Rajutti's growing influence 27 September 5098 Above: map of Vascania's major languages
The most spoken language on the Vascanian continent has been Rajutti for millennia. With speakers stretched across the east coast, speaking often in mutually unintelligible regional varieties, Rajutti happened to find itself dominant in the most economically active and densely populated part of the landmass - with much of the language's vibrancy stemming from its use in Kamalata. Business, education, literature, film and television have been conducted disproportionately in Rajutti since the decolonisation of the region many thousands of years ago. It is no surprise, then, that shortly after the founding of a united Vascanian Empire, Rajutti quickly became the de facto lingua franca of the new state despite the historical political influence of Kalam in the north.
Roughly 32% of Vascanians now speak some variety of Rajutti as their first language, up from 24% when Vascania united. 70% of Vascanians have at least intermediate skills at reading Rajutti and 75% at listening - increases from 52% and 60% respectively at Vascania's unification. It would be simple and not entirely untrue to say that this marked increase is the result of the increased cultural dominance of Rajutti at the expense of local varieties lacking in national support, but it is also true that many people in Rajavant and Khond - with their own very well-supported regional languages - are adopting Rajutti as their language at home as well as work. Rajutti has become more than a language of practical benefits, it has gained prestige from it position and its recent history.
Rajutti is the language of VascaniaNews and the Kamalata Times, the royal family and parliament. Most parents now opt for their children to take Rajutti classes as well as local language lessons - with up to 20% of Vascanian children taking afterschool tutoring lessons to perfect their grammar and pronunciation. The language is also associated with some of the most iconic moments of Vascania's history - reporting on the Bhapori bombings, the Rapa Pile war, the election of many Prime Ministers and the Panorisa oil spill. As Luthori has fallen in prestige, it was inevitable for a new native language to take its place.
Resistance to Rajutti domination is fiercest in the north, where Kalam is perhaps more of a common cross-community language. Kalam speakers are the most likely to speak less than three languages after native Rajutti speakers, though even Rajuttistanis will often know multiple dialects of their mother tongue. Kalam - in all its many dialects - has an ancient history and strong roots to religious, political and other cultural traditions. It is also the most spoken variety of the Vanashishu languages, which are of extremely distant relation to the other languages on the continent despite extended contact and a number of loanwords going both ways.
Despite this, in the south especially, Rajutti is likely to continue its expansion as couples speaking two languages natively generally choose to raise children in Rajutti first and foremost. Internal migration from Kamalata to the south coast has sped up the process, as has Rajutti's dominance among Vascania's large Hosian minority. Fears of a total Rajutti takeover are unlikely to materialise, however, as still up to 82% of Vascanians have some knowledge of another language. While it is true that once-powerful languages can decline rapidly, public education and ample media produced in local languages is likely to maintain Vascania's great linguistic diversity. It must still be recognised, however, that this diversity exists only so long as Vascanians choose to protect it.
Ikshana is a magazine in Vascania focusing on language, religion and other cultural issues.