Languages[The Politics page] tells us: :Assume there's more than enough machine translation, electrotelepathy, kything, suboptical subtitling, and so forth that language is only an issue when a being decides to make it an issue. It's entirely conceivable that a character would shut off their translation method, or speak cryptic gibberish, as a fashion statement -- or even tune their minds to a logic so alien that it defies translation, just to see what it feels like. |
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In the Mess, there's more than enough machine translation, electrotelepathy, kything, suboptical subtitling, and so forth that language is only an issue when a being decides to make it an issue. This allows a blind character to understand what a mute character is writing, for example. However, there are a few quirks and details that the denizens of Puzzlebox feel should be illuminated. |
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This allows a blind character to understand what a mute character is writing. However, there are a few quirks and details that the denizens of Puzzlebox feel should be illuminated. |
The primary language spoken in the Mess has sometimes been called "Standard": a mongrel of a language full of loan words, borrowed idioms and new coinings. (See the Glossary for a sampling.) In frustration, some linguists in Upwarp have proposed a more rational and stable language they call Upstandard.Deliberately obscure languagesIt's entirely conceivable that a character would shut off their translation method, or speak cryptic gibberish, as a fashion statement -- or even tune their minds to a logic so alien that it defies translation, just to see what it feels like. * Most subfactions of the Chitin Queens have their own languages, which they deliberately conceal from the world translation systems. These languages are full of supersonic insectile trills, chirps and harmonics difficult for many other organic beings to hear, let alone reproduce. (See also Neke, Szjna-Cyvani.) |
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The language spoken in the Mess has sometimes been called "Standard". |
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* Sebkha's handsigning uses regular quotes, but using the verb "signs" rather than "says". He also uses all caps to indicate proper nouns expressed by fingerspelling. |
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* Sebkha's handsigning uses regular quotes, but using the verb "signs" rather than "says". He also uses all caps to indicate proper nouns expressed by fingerspelling. |
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* Angle brackets are also sometimes used to denote speech in a language that is obscured from the translation systems. This is usually to distinguish the conversation as foreign when there are other languages being spoken. (See "Deliberately obscure languages" below.) |
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* Angle brackets are also sometimes used to denote speech in a language that is obscured from the translation systems. This is usually to distinguish the conversation as foreign when there are other languages being spoken. (See "Deliberately obscure languages", above.) |
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*Lupe uses raised lettering on her(?) surface to speak. They are indicated by tildes or, in a later incarnation, curly brackets. |
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*Lupe uses raised lettering on her(?) surface to speak. They are indicated by tildes or, in a later incarnation, curly brackets. |
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* Omni and its buddings have an encrypted language relying on changes in colors and hues, meant for communication for only themselves. This uses square brackets. Words that do not translate into anything in the Mess (Specifically, places that Omni knows outside Puzzlebox) are translated into random gibberish. |
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* Omni and its buddings have an encrypted language relying on changes in colors and hues, meant for communication for only themselves. This uses square brackets. Words that do not translate into anything in the Mess (Specifically, places that Omni knows outside Puzzlebox) are translated into random gibberish. |
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* Flyte's language has various words that do not translate well. Those are denoted by close approximations in square brackets. Those who salt their speech with accents of High Neke also do this, when amongst themselves. |
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* Flyte's language has various words that do not translate well. Those are denoted by close approximations in square brackets. Those who salt their speech with accents of High Neke also do this, when amongst themselves. |
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* Jeremy, while possessed by the Throne of Elysium, speaks with constantly-changing quotes, designed to suit the mood of the statement. |
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* Jeremy, while possessed by the Throne of Elysium, speaks with constantly-changing quotes, designed to suit the mood of the statement. |
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*Okyno uses double scare quotes on the muck, and has thus far been anal enough to actually edit them into typographically-correct double quotes for the web. She is very mannered in speech, and this is a reflection of it. |
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*Okyno uses double scare quotes on the muck, and has thus far been anal enough to actually edit them into typographically-correct double quotes for the web. She is very mannered in speech, and this is a reflection of it. |
Typing sayhelp on the MUCK displays help on how quoting styles can be controlled.Deliberately obscure languagesMost subfactions of the Chitin Queens have their own languages, which they deliberately conceal from the world translation systems. These languages are full of supersonic insectile trills, chirps and harmonics difficult for many other organic beings to hear, let alone reproduce. (See also Neke.) See also: Glossary |
say #help will show you how to set custom quote characters for your speech. |