Vilani(ish) language MP3s

[sayatmenace]

A small project that collects various scholars' readings of Akkadian/Babylonian texts -- out loud: http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/mjw65/BAPLAR/Archive

As everyone knows, I think, the Vilani phonology published 25+ years ago in JTAS was based on Akkadian or Sumerian -- maybe 'based on' is a little strong; 'pastiche' might be better So perhaps this may be a useful resource for those of you who like to use sound effects in your games: many of these files could be played as news broadcasts or space traffic control announcers or whatever you like.

Of course it's not really a good match to any version of Vilani in the Traveller universe. When I was involved in developing Vilani into more of a conlang back in the late '90s, I steered it more in a Sumerian direction (Sumerian being a mysterious isolate language, etc.) Obviously, though, we're pretty certain that Sumerian had phonemes that Vilani lacks; but real Akkadian (as heard in these recordings) also has non-Vilani phonemes (/w/, /t/, /q/, etc.). And Vilani, canonically, has six tonal distinctions as well -- which you're not going to hear on any of these Akkadian recordings, nor really find described in any Vilani conlang materials that I know of.

Still, I think this is cool.

 

[hdan]

Oh man, that is TOTALLY cool! I credit Traveller for my personal interest in Sumerian btw.

/hdan

 

[robject]

And Vilani, canonically, has six tonal distinctions as well -- which you're not going to hear on any of these Akkadian recordings, nor really find described in any Vilani conlang materials that I know of.

Depends on how loosely you define "tonal distinctions". I sort of stretched the definition so it would work as a pitch-accent system, and could also be used as tones to be chanted.

 

[sayatmenace]

I sort of stretched the definition so it would work as a pitch-accent system, and could also be used as tones to be chanted.

I think that's pretty much the direction I was leaning most of the time myself, back in the '90s. It's been many, many years since I read the original canon description of Vilani (which I think may have also been the only canon on the language?), but IIRC it was pretty clear and specific about how each syllable could be one of any six tones, though. Much more like Vietnamese than, say, Vedic Sanskrit.

Stupid sexy canon.

 

[aramis]

I figured that the 6 tones were:
High, Low, Rising, Falling, high-mid-high, low-mid-low.

 

[sayatmenace]

Yeah, I think if I were to go back and try re-doing Vilani, I'd probably go for something like that. I don't really like it aesthetically -- or rather, I'm more intrigued by the more "African-like" tone system. But... it just doesn't sit right. It contradicts an official source... and I'm a miserable canon-whore, in the end.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Yeah.

/snippety/ ... and I'm a miserable canon-whore, in the end.

We are pretty numerous here. Though I have to say there is fun to be found in strange TUs, having recently started my first ATU.