Mede-Lorecian languages
| Mede-Lorecian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Western and Northern Lorecia and the Mederano Peninsula |
| Linguistic classification | One of Astyria's primary language families |
Early form | Proto-Mede-Lorecian
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Mede-Lorecian |
| Subdivisions |
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The Mede-Lorecian languages (also known as the Franco-Lorecian languages, from French les langues franco-loréciennes) are a language family of several related languages and dialects, linking the Lorecian and Mederanic languages. Mede-Lorecian languages are spoken predominantly in Western and Northern Lorecia and on the Mederano Peninsula in Teudallum.
Proposals for a Franco-Arlethic language family, the predecessor to the Mede-Lorecian theory, began appearing as historical linguists from the Académie Fédérale successfully applied recent innovations in comparative linguistics to the reconstruction of Proto-Franco-Arlethic in the 1900's. Soon thereafter, the Nikolian languages were included in the family, leading to the proposal of a three-way Franco-Niko-Arlethic branching of an original proto-language. The discovery of Dashirien in (somewhere in lorecia) facilitated the reconstruction of Proto-Dashiro-Earent, which would later be classified under a new branch called "Lorecian" together with Arlethic (Earent was previously believed to be a language isolate that was part of the greater Franco-Arlethic sprachbund). The grouping of Nikolian and Francien under the Mederanic branch is a relatively recent proposal, and remains controversial in the Haguenau School of linguistics, which continues to use the name franco-loréciennes (Franco-Lorecian) to this day.
A hypothesis popular outside of Haguenau (e.g. Ferrer & Wexter (2011)) is that the Proto-Mede-Lorecians originate from northern Lorecia, with the Mederanic branch splitting from Proto-Mede-Lorecian in the 3rd millenium BC (?) and moving southwards to the territory presently occupied by Haguenau and eastern Nikolia while the Lorecians stayed up north, eventually becoming the Arlethians which would later (c. 1st millenium BC) also expand southwards. The Old Nikolians would later (c. 2nd millenium BC (?)) split from Mederanic group and settle in northern Nikolia, while the Franciens established the Holy French Empire (placeholder name) that would span from present-day Haguenau to Berique.
In contrast, scholars in Haguenau believe that the split occured at roughly the same time (c. 3rd millenium BC), and use a three-way split of Mede-Lorecian into Old Nikolian, Francien, and Lorecian. They believe that the Proto-Mede-Lorecians originate from the territory presently occupied by Haguenau and Noordenstaat, and split into the Old Nikolians who moved to the northern end of the Mederano Peninsula, the Arlethians who moved north to Arlethia (Northern Lorecia) and from there spread southwards c. the 2nd millenium BC, and the Franciens, who expanded from the present-day territory of Haguenau across the Putin Strait reaching modern-day Berique, eventually founding the Holy French Empire (still placeholder).
The grouping of Mederanic languages together remains controversial as no archeological evidence of a distinct Mederanic people has ever been found, and the linguistic evidence is deemed by many, especially in Haguenau, to be insufficient.