alternatehistory.com

Hi there.

Your challenge, should you accept it, is keeping Crimean Gothic a commonly spoken language by 2009, with a POD of no earlier than 1600 AD. It may be anywhere you'd want. Bonus points if you make it the official language of a country. :)

I think most of you know about Crimean Gothic. If not: Crimean Gothic was an East-Germanic language that went extinct by the end of the 18th century. It's speakers were the offsprings of the Ostrogoths that stayed in Ukraine, particularly on the Crimean peninsula.

Also, there is a theory that the language was heavily influenced by German settlers during the Drang nach Osten, since it has many words that seem very West-Germanic. Such as 'Plut' meaning German 'Blut' (blood); 'Schuuester' meaning German 'Schwester' (sister); Alt means old in both languages; Cr. Gothic 'Oeghene' meaning 'Augen' in German (eyes); Lachen means 'to laugh' in both languages; etc.

But it also has many words in it's vocabulary that are unrecognizable in any living language (at least not in Germanic ones), such as: 'Kilemschkop' (drink up your cup); 'Tzo Vvarþata' (Thou hast made/You have made). Thus it is unknown if it belongs to the West- or East Germanic tree.

Good luck! :p

Ps. Some very interesting/useful sources are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_Gothic
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/gotol-10-R.html

-Korporal Nooij
Top