Trokh Vocabulary (Aslan language)

[maksimsmelchak]

Greetings fellow Travellers,

I am researching Trokh, the Aslan language.

I know of the following three sources that mention Trokh:
* Original Classic Traveller Aslan book (Alien Module)
* DGP MegaTraveller Aslan & Solomani book.
* GURPS Traveller: Alien Races 2 (Aslan)

*** What other resources mention Trokh? ***

*** Has anyone compiled a comprehensive list of Aslan Trokh vocabulary (words)? ***

Thanks ahead of time.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[aramis]

There is the Alien Realms book, which includes an Aslan adventure.
MT has several small bits in the Referee's Companion and Rebellion Sourcebook.
TNE's Regency Source Book covers Aslan and Vargr characters; I don't recall (and don't have the CD to check) if it has any aslan words.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

There is the Alien Realms book, which includes an Aslan adventure.
MT has several small bits in the Referee's Companion and Rebellion Sourcebook.
TNE's Regency Source Book covers Aslan and Vargr characters; I don't recall (and don't have the CD to check) if it has any aslan words.

Thank you, Aramis.

TNE's Regency Source Book did have some if I recall correctly.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[McPerth]

There's an Aslan book for MgT too, but I've never seen it, so I don't know if it would be relevant...

 

[aramis]

There's an Aslan book for MgT too, but I've never seen it, so I don't know if it would be relevant...

Relevant, yes. Consistent? no.

 

[robject]

The Trokh in the Mongoose book is passable but has some minor problems to be overlooked.

I heard, from Don a few years back, that Guy Garnett is the resident Aslan expert.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

The Trokh in the Mongoose book is passable but has some minor problems to be overlooked.

I heard, from Don a few years back, that Guy Garnett is the resident Aslan expert.

Hi Robject,

*** Do you know how to get ahold of Guy Garnett? ***

I always like to base new creations on old canon, consult the previous or current generation, and be as inclusive as possible.

Consistency within disparate canon is impossible, but it's worth the effort to at least try. I have been very impressed with your Aslan efforts, Rob. Neat stuff.

Internal Link: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=34023 Trokh (for ship and people naming)

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[robject]

Rumor has it that Guy shows up occasionally. I've never interacted with him though. I think he's semi-retired regarding Traveller. He's a TNE fan, and helped out with T4/FFS2/QSDS et al.

Trawling COTI, I see that...

...Gurps Traveller Alien Module 2 had copies of both the male and female dialects of the Aslan tongue, both a fairly large set of pregenerated words and examples of their script/alphabet.

I'll look for the TLDL archives next (they don't appear to be online. Perhaps the HIWG CDs have them)

 

[MThompson016]

The Designers Notes for GT Alien Races 2 is here, and is about the ideas made for the Aslan. Most notably, he made a conscious decision not to invalidate a lot of DGP when he wrote it.

http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=994

 

[maksimsmelchak]

The Designers Notes for GT Alien Races 2 is here, and is about the ideas made for the Aslan. Most notably, he made a conscious decision not to invalidate a lot of DGP when he wrote it.

http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=994

Hi MThompson016,

Thanks. I had forgotten about those.

*** Is there any news as to the FFE purchase of the GURPS materials? I see them being sold again. How will that work with canon? ***

Shalom,
M.

 

[MThompson016]

Hi MThompson016,

Thanks. I had forgotten about those.

*** Is there any news as to the FFE purchase of the GURPS materials? I see them being sold again. How will that work with canon? ***

Shalom,
M.

The consensus idea seems to be that unless is directly contradicts more recently published materials, GT information is canon. :CoW:

 

[robject]

Hmm, now I'm interested in seeing the DGP Trokh information.

 

[robject]

If you've got Solomani & Aslan, can you just summarize for me the types of information the book has on Trokh? Without violating copyright, that is.

How many pages are there on Trokh itself, and how big is the vocabulary list? Does it go into detail about the male vs female dialects, and I don't suppose they've actually got the alphabetic scripts? You know, like that fancy loopy script you see on some of Mr. Keith's drawings of Aslan ships.

 

[robject]

Looking at the side of FASA's 3000t Hero-class transport now. The writing looks phonetic - a syllabary, or alphabet, or abjad.

 

[Vargas]

If you've got Solomani & Aslan, can you just summarize for me the types of information the book has on Trokh? Without violating copyright, that is.

How many pages are there on Trokh itself, and how big is the vocabulary list? Does it go into detail about the male vs female dialects, and I don't suppose they've actually got the alphabetic scripts? You know, like that fancy loopy script you see on some of Mr. Keith's drawings of Aslan ships.

I don't think S&A was that extensive, I seem to remember it being pretty cursory.

 

[robject]

OK.


Also looking at David Billinghurst's take on the Aslan script - his hand-painted grav tanks have "slogans" painted on them. Lots of good raw material there.

 

[robject]

Could be alphabetic with a base consonantal form modified by vowel sound, like Tengwar sort of. For example, the tall shallow hook, opening to the left, can be modified by a serif on the top or bottom (including an extended bottom serif), or could have a small 'right hook' at the top, and could have a grapheme underneath it. The hook can be deep, or short, or be doubled, resembling the numeral 3.

Or it's just alphabetic.

The strokes vaguely resemble Gregg shorthand in their utility.

 

[tjoneslo]

The sum total of the discussion of the Trokh language in Solomani and Aslan is as follows:

* Page 56 has one column discussion proverbs. 5 proverbs with translations and explanations.
* Page 57-58, about one column of discussion of the whole language
* page 65-66, two pages of a glossary.

There are bits of other glossary throughout the half of the book. There are several illustrations by Michael Vilardi which include the yoyeaokhtef designs. It does state the written form of the male language is ideographic. The female script (tleftuawaoirlouheei) is more like a alphabet.

 

[robject]

Thanks TJLo.

After squinting at the Keith drawings (1980), I've teased out a mostly (?) workable alphabetic script as follows:

 

[maksimsmelchak]

Thanks TJLo.

After squinting at the Keith drawings (1980), I've teased out a mostly (?) workable alphabetic script as follows:

Rob, will the letters be fixed or change depending on position. Both Arabic and Hebrew have different forms of letters.

Also, languages like Japanese may have different scripts depending on gender, hierarchy, etc.

The complexity of life keeps it interesting.

Nifty work, by the way.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.