#Not just native accent variations

[menlove]

I will say realizing I have a navajo accent on a lot of my sentences was really heartwarming

[spacelesbiandisaster]

My favorite Headcanons for the Togruta Species

And Shili

And Kiros (Kinda)

Biology

Togruta babies are called Cubs (because I think is a cute word and bc they are aliens after all. Also it translate well to my native language, so when I say Cub I thinking of the word "Filhote" and I'm well aware I probably mixing up translations here).

They live in small groups up to 500 members (but rarely more than that).

Note: I'm saying "small" because our smallest towns have 5.000 member's, but ancient Togruta lived in actual small groups with 50 members or less.

Togruta can grow anxious if they don't have a community around them. Their species were made to live in groups.

Togruta's Montrals are capable of hearing frequencies up to 200000 hz (similar to tigers and bats) and are able of echolocate close objects.

They also have powerful noses and can recognize people from their smell.

Their eyes have a peripheral vision of 200°, that combined with their hearing and flair make them the most powerful predator in Shili.

A adult Togruta eats about 1,5kg of meat every day. Ofc there's alternatives such a rations bars that can lower that amount, but considering they feeding exclusive with meat that's the right amount to maintain themselves health.

Togruta are strict carnivorous (this cannon, but I just want to reassure the idea)

The average height is 1,9 meters for Female and 2,5 meters for Males, counting with their Montrals.

Togruta can easily live up to 90 years, some even got to 120, but they rarely live much more than that. It's a little longer than most humans, but they don't come near Mirialan's lifespan of 250 years or Yoda species that basically turn into living fossils.

Males tend to have longer Montrals while Females have longer Lekkus.

They share 80% of their DNA with Akul (similar with how humans share 90% of our DNA with chimpanzee) what suggest they had a common ancestor.

Their vocal cords can mimic sounds to attract their prey and avert other predators (such as the Akul). Trogruta Cubs were specially good at this and it's not rare see them trying to imitate sounds they find curious or funny. This also means they were very talkative, if a Togruta Cubs is quiet something is terrible wrong.

Because of this trait Togruta are one off the few species capable of learning how to speak Ithorese and Shyriiwook, although their accent is told to be sloppy and child-like.

The muscles on their legs are the strongest on all their body. They were originally a migratory species, so they needed the extra force and speed.

Their gestation period is around 7 months, a little shorter than humans. But their Cubs grow faster and usually start walking around their five mouth after they were born. They development that trait so neither the mother or the Cub stays vulnerable for long.

Togruta skin color have multiple variations, but the more common are: Orange, purple, yellow and dark blue. This colors also appear on the stripes of their Montrals and Lekkus. The flash color scheme serve two purposes: It warn their predators they are a thread (like some snakes do, the vibrant colors usually scares predators away) and it's also a sign of their health.

Health togruta have stronger colors, the more vibrant their color are the more attract they were consider to be.

Togruta are usually monogamous and tend to spend their whole life with a single partner. This whoever is changing due cultural facts, current is not expected to a individual to stick to a single partner but it's a constant event on their community.

Hybrids between other species are rare, however it's uncertain if this is due their biology or they general lack of interest of breeding with other species.

Hybrids between Togruta and Twi'Lek were been recorded although their appearance are highly inconsistent. Usually they keep smaller version of the Montrals and their Lekkus are more similar with the Twi'Lek version, thus stopping growing at a certain length.

It's said they can have hybrids with human and humanoids species (such as, idk, Mirialans), but there isn't enough Togruta in the galaxy making out with humans to know exactly what that would look like.

They change the teeth twice during their lives, one time when they still cubs and another once they hit 60 ~ 70 years. This happens so they can maintain strong teeth for all their lives.

Their canine teeth are sharp ass hell, even more so when they are Cubs. This can be a problem because Togruta bite each other as a form of affection. Also it's not uncommon for them to leave bite marks in visible places on their partners. When other sentient species saw that they thought the marks were from fighting, but turns out it's from the opposite of fighting.

(Note: I saw some other writes with similar headcanons, specially in barrissoka fanfic, and it's cute! But I'm going to make a point here that they can easily kill small animals with their bite, so I get kinda nervous when people make Ahsoka bite Barriss's neck with "all her strength" because that would probably be enough to pierce her skin. So only small bites are allowed here, Barriss doesn't need die like that.)

Togruta's Montrals and Lekkus can turn shriveley if they are raised under stressing ambients. (That's why Ahsoka's Lekkus are so short for her age). Headcanon send by @kayberrie

History/Politics/Culinary

As I mentioned the Togruta were originally a migratory species, that means they used to made camps so they could hunt in certain areas and then move to another region once the resorts became scarce. This whoever changed with time as they learned to cycle their prey with the seasons.

This is a vague example, but during spring and summer they hunt Thimiars (a rodent species from Shili) and other small prey, but as the autumn comes they start to hunt bigger prey so they can store the meat for the winter. During the winter itself they fish. Base on that their villagers are usually construed near river and always with around the forest.

Unlike most of sentient life Togruta are against the domestication of animals, so to this day they still hunt for eat, however all the food (with exception of a few ritualistic hunts) are share with the whole village. So if they can't get food for a while they will start prioritize the children and the elderly while their adults focus on solving the problem.

A exception to that is the domestication of Shilidogs, a species of Tooka (relatives to Lothcats) the Togruta adopt as a companion. The Shilidogs keep pests way from the villages and are very good companions for children. Like a real dog.

Togruta development a way to dry the meat with a space salt (that I don't have a name for yet) so they don't have to throw away the rest of their meal.

Also they when they hunt they make sure to use every single part of the animal and are very against wasting food. The feet of the prey usually is transformed into soup (which they feed the babies and the elderly bc they believe it helps their bones to grow stronger), and the organs are smoked and eaten as a delicacy (god, I hope I used that word right).

As for the actual meat, they cook only with salt but don't you dare think it's blend or without taste! Think about a Brazilian barbecue, that's how it's like.

Once their society started to interact with other planets the Togruta became very close with Wookies and Ithorians mainly because of their ability of speaking Ithorese and Shyriiwook, but also because both of these species also live in forests and share similar values towards dealing with nature.

However their relationship with the Ithorians started pretty rough because when the Togruta first meet the species they believe to be prey animals. Which they kinda are... But this is all put in the past once the Jedi came and solve the misunderstanding.

