Rietic languages
| Rietic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: | Eastern Soltenna and Shavakhotia |
| Linguistic classification: | One of Sahar's primary language families |
| Proto-language: | Proto-Rietic |
| Subdivisions: | |
| CWS code | – |
The Rietic languages are a language family of around 30 languages spoken primarily in Eastern Soltenna, including Kadya, Loheta, Lugida, Naea, Riyana, Tolzadirw, and Xynderland, as well as smaller amounts in Shavakhotia. Rietic languages originate from an ancestral language, Proto-Rietic, which was spoken around 3300 BCE in the Acre regions of the Central Basin, and spread into at least six branches: Elder Acre, West Acre, East Acre, Merythic, Melo-Ferekhan, and Damire.
Over 240 million people are native speakers of a Rietic language. Merythic Lithian is the largest with 180 million total speakers, including 100 million native speakers, and is an official language in Lugida and Fordas. Other major Rietic languages include the West Acre Naean with 88 million native speakers, West Acre Riyan with 51 million, East Acre Kadic with 32 million, and Damire Xynder with 15 million. There are older Rietic languages which have been attested in history but have since gone extinct, such as the Elder Acre Iris language, spoken by the Ancient Iris civilization, and the Merythic Rudanian language, ancestor of Lithian first traced to the Avite Empire and last used by the Forian Kingdom. Iris is especially known for its surviving loanwords in other Rietic languages.