Why New Krytan?
Charr didn’t have a written language – they had a series of ideograms with meanings.
Asuran language is a mixture of structured grammar and mathematics. It’s fairly difficult to understand, apparently, and is seemingly truly shocking when a bookah – I mean, non-asura knows how to read it.
Norn language is… unknown to us, but probably has multiple words for “hunt” (a Priory scholar norn complains that New Krytan can’t be universal because it only has one word for hunt).
Old Krytan used a confusing character set up, and only the most learned knew how to read it.
Ascalonian was easy to learn (its structure being like English) compared to the rest, and common enough that even if folks couldn’t read they could recognize what symbol orders represented. But Ascalonian being used by charr? Not very likely.
So they made a new language: taking the easiest to understand alphabet language (Ascalonian) with Krytan symbols.
Plus, in Tyria at the time, Ascalonian and Old Krytan were the most widely used alphabets, given at the time New Krytan was made, norn were still in the far north, and Asura were still brand new to the surface. New Krytan was established in 1105 AE by the way, only 27 years after the asura surfaced on Tyria.
Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
I also don’t think Norn had a well developed writing system either. One of the discussions in Hoelbrak is about recording legends into books, and whether or not that’d be disrespectful.
So;
Charr – no written language.
Norn – probably not either.
Sylvari – were they even around yet?
Asura – pride themselves on having the most complicated language possible.
Human worked out for everyone. Simple and easy.
“A man who trusts everyone is a fool.
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
I’ve always assumed that the New Krytan alphabet was kind of like the standardised Chinese writing system, in that different spoken languages could be written using the same written alphabet. That would mean it works as a unifying factor between races without eradicating other languages (although I guess we have to assume there’s a common tongue).
Norn having an oral culture makes perfect sense with everything else we know about them (and explains the special position of skaald, a storytelling/story keeper). Likewise, asura having an absurdly complicated script which asura learn from an early age but other races find baffling fits the asura perfectly – and one imagines they’d like to keep it that way.
Add to all the excellent points posted above the fact that the Durmand Priory was founded by a (Krytan) human… and New Krytan works well as the best alphabet for the job. It would have been chiefly created for the sake of scholarly records, after all.
I also don’t think Norn had a well developed writing system either. One of the discussions in Hoelbrak is about recording legends into books, and whether or not that’d be disrespectful.
So;
Charr – no written language.
Norn – probably not either.
Sylvari – were they even around yet?
Asura – pride themselves on having the most complicated language possible.Human worked out for everyone. Simple and easy.
Norns probably have some form of runes like the vikings of old. However, they seem to have more of an oral tradition, for sure.
I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
Norns probably have some form of runes like the vikings of old. However, they seem to have more of an oral tradition, for sure.
Aye, probably. I just wandered by the Priory and caught the conversation between the Norn scholar and the Asuran one. Went something like this, paraphrased:
“Why are all these books in New Kryta? All the curves and swirling makes my head heard.”
“The humans consider it to be a universal language.”
“How can it be universal? It only has one word for ‘hunt’!”
So runes would make sense – sharp edged letters that can be cut into leather or carved into stone.
“A man who trusts everyone is a fool.
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
I agree that a mostly-oral tradition seems fitting for Norn, but I think they actually have documents. One of the typical items of furniture in Norn buildings is a type of rack which seems to hold rolled scrolls.
I also don’t think Norn had a well developed writing system either. One of the discussions in Hoelbrak is about recording legends into books, and whether or not that’d be disrespectful.
The sole example of norn written alphabet
Writing legends rather than telling them is a rather different subject than having a written alphabet.
although I guess we have to assume there’s a common tongue
There is – to humans, it’s called Tyrian, to everyone else (or at least the Ecology of the Charr) it’s called human.
Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
There is a reason that we are speaking english (and no it’s not my native language, just if so you didn’t see any of my earlier posts with way too many mistakes) and not Chinese.
From the outside perspective it would like the OP stated. Chinese is one of the oldest langugae in the world, it has the most native speakers and it represents the biggest economy of our time.
The reason is that english has been the language of traders. Historicly the humans where the first race to establish trading routes. The current most dominant trading organisation (the Black Lion Company) is founded by pirates. Though they are not exclusivly human, the majority is human.
Arise, ye farmers of all nations
Arise, opressed of Tyria!
Arise, opressed of Tyria!
Give it a couple of decades.
Soon enough we will all speak Chinese, trust me…
I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
In-game translation; “Soon enough we will all speak Charr, trust me.”
“A man who trusts everyone is a fool.
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
And a man who trusts no one is a fool.
We are all fools, if we live long enough.”
In-game translation; “Soon enough we will all speak Charr, trust me.”
Well, we’ve just said that common languages tend to arise for the purposes of trade between people, and the Black Lion Trading Company – the greatest and most ubiquitous trade organisation in Tyria – is run by… oh look, a charr :P
Already having Lion’s Arch as a centre for people who are interested in working with races other than their own, however, I think whatever is common in Lion’s Arch is your trade language/culture. You can bet Gnashblade is an Archer through-and-through.