vilani language

[sid6.7]

is there a place showing all the languages of traveller? or a traveller book?

 

[parmasson]

I humbly submit the following option showing all possible Kaashaishem.

Shugilii Career, Classic Traveller Style

Enlistment (admission to an Academy of Culinary Arts) +9
DM +1 if Soc is 8+
DM +1 if Int is 8+

Customer Survival: 5+ (DM+1 for every Culinary skill rank up to +3)

Commission (Official License Exam) +8
DM +1 for Culinary skill.

Promotion 9+ DM +1 if Intl 8+

Reenlist 4+ DM +1 if Soc 8+

Personal Development
+1 Dext
+1 Intel
Blade Cbt
+1 Social
+1 Educ
Brawling

Service Skills
Trader
Steward
Culinary
Liaison
Carousing
Gun Cbt

Advanced Education I (officer ranks only)
Instruction
Admin
Legal
Culinary
Electronics
Gun Cbt

Advanced Education II Master School (Officer ranks and Educ 8+ only)
Recruiting
Specialist (cascade)
Admin
Medical
Instruction
Computer


Specialist: They are among the most respected Shugilii. They create signature meals that are their masterworks. (choose 1)
/Ligduges/ inedible (incompatible proteins)
/Ukhergam/ inedible (metabolic poison)
/Unakbes/ inedible (emetic)
/Iigiinaadukiluun/ inedible (hyperallergenic)

Table of Ranks.
E1 Junior Medake (food server)
E2 Senior Medake (food server)
O1 Medinere 'student' Basic Imperial License
O2 Sekilure 'proven one'
O3 Sekimnede 'reliable one'
O4 Khugilii 'assistant miller'
O5 Enziiku 'designated successor'
O6 Shugilii 'master miller'

Special Notes:
Steward -1 Is granted upon enlistment in addition to other skills
Culinary-1 is granted automatically upon Commission in addition to other skills.

O1 Medinere 'student'
This qualifies the character to serve and prepare basic meals.

Culinary-2 opens up access to the following ranks
O2 Sekilure 'proven one'
O3 Sekimnede 'reliable one'
A rank of O3 the qualifies the character to operate a kitchen in a Lesser House (restaurant)

Culinary-3 is the minimum to obtain the following ranks
O5 Enziiku 'designated successor'
O6 Shugilii 'master miller'

O5 allows the character to operate a kitchen in a Honorable House (larger)

O6 allows the operation of a Greater House and become an instructor at an academy if he has instruction-1 or greater.

Characters muster out using in the normal way using the Navy column.

 

[parmasson]

Optional Event
A little known fact is that the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service’s Intelligence Branch
Will occasionally recruit a Shugilii as a spy. On a roll of 11+ the character can be recruited and sent to Intelligence School and placed for a term as a spy.

Internal Intelligence School
Forgery
Streetwise
Demolitions
Bribery
Gun Cbt
Computer
(Roll twice.)

Assignment
Megacorporation
Noble Family
Local Government
Military Commander
Sector Wide Business
Local Company

Success Roll 8+ with a DM of +1 for Intel 8+
Success results in 1D important contacts at the Referee’s discretion and an extra roll on the cash table at muster out.

Failure results in no reward and 1D important enemies.

 

[robject]

Now that's fun.

 

[robject]

Namkhe n. "Jinx"

A kind of curse, epithet, or state of unluckiness.

 

[robject]

Language Taxonomy of Vland

Part of my ongoing fleshing-out of Vilani includes extracting out the root terms from the lexicon. Kin to this effort is mapping out the sound change rules which resulted in Vilani; in essence, sketching out the lineage of the language taxonomy of Vland.

Here are some sound change rules I've been toying with. Consider them a work in progress. It's very rough.

Here's how you use it. Take some Vilani, such as Kurega Gikur. That spelling corresponds to the "SV" column - Standard Vilani. To morph it back to Old High Vilani (OHV), the language of the Ziru Sirka, simply apply the vowel change rules from SV to OHV: initial U changes to A, and final A => (nothing). So [kurega] in OHV is [kareg]. Doing the same for [gikur] yields [gikur]: no change. So: [Kareg Gikur].

