Aug. 1st, 2009

swordage: rotf Soundwave (tf Megatron)
I've been pondering what the Cybertronian language might be like. I'm no linguist, let me disclaim that first - but I am fascinated by the fundamental differences between organic and inorganic species. I mean, on Earth there is a physical barrier between inside and outside of a person, but for a Cybertronian that distinction is significantly blurrier (particularly if you ascribe to the Bay depictions). I think there'd be various states of inside/outside/between/within. Form and function, good lord, how would they even handle that in a species that can vary from planet-sized to a few feet tall? When the form can change almost arbitrarily? I read a story where their language is entirely logic-based, which meant that every word had a true/false value, and that seems... right somehow. Either you are loyal or you are not; either you are an Autobot or you are a Decepticon. The meaning of those words may very from person to person, but the state of being Autobot or Decepticon is still a yes/no situation. I don't think they'd have modifiers like "really" or "very" or "mostly". And oh man, the vocabulary they must have for some things - an individual's location in relation to planetary masses, for example. Things that happen to metal, like the discoloration of heated copper or the tarnish of silver or the different ways things melt. Electrical vocabulary - sparks and jolts and the like, the distinction between harmful and useful electrical discharges, and the distinction between the life-spark and electrical activity. Kinds of fuel! Energon vs. organic-based gasoline vs. who knows what else! That's not even going into bodily systems and whether a form's purpose is tied into the word for said form. Whether there's a distinction between military and civilian and medic, or whether that's tied into this person takes this shape which has these uses available. Not to mention the words for the different senses they must have - you can't tell me they don't feel EM in some way. And lord, all the ways they can communicate - in-atmosphere vocals, interpersonal comms, I don't even know. I still haven't even put much thought into their spoken language - I like the take the movies took on that, actually, the staticky crackles. There's no reason for it to be limited to sounds humans can hear, either. Think of all the kinds of noise electronics can make! Hisses and crackles and tones and clicks. No need to limit yourself to one tone at a time, either. It's almost like music.

Maaaaan I want to build them a language. It would be so beautiful.

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