Because of the Ithorians the Togruta learned how to make the own space ships without destroying their forests.

Because the Jedi help with their relationship with the Ithorians the Togruta respect their order very much and begin to send some of their Cubs to become Jedi.

With their population growth they decide to make a new colonie rather than open the forest to expend their villagers, that's how Kiros was born.

The government of Kiros and Shili are very different. The Togruta of Kiros adopt a lot of the republic politics and build their on government in reference, naming a Chanceller of their own and a senator to represent them to other planets.

Kiros also have big cities rather than the small villagers of Shili.

Talking about Shili government, they usually spread around the planet in small villagers led by a elder council. This villagers are independent but usually live with some level of collaboration, trading goods with each other.

Because they need to deal with other species now they do elect a senator and a small government situated in one of the few big cities they have, but Shili's Togruta couldn't care less about politics and usually let their colony on Kiros deal with all the trouble. If you go to a random village in Shili and ask the name of the senator chances are that most of the people will get it wrong.

Because of this trait most sentient species believe Togruta to be less intelligent, but that's not the case, they just have a different approach to politics.

Kiros is considered a mere extension of Shili, and although they have a more development government they still answers to the people of Shili.

Their economy with the republic are based on the commerce of healing herbs that they collect from their forests. They are far from being the richest being of the galaxy, but they gather enough money to buy the essentials for their survive.

Realistic they don't need much of outside resources anyway because the way they live it's pretty minimalist.

I already mentioned a few misunderstanding others species made while meeting Togruta for the first time, and there was a actual debate if Togruta could be considered a sentient species to begin with, but luckily for them both the Wookies and the Ithorians already faced similar problems and were able to help the Togruta introduce themselves properly to the rest of the galaxy.

Culture

As you problem can see, their society are very close to nature and try the best to not break the balance of the chain by hunting more than they need or building house in animals habitats.

They are usually led by their elder and wiser members, regardless of gender.

Both man and woman engage with all types of chores: Hunting, cleaning, taking care of the children, religion rituals, you name it!

I'm not finished writing their religion yet, but the have a vast pantheon of gods for various realms of adoration. Their most important gods are the a representation of the Sun, the Moon and the death, but I'm not going into details because I don't have any yet.

I mentioned that they don't like throwing away the rest of their prey, so they carve idols, toys and jewelry from the bones and make their clothes from the skin/leather.

Ancient Togruta also used bones to make weapons, nowadays this pieces are used in religious rituals.

Speaking of religion rituals, the hunt of Akul is exclusive made for religion purposes and it's considered a crime to kill a Akul without a reason.

The Togruta are very aware they had a common ancestor with the Akul so that's why they respect the animal so much.

When a child is given to the Jedi they first make a celebration with all the members of their village so everyone can say goodbye properly. It's a joy to have one of their own in the Jedi ranks, but it's also sad to some extent because of how close the communities are. That Cub would probably had live their entire life with them and know that they have to go the village take some time to assimilate that. (So yeah, Ahsoka got a little party with mommy and daddy before Plo take her to the Jedi temple).

Raising cubs is seem as a community work, so it's not rare to leave your kids with the neighbors while hunting or working. Usually is some elder man or woman who stays with the cubs since they can't work as well as they once did.

Some parents make straps bandages in their Cubs Montrals so they can grow in certain patterns. This is especially popular among the Togruta from Kiros and it is a mere esthetic proceed. It doesn't hurt the cub because their Montrals still soft.

They made a holiday to celebrate their friendship with the Ithorians! They invite their alien friend for a three day party as a way to say sorry for trying do hunt them down when they first meet. The Ithorians are a strict vegetarian species, so the Togruta gather exotic fruits to give as a present. The Jedi send represents from both species to act as mediators in case of conflict, but ever since they stated their partnership, hundreds of years ago, they never had any conflict ever again. They truly became best buddies! (And I like the idea of having this alien festival between species that are so different. Let me have my exotic aliens!)

They used theatre to record their history, so instead of books they told teach using their plays. Usually they are full of exaggerated acrobat acts and sometimes songs. Yes, they have musicals!

Their musical instruments are also made of bones and they particular found of flutes.

Kiros is specially connect with all forms of art and their government had imported Togruta plays to all around the galaxy. Their acrobats and singers are praise and recognize as one of the best of the republic. But that's actually why the Zygerian were so interesting on making them slaves on that incident on the Clone Wars.

The children games are usually a sort of exercise to teach them how to hunt, so if you go to one the their villages you problem going to see children "hunting" each other, lefting bite marks everywhere and being absolutely chaotic, but this is considered normal so the adults don't really care. Other species say that Togruta Cubs are usually a nightmare to be around. Their best friends (aka the Ithorians) are still scared of their children.

At some point in ancient history Togruta started to cook theirs meals, but they still eat raw meat on some occasions and specific rituals.

Besides the festival with the Ithorians Togruta have a few holidays they celebrate with their village. They really like a party and even the people of Shili have a special love for the art exhibitions they do during theses events.

That's it for now.

Please feel free to use any of these headcanons if you like them. Also I would love to talk more about them, so you can make comments or ask questions if you have any.

[cactusringed]

pspspsps if you have any lore you'd want to share about language/culture/historical stuff from your au i'd love to hear about it

Giggles. I love conlangs however I haven't actually made the conlangs, but I have thought about the languages. Tbh the One Cadavían word I've made - khasoph - is actually me stealing from the conlang I DO have lol for one of my original universes

Because of this I imagine Cadavían prononciation to be pretty similar that conlang that I made which itself takes inspiration from Arabic, though their writing wouldn't be the same. I imagine their earliest form of writing - before they had papers and inks etc - was cuneiform marks on clay. So their current method of writing has those angular shapes, probably with a bit more flow both from outside influence and from the invention of like. Writing with inks lol. And because it makes sense for a language with pretty consistent pronunciation, their writing system is a syllabary. With Cadavía being so large, there are also a lot of dialects that can vary quite a lot to the point where some parts of Cadavía would barely be able to understand other parts (the way Norway can be, to take an irl example)

Obliviate is actually rather simple in its writing - it's got two forms of writing basically, so you have old obliviate and simplified obliviate. With such a very small population with very little means, poverty and lack of education (because the regular people have to focus on agriculture) was a huge problem, thus much like Korea did they purposefully simplified their writing to be very very easy to write, read, and learn. This was done somewhat recently to the point where older people might stick to old obliviate, which can make it difficult for younger people if they're trying to communicate. The words themselves aren't different but the writing is so it's a whole thing, basically. The language is very flat in its pronunciation and tones, with little variation, and it's difficult NOT to be very formal with it.

