"Drem. Patience. There are formalities that must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the dov. By long tradition, the elder speaks first. Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones. Match it, if you are Dovahkiin!"

-Paarthurnax

     Here, Paarthurnax speaks of formalities between the dragonborn and himself. This is the first inference of 'formalities' between two dov spealing to each other. In order for this to become a successful language, and not be labeled as 'barbaric' due to lack of formalities in speech, I'm proposing how speaking formaly and informaly to each other in dovahzul should go.

     We all know that drem yol lok is the formal and ahnok is the informal way to greet someone. What we don't have, is a system of rules of how we should greet each other exactly. Heres my idea:

• When an elder dovah or older person is speaking to another elder, they can use either ahnok or drem yol lok.
• When a younger person is speaking to an elder, they use drem yol lok.
• When an elder is being spoken to by a younger being, they can use either ahnok or drem yol lok.
• When two young people, or dovah, are speaking to each other, they use can ahnok or drem yol lok.
• As what Paarthurnax said in the qoute above, the elder speaks first. When there are two elders speaking to each other, it does not matter who speaks first.
• If greeted formaly, respond formaly.

These are the 'goodbyes'.

• Two people cannot use the same 'goodbye' to each other. Saying Lok, thu'um to Lok, thu'um does not sound right.
• Lok, thu'um and ruzah wundunne are formal goodbyes, and should only be used by elders.
• All other 'goodbyes' are informal, and can be used to each other in any way.
• When an elder says an informal goodbye, it is okay to reply informaly. This is the only exception to the formalities of elders.

If anyone has any other ideas, please list them below!

There's something strange going on with the goodbyes. First you say people cannot use the same goodbye. Fair enough. Lok, Thu'um is formal, and can only be used by elders. Alright. All other goodbyes are informal. Okay. But the last bullet is a bit weird.

When an elder says an informal goodbye, it is okay to reply informaly. This is the only exception to the formalities of elders.

First off, how would it even be possible to reply formally when you can't use the same goodbye and there is only one formal one? Secondly, since the formal one can only used by elders, the younger person/dovah could never reply formally, even if using the same goodbye was allowed.

How about making Pruzah Wundunne formal as well, and useable by younger people/dov. This way they can reply formal to their elders when they say Lok, Thu'um, and they'll say goodbye to each other in an informal way.

Hope I helped!

That's implying that dov aren't the formal beasts we thought. In skuldafn you can hear them talk, same with paarthurnax, they're always formal. I do, however, agree in the talking order

Kosenu

There's something strange going on with the goodbyes. First you say people cannot use the same goodbye. Fair enough. Lok, Thu'um is formal, and can only be used by elders. Alright. All other goodbyes are informal. Okay. But the last bullet is a bit weird.

When an elder says an informal goodbye, it is okay to reply informaly. This is the only exception to the formalities of elders.

First off, how would it even be possible to reply formally when you can't use the same goodbye and there is only one formal one? Secondly, since the formal one can only used by elders, the younger person/dovah could never reply formally, even if using the same goodbye was allowed.

How about making Pruzah Wundunne formal as well, and useable by younger people/dov. This way they can reply formal to their elders when they say Lok, Thu'um, and they'll say goodbye to each other in an informal way.

Hope I helped!

I see the problem I made there. I changed it.