If you're more ambitious, and want to determine the Proto-Vilani name for Kurega, you will have to apply the SV-to-PV consonant changes (K => SK, G => N, R => R), as well as the SV-to-PV vowel changes. The PV name, therefore, would be *[Skaaron Niiskaar].

Going back further, we can determine the hypothesized "Bilanidin" language version of this name as *[Soyun Nesiya].

Using another example, kugganzir, we have:

SV: kugganzir
OHV: kaggenzir
PV: skaannibker
BLN: songiigaaya

Actually, what we're supposed to do is apply these sound changes to root words only, and not to whole, inflected words or borrowed words. But there you go.

One final example:

SV: Pasuuli Immuguna
OHV: Pesuulii Immagan
PV: Lishui Iimmaanaab
BLN: Riikui Emmono

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">SV: Standard Vilani (modern)
OHV: Old High Vilani (-5000)
PV: Proto-Vilani (-10,000)
BLN: Bilanidin (-15,000)

Consonants:
SV PV BLN
B P F
D T T
G N N
- NN NG
K SK S
L - -
M M M
N B -
P L R
R R Y (Ya if final)
S SH K
Z K G
KH CH D
SH BH Py
- D Th
- S Sy
- Z J
- V P

Initial Syllables:
SV OHV PV BLN
A E I II
AA O A AA
E U O A
I I II E
II Ae E I
U A AA O
UU UU U U

Final Syllable ending with a consonant:
OHV PV BLN
E O U
O A E
A - -
I E AA
II I E
U O U
- - -
AA AA I
- II A
- UU U

Ending Vowel:
(use only if the last letter is a vowel)
SV OHV
A -
AA O
E A
- I
I II
II II
U U
UU -
- AA
- -
- - </pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[parmasson]

The conversion to old V. is interesting. It could be useful for building systerm names in older parts of the Imperium that make sense. One might figure that any system within say 25 parsecs along a jump 1 or 2 route might or even should have an old Vilani name.

I am not sure it has been covered but in game terms Vilani ship and place naming conventions might be useful as well. Knowing what to call that ancient derelict might help with atmosphere.

We Terrans seem fond of famous warriors, locations and battles.

Did the Ziru Sirka also name ships after famous shugilii or poets?

Would the Vilani use naming conventions like Greenfield, Elk Grove, Riverside, and Newport?

Did a faceless administrator name a colony “Settlement 201-B”

Just wondering . . .

 

[robject]

It's also helpful for projecting the various dialects of Vilani that will show up after the Rule of Man.

I imagine the Vilani did use a heroic naming convention. Many of the old sector names are significant.

 

[robject]

I'm reworking the whole thing as a formal set of sound change files. That will let me use already existing software to generate root lists for the parent languages, as well as other languages on the Vilani family tree.

...which I've also been toying with. I wrote up a little language family paragraph a couple years ago, but it was a little incompatible, so I've been working it over while looking forward as well. Here's where I'm currently at:


Before -15,000

Dirmani, the parent language of all Vilani peoples, develops.

Examples of direct-descended Dirmani words in Vilani: sarpuhii, 'duke'; khaz, 'subordinate'.

-15,000

Dirmani has evolved into two languages: "Kaalan" and "Bolsa", named after the agrarian and merchant cultures speaking those languages.

-10,000

Kaalan has split into Archaic "Vilani" and Chekaal. Bolsa first developed a variant named Bholrak, then evolved into Sazrak.

-9,000

This is the era when Vland discovered the jump drive. Once Vland became a spacefaring world, the urge for inner consistency caused a period of intense warfare and mergers. The Sazrak were conquered by the Chekaal, who inherited a lot of loan words. Later, the Chekaal culture merged into the Archaic Vilani culture, and largely abandoned their language.

