Naming the stages of a language

A stage is a snapshot of a language at one point in its history. The proto-language is the first; each later stage descends from an earlier one, and a family can branch into several.

Names matter more than they seem. A stage called "Stage 3" tells you nothing when you return to it months later. A name that marks the change it introduced, or the period it stands for, keeps the family legible.

A rule of thumb

Name a stage for what makes it distinct: a sound shift that defines it, a place, a period. Keep the names short enough to sit in a sidebar and clear enough to read cold.

This is a starter entry. Longer guides on structuring a family will follow.