Celesti is quite the opposite when it comes to prononciation and tones - it's a tonal language (like Chinese is) that in general has a very sing-songy feeling to it. As revealed in the latest ethubs chapter, Bdubs himself is of low-class origin, from a little farming village, so the way he speaks would be of a different type of dialect and accent as those from the capital do. He actually has to force himself to speak """"""properly"""""" when he's speaking to officials, but is quick to revert to his more familiar way of speaking when safe to do so. It can be difficult for Celesti native speakers to speak other languages, especially something flat like Obliviate, because it's so different in sound to their language. Ends up giving them a pretty strong and recognizable accent.

Methyskan is, I've decided semi recently, the lingua franca - ie, the 'International language'. You know, the way English is nowadays. Methysko is powerful enough - especially since its made itself the centre of trades - that they can just make everyone learn their language. Methysko does have an alphabet, and there are two versions: ancient Methyskan and Methyskan. Ancient Methyskan is just the old version of Methyskan before language reforms, and it's spoken in prayers and written in old books. The regular folks wouldn't really know it, but royals would. Unfortunately for everyone that has to learn it, Methyskan is pretty fucking complicated lol.

Mezalean is somewhat similar to Methyskan - they have a shared ancestor and thus basically the difference between Mezalean and Methyskan would be like the difference between French and Italian, yknow. They can't necessarily understand each other when they speak but they can pick up a good amt of words and the grammar will be similar. However it has been a looooong time since they shared ancestors, like before ancient Methyskan was a thing, so when I specifically picked French and Italian as the languages to compare them to it was purposeful since the differences between the two are bigger than the differences between, say, Spanish and Portuguese, yknow.

Oh also Methyskan and mezalean don't have gendered pronouns or words 😁 but they do have formal and informal "you" pronouns. You can't pry those for me. I'm keeping stuff pertaining to the ocean empire a secret until we meet them, but I will offer a little sneak peek and say; they might have more than two gendered pronouns :D

[somethingstrangeisherehehe]

List of headcanons (Aladdin fandom)

I want to make it clear right away that these headcanons should not be considered all together, they are not small parts of the big picture. Yes, some of them are related or derive from each other, but some contradict the rest, so it is better to consider each one separately.

Clarification: the list is not final, it will be constantly supplemented and expanded.

An important note: headcanons will be understandable to those who watched all three parts of the cartoon Aladdin, as well as the series, and also read articles in fandom wiki.

___________

1. The favorite headcanon - is Aladdin, Mozenrath, Cassim - members of the same family. Mosenrath and Aladdin are brothers (completely or only on the line of one parent - no matter, I allow almost any variation).

2. Mozenrath has Asian roots.

3. Aladdin has whip scars on his arms and back from his time as a street thief.

4. In Agrabah about 20 years ago, there was an epidemic or post-war famine or economic decline and currency collapse. During that time period, many people lost relatives, including Aladdin lost his mother and Cassim was forced to leave Agrabah to earn some money.

5. Aladdin cannot write or read, and now he is learning how to do so. Until Aladdin is literate enough, he will not be allowed to be sultan.

6. Both Mozenrath and Cassim have mental trauma. Mozenrath from his childhood and adolescence, Cassim from the first time he killed a man and from the time he returned to Agrabah to his family but found neither his wife nor his son alive (or rather, he thought that no one had survived).

7. Cassim is a Tuareg (settled in Agrabah), or at least has Tuareg roots. A bunch of others follow from this headcanon, such as:

•Cassim knows the Tuareg language, Arabic is his second language.

•Cassim speaks with an accent, and sometimes mixes Arabic with his native language.

• Cassim’s marriage was not approved by his wife’s relatives.

• Cassim’s favorite color is blue, and he mostly wears blue clothes, he observes some Tuareg traditions, and abandoned some completely or partially to please the circumstances.

That's it, only 7 items so far, I'll be adding to it gradually

8. Mozenrath respects Jasmine deep down for her character and status.

9. Mozenrath has pierced ears and sometimes wears earrings.

10. Mozenrath tried to regain his hand with various spells... His bones were scratched with the texts of spells and conspiracies, which at least somehow slow down the process of further rotting of the remaining flesh.

little update hehe

11. Cassim has dissociative identity disorder. One of his personalities is psychopathic and truly enjoys criminal activities.

Wtf

12. Cassim loves beautiful clothes, jewelry and various trinkets, but wears them extremely rarely in order to avoid laughter and jokes from the other people.

13. Cassim is very fond of horses (you remember he didn't want to fly on the carpet with Aladdin and he was also talked into going to Agrabah on horseback ). He has also participated in horse races several many times and still does. He also likes to do trick ringing.

Just a small update today

14. The oracle was brought to Aladdin's wedding by Mozenrath.

15. Mozenrath's skeletal hand has no feeling, which is why he became left-handed after wearing the glove.

it's time to remember about Iago:

16. Iago and Cassim became not just good adventure companions, but true friends. Iago feels much more comfortable in Cassim's campaign, since now no one shuts him up, condemns him, or turns him into anything, heh.

17. Iago doesn't particularly like to work, but he does a favor for his friend: after Cassim leaves Agrabah, Iago helps him exchange letters with his son.

18. Iago loves casinos and every time he persuades Cassim to go there. Every time they gamble, they cheat according to their usual pattern: Iago pretends that he is an ordinary and stupid parrot that a man brought with him for some reason, and at this time helps Cassim rig the cards or recognize his opponent's cards.

