Language for Germanic Unitnames

[Stefan the Berserker]

We have three abilities to improove the depth of Gaming by giving Germanic Units Names in historical languages.

These are:

- teutonic-German (500 - about 1200 A.D.)
- Anglo-Saxon / Old English (900 A.D.)
- Gothic (300 A.D.)

So if we have the Unit "Peants" it would be called ->

"Lantbûwo" in teutonic-german
"Ierþlings" in Old English
"Aurtjans" if we use Gothic

The Spearband would be called ->

"Speramanneri" in teutonic-German
"Garmenn" in Old English
"Gadraùhtsans" in Gothic

Cavallary would be called ->

"Kite" in teutonic-german
"Èored" in Old English
None by my crappy Vocbulary for gothic

So which would you favor, or Alternatively name them in modern English and add exeptional ones Tacitus mentions in Latin.

[Big_John]

from my admittedly limited understanding, the gothic choice would be the closest in terms of time frame, right? what's the cocern then, just use that one...

[eadingas]

I vote for Gothic, but we would have to do some research on pre-gothic sound shifts and ortography changes, to keep it more in period... I could ask my linguistic buddies for help on that, if you don't have info.
As for cavalry, it's 'Marah' or 'Marh'... knowledge of pre-Rohan and Rhovanion linguistics comes in handy when dealing with gothic :)
Check out this page: http://www.wulfila.be/ - it will come in handy, I'm sure, it has entire Wulfila Bible in electronic form, for example.

[alman7272]

How about a Gothic/English mix? Not everyone can remember those names, so it might be best to use some english.

[eadingas]

We are using briton names for Briton units, I'm sure it can't get any harder than that :) so I see no reason to dumb down the Germans too by using english. Not everyone's first language is english.

[Big_John]

just curious: are there any cultures in your mod for which you don't have any good info on their language(s) at the time of the game? if so, what are you doing to represent them?

[Guardian]

What I have heard (and read), the gothic language is closer related to the northern germanic language (spoken in Scandinavia, parts of Germany and Poland?) than the western germanic langauge. Does anyone have more info about this?

[Stefan the Berserker]

What I have heard (and read), the gothic language is closer related to the northern germanic language (spoken in Scandinavia, parts of Germany and Poland?) than the western germanic langauge. Does anyone have more info about this?

In those Times the Germanics settled more than just modern Germany, but they were unlike Greece never politically United. The tribes are roughly dived into northern, western and eastern Germanics due to their languages.

Modern Germans (which Includes Swiss, Austrian and Luxembourg), English and Dutch are decendants of the Western Germanics. Teutonic-German and Old English are very similar, dialect spoken in middleages Doucy of Saxony and Old English are in fact narrow identical.

-> This is the reason why the Saxons in Germany and Britain keept close trade and oftenly nobles were relative in Bloodline. But with after the Viking Inavsions and then finally William the Conqueror thus connexion of England with the Continent was transferred first to Denmark and afterwards to France.

The Northern Germanics lived in Scandinavia and are the Ancestors of the Vikings, through they remained untouched by the romans they developed culturally and linguistically into another direction as their southern Relatives. Modern Scandinavian Languages are closer to original Germanic as any other modern Language, because of its long isolation Islandic is the closest.

The Goths have originally been Scandinavians, untill they searched a new home in the east of Europe. Those Eastern Germanics were immigrants of the two other Groups. However, only the North and Western Germanics survived into modern times the eastern ones traveled west and were absorbed into the Spanish and Italian Population. Lesser Numbers were absorbed by the Huns and used as Infantry.

[Guardian]

Ok, isn´t it possible to use a mix of Gothic (In scandinavia) and Teutonic-german/Old English (The rest of the germanic speaking areas)?

[Somerled]

Why not use Proto-Germanic, or is that what you mean by Teutonic-German. This protolanguage is most appropriate for this time period, and is linguistically sound.

[Little Legioner]

I think Gothic is the best especially more accurate but if it possible to use ancient Germanic names best for them.

[eadingas]

Proto-Germanic:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~m.../germanic.html
East-Germanic(Gothic):
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~m...ie/gothic.html
Proto-Norse:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~marisal/ie/ngmc.html
West-Germanic:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~marisal/ie/wgmc.html

[QwertyMIDX]

I'd vote (if I were empowered to do so) for either Gothic or Proto-Germanic. Gothic because it was there in 300 A.D., before major waves of Eastern European and Asian Steppe nomads began to force the massive movements of people we see during the late Roman period and the Early Middle Ages. Proto-Germanic for the reasons listed by Somerled, although I wonder about pronunciation of it and I'd also be weary of it because of its lack of actual evidence, its more of a hypothetical creation of scholars as far as I know (although I may very well be wrong). Overall I think Gothic is the better choice. Anyway some good sites are:

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/.../aa_texts.html

http://sps.k12.mo.us/khs/gmcling/gmc.htm

Northern Germanic tribes, epically the ones of what are today the Scandinavian countries probably spoke something at least somewhat different, but the earliest language I know of for them is Old Norse and that dates from the Viking period so as far as I know Gothic or Proto-Germanic is the best this mod could hope to give them as well.

[aw89]

The Northern Germanics lived in Scandinavia and are the Ancestors of the Vikings, through they remained untouched by the romans they developed culturally and linguistically into another direction as their southern Relatives. Modern Scandinavian Languages are closer to original Germanic as any other modern Language, because of its long isolation Islandic is the closest.

I live in Norway and i couldn't agree more, I have found many words identical or close to german, and many affected by it. (I am half german so I know some.) Norwegian dialects from north in norway, since southern Norway is affected by Danish wich doesn't sound like most barbarian languages(IMO). north of Trondheim i recommend should do it.

[SaFe]

We should end this poll, because we are already working with proto-germanic unit and god names. Much has been done, since this poll started.
So, i hope nobody is dissapointed.
The soundfiles will use a gothic accent, cause we have the help of a gothic linguist.