quoteren

Quoteren is the name used for an indigenous community and their language in the fictional continent of Naravia. The term derives from a long-standing social practice in which spoken lines—often verses, proverbs, or statements attributed to particular speakers—are quoted and circulated as a form of social currency. The community emphasizes precise attribution, and paraphrasing without acknowledgment is considered a breach of etiquette.

History and society: The Quoteren are said to have settled the Naravian delta around the 9th century, developing a clan-based society organized around elder councils. Storytelling loops, in which a single quoted line may be repeated across generations, are central to decision making and ritual life. Public debates often feature formal quotero chains, where speakers must trace successive quotes to earlier authorities.

Language and writing: The Quoteren language is agglutinative, with subject–object–verb order in most contexts. It has a rich system of evidential markers that indicate the source of information, including direct quotes and hearsay. A traditional script, known as the quotile, encodes syllables and is sometimes combined with logographic signs for common quoted phrases. Writing was adopted more widely after contact with merchants in the late medieval period.

Contemporary status: In the modern era, Quoteren culture faces pressures from neighboring groups and modernization, while scholars document and revive oral traditions. Language preservation efforts include community-led recording projects, dictionaries of quoted phrases, and formal schooling in the Quoteren language.