oohh, this is all very interesting but I'm too dead inside to really respond in depth. I actually pronounce caught/cot the same unless I really focus on saying them differently and I grew up in NJ/NY for most of my life. But I'm a rule bender bc I have phonetic issues anyhow. I think if we're just talking about how nations pronounce words, i can't imagine if I was an immortal being, I would bother to change my pronunciation just to suit the place I was in. I wonder if someone of them just have a funny way of pronouncing some things some times. Maybe all nations have quirks that kinda give their timelessness away.

BUT THIS is all over my head too but definitely some food for thought. I do think they'd be capable of fluidity with it. It's really a tricky thing to attach human limitations to nations, especially since they all seem to fuck reality and understand each other regardless of language differences...unless they all pick a sole language to speak in but idek. CONFUSING CANON THINGS THAT WILL NEVER HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER

I like the idea of them having a dormant ability to return to languages/dialects that have gone into retirement, but I do also really really love the idea of them having trouble speaking to their little selves and being rusty and having to get back into the swing of things and then getting all confused over it and mixing things up. TORN TORN TORN but interesting, shit will keep you up at night.