I was sure that this⬇️ was already on my list, but as it turned out, no(

19. Mozenrath has long hair, but he braids it so that the length does not peek out from under his turban.

Something like this:

[repurposedmeatlocker]

It's a common headcanon among fans (I feel) that the main language spoken among the multicultural main cast in Stardust Crusaders would have been English. I subscribe to this idea as well! It just makes sense. While it is annoying to push the Eurocentrism of this take, the fact is that English is (as of writing this post) the third most commonly spoken language by percentage of native speakers, and one of the most common second languages taught within non-english speaking countries (especially Japan, France, and Egypt). In addition to these factoids, and to indulge in some of my characterization-based headcanons: - Just knowing Joseph's personality, he doesn't catch me as someone who takes to learning new languages well. Maybe a few useful words/phrases for the purposes of travel (and even then I am sure he hilariously mispronounces them lol). With his grudge against Japan after Holy marries Sadao, I don't even think he makes an attempt to learn Japanese around the time of Part 3. (I can definitely see him warming up a bit during Part 4 though). - In Jotaro's case, I think it is fair to say he grew up learning both languages. There is a lot of different interpretations on how "present" his father is in his life. My own thoughts on that could make for its whole own post but, to keep it short, I don't see him as very present. Therefore, with that in consideration, I see Jotaro effectively speaking English with his mom at home (since its really only her and him there) and Japanese elsewhere. - Advol, Polnareff, Kakyoin: all kind of the same story. Learned English through school/studying and/or general overwhelming exposure to English-speaking media like films and music.

With this context, English is the best bet. Even then, there are a lot of additional aspects worthy to consider/explore regarding this! As someone who has a parent that speaks English as a second language, and have talked with lots of other family/friends who speak it as a second language as well, there is a lot of unique variations in people's versatility in it. It is kind of interesting to think about conversations between the characters that could become lost in translation, or situations where someone trips up over forgetting how to say a word they want. Or the fact that this whole time Polnareff is probably speaking English in the most obnoxious French accent ever.

[fraterribilis]

The taxonomy of Sly Cooper: Part 2

So, the first entry of this series was pretty well-received. Here's part two. This time we'll be focusing of the villains of the first Sly-game, The Fiendish FIve.

Raleigh was actually kinda difficult to pin down, as he is pretty much just a generic non-descript frog. Looking at a list of amphibians in the British Isles didn't exactly narrow it down, as the UK also has several non-native species of frogs with varying degrees of naturalization. Eventually I settled with the species that I thought best matched his colouration, the marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

At up to 4 inches long, the marsh frog is the largest and one of the most widespread frog-species native to Europe, although it isn't native to the UK, being introduced in the 1930's. Within the UK it is primarily found in south-eastern England. Researchers are still undecided as to wether or not it poses a threat to the local ecosystem.

True to their name, marsh frogs are generally found in marsh regions, being more tolerant of saltwater and pollution than other frog-species. Like most frogs they primarily feed on insects and other invertebrates, but thanks to their size they can also prey on smaller fish, birds, and rodents.

In contrast, Muggshot was fairly easy to figure out. He is unsurspirisngly an american bulldog, particularly of what is called the "bully"-type. Domestic breeds generally aren't my forté, but I'll do my best.

American bulldogs were originally an offshoot of the english bulldog, which were brought to America following the colonization, where they were primarily used as livestock guardians and catch dogs. The "bully"-type ( also known as the "Johnson" or "Classic"-type) was created by dog-breeder John D. Johnson in the mid 19th-century, by crossbreeding standard american bulldogs with an english bulldog, resulting in a line of dogs that are bigger, more muscular, and with a more pronounced underbite than the standard variation, all very reminiscent of Muggshot.

Primarily used as guard dogs nowadays, american bulldogs are considered to be a loyal and courageous breed with strong protective insitncts. They riquire rigourous training and exercise in order to stay healthy (and make sure they don't skip leg-day, like a certain someone)

Mz. Ruby also proved to be alittle bit tricky. I had originally pinned her as an american crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) given that she lives in Haiti, where the only native crocodillian is the american crocodile. The Sly Cooper Wiki refers to her as an american alligator (Alligator missisipiensis), but there is nothing in-game that confirms this. However, i then realized that she is probably Cajun given her accent. The Cajun culture originates in Louisiana, where the only crocodilians are american alligators, so that kinda seals the deal.

You wouldn't really know that just by looking at her though. Alligators are distinquished by having short, broad snouts with an overbite. If we look at Mz. Ruby, while her her snout is kinda broad, she sure as hell doesn't have an overbite.

Petty taxonomy bullshit aside, american alligators are found throughout the swamps, rivers, and lakes of the south-eastern United States. They are the apex predators of their environment, and eat pretty much any animal they can get their jaws on. Although their range overlaps with that of the american crocodile in Florida, the two species generally don't compete over resources.

American alligators are some of the most cold-resistant reptiles, being able to survive temperatures as low as 40 degrees fahrenheit or 7 degrees celsius. Should the water they live in freeze over they can go into a kind of suspended animation, by digging a hole in the ice to breathe through, whilst lowering their metabolism and bodily functions to a minimum. Not quite the breaking of the laws of life and death that Mz. Ruby has got going on, but still pretty cool.

Moving unto the Panda King, and yeah... There is no getting around the fact that he is clearly meant to be a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). I briefly toyed with the idea of him being one of the many extinct species of Ailuropoda, but that was too far-fetched.

Giant pandas are of course renowned for their cute appearance, strict bamboo diet, and for being the face of animal conservation. Though infamously endangered by habitat-loss in their native mountain range, they are considered less endangered nowadays, being given the IUCN-status of Vulnerable.

And no, pandas aren't an evolutionary dead-end or a lost cause in terms of conservation, and don't deserve to go extinct. Anyone who tells you otherwise likely doesn't understand ecology.

The giant panda is notable for having an extra long sesamoid bone on its front paws, in additon to its five fingers. While not a true finger, this bone practically works like an opposable thumb, which comes in handy when handling bamboo shoots (though it'll take some time before they master the art of pyrotechnics)

Finally we have Clockwerk, the immortal arch-nemesis of the Cooper Clan. His in-game description doesn't give us much to work with, other than that he is an owl of some kind. We do know that he apparently had an orange plumage before becoming a cyborg. Due to his large size and having a base in Russia, some people have identified him as a eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), which I can defintiely see.

I however subscribe to the theory that Clokcwerk was originally from Ancient Egypt, and thus like to think that he's a pharaoh eagle-owl (Bubo ascalaphus).

