Amaian languages
| Amaian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: | East Vaniua, West Parshita |
| Linguistic classification: | One of Sahar's primary language families |
| Proto-language: | Proto-Amaian |
| Subdivisions: | |
| CWS code | – |
The Amaian languages are a medium-sized family of ten languages in South Miraria. Together they are spoken by around 35 million people. Their ancestor was a partly-written language spoken about 2000 years ago in what is now western Zwazwamia.
Some common feature are: whistled sibilants, extremely head-final, relatively small phonemic inventories, evidentiality on verb, small case systems, voicing as a parameter.
Many of the constituent languages are mutually intelligible, and some constituent dialects are unintelligible, as a result of complex ethnic dynamics in the region. Amaian languages have official status in Amaia, Zwazwamia, Melqui, and Kaatkukia, and are also spoken to some extent in Balakia.
Languages
Amaian-Zwazwan and Wamenan are usually considered the most conservative members along with some of the Ziimen languages, a paraphyletic ethnically-defined group.
Jundi and Melquian are highly divergent phonologically, grammatically, and lexically.
| Language | Technical Classification | Number of native speakers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amaian-Zwazwan language | Macro-Amaian | 25,000,000 | Amaia, Zwazwamia |
| Melquian language | Melquian | 8,000,000 | Melqui |
| Wamenan language | Wamenan | Kaatkukia | |
| Jundi language | Jundi | 400,000 | Melqui (Northeast) |
| [[]] | Balaki Amaian | 20,000 | Balakia |
| [[]] | Balaki Amaian | 10,000 | Balakia |
| [[]] | Macro-Amaian | 2,500 | Balakia, Amaia (Gynnyn) |
| [[]] | Macro-Amaian | 5 | Amaia (Gynnyn) |