language
| name             = Ilayan
| nativename       = Eilayan
| pronunciation    = {{IPA-en|/iːˈleɪən/|IPA}}
| altname          = 
| image            = 
| imagecaption     = 
| states           = [[Los Angeles]]
| region           = 
| speakers         = {{wp|First language|L1}}: c. 2.8 million
| date             = 2023
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam1             = {{wp|Indo-European languages|Abo-Stratean}}
| fam2             = {{wp|Germanic languages|East Abosian}}
| fam3             = {{wp|West Germanic languages|Burgwieser Family}}
| fam4             = {{wp|Anglic-Frisian languages|Sexish}}
| ancestor         = {{wp|Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Stratean-Abosian}}
| ancestor2        = {{wp|Proto-Germanic|Proto-East Abosian}}
| ancestor3        = {{wp|Old English|Old Fluvan}}
| ancestor4        = {{wp|Middle English|Middle Fluvan}}
| ancestor5        = {{wp|Early Scots|Sexo-Fluvan}}
| nation           = *{{flag|New Ketha}}
| minority         = {{plainlist|
*'''{{flag|Los Angeles}}'''
*{{Tree list}}
* {{flag|Los Angeles}}
** {{flag|Los Angeles}}
** {{flag|Los Angeles}}
{{Tree list/end}}
}}
| dia1             = New Kethan Dialect
| dia2             = Hesperian Dialect
| dia3             = Mavonan Dialect
| iso1             = il
| lc1              = Ilayan
| ld1              = Ilayan<!--name as per ISO 639-3/RA, already wiki-linked in stand1 parameter-->
| map              = 
| mapcaption       = 
| map2             = 
| mapcaption2      = {{legend|#FF7F36|Provincial or state level}}
{{legend|#FFCC2E|Secondary provincial or state language}}
{{legend|#FDF72F|National level}}
}}
{{Contains special characters
| special    = uncommon [[Unicode]] characters
| fix        = Help:Multilingual support#Kaithi
| image      = Replacement character.svg
| link       = Specials (Unicode block)#Replacement character
| alt        = <?>
| compact    = yes
}}

'''Ilayan''', or '''Ilay''' is a '''Sexish''' language in the {{wp|West Germanic languages|Burgwieser Family}} primarily spoken in [[Los Angeles]]. It is primarily spoken in the province of [[New Ketha]], particularly in and around the city of [[Entoun]], which is the largest Ilayan-speaking city in the world. In addition to the speakers in New Ketha, roughly 3-400,000 speakers are spread through other Angelean provinces, with Ilayan being recognized in [[Hesperia, Los Angeles|Hesperia]], [[Santa Catalina, Los Angeles|Santa Catalina]], and [[Lugarseco]]. These areas form the broad dialects found in Ilayan, with dialects in and around the city of Entoun being called the '''New Kethan Ilayan''' or '''Entounian Ilayan''', dialects in Hesperia being known as '''Hesperian Ilayan''' and are more influenced by {{wp|Dutch language|Onslander}}, and dialects found in Santa Catalina and Lugarseco being known as '''Mavonan Ilayan''', being more heavily influenced by {{wp|Spanish language|Serran}} and {{wp|Portuguese language|Agnian}}. Ilayan is a {{wp|Daughter language
|daughter language}} of either {{wp|Scots language|Sexish}} or {{wp|English language|Fluvan}}, though scholars remain divided, with much of the formal grammar and vocabulary coming from Fluvan but the syntax coming from Sexish. Some scholars thus refer to Ilayan as a creole.

Ilayan is recognized as an indigenous language of Los Angeles by the Angelean government and as a regional or minority language by the [[North Galian Union]], though unlike most minority languages in Los Angeles it is not recognized as vulnerable. 2023 data indicated roughly 2.8 million people in Los Angeles could speak Ilayan.

As there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing a language from a dialect, scholars and other interested parties often disagree about the linguistic, historical and social status of Ilayan, particularly its relationship to Fluvan and Sexish. Although a number of paradigms for distinguishing between languages and dialects exist, they often render contradictory results. Ilayan is at one end of a bipolar linguistic continuum, with Ilayan-Sexish at the other. Four broad hypotheses exist. Ilayan is sometimes regarded as a variety of Sexish, due to its similarity in pronounciation and syntax though it has its own distinct dialects; other scholars treat Ilayan as a variety of Fluvan, due to its grammatical and vocabulary influences on Ilayan; other scholars treat Ilayan as a distinct {{wp|Germanic languages|East Abosian}} language, in the way that {{wp|Swedish language|Frigan}} is closely linked to but distinct from {{wp|Norwegian language|Niagaran}}; and still others treat Ilayan as a creole of both Fluvan and Sexish. In Los Angeles, the predominant theory, and the one formally accepted by the government, is that Ilayan is a distinct language from both Sexish and Fluvan, and it shares common ancestors with both languages, having split off from Fluvan in the 15th century (see {{wp|Early Scots|Sexo-Fluvan}}, the most recent common ancestor for southern Fluvan dialects, Sexish, and Ilayan) and splitting further off from Sexish in the 17th century. 

Regardless of origin, Ilayan is closely related to both Sexish and Fluvan. It is mutually intelligible with both languages, especially with Sexish speakers or in the written form. Ilayan is also thus closely to {{wp|Yola language|Aurspresh}}, {{wp|Cumbrian dialect|Cummese}}, and {{wp|Fingallian|Fermden}}, though to a lesser degree than Sexish and Fluvan.

{{Manala topics}}
[[Category:Manala]]