With a wingspan of about 3 feet, the pharaoh eagle-owl is actually one of the smaller members of its genus. It is found throughout Northern Africa along with parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It likes to nest around cliffs and river valleys, where it primarily feeds on rodents, reptiles, and other birds, but occasionally takes on prey as large as hares and desert foxes.

The ancient egyptians associated the owls with wisdom and knowledge, but also regarded them as symbols of mourning and death. Owls were sometimes mummified alongside humans, as it was believed that their night-vision would help guide the deceased through the darkness of the underworld.

[greaseonmymouth]

just curious because you are clearly a very cultured person and i have the feeling the answer is greater than 3... how many languages do you speak?

Something like 8? It depends on how you count. Varying degrees of proficiency/fluency though.

I can speak (carry an intelligent conversation, and write) four:

Icelandic

Danish

English

Finnish

I can get by if necessary in:

German (I can read it fine and understand some spoken German depending on dialect but my speaking skills are atrocious)

Icelandic sign language*

Danish sign language

*with the caveat that Icelandic sign is descended from Danish sign with maybe 30% divergent vocabulary and while I can still remember some of the differences I am liable to be signing with a “Danish accent” because frankly I haven’t spoken Icelandic sign language since 1999.

I am a complete beginner in:

Irish (Gaeilge)

In addition to this I have had courses in Latin, Old Norse (focusing on the East Norse variations (incl. also the more recent variants fornsvensk & gammeldansk, and it included some “runedansk” (the language on the rune stones which is some variant of proto-Norse) with guest lectures on old English/dutch/german), Old Icelandic, and my Finnish degree included a bunch of stuff wrt Old Finnish and the whole Uralic language family though not to as great a degree as Finnish degrees from other universities did, as mine was more focused on literature and translation and less on linguistics.

I didn’t list Swedish and Norwegian here because I don’t technically speak those languages but I can understand them just fine and have friends from those countries that I just speak Danish to and they speak Swedish or Norwegian to me. I am able to sort of hack my way through writing/speaking some Norwegian and Swedish if I have to because I do know just enough grammar and vocab to be able to, but native speakers would absolutely clock me. When I go to Malmö on quick shopping trips i speak Danish to them on principle because Scandinavians should be able to communicate with each other in our own language and reverting to English is lazy, but Danish is also a bit of a garbage language (I say, affectionately) in that our pronunciation can be very hard for Swedes and Norwegians to parse so I try to enunciate clearly and slowly when talking to them. :')

Oh and I also do not speak Faroese in the slightest and the “it’s just Danish and Icelandic mixed together” thing is a lie. In writing I can guess at what something means but chances are half the words I think I understand are false friends and the words I don’t understand are, well, nonsense to me. I have Faroese family and they speak Icelandic with us because we do not understand each other otherwise, lol. Their pronunciation of the words that are the same as Icelandic (spelling wise) is not the same. A Faroese person opens their mouth and all I hear is ???? Sorry Faroese cousins I love you but what are you saying to me 😭

[flamingo-writes]

I’m enjoying your break down on Hobie’s character and your dedication to making sure he’s understood as being an incredible black character. He’s something so different to media and he deserves to have the depth of his character respected and acknowledged. That being said what’s your take on the way people are attributing AAVE to his character in fics? To me it’s just laziness, personally

Oh it’s definitely laziness. But I could also contribute this to ignorance.

I’m from Mexico so, English is not my first language. At school I learned American English all of elementary school and from middle school to high school I was taught British English.

I mostly consumed American media, but I was also obsessed with Harry Potter and Doctor Who. So I’ve always been exposed to both English variations and sometimes mix them when I’m either talking or writing up without even realising it (with my accent leaning more towards American).

But I’m not going to lie to you. I love languages, I like linguistics, and spend an awful lot of time noticing little details in the way people talk. And because I love accents I dedicate time to analysing accents as well as vernacular.

I think the turning point to me, personally, was when I noticed how between white Americans and African Americans there’s a difference in accent, whether is not the case between white and black people in England —or at least not that I am able to pick up through my Hispanic ears—. I think it’s curious, and there probably is an explanation as to why, that you can hear Americans talk and immediately know the color of their skin.

One time rewatching Doctor Who as background noise while doing chores around my house I noticed Mickey and Martha (both black characters) sounded exactly the same as the white characters. I knew it was Mickey and Martha because I know their voices but this is when I noticed there’s no difference in accent between them (other than regional accent). Whereas in America you have regional accent AND white and black accents (not talking about other accents here bcs it’s not the point).

Now focused on Hobie…Comic Hobie is American, hes black and he’s from New York. Granted. But let’s be real, the vast majority of the Hobie fanfics out there are written with Movie Hobie in mind. ATSV Hobie is British, specifically from London (I mean technically he’s from the city Old York, but judging by Daniel Kaluuya’s voice acting, he has cockney accent (London). And i think in ATSV’s Hobie this is particularly important because of the way he showcases being a punk. Not that Comic Hobie is less of a punk, but Movie Punk was clearly inspired by the movements origin in England. And the fact that hes black (and also from the late 70’s) only gives more punch to his ideology. Repression looks different depending on your ethnicity.

I think by stripping Movie Hobie from his original vernacular is stripping a big part of Hobie’s identity. He’s British. He hates the monarchy and the government but he likes being British, as shown in the watch he makes for Gwen. Both the watch and the box have the Union Flag on it.

He likes being British. Plus I think, a lot of the charisma in the character is shown through the way he talks. What he says and HOW he says it, and he uses a lot of English and rhyme slang. And the fact that Miles (being the viewer’s surrogate through the story) doesn’t understand what Hobie says most of the time, is yet another layer to the mystery that is Hobie. That same mystery that draws you in to the character and makes you think: “I want to know more about this guy”

I could attribute giving Hobie AAVE could be a case of lazy writing, but I can also attribute that to ignorance. I would expect the latter to be less of a case in native English speakers. But to non-English speakers it would be either laziness or a lack of proper knowledge. Also because people have proved time and time again to be ignorant in things that would seem insanely obvious to all someone else.

And maybe it’s a me thing. I take my writing seriously, and like to deeply research before writing. I do admit I barely proof read fanfics, is a bad habit I have, and sometimes typos or American spelling escape me. But I try to really stick to the character’s personality. And a big part of personality is expressed in the way we talk. So I’d say it’s important to know who you’re writing about, to properly portray they speech patterns since through talking is one of the main ways in which we show who we are to the world.

