Small, random questions about RotE that still bother you (spoilers all RotE books)

[redchild]

The pronunciation of everything drives me absolutely crazy. Mervi, thanks for confirming that about Chade. But what about everything else? Is the "live" in "liveships" pronounced like in living or like in alive? How about Jamaillia - is it a soft or a hard "J"? And Chalced. I've always thought of it as "CHAL-sid," but it could be "SHAL-sid," "KAL-sid," or maybe even "CHALST." Sometimes I wish there was a pronunciation guide somewhere. And I'd absolutely love to hear the Jamaillian, Chalcedean, Six Duchies, Out Islander, and Mountain Kingdom accents.

Yeah it can drive you crazy when you've been saying it one way in your head the entire time and then find out that it's pronounced completely different. I used to pronounce Chade with a hard ch- until I read the Fool's line about "light and shade." It was a face palm moment for me. As for the others, I just stick with what I prefer until proven otherwise (but I might still prefer my own way of pronunciation anyhow): Liveships with "alive," Jamaillia with a hard "j," and Chalced as "chal-sid"

On languages, it seems that they don't pose a barrier in terms of communication. Despite this, it still doesn't prevent culture clash.

These beings sense a vague middle-eastern and/or roman tendency in chalced. But not a pure tendency.

Bingtown bears a resemblence to colonial times.

The biggest difference is that all the cultures are in around iron ages... They have steel and such, but they do not have any forms of firearms... The sole long-range weapons are catapults, ballistae and bows. that changes a lot where culture is concerned...

Yes, while they are all different and are anachronistic compared to real life, none of them have industrialized (and would otherwise be steampunk.)

The Six Duchies is very obviously Anglo-Norman, probably earlier in the Dark ages as I don't recall there ever being any sort of full-body plate armor in use. The Mountain Kingdom and Out Islanders have very strong Nordic influences, also during the Dark ages. Bingtown seems to be modeled on secular Dutch society as they seem so focused on business and trade, though I too feel as though they come out of the Englightenment. The Pirate Isles based on the seafaring pirates during the age of Exploration. Jamaillia and Chalced seem to have some Roman and Asian influences but I can't put my finger on which; possibly Indian or Middle Eastern.