Noah Elkins Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Like the Na'vi aliens in Avatar, the Covenant in the Halo series deserve a constructed language of their own. My name is Noah Elkins, and I am a huge Halo fan who believes that the sounds that come out of Sangheilis' mouths should not be just made up, but have a syntax, a grammar, semantics, and more, to further enrich the Halo experience, and to add another layer of depth to the Halo universe. I am doing this for the fans like me and for 343 to see. Maybe hopefully we can get this into something! Attached are screenshots from the brief 18-paged grammar and pronunciation outline, where I teach the basics of the language I've created. I hope everyone enjoys, and maybe someday, the Elites and Grunts in an actual piece of canonical Halo will incorporate it, if it's liked. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PteroZACHtyl Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 This isn't something that appeals to me, but I'll be damned if this isn't some very impressive work. Keep it up Noah. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosh Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 This is amazing. One of the coolest things I've seen come out of the Halo community 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlexVanguard Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Badass, and well thought out, but the covenant races each have their own base language, and the holy language they all speak. So which is this? Sangelli? or the holy language? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Treason Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Okay, this is by far one of the greatest things I have seen in my entire life. Keep at it man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Elkins Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Badass, and well thought out, but the covenant races each have their own base language, and the holy language they all speak. So which is this? Sangelli? or the holy language? Sangheili probably. I figure that, since they are probably the most abundant and powerful (next to the San 'Shyuum) race in the Covenant, so their language is probably understood by all of the races just because of the fact that they are all together in the same space for so long. I modeled the language off of the Sangheili mouth, with a lot of tongue-and-lip sounds, so things that are around the front of the mouth, due to their split mandible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Mudknot Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Well if the Covenant language is similar to the Yaut'ja(Predator for anyone whos never seen this name) There are certain words that we can pronounce with the human mouth, however due to the series of clicks they do they can say things out of our ability. With the mandables i would think it similar to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Elkins Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Well if the Covenant language is similar to the Yaut'ja(Predator for anyone whos never seen this name) There are certain words that we can pronounce with the human mouth, however due to the series of clicks they do they can say things out of our ability. With the mandables i would think it similar to them. I considered that. However, due to the sounds the Sangheili made during Halo CE, Halo 2, Reach, and now Halo 4, they haven't shown any signs of having those sounds in their language. I can assume by this that they don't exist, like the Yaut'ja. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Mudknot Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Well Noah in the new spartan ops episode. when the main elite (sorry dont know name at the moment) mutters an english word, he has to growl it out, this might be a good sign they use a different method than us because of the biology of the Elites at least. I cant say for the other covies such as the brutes who in your words would fit a lot better than the elites in speaking a speakable language with the human mouth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Elkins Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 I don't think it's about Elites' difficulty when speaking a human language. When the Elite in the Spartan Ops episode says 'progress', he doesn't seem to be trying hard to get it out, rather just saying it threateningly to scare or intimidate the scientist. While I crafted the language from what I think a Sangheili would say, this could be easily applicable to a Brute mouth just the same. I'm not pinning this on any one specific race, although I modeled it after one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Treason Posted November 29, 2012 Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 Are you planning on expanding this anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Elkins Posted November 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 Are you planning on expanding this anymore? If there is a general public interest in it, then yes. I have already begun making a working vocabulary list, and I can expand more on grammar with a more in-depth outline. If this picks up, I'll make this thing fifty pages if I have to! http://noahelkins.conlang.org/covenantlanguage.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Treason Posted November 29, 2012 Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 Sounds like a plan man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Elkins Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Alright, I've created a small new website devoted to the language. I am updating it regularly, and in a few weeks' time, it will be completed. This way, anyone can see the finished product (even 343i)! Link: http://noahelkins.conlang.org/covenantlanguage.html Thanks for all the support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GruntChieftain Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Thought I should point out that according to Halo Glasslands elites have problems with the letters S and P. This may be one of the reasons that Jul' Madama barks out progress. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB77 Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Wort Wort Wort !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tietokone Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Great job, I'm impressed. It'd be really cool if this became a part of the lore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappehNinja Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Meh, I rather learn french LOL joke. Not that I'd ever get to use it, but it seems interesting. Impressive work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dequire Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Sir.. You almost creep me out with your obvious fandom level and your skill in creating an entire language for a video game. It reminds me a lot of how Nintendo created the Hylian Language texts. And just like then, its AWESOME. I commend you, good sir. This is great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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