The Old Cana Language

The Cana

The Cana was the name of a group people who once inhabited much of western Ecoth including what is today the kingdom of Vacana. Vacanan language dates back to the dialect of these ancient Cana tribes, but as the influence of surrounding kingdoms and empires led the tribes of Vacana became more unified, merging their languages to form a similar pattern of speech. Cana, the word outsiders had previously used to describe people from their general area. The unified tribes of the Cana would gradually integrate into the rest of Ecoth, slowly losing their older languages in favor of the Ecothnicly recognized standard language. This was likely brought to the area when the Traiphotians first colonised what would later become Vacana. Although the languages of the ancient Cana are now lost to time, there are many remanence of their old toung mostly seen in Vacanan names and places.

The most obvious word to come from the Cana is Vacana. Originally called Wu Cana, which meant The United Cana, the word Wu (meaning together) was later replaced with Vua (meaning royal or important figure) when the first King of the region was crowned. Eventually the words changed with time and ended up written together as Vacana.

In the old Canan language letters such as V, H and J were only used by those higher status. This is why many import names in Vacana start with or include these letters. Families such as Hundra dated back thousands of years and some even once believed that people who had these rare letters in their name were chosen by the Gods. In reality, back in the day, only the highest classes used terminology where these letters were used in the language due to better education. By the time of the Dynasty most Vacanans were fluent in all letters of the standard alphabet and much of the Old Cana Language was not used.

Letters and Their Meanings

In Canan adding letters to words can change how the word is used, the importance of the word or in what context it is referring to. There are several types of letter adjustment.

Joining Terms

• A - The (sometimes of)

• E - Of (sometimes belongs to)

• Q - And / Plus

Adaptifiers

• D - Many (pluralises a noun)

• I - Used / Old

• Y - Colour

• C - Good

• K - Bad

Signifiers

• C - Good

• K - Bad

• L - natural

• O - Mystery / Unexplained

• H - Importance and Power

• J - Importance

• V - Importance - unique or special.

• U - Often used as a substitute to V by lower class people and in older words.

• B -

• F -

• G -

• P - PLOZ

• M -

• N -

• R -

• S -

• T -

• W -

• X -

• Z - PLOZ

Common Words And Phrases From Old Canan

• Vua or Va - Royal / Important Person

• Wu - United / Together

• Uth or Vuth - Greeting (Formal/Informal)

• Jhgo - Chief / Leader

• Cana - Can be the people of Cana or just people

• Canar - Friend / Ally

• Kgraf - Enemy / Foe

• Kirge - Death

• Kir - Danger / Harm

• Do - Quantity / Amount (often referring to money or valuables)

• Huun - Power (sometimes magical power in mythology)

• Eez - Trustworthy/Loyal

• A - The (sometimes of)

• E or En - Of / Belongs to

• Q - And / Plus

• Iif - River / Stream

• Lop - Place

• Sak - Home / Place of rest

• D'sak - Village / Settlement

• Turt - Tree

• D'turt - Forrest / Many Trees

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