Language
The national language of the Harrowlands is Harrowish, although there are two other regionally-spoken languages: Erse and Norn.
Harrowish
Harrowish, a Germanic language, has been spoken in Harrow since time immemorial and is related to English and the Germanic language(s) that was spoken in in Chelta before the Celtic-speaking tribes arrived from Gaul and Belgia. It is believed Harrowish replaced an earlier language of unknown origin spoken in Harrow, which had some effect on Harrowish and survives strongly in the place-names, particularly in the highlands.
Harrowish is spoken today as the first language of almost all Harrowers, that is, approximately 80.2%, while Erse is spoken as a first language by the remaining 15.6% in the far west and Norn by 4.2% in the far north-east. There is a great plethora of different accents and dialects in Harrow, varying mostly due to location and class. The “stereotypical” Harrowish dialect is the dialect heard in and around Roedean and the lowlands and is most well-known to foreigners.
Harrowish differs from standard English in many ways. The most striking and obvious difference is the continued use of the Middle English pronoun forms "thoue", "thy", "thee", "ye", "thyn" and "myn", which were phased out in standard English even 300 years ago. "Thoue" (and "thee" and "thy") is informal and used when talking to someone familiar (a friend, lover, family member) or someone socially inferior. The use of "thoue" can in some circumstances be insulting, as "thoue" may convey scorn or contempt if used by a speaker in circumstances when "ye" would be the socially appropriate usage. "Ye" (and "you" and "your") is used when talking formally or politely to someone one is not familiar with, or to a social superior.
In terms of vocabulary, the Germanic element of the English language is preserved in Harrowish far more than in English. Norman terms and institutions (from Chelta) were adopted by the Harrovian kings during the Middle Ages but the Gallic language was never spoken by the ruling classes. As a result, Harrowish retained much of the Germanic character that English in Engle lost during the Middle Ages. For example, older words found in Harrowish include, "asake" (to renounce), "nedge" (to approach), "theyn" (to serve), "wende" (to go, proceed), "enorthe" (to aspire to), "forsay" (to deny), "yearve" (heritage), "yemeless" (negligent), "drede" (to doubt), "eldsay" (tradition), "beway" (to frustrate) etc. Newer words that have been created since the Harrowish-English split include "salve" (ointment), "uncleft" (atom), "lawcraft" (jurisprudence), "settledom" (civilisation), "aftertale" (epilogue), "foreyester" (day before yesterday), "wodecraftsman" (carpenter), "owndome" (property, possession), etc. Nevertheless, Latinate words are also often used, either from Norman borrowings or from the number of words added to the Harrowish wordstock from significant Cheltish influence on the court, ruling classes and from trade.
Harrowish retains a more archaic and flexible grammar and syntax that to speakers standard English would seem almost poetically antiquated. "What do you think?" in standard English is rendered "What thynkest thoue?" in Harrowish (OVS), as with "Whence comest thow?" (where do you come from?) and "Understandest thoue me?" (do you understand me?). Those sentences in informal dialogue are usually contracted to "What thynkestow?", "Whence comestow?" and "Understandestow me?". The verb is often placed before the subject, e.g. 'Dust artow, and unto dust shaltow edwende' (You are dust, and to dust you shall return) but this is not a fixed rule and the opposite is also equally acceptable. The past participle is rendered in informal speech (though not in Court Harrowish) with an y- or i- prefix: "The wal is y-wroghte!" (the wall has been made). Infinitives are rendered with the suffix -an: "They wolde wendan" (they wanted to go) while present participles are rendered with the suffix -and: "They aren makand many thyngis".
Harrowish spelling is not standardised, but certain spelling conventions have arisen in Harrowish that nearly all Harrowish-speakers adhere to when writing the language, which may appear antiquated to English speakers. Harrowish spelling has remained fairly stagnant for the last 300 years. Overall Harrowish spelling is generally more phonetic (while remaining rooted and organic).
