Languages

Overview

All employees must have passed a fluency prerequisite for english to allow them to converse at a minimum level with other crewmembers, as required by corporate hiring standards. However, use of other languages may be used in private exchanges between crewmembers.

All text that characters speak using say or using the ; radio is to be considered english in-game. All characters are expected to know english as it is the standard language of interaction aboard the station. Non-human characters will also know their species language by default. Finally, all characters, including humans, may pick a language of their choosing to have fluency in.

While in-game, players may see what languages their characters know by using the Check-Known-Languages verb. In order to speak a language that is not english, a character must follow their say verb with a character that corresponds to their language similar to speaking on a department radio. Example: Speaking the unathi language of sintha'unathi requires using say :o before entering their line.

As expected, a character that does not know a language will be incapable of speaking it. They will also not be able to understand a word that is said if a nearby character speaks using an unknown language.

Common Languages

These languages are common with many sentient species in contact with humanity and is widely known throughout well populated interstellar areas. It is not unheard of for an alien to know any or all of these languages.

English say

Originating on the human world of Earth, english was one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet. After its speakers took to the stars, the language began to gain influence as humans did so. Due to the prevalence of humans and their activities, many aliens have learned english, making it one of the most widely spoken languages in known space.

Tradeband say :2

Better described as universal haggling, Tradeband is a carefully crafted manner of speaking using a myriad of words from many alien languages, as well as a number of human ones. This amalgam of terms from vastly different origins results in a straight forward conversational style using universal words and talking points with clear, practices enunciation to negotiate and conclude business as soon as possible. To someone unfamiliar with Tradeband, a speaker may seem as if they are stating a series of random points with no context. Commonly spoken among shipping crews, colonists, businessmen, and long term spacers.

Gutter say :3

Gutter is a language commonly marked as another trade language prevalent among most interspecies trade lanes and is popular among humans living further away from their species influence. Being used among traders and smugglers alike, the language is as popular among normal society as it is among criminal and paramilitary groups; making it a language often associated with behind the counter dealings. Due to how easy it is to understand, however, many aliens and humans have learned it as a second or third language for the sole purpose of communicating with each other easier.

Alien Languages

These languages are those spoken predominately by alien species as a native tongue. Some may be learned by other species, such as humans, but they may have difficulty speaking it due radically different vocal structure.

Tajaran - Siik'tajr say :j

One of the many languages spoken by the tajaran of Ahdomai, Siik'tajr is a lowbrow tongue considered to be the most commonly encountered from this species. This language, when spoken by a tajaran, can be described as a series of various feline growls in combination with movement of various body parts, such as the tail. Non-tajaran speakers may have difficulty fully replicating this speech and may come off with stilted speech as an accent.

Unathi - Sintha'unathi say :o

Sintha'unathi is a language with many different accents and dialects, and Unathi can almost immediately tell where the other hailed from due to their disparate, clustered and widespread inhabitation of Moghes. Though they all do speak the same language. Due to the structure of an unathi's maw, similar to an alligator's, non-unathi speakers will find great difficulty in learning this language without heavy practice.

Skrell - Skrellian say :k

The Skrell language can be best described as a series of hums, warbles, or croaks that linguists have difficulty deciphering. Much of this difficulty is attributed to the range of emotion and tense a skrell is able to convey compared to most human languages. Due to the dissimilar aspects of the two languages, the vocal structure of a skrell is intrinsically different than that of a human, and as such, when learning a language such as human English, they typically adopt the accent of their tutor. Skrell have trouble expressing emotion through simple words and body language when speaking a human language such as English due to its limitations, but are naturally more capable than a human in the arts if they were to sing or play an instrument due to their use of tone when speaking their native language. However, how different emotions are expressed between different species often differ.

Slime People - Bubblish say :f

To speak, the slime core within the person vibrates accordingly to generate the sound needed to communicate in the human language. Bubblish is spoken by a certain combination of popping noises, easily understood by other slimes. To touch and feel, a manipulation of cells is used in a similar the human hand is. To hear, slime people use a much similar function as when they speak; their cores pick up vibrations from spoken language and interpret them into words. Movement itself is accomplished through a sort of nervous system from the core.

Vox - Vox-pidgin say :v

Kidan - Chittin say :4

Their native language is a series of clicks, buzzes, head, antennae movements, and pheromones, however they can mimic human speech (barely) using clicks and buzzes drawn out into words, with antenna use for emphasis and indicating emotion, this causes Human speech to appear rather blunted to them, due to the lack of olfactory and movement use. Due to them being mostly unable to use tone, their speech appears almost perpetually friendly, dispite what they may mean to say. -- this causes Z, and V noises to be slightly elongated, as well as a general buzzy tone. S sounds are difficult to seperate from Z noises, as well as C noises.The Kidan written language consists of woven strands of fabric of various colors, which come together to form words.

Machine People - Trinary say :5