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| {{Era|Covenant|HCW|Post}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Sangheili (language)]] |
| {{New Content}}
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| [[File:Speaking Elite.jpg|thumb|A [[Sangheili]] speaks in a language represented by Forerunner glyphs.]]
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| {{quote|Their language doesn't translate in a literal manner, and each word has multiple meanings.|Cortana<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 156''</ref>}}
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| Members of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] had their own unique languages. The races did not speak the same language due to evolutionary design restrictions; for example, the [[Kig-yar]] cannot speak anything other than a warbling hissing sound. To facilitate easier communications between member species, [[translation software]] is used on Covenant ships to decipher words.
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| However, the main Covenant language seems to be [[Sangheili]], as most of the Covenant names are Sangheili words (e.g. [[Unggoy]]).<ref name="Ghost">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'''</ref>
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| The languages in their original form are heard in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. In ''[[Halo 2]]'', their words are translated for the convenience of the player. Elites in ''Halo: CE'' spoke a deep, warbling tongue. This was achieved by reversing the voice acting of [[David Scully]]. The ever popular "Wort, wort, wort!" shouted by many Elites during gameplay is actually "Go, go, go!" reversed and sped up.<ref name="gogogo">[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive5.pl?read=105659 EliteSpeak]</ref> The hissing-like language of the Jackals is actually the English language reversed. This, and the other Covenant languages ([[Yanme'e|Drones]], [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]]), have remained the same since ''Halo 2''.
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| == Written Language ==
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| [[File:Alphabetcovenantsy1.jpg|thumb|A guide to the cipher at a former incarnation of halo2.com]]
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| ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' contains letters written by the [[San 'Shyuum|Prophets]] of [[Prophet of Truth|Truth]] and [[Prophet of Supposition|Supposition]]. The writing in these letters resembles English, with various alterations. This may be due to a connection between Covenant or [[Forerunner]] texts and English texts, or simply thanks to literary license on [[Bungie]]'s behalf.
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| Text, or writing, in the Covenant appears to be mostly triangle shapes and composed almost completely of equilateral triangles, except for a single dash-like shape that seems to serve the function of a period. The triangular characters have been seen oriented both in the horizontal left-to-right direction and in a vertical right-to-left direction. It should be noted that the horizontal form of this text was useful for both [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] and Jackals in ''[[Halo: Uprising Issue 1]]'' so far. Whether all of the species that are or were in the Covenant use this form of text is currently unknown.
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| Before the release of ''Halo 2'', the official website at Halo2.com was [[Halo2.com (Covenant)|made to look like a Covenant computer]] complete with a Covenant language. This language was a simple cipher with the triangular characters. In addition to Halo2.com, a released wallpaper contained triangular characters that made use of this cipher.
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| After the Halo2.com site, the cipher changed. Two wallpapers were released with an entirely new cipher still using the triangular characters. Neither this cipher or the previous one have been used subsequently, though the triangular characters are still commonly used.
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| ==Languages==
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| ===Unggoy===
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| {{Main|Unggoy}}
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| Their native language is composed of dog-like barks, squeaks, and grunts. Though largely unintelligible to most humans, translation software is able to decipher the meanings of these.<ref>''[[Conversations from the Universe|Conversations From The Universe]]''</ref> The word "Unggoy" itself is not a word from their vocabulary - rather, it is the Sangheili name for their species.<ref name="Ghost"/> Unggoy are also fully capable of speaking a variety of human languages, a fact in which they take great pride.
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| ===Kig-yar===
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| {{Main|Kig-yar}}
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| [[File:Speaking Jackal.jpg|thumb|A [[Kig-yar|Kig-yar]] speaks its foreign tongue.]]
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| Kig-yar language seems to consist of a range of hisses, growls, screeches, snarls, and squawks, though it is intelligible to other members of the Covenant.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'''</ref><ref name="H2">'''[[Halo 2]]'''</ref><ref name="H3">'''[[Halo 3]]'''</ref><ref name="Contact">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'''</ref> It is likely that they speak the Sangheili language, the distortion caused by their birdlike bodies.
