What is the official language of the Empire?

Tamrielic.

Fixed.

So is that mainly the Imperials language or is it a combination of both imperial and some elvish or it just a combination of all different languages (very unlikely but I've been wrong before).

Well, there is a language called Cyrodillic (both Old, which is still used by the Wild elves, and New, which you hear about in TES4), so I don't really know where Tamrielic came from.

I would assume it's mostly human.

I theorized long ago it was the Breton language. Why? Because it's presumably a creole of Nedic and Aldmeri (just like English is basically a creole of Old German and Old French). Also because Nord and Cyrodiil names are exotic, just like the various elven names, while Breton names aren't. (Ever since Arena and Daggerfall, they've been the usual standard-fare fantasy name, Morrowind and Oblivion kinda changed them from Fantasy English to Fantasy French though, but you can still find some Fantasy English names anyway.)

There's a few evidences that Cyrodiilic is an exotic language, look how they use Latin for some things (like the title of the Imperial Legion code book, Ordo Legionnis). So people don't speak Cyrodiilic. Also, they don't speak Elven. We've seen that all elven languages are related, and they're exotic (Balmora instead of Stonewood). Khajiit, Argonian, Dwemer, and Ayleid and ancient Ehlnofey are all exotic languages which are definitely not what everybody use everyday.

The Bretons, having been half-elves, and having been a rather harmonious cohabitation of elves and humans, probably had developed a language that seemed like a compromise and was better for trading purposes. As such, it has become the de-facto lingua franca for the Continent, and thus the official language of the Empire.

But that's just my pet theory. I like it because, for once, the Imperial language wouldn't be the language from the heart of the Empire, which is a quite original turn of events.

I feel like I must add that the "fantasy French" names for Bretons are mostly an Oblivion thing. (A regretable one, at that. Not that I have anything against French people. )

They were definitely a Morrowind thing too. I found it kind of jarring, though, after the slew of old English-sounding names with far too many gratuitous 'y's in Daggerfall

Is it me or are the French-English wars being replayed by the language of the Bretons.

High Rock is a big place and no doubt has it's own culture groups. Consider the difference in naming systems found on Great Britain. It's quite probable that different areas of High Rock are as culturally diverse as medieval Britain was, and it was pretty diverse:

The Normans had French roots.
The Saxons had Germanic roots.
There were numerous Celtic groups, which were themselves pretty diverse (Welsh and Scotch names are pretty distinct)
And a strong Danish and Scandinavian connection.


Granted High Rock has a very different background, but medieval Britain and France were both used in the creation of High Rock.

I think you struck closer to home with those points. High Rock does seem to be the epitome of feudal Britain, whereas previously the naming of its inhabitants was a little short sighted, as mostly traditional "English" names were used, however this changeover is more representative of what the land was actually like. (A cultural mixing pot)

An NPC in oblivion:
"Did you want something or just come to practice your cyrodiilic?"
There is no mention of her being a linguist, so that suggests that Cyrodiilic isn't a dead language. Maybe just another word for Tamrielic? A dialect?

I still find it striking that, though Breton names could have a kind of French feel, (Many people consider anything French that has two consonants plus an "e" at the end. ) names such as "Timothee La Rouche" "Lucien LaChance" and "Mathieu Bellamont" are something new.

I don't remember how it is in the game, but "LaChance" doesn't look French, it looks like the Americanization of a French name. In French, it would be Lachance. You'd never put upper-case in the middle of a word, even a compound one, in French, that's typically American.

I have the feeling they used http://ebon.pyorre.net/ with the French dictionary for http://til.gamingsource.net/zeph/TES_Tre_2_04.shtml, as they seem "fantasy French" rather than real French. (That is to say, you have many of them that look a lot like real names, but actually aren't. Like "Arnand" (looks like "Armand") or "Alodie" (looks like "Elodie"). For Oblivion, they seemed to take their inspiration from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_LaCroix.

Yes, I agree on that. Putting an upper case in the middle of a word goes against my sense of decency too.

Being French, maybe I can help. Yes, the names sound French. Not totally, as you pointed out, there is usually a letter or two which differs from actual French names. And then it sounds a bit old, which is the goal, I think because that would make them more medieval-ish. Fact is, none of them sounds really foreign to me.

I'd epect the Empire's official language to bewhat's spoken in Cyrodill - empires tends to use the conqueror's language rather than the conquered's.

Basically the peoples in Cyrodill are former slaves of the ayelids - a banch of the almers. Whch means it's either a simplified derivative of altmei with nedic (nord) influences, or a variation of nordic wiht altmeri influences, depending on which side of the mix is prevalent.

I'd expect more altmeri influences in the administative, artitistic and magic terminology, with nedic influence stonger in dayly life and work related terms (a bit along the line of english, which uses sheep for the animal and mutton for what's in the plate - the latter being borrowed from french through norman lords)

Before Tiber Septim conqured Tamriel, Altmeris was the official language of the Empire. Cyrodiilic is a modern dialect of Altmeris. All, if I'm not mistaken.

I remember them saying that modern Tamriellic was based on Aldmeris, so it would be related closer to the Aldmer than anyone.

Imperial... thats what Imperial speak right? Imperial,


*POW*

Imperial

Merci, mais en bon h?xagonal m?tropolitain que je suis, je n'ai pas vraiment besoin d'aide pour discerner le bon grain de l'ivraie en mati?re de francitude.

(For other people wondering what the above means and what this crazy moon-language is, I'm just telling him I am as qualified as him for telling whether something sounds French or not.)

And what if this is how the language of the Empire sound like? :glare: It sounds better than sunnabe varla mora ghartok!

Ah, d?sol? je n'avais pas remarqu?, Gez.


Well, we can keep this going on and on? But what I said to him was : "Sorry, didn't notice".



Actually, most Frenchmen who speak English have this kind of accent

"4.1.2 Male

Occurence: 1
Alodie, Andre, Arnand, Astien, Barnand, Bereditte, Birard, Ciel, Cirges, Danders, Daric, Debentien, Detritus, Dilborn, Elbert, Ernand, Ernard, Faric, Fenas, Ferarilie, Francois,..."

"All names are property of Bethesda Softworks Inc., a ZeniMax Media company."

^ from http://til.gamingsource.net/zeph/TES_Tre_2_04.shtml
How the hell can they have copyright over Francois???



I like that last word. Francitude...

I think that's more a disclaimer Zeph wrote to cover himself (herself?) than it is something Beth have decided.