However, the de facto language for legal purposes, primarily, as well as government bureaucracy and official business is known as Court Harrowish and is generally closer to English than Harrowish but has many distinctly Harrowish features that distinguish it from English official language. It is a mongrol tongue still written with largely Harrowish grammar, but utilises a great degree of Norman-influenced terminology and vocabulary and legal speak that reflects modern English, as well as considerable English syntax influence. It began development as a legal-jargon speech used in the law-courts (hence the name) and the Inns of Court during the late medieval period, heavily influenced by the Chelto-Norman legal speech, but by the beginning of the 18th Century it had taken on a form of its own quite distinct from the language spoken by the average Harrowman. It once reflected the actual speech used by the Harrovian aristocracy during the middle ages but it was gradually abandoned as a means of verbal communication by the aristocracy in favour of the more understandable language of the commonfolk. A testament to this is the small number of Norman/Romance words and grammatical features (the suffix 'ian' in Harrovian for example) that have pervaded into common Harrowish. Court Harrowish can only be heard now in the law-courts (by barristers and judges in the Queen's Bench and in higher courts, as part of the court ceremony), in Parliament (for ceremonial proceedings), and it is still used in some parts of the Church of Harrow. All Acts of Parliament and official government business (warrants, writs, summons) are written in Court Harrowish, as are court judgements.
By the mid 17th Century all Acts of Parliament were written in Court Harrowish, whilst before then they had been largely written in the vernacular Harrowish, with some degree of Romance loanwords. Much Harrovian legal terminology is very Norman in character: plaintiff, jury, defendant, damages, indictment, misdemesnour, fee simple, mens rea, habeas corpus - all of which are not readily understandable to most Harrovians as Harrowish equivalents exist which are predominant in ordinary, informal speech. But Court Harrowish also includes vernacular legal terminology found nowhere outside Harrow, such as oathbreche (perjury), yemelessnesse (negligence), wickedrie (felony), foul (offence), shildy (criminal), ryghtnesse (justice) and law (jurisdiction, an archaic an outdated meaning in English), and naturally utilises a great deal of native Harrowish vocabulary in general where English might use a Gallic or non-Germanic word.
Lord's Prayer in Harrowish
Oure father that art in heaven,
y-halewid be thy name;
thy kingdome y-come.
thy wile be y-worthe,
on yerd swa in heaven.
Yevest thoue us todaye oure ilk days bred,
and foryevest thoue us oure guiltis,
as eke foryeve we oure guilty;
and ledest ne thoue us intil costnand
but alese us of evyll.
For thyn be the kingdome, the myghte and the wulder,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Harrowish is spoken today as the first language of almost all Harrowers, that is, approximately 80.2%, while Erse is spoken as a first language by the remaining 15.6% in the far west and Norn by 4.2% in the far north-east. There is a great plethora of different accents and dialects in Harrow, varying mostly due to location and class. The “stereotypical” Harrowish dialect is the dialect heard in and around Roedean and the lowlands and is most well-known to foreigners.
Harrowish differs from standard English in many ways. The most striking and obvious difference is the continued use of the Middle English pronoun forms "thoue", "thy", "thee", "ye", "thyn" and "myn", which were phased out in standard English even 300 years ago. "Thoue" (and "thee" and "thy") is informal and used when talking to someone familiar (a friend, lover, family member) or someone socially inferior. The use of "thoue" can in some circumstances be insulting, as "thoue" may convey scorn or contempt if used by a speaker in circumstances when "ye" would be the socially appropriate usage. "Ye" (and "you" and "your") is used when talking formally or politely to someone one is not familiar with, or to a social superior.
