Duderology

The study of Duderology is the linguistic interdisciplinary study of the etymology, semantics, syntax, and sometimes semiotics, of the singular word Duder and its influences on society as well as its roots from a mother tongue to other languages. In more recent decades it has come to focus on the spread of the individual word Duder as a proxy for the spread of a Proto-Mede-Lorecian mother tongue alongside the Astyrian migrations period in general. Its links to a wide range of academic disciplines makes the study of Duderology important to the ongoing interpretation of Astyrian cultural and societal development.

Origins

The origins of Duder are believed to come from the foothills of the Aesir Mountain Range in western Aquitayne. It is believed to have been spoken roughly about 3,500-2,500BCE, due to recent findings which denoted that the early Proto-Mede-Lorecian Language, of which duder is believed to have derived, uses the word *kʷekʷlo- ("wheel"), and ak's- ("axle"), which correlate to the invention of the wagon around 3,400BCE.

The word in itself is believed to have originated as the term *dhn̥dhkōm̥, literally meaning, "of many persons". This original incarnation of the word is believed to be a colloquial form of speech, due to the evidence that in the Proto-Mede-Lorecian language, the resonant could act as vowels, similar to the resonant n in the colloquial pronunciation of fish'n' (as in Bob's gone fish'n' ). It is believed that, while the beginning phonology of the word remain relatively the same, over time - due to the Ethlorek Migration of the forebears of the Trellinese - the ending morphology would alter via merchants from kōm̥, derived from the word kōm̥ko: ("friend/partner/relative"), to the ending suffix ɾā_h₂, which would be conjoined to create the word dhn̥dhɾ_h₂ā. This apparent removal of the resonant vowels indicates one of two things: that over the course of a few hundred years the phonological sound of the word changed to better suit the contours of the tongue when pronouncing the word; or that the use of the word became more formal and thus did not render the same colloquial mindset of friendly greetings as it once did. The latter is most likely due to the use of the word with Vik'Rus and Ethlorek migrant merchants, who traditionally conducted formal business rather than friendly engagements.

There is debate over the accuracy of this phonological change, as it traditionally does not match Grimm's Law. Proponents of the sound change argue that it was a social change due to the formality of the ending ɾ_h₂ā, which is believed to derive from k^*ul̥ɾ_h₂ām, meaning "ceremony/ritual". The Tir Oppas depicts the story of a merchant who believes his associate is a friend and thus enters the bartering for sheep in a friendly way rather than a formal one, and is denied any type of goods for disrespecting the vendor. It is known that social factors weight heavily on the change of language over time, and is how many Duderologists base their arguments for this phonetic change.

In Costa de Ouro, linguists believe that the name Duda, a Portuguese diminutive of Eduardo, could possibly be a variant of Duder. This gives some doubt to the origins of Duder, as some believe that Duder comes from, and is a diminutive of, the name Edward.

Etymology

The linguistic division of Duderology derived from the Karlei University, in Aquitayne, under the supervision of Professor Dudre Lika, who pioneered the School of Duderology, and led the charge in what many scholars call the first Duderian Call. The study has since grown to encompass a wide range of specialties and fields, which have drawn many experts of many different fields of study to their singular point.

Notable figures

Leading scholars in the growing field of Duderology include Duder Dudriqi, of the Cadenzan Institute of Duderology, who has published a number of prominent works on the spread of the name Duder from its origins in Aquitayne to points as distant as Cadenza and Costa de Ouro.

Popular culture

Music

• Nouvel Ecossian band Velociraptor Rex sing of Steve Duder in their popular hit song "I'm Steve", from the album T-Rex Can't Clap.

Literature

• Duderić, D. Slav or Duder? - An Analysis of the Duder Migrations in Northeastern Nikolia, Royal University of Language and Etymology, 2011
• Dudriqi, D. Whence, Whither, and Why? - Considerations on the Changing Duder Distribution over Time, Cadenzan Institute of Duderology, 2008
• 'As many as the stars of the sky' - The Duder Phenomenon
• Triam, A. Duder: What is it, Who is it, How is it, Where is it - A Comprehensive Study on the Expansion and Infinite use of the term Duder, Royal Society for Duderology, 2013
• Triam, A. Duder! Duder? - A Thesis on the Modern Use of the Name, Verb, and Greeting, Duder, Royal Society for Duderology, 2011
• Dacid, R. and Dudriqi, D. From Aquitayne to Cadenza: A History of the Duders, Karlei University School of Linguistic Anthropology, 2008
• Dacid, R. From Aquitayne to Trellin: A Discourse on the Expansion and Propagation of Duder, Karlei University School of Linguistic Anthropology, 2010