Omban languages
Ombesh: The language of the Omban Empire, and of its territorial descendants in the present day. Imperial Omban is still understandable by modern speakers although western (Choradan/Daligash) and northern (Basai / Nulu) varieties are evident. Ombesh is heard by non-speakers to be harsh and guttural, with deep, full vowels, and is a language of great poetry, tale, and song.
Aummesh: The language descended from Ombesh (with influences from various local languages, now extinct) spoken west of the Filija mountains, principally in Ashnabis. Aummesh is clearly recognizable by Ombesh speakers but not inherently intelligible. They are as different as Spanish and French. Ombesh speakers perceive Aummesh to be twangy, with strange chattering consonants and wild, unconstrained vowels. Aummesh speakers - many of whom learn Ombesh as a necessity - regard this fiction as quaint.
Old Omban: The immediate ancestor of Omban, spoken in and around Omba and neighbouring parts of Khutu, Sharai, and Hasmala at least 1400 years ago. The transition from OO to Ombesh is generally held to have happened around 200 years before the Imperial period. It is mainly known from a few ancestors from this period who have survived to have their words and thoughts recorded.
Hithaeli: The breathy, whispery language of the hith, designed particularly for the anatomy of that species, but learnable by humans with great effort. Of course, you have to find someone willing to teach you.
Enskrai: The language of the herders of Umnaka. Enskrai is spoken reasonably widely in Malfan in areas where there is consistent trade with the herders, and it is heard occasionally anywhere where the herders come to sell their livestock.
Tzameddi: The language spoken in the west of the continent, by the Tzameddi fishers and foragers who sometimes come to Ashnabis for trade and occasionally for conflict. There are numerous Tzameddi loanwords in Aummesh (and vice versa).
Thu Parsh: The language spoken in Nulu, in the far northern reaches of the former Omban territories, by the minority population of the same name. In Nulu, speaking Thu Parsh is seen as a sign of low birth, a fact that the Thu Parsh themselves are quite bitter about.
Sardesh: The argot / cant spoken by Corpseborn, which uses largely Ombesh vocabulary in unexpected ways, coupled with some truly strange / inexplicable words. Because they are socially segregated from most other Ombans, corpseborn learn this mode of speech from an early age. While it can be used to conceal information, its principal purpose is to bring together members of the corpseborn communities.
Jultumesh: This language, whose true name is only shared among the mystics, but generally known as Jultumesh when needed, is the tongue in which the tablets storing their centuries of magical knowledge are written. It is principally a written language but may occasionally be spoken in teaching, or among mystics as an identity marker, but never among non-initiates.
Luetkan: The language spoken in the Luetkan Islands, and to a certain extent on the continent in the far northwest, by the maritime peoples of the region. Luetkan has a certain resemblance to Ombesh.
Fliitangi: The language of the zazaf of Fliitangir, the batlike humans whose kingdom lies just to the south of Ashnabis. Nocturnal and elusive, the zazaf rarely come into frequent contact with humans so few are ever exposed to their shrill tongue.
Duedarcian: The mellifluous tongue of the Duedarcian empire far to the south and west. Almost nothing is known of Duedarcia and rare indeed would be the Omban who could get access to it.