[mapsofnonexistentplaces]

i think its annoying when linguistics people are all heavyhanded about using the term accent because yeah its the most recognisable shorthand for all variations in speech for one language but honestly if people regarded 'an accent' as just like. a restricted form of speech heavily influenced by the phonemes of your native language and not just a cut and dry way to define someone's speaking patterns everything would be easier for everyone and especially me

[funnywormz]

i think the dunmeshi english dub is pretty decent but i have a few Thoughts

1) as much as i love prozd, i feel like an older man's voice would have suited senshi better (like his va in the japanese version)

2) some of the dialogue is funny, but it's very 2020s and they've added in some jokes/lines that are way different to the original, and i feel like it's gonna age about as well as "LOL SO RANDOM XD" humour did (as in not well at all). the line where chilchuck calls laios cringe especially grates on me considering that's not even close to the sentiment of what he was saying originally

3) i think it would have been cool if toshiro could've been voice acted by someone who was a native japanese speaker with english as a second language too. maybe the same for kabru, where he could be voice acted by someone who spoke arabic as their first language or something. and, controversial idea i know, but laios and falin could have european accents although idk exactly from where........... ik this is nitpicky and silly but i just get a bit sick of every character having a generic american accent can't we get some variation in there. canonically all of the characters are from different places so it doesn't rlly make sense for them to all sound exactly the same

[foxflowershrine]

oh this is a fun one as a system, we have a bunch of different ones used by different headmates

our "native accent" based on where the body grew up is Coloradan (very close to what people would call "no accent" in America or an "American accent" elsewhere, very neutral like what you'd hear in Washington State, except with a tendency to turn unstressed vowels into a schwa / "uh" sound similar to more Midwestern accents, for example a particularly thick Colorado accent would say it "Call-uh-rad-uh"), and most of us use variations on this by default

three of our headmates have British accents of various descriptions; Libby and Cait have something most comparable to Received Pronunciation, and Kiyoe's accent I can't really place on a map because it's more so an English approximation of the "feel" of a particular blend of archaic Japanese dialects

Echo, much to her chagrin, ended up with almost a textbook Texas accent in a failed attempt to translate the "feel" of a stereotypical Japanese "delinquent" voice, and we're not sure whether she's going to be able to change it despite her best efforts

Jinx and Powder use a rough approximation of a valley girl accent, but aren't that great at getting our body to actually mimic it, so it just comes out halfway between actual valley girl and a kinda nasally Colorado accent

while she hasn't actually shown up yet, one of our most likely candidates for an OC to eventually end up as a headmate has a *very* thick Glasgow accent

rb this and tell me what ur accent is. this has no purpose except the fact i just realized i could have like... mutuals with cockney accents or newfoundland accents or something and thats just wild

[storytellingboss]

Why Storyteller Rings Are Taking Over Social Media (And Your Jewelry Box)

Picture this: you're scrolling through Instagram when a mesmerizing piece of jewelry catches your eye. It's not just another ring – it's a miniature world wrapped around someone's finger, complete with tiny figures that seem to tell an entire story. Welcome to the enchanting universe of storyteller rings, where ancient Native American traditions meet modern fashion sensibilities.

These aren't your typical statement pieces. Each storyteller ring carries centuries of cultural heritage while speaking to our contemporary desire for meaningful, conversation-starting accessories.

What Makes Storyteller Rings So Special?

The Ancient Art Behind Modern Appeal

Storyteller rings draw their inspiration from traditional Pueblo pottery, particularly the famous storyteller figurines created by Cochiti Pueblo artists. These ceramic sculptures typically feature a seated figure surrounded by children, representing the vital role of oral tradition in Native American culture.

Contemporary jewelry artisans have brilliantly translated this concept into wearable art. Each ring becomes a miniature storytelling platform, where tiny sculpted figures create scenes that range from family gatherings to wildlife encounters.

Craftsmanship That Speaks Volumes

The creation process requires extraordinary skill and patience. Master jewelers spend hours carefully sculpting each tiny figure, often no larger than a few millimeters. The traditional metalworking techniques involve:

Hand-forging the ring base using sterling silver or gold, ensuring durability while maintaining elegance.

Detailed figure sculpting where artisans create lifelike poses and expressions using specialized micro-tools.

Meticulous finishing that involves texturing, polishing, and sometimes adding colorful inlays or gemstone accents.

The Cultural Significance You Should Know

Respecting Native American Heritage

Before diving into the trend, it's crucial to understand the cultural roots. Traditional storyteller pottery emerged in the 1960s through the work of Helen Cordero, a Cochiti Pueblo artist who revolutionized Native American ceramics.

Modern storyteller rings, when created by Native American artists or with proper cultural acknowledgment, serve as bridges between generations. They honor the tradition of passing down wisdom through visual storytelling while adapting to contemporary lifestyles.

Supporting Authentic Artisans

When purchasing storyteller rings, seek out pieces created by verified Native American artists or galleries that work directly with tribal communities. This ensures your purchase supports the actual culture bearers rather than mass-produced imitations.

How to Style Your Storyteller Ring

Making a Statement Without Overwhelming

These conversation pieces work best when they're the focal point of your jewelry ensemble. Consider these styling approaches:

Minimalist pairing works beautifully – let your storyteller ring shine by keeping other jewelry simple and understated.

Texture mixing can create interesting visual depth when you combine the detailed metalwork with smooth, simple pieces.

Color coordination becomes important if your ring features inlays or colored elements. Echo these tones in your clothing or other accessories.

Occasions That Call for Storytelling

While versatile enough for daily wear, storyteller rings truly shine during special moments. Art gallery openings, cultural events, and intimate dinner parties provide perfect opportunities to share the stories behind your unique piece.

Investment Value and Care

Why Quality Matters

Authentic storyteller rings represent significant investments in both artistry and culture. Pieces from established Native American artists often appreciate in value, making them both beautiful accessories and meaningful heirlooms.

The handcrafted nature of these rings means each piece is unique, with slight variations that add to their charm and collectibility.

