A thought occurred to me the other day. How widespread is the
use of standard GalAnglic throughout what was the Imperium? I always got
the impression from CT that GalAnglic was a trade language as much as
anything and that many planets had their own languages - especially those
that were settled by Solmani of non-Anglophone extraction or Vilani.
With the collapse of interstellar society as we know it, the
reason for many people to know GalAnglic will disappear. The Syleans will
carry on speaking Sylean, Vilani will carry on with Vilani and the
Solomani worlds will carry on with a modern version of their old language,
be it Russian, Chinese, Swahili or whatever.
Seventy years of not hearing from other planets will also do odd
things to those planets that did speak GalAnglic. Dialects will appear,
and may become mutally incomprehensible. Think of all the differences
between American, Australian and British versions of English. They've
all cropped up while we've remained in contact with each other.
Perhaps a good analogy can be drawn with the local situation here
in Wales. The fair county of Gwynedd has a population the majority of which
first language and the local culture thrives, having TV, radio, newspapers
and films in Welsh. (Incidentally, if you can, get to see the film Hedd
Wyn, recently nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. It has no
sci-fi content at all but is a damn good film. Good for cultural detail
for those who appreciate such things). Anyway, I digress. The point is
that if Gwynedd were an island, it would have no need to speak English,
all the mod-cons of civilisation are provided in Welsh. However, they do
need to communicate with:
a) The government in London which doesn't speak Welsh;
b) The world at large which doesn't speak Welsh;
c) People like me who have moved in and (as yet) don't speak Welsh.
Thus I tend to hear more English spoken than Welsh since in town
it gets used as a Lingua Franca. Out in the mountains things are a little
different.
If England were suddenly removed from Wales (i.e. instellar trade went), then the majority of people would probably get on with their lives - but now
have no need of English. The local TV and radio are in Welsh, the schools
teach using Welsh. English would die out, and fairly quickly too. People
like me would have to learn or become a small ghetto-ized community.
I would say that this sort of thing would have happened all over
the wilds. Most of those planets will have at least a dialect that is strange, and most of them a completely different language to that which the players speak.
" I see. Can anyone hear speak GalHispanic? No? Bugger!"
Well that's all folks,
Pnhawn Da,
Stewart Johnson.