Bholrak developed into the language Orrakil, which became extinct when the Ziru Sirka ruled that Vilani would be the language of the Empire and its homeworld.

Chekaal-borrowed words: dub-lar, 'data library', palkhur, 'fabric', khuulab, 'to help'

Sazrak-via-Chekaal borrowed words: sakhal, 'house', makhbil, 'sharp'

Sazrak borrowed words: riikh 'error', akhla 'new'

-4000

Following on the heels of the Consolidation wars, the development of the official language of the Ziru Sirka is finalized, yielding an administrative language for the conduct of business and law. This is traditionally the year reckoned as the realization of Old High Vilani.

Old High Vilani word: chatak 'fanatic' (khudak in Standard Vilani)


-2500 to +400

Over a period of 3000 years, from the beginnings of decay of the Ziru Sirka to the assimilation of the old territories into the Third Imperium, the Vilani language fragments into a bewildering number of local dialects and language families of their own. Most are restricted to their world of origin, and many are dramatically changed or abandoned when worlds are conquered or assimilated into pocket empires or the new Imperium.

Sector-wide dialects persist in Lishun, Gushemege, Dagudashaag, Core, Ilelish, Zarushagar, and Massilia sectors. Some dialects are intelligible to Vilani speakers, while others are considered to be different languages altogether.

Standard Vilani is the dialect spoken natively in the domains of Deneb, Vland, and Antares, parts of the Core sector, and various places among the rest of the Imperium. It is the standard language of law and commerce in the Imperium.


An extreme dialect example:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> OHV: genzir
-----------------------------
| | |
Vilani Dlani Lash
/ganzir/ /ninsuil/ /chune/</pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[parmasson]

Interesting. As far as language history and development goes I would say you have a good general outline that should give the interested party enough information to chew on.
(Granted I only know what I can glean off my wife’s linguistics books.)

Why not apply the changes to borrowed words? If the vowels and consonants shift naturally over time wouldn’t the pronunciation of the long incorporated words shift too?

 

[robject]

I have a long way to go; for instance, my examples show that I have a lot of problems with my current "systems". The main problem is I haven't really finished the "backdating" sound changes yet. That will let me start something useful.

You're very, very right about borrowed words. In fact the borrowed words I know of in Vilani not only changed along with the language, they've also been "Vilanicized", meaning I only have the barest clues about what the original word might have sounded like. For all I know, the things that I thought made them "foreign" might themselves be the result of Vilani sound changes. So you see, I can second guess myself until the cows come home.

 

[parmasson]

Mooooo (cows)

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Parmasson:
Iiberukaa
An unstoppable inevitable evil/death. It has a rather severe connotation, those who make light of it risk the fate of people today making a cancer or AIDS joke in a hospital.

The word is a literary reference to an ancient poem in volume five (Garirekiik Volume) by the court poet Henariikharaasiradar Aakhenarii in which the hero is stalked by an unnamed menace for twenty pages and it takes a further four pages for him to die.

I'd modify this to also be slow and painful, because the Vilani already have the certain, unavoidable, quick and painful kind:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">certain death (as in meson guns):
accent: ga.shu.ku.bi
anglic: certain death (as in meson guns)
derivation: gashuk + ?ubi
pos: n
vilani: gashukubi</pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[robject]

Khema Shiramerak

I'm seriously considering gathering up the best of these entries, and dressing them up into something that's enjoyable to read, and putting them in a document. This serves a dual purpose of bringing elements of Vilani culture together into a reference of sorts.

I'm thinking short-short stories, 1000 words and under. Legends, tragedies, eucatastrophes, laments, dystopias, trivialities, you-name-it.

Each story would have a short phrase as its title, incorporating a concept posted here. The concept need not be the core of the story, either (it's probably better if it's not). For example,

Khinruu something something: the main character is consistently late. could either be amusing or tragic.

Sikarakirgashek in Girinbaga: the oath and the oath-breakers

Amgadaashlaru: an anticipation of imminent, unavoidable battle.