In terms of vocabulary, the Germanic element of the English language is preserved in Harrowish far more than in English. Norman terms and institutions (from Chelta) were adopted by the Harrovian kings during the Middle Ages but the Gallic language was never spoken by the ruling classes. As a result, Harrowish retained much of the Germanic character that English in Engle lost during the Middle Ages. For example, older words found in Harrowish include, "asake" (to renounce), "nedge" (to approach), "theyn" (to serve), "wende" (to go, proceed), "enorthe" (to aspire to), "forsay" (to deny), "yearve" (heritage), "yemeless" (negligent), "drede" (to doubt), "eldsay" (tradition), "beway" (to frustrate) etc. Newer words that have been created since the Harrowish-English split include "salve" (ointment), "uncleft" (atom), "lawcraft" (jurisprudence), "settledom" (civilisation), "aftertale" (epilogue), "foreyester" (day before yesterday), "wodecraftsman" (carpenter), "owndome" (property, possession), etc. Nevertheless, Latinate words are also often used, either from Norman borrowings or from the number of words added to the Harrowish wordstock from significant Cheltish influence on the court, ruling classes and from trade.
Harrowish retains a more archaic and flexible grammar and syntax that to speakers standard English would seem almost poetically antiquated. "What do you think?" in standard English is rendered "What thynkest thoue?" in Harrowish (OVS), as with "Whence comest thow?" (where do you come from?) and "Understandest thoue me?" (do you understand me?). Those sentences in informal dialogue are usually contracted to "What thynkestow?", "Whence comestow?" and "Understandestow me?". The verb is often placed before the subject, e.g. 'Dust artow, and unto dust shaltow edwende' (You are dust, and to dust you shall return) but this is not a fixed rule and the opposite is also equally acceptable. The past participle is rendered in informal speech (though not in Court Harrowish) with an y- or i- prefix: "The wal is y-wroghte!" (the wall has been made). Infinitives are rendered with the suffix -an: "They wolde wendan" (they wanted to go) while present participles are rendered with the suffix -and: "They aren makand many thyngis".
Harrowish spelling is not standardised, but certain spelling conventions have arisen in Harrowish that nearly all Harrowish-speakers adhere to when writing the language, which may appear antiquated to English speakers. Harrowish spelling has remained fairly stagnant for the last 300 years. Overall Harrowish spelling is generally more phonetic (while remaining rooted and organic).
However, the de facto language for legal purposes, primarily, as well as government bureaucracy and official business is known as Court Harrowish and is generally closer to English than Harrowish but has many distinctly Harrowish features that distinguish it from English official language. It is a mongrol tongue still written with largely Harrowish grammar, but utilises a great degree of Norman-influenced terminology and vocabulary and legal speak that reflects modern English, as well as considerable English syntax influence. It began development as a legal-jargon speech used in the law-courts (hence the name) and the Inns of Court during the late medieval period, heavily influenced by the Chelto-Norman legal speech, but by the beginning of the 18th Century it had taken on a form of its own quite distinct from the language spoken by the average Harrowman. It once reflected the actual speech used by the Harrovian aristocracy during the middle ages but it was gradually abandoned as a means of verbal communication by the aristocracy in favour of the more understandable language of the commonfolk. A testament to this is the small number of Norman/Romance words and grammatical features (the suffix 'ian' in Harrovian for example) that have pervaded into common Harrowish. Court Harrowish can only be heard now in the law-courts (by barristers and judges in the Queen's Bench and in higher courts, as part of the court ceremony), in Parliament (for ceremonial proceedings), and it is still used in some parts of the Church of Harrow. All Acts of Parliament and official government business (warrants, writs, summons) are written in Court Harrowish, as are court judgements.
By the mid 17th Century all Acts of Parliament were written in Court Harrowish, whilst before then they had been largely written in the vernacular Harrowish, with some degree of Romance loanwords. Much Harrovian legal terminology is very Norman in character: plaintiff, jury, defendant, damages, indictment, misdemesnour, fee simple, mens rea, habeas corpus - all of which are not readily understandable to most Harrovians as Harrowish equivalents exist which are predominant in ordinary, informal speech. But Court Harrowish also includes vernacular legal terminology found nowhere outside Harrow, such as oathbreche (perjury), yemelessnesse (negligence), wickedrie (felony), foul (offence), shildy (criminal), ryghtnesse (justice) and law (jurisdiction, an archaic an outdated meaning in English), and naturally utilises a great deal of native Harrowish vocabulary in general where English might use a Gallic or non-Germanic word.
