Linguistic Archaeology: The Mountains of Greyhawk

The Mountains of Greyhawk
1. Hellfurnaces
2. Crystalmist
3. Barrier
4. Jotens
5. Sulhaut
6. Ulspruc
7. Yatil
8. Clatspur
9. Lortmil
10. Glorioles
11. Rakers
12. Griff
13. Corusk


Popularity of Use
A         %          E         %         I         %           O          %         U         %
7          53%     5         38%     6       46%       4           30%    5         38%

B         %          C         %         D         %          F          %         G         %
1          7%       5          38%    0          0%        1          7%      2          15%

H         %          J         %         K         %           L          %         M         %
2          15%      1        7%       2         15%       8         61%      2          15%

N         %          P         %        Q          %           R          %         S         %
2          15%     2         15%    0           0%        10        76%     9         69%

T         %          V         %         W         %           X          %         Y         %
6         46%      0          0%       0          0%         0          0%       2         15%

Z          %
0           0%



Mountains of Greyhawk by Popularity of linguistic use
76% R:
69% S, R:
61% L, S, R:
53% A, L, S, R:
46% T, I, A, L, S, R: Salt-Tail,
38% E, C, U, T, I, A, L, S, R:
30% O, E, C, U, T, I, A, L, S, R: Corus, Lorioles, Lort-il
15% N, H, P, K, G, M, Y, O, E, C, U, T, I, A, L, S, R: Corusk, Griff,
         Rakes, Glorioles, Lortmil, Clatspur, Yatil, Ulspruc, Sulhaut,
         Crystalmist,
7% B, J, F, N, H, P, K, G, M, Y, O, E, C, U, T, I, A, L, S, R: Jotens,
       Barrier, Hellfurnaces,
0% D, Q, V, W, X, Z

Conclusion
As horribly expected, ten out of thirteen mountains on Anna Meyers Map of the Flanaess are all named at around the same time. In a real world setting this would imply that a cartographer came along and having a map of the greyhawk world applied mountain names to the world all at once - unrelated to the original names of these mountains that might have developed as the languages of the migrating peoples who discovered them developed, though the later inclusion of Jotens, Barrier Peaks, and Hellfurnaces are obviously an afterthought to distinguish these regions from the Crystalmist Mountains to which they are attached.

If we were going to consider mountain names that would have an earlier linguistic history, then we might see a mountain range named Salt-tail Mountains at 46% linguistic popularity. Imagine a salt-white mountain ridge extending off a more significant mountain cluster as one of the earliest known mountain names. Likewise the Corus, Lor-ioles, and  Lor-tils (the *or* midaffix implying common linguistic naming conventions at 30%) would be earlier forms of the Corusk, Glorioles, and Lortmil Mountains (15%).

The 30% development group
1. Corus
2. Lorioles
3. Lort-il


Popularity of Use
A         %          E         %         I         %           O          %         U         %
0           0%       1         33%    2        66%        3          99%     1          33%

B         %          C         %         D         %          F          %         G         %
0         0%         1         33%     0         0%       0         0%       0            0%

H         %          J         %         K         %           L          %         M         %
0          0%      0        0%         0        0%          2           66%     0          0%

N         %          P         %        Q          %           R          %         S         %
0         0%         0        0%        0           0%        3          99%     2         66%

T         %          V         %         W         %           X          %         Y         %
1         33%      0         0%        0          0%          0          0%      0          0%

Z          %
0           0%

Popularity of use (30% development group)
99% O, R: Or
66% I, L, S, O, R: Or-s, Loriol-s, Lor-il
33% E, U, C, T: Corus, Lorioles, Lor-il
0% A, B, D, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, P, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z

Conclusions
The 30% development group originate in the Corusk Mountains at a 99% site known as simply as Or.
At 66% some of this population migrates to the Lor-il Mountains, and Mount Or is renamed as The Or-s (a group of Mountains), and another group migrates to the group of mountains known as The Loriol-s.
At 33% The Or-s becomes the Corus Mountains, Loriol-s become The Lorioles, and Lor-il remains Mount Lor-il. Eventually these mountains will become the Corusk Mountains, The Glorioles, and the Lortmils.
So we do have some potential linguistic development. Consider a Dwarf clan had a colony known as Or located somewhere in the Corusk Mountains.

A Dwarven History based on Language development

Or
The Dwarf Mountain now long lost even to Dwarf history. Its ancient seams rich, and its mines dug deep and then abandoned

The Mountain-holds Expansion Period
A clan of dwarves migrates to claim a new Mountain-hold known as the Lor-il. Meanwhile as the Dwarves of Or delved into the deep realm in their maze-work of mines, an unexpected contact with the Demon-lord Orcus began influencing the Dwarf clans. The Dwarves of Or expanded through the surrounding mountains to lay claim to the Or-s while the Corrupted Dwarves divided and some migrated away to claim Mountain-holds in the Loriol-s.

Corus
The Mountains of Cor-s dug deep, but this be the dwarves folly for Corus is an Anagram of Orcus. And so their Mountain-holds came under the sway of the Demon Lord Orcus.

The Mountain-holds Expansion Period