Khema Shiramerak of course.

Daas Kumiraa The Game of Noble Houses. (I can see this as being potentially ironic).

Giraakha, as in "Giraakha killed the cat."

Khasekane, Barbarian races. Potentially another ironic story there, if you're into anti-heros.

Maardid - One who believes s/he is clever, not telling all the truth, acting sly, deceptive, skirting the facts. Lots of possibilities here.

Kaashaasen - waiting patiently on one's master. Again, lots of possibilities.


The big question is how to make interesting super-short stories (more than simple anecdotes?) that people would want to read?

 

[parmasson]

All these stories are not contained in any one book or edition but instead have been added to and subtracted from as the ages have progressed to accommodate the needs of the time.

Take for example the story of Iikhinikhirimas Iriikhin.

Iikhinikhirimas inherits the estate that has been in his family for 17 generations. They have always produced wine in the “traditional way” well Iikhinikhirimas thinks he knows better and goes out and decides that they are gonna expand the operation, use new high tech equipment and forsake the way of his fathers.
In the end he brings the family to its knees and is preparing to commit ritual suicide with his father's sword when while gazing into its ancient blade he decides that his breaking with tradition was his transgression. By the end his wife comes back the vines bloom again and Iikhinikhirimas has learned the value of tradition.

BTW there is no Vilani word for tradition in the lexicon . . . .

 

[parmasson]

How about as Limericks?

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Kurega Gikur:
All these stories are not contained in any one book or edition but instead have been added to and subtracted from as the ages have progressed to accommodate the needs of the time.


Yes, yes.


Take for example the story of Iikhinikhirimas Iriikhin.


Hey, I heard about that guy...


BTW there is no Vilani word for tradition in the lexicon . . . .

I bet I know why.

 

[parmasson]

BTW there is no Vilani word for tradition in the lexicon . . . .

I bet I know why.

WELL?!

 

[robject]

Ah, I lied. I don't know why.

But, perhaps the Anglic word is too narrow.

 

[robject]

Mimaarunna (tradition; culture; 'to hand down')

Kurega's synopsis stands at just over 100 words. The heart of this story (section III) reads like a koan, and feels like it should remain brief, and therefore be a 'hard hitter'.

This could also work in kaashaishem, a borrowed word meaning 'to wait on one's master'. In this context, the protagonist could be portrayed as being impatient to establish himself, when ultimately he learns that part of the value of tradition is knowing when to act -- in other words, turning the word kaashaishem into a true patience and submission.

Section I reads like the start of a parable. However, is there a meaningful context, perhaps which would set the stage for the later crisis and resolution? Without wasting the reader's time. I suppose that's the hard part.

But it would be nice to show the protagonist's initial feelings. Can he be portrayed as a believable person?

Section I.

Iikhinikhirimas inherits the estate that has been in his family for 17
generations.

Section II makes some assumptions about the circumstances of his inheritance. Are his parents dead? Does he have siblings? A board of directors? Field managers? Experts? Scientists? Is he changing things for the sake of change? This is the hollowest section; I know this kind of thing happens a lot, and breaks corporations too. But it feels flat. Why? I don't know.

All without wasting the reader's time. Hmm.

Section II.

They have always produced wine in the “traditional way”; well, Iikhinikhirimas
thinks he knows better and goes out and decides that they are gonna expand the
operation, use new high tech equipment and forsake the way of his fathers.

As I said, this part feels quite dramatic to me, especially as told by a disinterested 3rd person. Koan-like. Its abruptness only seems to tighten the tension. I like it.

Section III.

In the end he brings the family to its knees and is preparing to commit ritual
suicide with his father's sword when while gazing into its ancient blade he
decides that his breaking with tradition was his transgression.

And Section IV reads like the ending to Job. Everything's fun again, plus he's wiser, too.

Section IV.

By the end his wife comes back the vines bloom again and Iikhinikhirimas has
learned the value of tradition.