Preserving Your Wearable Story

Proper care ensures your storyteller ring maintains its beauty for generations. Store pieces separately to prevent scratching of delicate details. Clean gently with appropriate metal cleaners, avoiding harsh chemicals that might damage inlays or patina finishes.

Regular professional cleaning by jewelers familiar with Native American techniques helps preserve both the physical piece and its cultural integrity.

Finding Your Perfect Storyteller Ring

The journey to finding your ideal storyteller ring should be as meaningful as wearing it. Research artists, understand the stories being told, and choose pieces that resonate with your personal narrative.

Whether you're drawn to family scenes, nature vignettes, or abstract storytelling elements, your storyteller ring becomes part of your own story – a wearable reminder of the power of tradition, craftsmanship, and meaningful connection in our fast-paced digital world.

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey Dark Winds

My interest in this series was piqued by an anecdote in Maureen Ryan’s Burn it Down. In it, Graham Roland (I think? I can’t look at a copy of the book and double check) told Ryan about how even with the help of Robert Redford and George RR Martin, it was hard to get this series green lit. HBO turned it down saying it was too like True Detective, which I haven’t watched, and probably won’t. But it’s also probably a racial thing, as these are the stories of Navajo Nation police in the 1970s based on a series of novels by Tony Hillerman, a member of said nation and later his daughter, Anne Hillerman. Though the Native American perspective make it feel unique amongst cop shows, period pieces, and even revisionist Westerns.

I’m not a big Western person. There are plenty famous films in this genre I haven’t seen at all. So I found myself grateful that I hqd at least listened to the TCM podcast The Plot Thickens season on John Ford. It let me know what kinds of jobs were available in Navajo Nation in the decades preceding Dark Winds story. (The big employers at the time were a uranium mine and John Ford. On reservation oil mining is very important to multiple Dark Winds stories.) And some of the things that the series has to work against, like Monument Valley having been used as the setting of many tribes who are actually from elsewhere. Time to correct that with a specificity of Navajo life, starting with how they refer to themselves and their language as Diné. Every episode of the series has a Diné title and an English translation.

But I’m really in no position to judge the series on authenticity. I can’t comment of the actors’ accents in Diné, or anything about them belonging to different tribes. Nor can I say anything about historical accuracy with regards to anything, from what songs were on the radio to the timeline of NASA missions.

What I can comment on is that Joe Leaphorn/JimChee is an interesting variation on the older cop-mentoring-younger cop dynamic. Leaphorn’s relationship with his wife, Emma is interesting, believable as people who have gone through a lot, some of which was just wrong. (Emma was sterilized without her consent after the birth of her first and only child. Joe Junior then died while working at an oil mine because of a dispute between who controlled the rights to it.) I like the burgeoning romance between Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, I even commented on how glad I was in a TVLine article about best first kisses. Also, Emma and Bernadette are interesting characters in their own right and that is great to see

The show builds an intriguing mystery in a way that flips some conventions on their head. I don’t love that the seasons start in media res at the mid point and then flash back, but I am always interested in the story.

The third season is the longest with eight episodes, instead of the six episode like season that preceded it. It includes a border patrol plot that doesn’t interact much with the Navajo Nation plot. One episode is devoted to a dream that Leaphorn has while injured. For some this was a beautiful showcase of dream like imagery Zahn McClarnon’s acting. For others it was a self indulgent waste of time. I did not love that the actor playing the abusive priest in Leaphorn’s past was accused of abuse in real life. The episode had some beautiful imagery, but it didn’t help with the challenge to pacing that plotting in two locations created.

Still, I’m glad that the show was renewed for a fourth season in advance of the third. I want to spend more time with these characters. Maybe I’ll even get around to reading the books.

[pastedpast]

BBC articles about the issuing of stamps celebrating Jersey's native language, Jèrriais, from 2022 here (the first set), and 2024 (second set) here. [Note: I haven't read them yet.]

The following notes about "Jèrriais: Jersey’s secret language" were hastily nabbed from writer and photographer Oliver Berry's blog (the article was originally posted on the BBC website in 2023), link here.   

Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, an archipelago of six inhabited islands (and many more uninhabited ones) scattered over the English Channel, just over 14 miles from the French coast. Despite its proximity to France, it’s actually a British Crown Dependency, and as such, the island has two official languages: English and French. But it also has Jèrriais. 

Linguistically, Jèrriais’s closest relative is Norman French, a dialect that dates back to the days when Normandy was still its own independent kingdom, and which incorporates many words from Old Norse, a legacy of the Normans’ own Viking ancestry. Jèrriais shares much in common with the other languages of the Channel Islands, including Guernésiais (Guernsey) and Sercquiais (Sark), which are still spoken by a handful of people, and Auregnais (Alderney), which died out in the late 19th Century. 

The first written record of Jèrriais dates from the 12th Century and the poet Wace, whose works 'Roman de Brut' and 'Roman de Rou' represent the earliest extant examples of the language – although Jèrriais was undoubtedly being spoken on the island long before Wace first put quill to parchment.

As recently as the 1930s, Jèrriais remained the mother tongue for most Jersey-born people, but not everyone spoke quite the same version of the language. Since roads were poor and most islanders rarely travelled beyond their own home parish, every area of the island developed its own words, phrases and accents, which were often entirely different from those of their neighbours – an extraordinary fact on an island that measures just nine miles by five. 

Today, however, it’s a different story. According to the Endangered Languages Project, Jèrriais is a language on the brink. In the 2002 census, only 15% of islanders said they understood at least some Jèrriais words; today [2023] it’s thought that figure is closer to 5%. Fluent speakers are even rarer; there are now fewer than 500 native Jèrriais speakers left, mostly in their 70s and 80s. 

Jèrriais played a vital role in ensuring the island’s survival - it was cannily used as a clandestine code during German occupation in World War Two, when the Channel Islands had the dubious honour of becoming the only part of the British Isles to be occupied: German troops landed on Jersey on 30 June 1940 and remained until 9 May 1945. With the British government focused on protecting the mainland from invasion (the summer of 1940 also marked the height of the Battle of Britain), the Channel Islands had little hope of rescue. Soon enough, food shortages, rationing, forced labour, imprisonment and even deportation became part of everyday life. Instead of taking up arms, islanders found other, subtler ways to resist. They engaged in a campaign of passive resistance, and Jèrriais became central to their efforts. With its complex vocabulary and regional variations, the language was all but impossible for outsiders – even French-speaking Germans – to follow. As such, it made the perfect secret code, and islanders increasingly used it to exchange information, make clandestine plans against their occupiers and, occasionally, even mock their them right under their noses. 

