Language Name

[stickmaker]

I'm working on a story set in an alternate universe where the empire established by Charles the Great lasted several centuries longer than in our world. As a result, much of western and central Europe speak a common language. Not French, not German, not Spanish, not Italian, but something related to all three. What would be a good name for this tongue?

Comments

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

Why has this post garnered more response than any other of mine? :-)

I'm already using Carolingian for the language of Carolina (roughly Germany), which broke off a few centuries back over a religious schism.

The Compact (so named for a groundbreaking religious document, which one large faction (Carolina; old form: Karolus) refused to accept) is what in our world would be France, most of Spain and Italy and large chunks of several other countries. The Carolingians - believing themselves the true heirs of Charlemagne - took the name of the Empire for themselves and their language after the Compact was formed.

I may use Frankish, since (what would be France in our world) is the core of the Compact. I was going to call it Compact, after the nation, but that seems a bit redundant. Especially since the language predates the nation. (Though it has changed since, naturally.)

I have about 70k words on the first novel (and substantial notes for the second) and am still developing the background. I'd love for folks to look at the background notes I have. While most of what's in there will never appear in the actual stories, the notes help me with the flavor. I keep thinking of things needed for the background as they come up in the stories.

Note that the stories are set in current times of an alternate history. However, despite the divergence happening nearly twelve hundred years ago, many things happened in the same or very similar ways. Because some things have deep roots.

[(Anonymous)]

I assume your research has revealed that post-Charlemagne the Franks split up--into 3 parts. Their language was Germanic, but the West Franks adapted the Gaulic Latin which evolved into French. The East Franks kept the Germanic (they call Charlemagne "Karl der Grosse"). The French name for Germany, "Allemagne" comes from the Roman name for a confederation of German tribes--Allemanni--which became a duchy after it was conquered by the Franks. Anyway, the upshot is that only one language is descended from both the French and the Germanic (though not the Frankish Germanic). We call it "English".