Lord's Prayer in Harrowish
Oure father that art in heaven,
y-halewid be thy name;
thy kingdome y-come.
thy wile be y-worthe,
on yerd swa in heaven.
Yevest thoue us todaye oure ilk days bred,
and foryevest thoue us oure guiltis,
as eke foryeve we oure guilty;
and ledest ne thoue us intil costnand
but alese us of evyll.
For thyn be the kingdome, the myghte and the wulder,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Erse
Erse, or 'Gwynnic', is the language traditionally spoken in the western highlands and islands in Harrow. It was introduced to Harrow with Gwynnic migration from northern Hibernia in the 1st Century BC and 1st and 2nd Centuries AD. Isolated from the Hibern Gwynns, the Gwynnic language in Harrow, later to be termed 'Erse' by Harrowish-speakers, became a separate dialect of the same language. The language today is spoken natively by most highland communities in Ayr, Galloway and Dumnia, as well as in parts of Sturlinghamshire, Haremere and Penclyde. Interest in the language has also driven some non-native speakers to take up learning the language. The language is spoken as a first language by approximately 15.6% of the population and on the whole by 22.4% of the population.
Lord's Prayer in Erse
Ean Tád ìn ì nebhoidd,
Sancteaddier dì enu,
Deled dì deìrnas,
Guneler dì euillìs,
Ar ì ddaiar bhel ìn ì nebh.
Díro inni heddiu ean bàra beanìddiol,
A maddai inni ean troseddai,
Bhel ír ìm ni weddi maddai ì’r rai a dròseddodd ìn ean herbìn.
A faid à’n duin ì braobh,
Ond guared nì rag ír Ìn drug.
Oheruidd eaddot ti iu’r deìrnas a’r gallì a’r
Gogoniant am bìth. Amen.
Lord's Prayer in Erse
Ean Tád ìn ì nebhoidd,
Sancteaddier dì enu,
Deled dì deìrnas,
Guneler dì euillìs,
Ar ì ddaiar bhel ìn ì nebh.
Díro inni heddiu ean bàra beanìddiol,
A maddai inni ean troseddai,
Bhel ír ìm ni weddi maddai ì’r rai a dròseddodd ìn ean herbìn.
A faid à’n duin ì braobh,
Ond guared nì rag ír Ìn drug.
Oheruidd eaddot ti iu’r deìrnas a’r gallì a’r
Gogoniant am bìth. Amen.
Norn
Norn was the language introduced by the Vikings to the northern highlands. At its greatest extent, it was spoken by all non-Gwynnic Harrovians north of the Great Glen. It has declined as Harrowish was re-introduced into the region, but is still spoken as a first language in a form by people in the Norlans, Thule and parts of Yarbyshire. Like Erse, interest in the ancient language has grown in recent years, and people are increasingly learning to speak the language. Norn is spoken as a first language by 4.2% of the population.
Lord's Prayer in Norn
Favor i ir i chimrie,
Helleur ir i nam thite,
gilla cosdum thite cumma,
veya thine mota vara gort
o yurn sinna gort i chimrie,
ga vus da on da dalight brow vora
Firgive vus sinna vora
sin vee Firgive sindara mutha vus,
lyv vus ye i tumtation,
min delivera vus fro olt ilt, Amen.
Lord's Prayer in Norn
Favor i ir i chimrie,
Helleur ir i nam thite,
gilla cosdum thite cumma,
veya thine mota vara gort
o yurn sinna gort i chimrie,
ga vus da on da dalight brow vora
Firgive vus sinna vora
sin vee Firgive sindara mutha vus,
lyv vus ye i tumtation,
min delivera vus fro olt ilt, Amen.