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Ishar: Difference between revisions
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===Language=== | ===Language=== | ||
Ishar's language works differently from ours, so that the Universal translator can't simply translate it. <br><br> | |||
''Ishar’s language isn’t spoken, per se. It seems as though the sounds Ishar make are symbols that represent different mouth postures. Those mouth postures are the thing that ultimately carry meaning. It gets even more complicated when multiple sounds combined indicate highly complex and “imaginary” mouth positions, like the tongue making a shape that is physically impossible for Ishar’s physiology. So instead of making up new words, Ishar’s people make up new mouth positions. Then, those mouth positions correlate to concepts. However, embedded in the message is an auditory “cypher.” In a sense, this is like a tonal language, but far more complex. Instead of the “tone” changing the earning of a word, a series of “tones” change the meaning of the whole idea. Together, these systems (mouth position, tone, etc) made up the basics of Ishar’s language. And that was what the U-T needed to make sense of Ishar.'' ~ Lazarus Davis<br><br> | ''Ishar’s language isn’t spoken, per se. It seems as though the sounds Ishar make are symbols that represent different mouth postures. Those mouth postures are the thing that ultimately carry meaning. It gets even more complicated when multiple sounds combined indicate highly complex and “imaginary” mouth positions, like the tongue making a shape that is physically impossible for Ishar’s physiology. So instead of making up new words, Ishar’s people make up new mouth positions. Then, those mouth positions correlate to concepts. However, embedded in the message is an auditory “cypher.” In a sense, this is like a tonal language, but far more complex. Instead of the “tone” changing the earning of a word, a series of “tones” change the meaning of the whole idea. Together, these systems (mouth position, tone, etc) made up the basics of Ishar’s language. And that was what the U-T needed to make sense of Ishar.'' ~ Lazarus Davis<br><br> | ||
An inter-department Universal Translator Team (UTT) on the Constitution worked on finding a way to open non-telepathic communications with Ishar. With the help of cryptologists and code-breakers the team integrated a model of a neural network into the UT and they figured out how Ishar's communication worked. Ishar was supplied with a portable version to allow him to freely communicate. It is a good base that begins with what sounds like 'broken English' that learns through active communication to improve on itself.<br><br> | An inter-department Universal Translator Team (UTT) on the Constitution worked on finding a way to open non-telepathic communications with Ishar. With the help of cryptologists and code-breakers the team integrated a model of a neural network into the UT and they figured out how Ishar's communication worked. Ishar was supplied with a portable version to allow him to freely communicate. It is a good base that begins with what sounds like 'broken English' that learns through active communication to improve on itself.<br><br> | ||
===Culture=== | |||
Not much is known of Ishar's culture as of yet. What is known is that its people spawn in ancestral swamps, have no experience with sentient mammals, and have strong collectivist tendencies, with a clearly defined hierarchy based on life stages. | |||
It also appears that puppetry is an important cultural touchstone for Ishar's people, and references to it are found in Ishar's idioms and metaphor. | |||