The Languages of the Kursae

[robject]

Time to start thinking about the semi-secret alien Kursae and how they speak.

They're carbon-based, but they're not humanoid, so they're not limited to our vocal cords. They're not amphibianoid, so they don't croak. They could click, thrum, thump, rattle, twitch, flash, and yes vocalize.

Structurally, their languages should be accessible. I'm not particularly interested in a full-throttle conlang -- or rather, I'm interested in just enough language to get by, and I'm ok with hinting at painful aspects to language. But I'm too lazy to go the whole nine yards.

**

I'm thinking of using a couple layers of center-embedding. Say, putting nouns inside indicators and adjectives and so on. Or, perhaps, embedding a verb's mood or aspect inside the verb, or vice versa. Enough to be strange or interesting, but not completely ridiculous.

If center embedding is a theme, then maybe their sentence itself is structured around the sentence's emphasis or topic. Can the topic be placed in the center of a sentence? It does feel strange.

**
More if I think about it. Suggestions welcome.

 

[whartung]

I'm thinking of using a couple layers of center-embedding. Say, putting nouns inside indicators and adjectives and so on. Or, perhaps, embedding a verb's mood or aspect inside the verb, or vice versa. Enough to be strange or interesting, but not completely ridiculous.

If center embedding is a theme, then maybe their sentence itself is structured around the sentence's emphasis or topic. Can the topic be placed in the center of a sentence? It does feel strange.

These paragraphs fall under what I call "I understand the words, just not the order".

Are these conlang concepts you're talking about here? Do you have primer on these concepts or this topic that you refer too?

 

[whulorigan]

Since the T⁵ text says they have a POICE-based language, would they have any of those visual and/or auditory components at all?

T5.10 Book 1 - p. 153 (Table):

Language	Users	Description
Flash	Kursae	The Perception-based Poice language of the Kursae.

See T5.10 Book 1 - p.197 for details on POICE.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Time to start thinking about the semi-secret alien Kursae and how they speak.
Suggestions welcome.

Easiest possibility would be a non-verbal language using gesture/posture/body language ... so a sign language, which could also include what amounts to "dancing" as a means of communication.

And then there's always psionics (telepathy) I suppose ... ... in which case they wouldn't have had an audible language necessarily (except among "deficient" individuals).

The most recent episode (18, aired yesterday) of the Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu anime had one of the best depictions of what it must be like for a member of a naturally telepathic tribe to be born without the ability to understand telepathy (that everyone else understood and assumed was normal), marking them as an "outsider" to the tribe. Just one of those things that makes you go after you see how they presented the experience in that episode.

 

[mike wightman]

Are the Kursae truly extinct?

Is there a link between them and the Shadows temple? Is there a link between them and the mysterious aliens illegally imprisoned in Research Station Gamma?

 

[whulorigan]

Since the T⁵ text says they have a POICE-based language, would they have any of those visual and/or auditory components at all?

T5.10 Book 1 - p. 153 (Table):

Language	Users	Description
Flash	Kursae	The Perception-based Poice language of the Kursae.

See T5.10 Book 1 - p.197 for details on POICE.

For clarification purposes (note that Perception is a non-Human sense):
Perception (sense) and Poice - T5.10 Book 1 - p.197:

UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTION

The sense organ for perception is the brain. Native brain structures detect auras associated with life and with intelligence directly and process the information. Perception is an analog of hearing: a sophont “hears” the information that the perception sense provides overlaid by brain processes on whatever hearing input is available.

THE PERCEPTION CONCEPT

The Perception Action provides specific information to a character. When the character asks (“I am concentrating on life signs or thoughts” or “I am trying to sense anything unusual”), the referee resolves the Perception Action.

Tone is a descriptor of the source of a Poice. A successful Perception action provides this information.

Poice is the Perception-based analog of Voice: a voluntary use of the Perception medium to express information, and a sophont Peaks (speaks) using Poice.

A source not using Poice may be sensed based on Size and complexity of thought or emotion. Its Tone is apparent. A source using Poice applies its Poice Mod and the perception medium may be modified by language. Intelligent and Sapient Poices may use language.

 

[robject]

Are the Kursae truly extinct?

Is there a link between them and the Shadows temple? Is there a link between them and the mysterious aliens illegally imprisoned in Research Station Gamma?

Moo hoo haa haa haaaaa

 

[robject]

Since the T5 text says they have a POICE-based language, would they have any of those visual and/or auditory components at all?

Well rats, you're right.

Maybe I should go back to Trokh.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Since the T⁵ text says they have a POICE-based language, would they have any of those visual and/or auditory components at all?

No hearing. RAW anyways.
By all means one can say by fiat, "This race has hearing, damn the rules." However:

T5 Book 3 p232 details communication methods available to a species when generating soponts. In order for a species have a natural Perception based form of communication, the species must have rolled having Perception and must have rolled Deaf in section 10 A.

 

[robject]

Hmm, then we get to think about what a Poice language *IS*.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Hmm, then we get to think about what a Poice language *IS*.

Well, going back to T5 Book 1, p197 describes Perception as analog to Hearing. There are two elements that may be perceived: Tone and Poice.
The examples show how exactly Tone and Poice work.

Tone appears to be general feeling analog to a general sound. If so:
Example: the feeling of Obi-Wan descrbing "as if millions of people cried out in pain and were suddenly silenced"
vs a sonic boom. Both impart may impart some information to the listener/perceiver, but is general. A sophont needs language to impart the detailed specifics of what was heard/perceived.

Poice is the analog to speech and therefore language. If so:
Poice appears then to be a direct transmission of conscious thought, organized into patterns conveying objective information, opinion, and expressed emotions. I would interpret this as spoken words / public thoughts. Maybe you can lie using Poice, maybe not. But if you want to know what they are REALLY THINKING with less doubt, one must go beyond and use proper Psionics.