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| :'''Irukan''' - The name of a type of grain.<ref name="Thursday War">'''[[Halo: The Thursday War]]'''</ref>
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| ===Huragok===
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| {{Main|Huragok}}
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| Huragok are the only known species in the Covenant to possess more than one language. One is a verbal language, consisting of musical whistles and chirps, used to convey orders between Huragok and their superiors, usually a Ship Master and their crew<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref>. The second is a sign language, using the different shapes and positions of tentacles to convey different meanings. The Huragok sign language can be learned by other species, including San 'Shyuum and Unggoy, though the inferior finger dexterity of the latter makes forming the shapes a cumbersome task.<ref name="Contact"/>
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| ===Yanme'e===
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| {{Main|Yanme'e}}
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| Yanme'e use a system of chirps, clicks and buzzes to convey information between other members of the hive, rubbing their wings together to produce such sounds, similar to Earth crickets. Translator units are required for other species to understand them.<ref name="Contact"/> Combat units will usually elect an attache to serve as a translator, learning how the other races communicate and relaying the relevant information to the other Yanme'e.<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]'''</ref>
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| ===Lekgolo===
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| {{Main|Lekgolo}}
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| Lekgolo communication with other species is problematic at best. Between different Mgalekgolo forms they use resonance that only their own species can hear and understand.<ref name="Contact"/> For inter-species communications, Mgalekgolo are capable of speaking at least the Sangheili language.<ref name="Ghost"/>
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| ===Jiralhanae===
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| {{Main|Jiralhanae}}
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| The native Jiralhanae language is animalistic, incorporating a wide range of sounds from growls and barks, to full-out howls and roars,<ref name="Contact"/><ref name="H3"/> though Jiralhanae also express emotions through scents and musks. Young Jiralhanae have difficulty controlling the release of these scents, but learn how to moderate them as they grow older.<ref name="Contact"/> A communal howl is often made by the [[Pack]] [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|Chieftain]] as a sign of celebration, and failure to participate in the howl is a serious affront to the Chieftain's authority.<ref name="Contact"/> Jiralhanae are also capable of speaking the Sangheili language.{{Verify source}}.
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| ===Sangheili===
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| {{Main|Sangheili}}
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| Though originating with the Sangheili, their language has come to be the Covenant [[Wikipedia:Lingua franca|''lingua franca'']], used to connect the different races and species. It is seemingly based upon the Forerunner language<ref name="Ghost"/>, likely pieced together from fragments recovered on Forerunner relics.
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| A few words, and their meanings, are known:
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| :'''Unggoy''' - Grunt
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| :'''Kig-yar''' - Jackal
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| :'''Sangheili''' - Elite
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| :'''Yanme'e''' - Drone
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| :'''Jiralhanae''' - Brute
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| :'''Lekgolo''' - Hunter
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| :'''San 'Shyuum''' - Prophet
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| :'''Huragok''' - Engineer (taken from the Forerunner name "Huragok")
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| :'''Wort''' - Go<ref name="gogogo"/>
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| :'''Kaidon''' - Clan leader<ref name="Cole">'''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]'''</ref>
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| :'''Neru Pe 'Odosima''' - [[Servants of Abiding Truth]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'''</ref>
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| :'''A'ul''' - Lump of wood<ref name="Thursday War"/>
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| ===San 'Shyuum===
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| {{Main|San 'Shyuum}}
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| Based on religious sermons by the [[Prophet of Regret]] on [[Delta Halo (level)|Delta Halo]], the native Prophet language is similar to Medieval Gregorian-style chanting.<ref name="H2"/> Whether this is spoken by all San 'Shyuum, or if it is a special dialect for religious purposes is unknown.
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| == List of appearances ==
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| {{Scroll box
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| |content=
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2]]''
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| *''[[Halo 3]]''
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| *''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Reach]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
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| *''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Thursday War]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
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| **''[[Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss]]''
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| **''[[Blunt Instruments]]''
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| **''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
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| **''[[The Return]]''
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| *''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''
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| *''[[Halo Legends]]''
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| **''[[The Package]]''
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| **''[[Origins]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Landfall]]''
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| **''[[Halo: Arms Race]]''
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| **''[[Halo: Combat]]''
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| **''[[Halo: Last One Standing]]''
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| }}
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| == Sources ==
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| {{reflist|2}}
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| [[Category:The Covenant]]
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| [[Category:Languages]]
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