Ironically, despite its wartime role, the use of Jèrriais declined at an alarming rate after liberation in 1945. Like many of Britain’s minority languages, such as Manx, Gaelic, Welsh and Cornish, Jèrriais was derided as a language spoken only by the uneducated, and it had been in gradual decline since the late 19th Century – a trend that accelerated rapidly after the end of WW2. Within a generation of the war, the majority of schoolchildren no longer spoke more than a few words, and by the 1980s and 90s, the language had almost completely disappeared from everyday use. Suddenly, the island faced the very real prospect that Jèrriais could disappear altogether – just as its sister language, Auregnais, had a century before. 

Since then, a concerted campaign has been made to bring the language back from the precipice. In 2019, for the first time in its history, it was adopted by the island’s government, the States of Jersey, as an official language alongside English and French.

NOTE

The translation of the phrase La Veue d'la Corbiethe which appears in the larger stamp posted above refers to the view of La Corbière, site of one of Jersey's ports - hence the pictured lighthouse. The name means 'a place where crows gather', deriving from the word corbîn meaning 'crow'. However, seagulls have long since displaced the crows from their coastal nesting sites. [Source: Wikipedia.]

Further stamps (pictured below) were issued celebrating Jersey's history of knitting (link here).

[tanixa8123]

Through our minds nature often imparts ‘shows’ of its immortality upon us evanescent creatures in spectacular moments in a myriad of places. It could happen to you on the slope of a hill, depending where the hill is.

The foothills of Rocky Mountain National Park often live up to their name. Boulders and cliffsides of variations of grey appeal the earth to photographers around the world. Its numerous lakes calming those who see it with its crystalline waters revealing another world submerged below. Animals of the likes of Bighorn Sheep and Mule Deer traverse their native hills while hares and squirrels scamper along their daily routes. Trout and bluebirds glide along their respective mediums, maybe seeking food, or a mate if the time’s right.

A rich diversity of flora set their roots in this place, hundreds of species of wildflower dames speak their own accent of color to their suitors that fly to greet them, visible or not. Trees stand tall and conoid as zephyr leaves his dames to tickle their leaves and groom them into shape so they may yet again, survive the harsher weather of winterland.

These trees fence lakes, hem rivers and hide from mountain peaks and humid sun. Primarily they perch on hillsides growing upwards against the slope like misbehaving children, either bunched up forests or sparse along the plains, merely popping up from time to time to remind the world of its existence.

And it is upon those hillside plains perhaps that I bargain you would see something spectacular-if the conditions are just right.

It would happen in this place where you can enjoy the plunging valleys and calm waters at a comfy distance as you bask in the ataraxis you’ve found. A solitude of repose. 

Prickly bushes hogging pretty colors will meet your eyes as you look around, perhaps even a lonesome tree, its shadow reaching out to you under an enjoyable clement sun. 

And then you crane your neck up, a likely rare action, and that’s when it hits. 

Emperors of nature, the mountains encompass the background of your entire view. You have seen them and now you can see nothing but them. They contrast the foothills black-green with their white-blue from the apricity you’ve subconsciously indulged. You’re looking at a battlefield of the earth, a war between tectonic plates, and it is beautiful.

The sky softens-sometimes blurs-the harsh edges of high altitude rock for your sight, veiling more remote mountains' true heights until you're too shortrange to actually see them in their complete trueness. Sometimes it sends its clouds down to play, teasing with its opacity, it may happen to you that day you visit. Perhaps on the way to your departure. 

And as it engulfs you with its chilly embrace, and you stumble blindly-hopefully safely-down home, you may wonder just what was hiding behind this vixen mist. Or rather how much?

It changes your whole perspective.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; 5/16/2025

[clearaccent]

Sentence Structure Made Easy: A Guide for Californians

Language is a tool of communication, while sentence structuring is important for clarity and fluency. Given that Californians want to improve their English, learning about sentence construction would aid the smooth running of conversations and communication.

In this blog, we will talk about the best Word Stress training services you can get in california:

What Would Make for a Strong Sentence?

In the case of well-structured sentences, the subject, verb, and object are clear. Interrupting the timely association of these elements in various orders will yield a sentence that carries meaning without equivocation. In other words, just as luminaires in a home set the mood for the room, Sentence structure training in California provides a base for communication.

Short and to-the-point sentences are powerful. They make a smooth transition from one idea to another while avoiding creating confusion. Contrastingly, compound-complex sentences bring in more weight and diversity. Just like fine light fixtures can soften the tone of a room. In both cases, balance is the rule: using both appropriately keeps any conversation and written work alive.

How Can Word Order Affect Meaning?

Word arrangement is a determinant of clarity. A word left dangling in an unusual position can imply the opposite meaning. Subject-verb agreement and word order problems may be issues with California non-native speakers. So, instead, word placement will assure accuracy.

For instance, in English, we usually put adjectives before nouns: look at "beautiful lights for living room" and never at "lights beautiful for living room." Subtlety in these rules enhances fine language ability and undoubtedly inspires confidence when speaking.

Why Is Sentence Variety Important?

Monotony can affect the quality of speech and writing. Just like a blend of home lighting fixtures gives warmth and depth to a room, variation deserves a place in language. This endless addition of different lengths and types of sentences goes a long way in terms of interest and emphasis on the critical points.

A good mix might include:

Simple sentences for clarity.

Compound sentences for connecting ideas.

Complex sentences for depth and detail.

Learning to mix and switch from one structure to another makes speech and writing sound natural and effortless.

How Clear Accent Speech Therapy Can Help?

Mastering sentence structure is not just about grammar; it is about efficient interaction. At Clear Accent Speech Therapy, we assist Californians in polishing their English for everyday conversation, business use, and public speaking. Our articulation therapy in California comes down to simplifying the complex rules of English so that learning becomes easier and more fun.

Language is like lighting; it sets a mood and atmosphere. Be it looking at lights in living rooms or checking up on how sentences roll together, the minute changes become big additions. Join us at Clear Accent Speech Therapy to walk this road in confidence and clarity.