Vilani in Your Traveller Universe

[Nathan Brazil]

Nathan,

*** What do you think a good Anglic motto for the Confederation would be? ***

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

I derived it from my favorite punk rock song California Über Alles by the Dead Kennedys.

How is this?

We are Solomani! For Terra! For the only HUMAN race!

(Solomani IMTU are like the 1968 American Independence Party, with George Wallace in charge of the Party and Curtis LeMay running the Navy!)

 

[Condottiere]

Call me, call me by my name or call me by number
You put me through it
I'll still be doing it the way I do it
And yet, you try to make me forget
Who I really am, don't tell me I know best
I'm not the same as all the rest

I am the one and only
Nobody I'd rather be
I am the one and only
You can't take that away from me

I've been a player in the crowd scene
A flicker on the big screen
My soul embraces one more in a million faces
High hopes and aspirations, and years above my station
Maybe but all this time I've tried to walk with dignity and pride

I am the one and only
Nobody I'd rather be
I am the one and only
You can't take that away from me

 

[aramis]

In 3000 years no one will be speaking German or English in any recognisable form...

Perhaps, perhaps not. Voice response software is quite likely going to put HUGE brakes on the downhill slide to dialectical diversity.

Depending upon how PC the enforcement is, it may be sufficiently uptight as to preserve the language within a narrow slot around the established reference. Much the same way as the use of liturgical languages in the slavic and romance countries kept them from diverging too far into local dialect diversity.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

In 3000 years no one will be speaking German or English in any recognisable form...

Conjecture, but probably a good guess for a fictional topic.

Shalom,
M.

 

[flykiller]

a good Anglic motto

humans are from terra.

Voice response software is quite likely going to put HUGE brakes on the downhill slide to dialectical diversity.

not if it's accompanied by translation. (nice little feature displayed in the recent star trek movie)

 

[JimMarn]

Conjecture, but probably a good guess for a fictional topic.

Shalom,
M.

Well, my siblings took courses in English Literature at university. English has changed considerably in the past 500 years. They showed me some 500 year old British English. I could barely understand it, I could make out a few words of it.

So my opinion is 3,000 years is going to make a major change in languages on Earth.

Back around 1960-64, I read an Analog Magazine fact article on language changes. The part I remember is one suggested change was blue would change to blanu. I remember the article saying such changes would take place by about 10 years ago... I think the Internet may be blocking some language changes. Of course, shortening words is happening in some cell phone use. And if I can get mine to stop auto-correcting, I'm typing this on my laptop, that would be great. Auto-correct does change my words to some that don't fit with what I'm typing. Usually a person's or place's name gets altered.

 

[Condottiere]

Words tend towards simplification, or contractions.

New ones for the same meaning to emphasize tribal identity, or identify a new reality, or perceived reality.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

Well, my siblings took courses in English Literature at university. English has changed considerably in the past 500 years. They showed me some 500 year old British English. I could barely understand it, I could make out a few words of it.

So my opinion is 3,000 years is going to make a major change in languages on Earth.

Back around 1960-64, I read an Analog Magazine fact article on language changes. The part I remember is one suggested change was blue would change to blanu. I remember the article saying such changes would take place by about 10 years ago... I think the Internet may be blocking some language changes. Of course, shortening words is happening in some cell phone use. And if I can get mine to stop auto-correcting, I'm typing this on my laptop, that would be great. Auto-correct does change my words to some that don't fit with what I'm typing. Usually a person's or place's name gets altered.

I think technology is what will make the difference: auto-spellcheck, global television, etc.

Much harder to be isolated in a globally interconnected world.

But, who knows?

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Some things can sweep thru language fast. The new use of the word "literally" comes to mind.

Maksim, sometimes 30 years or less. Cultures do "steal" words or shorten them right away. An example is this series of videos on youtube addressing "Spanglish". The speaker is Cuban-American and often does commentary on gaming and other things as well
Spanglish con Yenny

Being 100% Mexican-American with Spanish speaking parents find the Spanglish words for "electronics" and "Facebook" to be spot on.

PS Turn on the captions. More understandable that way.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

Some things can sweep thru language fast. The new use of the word "literally" comes to mind.

Maksim, sometimes 30 years or less. Cultures do "steal" words or shorten them right away. An example is this series of videos on youtube addressing "Spanglish". The speaker is Cuban-American and often does commentary on gaming and other things as well
Spanglish con Yenny

Being 100% Mexican-American with Spanish speaking parents find the Spanglish words for "electronics" and "Facebook" to be spot on.

PS Turn on the captions. More understandable that way.

Spanish was my first language.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Excellent! So what do you think about Jenny Lorenzo's anecdotal stories? Do they lend credence to language changing quickly?

 

[maggot-iiss]

How many Vilani does it require to change a lightbulb? (old joke).

 

[aramis]

How many Vilani does it require to change a lightbulb? (old joke).

From the point it's discovered to be out? or once the committee has approved replacement?

 

[Condottiere]

It's an LED bulb, which will burn long after the Imperium has ruptured.

 

[mike wightman]

Lightbulb?
That is forbidden technology.
Now take your oil lamp back to your station and press the button when it tells you to push it.

 

[whulorigan]

How many Vilani does it require to change a lightbulb? (old joke).

Of course, the canonical answer ( ) is (for those who do not own GT Core Rules [p.76]):

Six.

• One from the ladder carriers’ guild of the maintenance bureau to bring the ladder in and set it up;
• One from the ladder holders’ guild of the same bureau to steady the ladder once it is set up;
• One from the clerks’ guild of the government bureau to make sure the proper forms are filled out for changing light bulbs and to pay the proper fee to the energy bureau;
• One from the lightbulb-changers’ guild of the energy bureau to change the bulb;
• One from the wick-trimmers’ guild because it is traditional;
• And one from the supervisors’ guild because his presence is required by law whenever five or more workers are engaged in the same task.