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Covenant languages

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

Revision as of 03:09, November 25, 2014 by Tacitus (talk | contribs)
A Sangheili speaks in a language represented by Forerunner glyphs.

"Their language doesn't translate in a literal manner, and each word has multiple meanings."
— Cortana[1]

The member species of the Covenant have their own unique languages. However, the Sangheili language came to serve as the lingua franca throughout the entire Covenant Empire,[2] and as such, many names of member species are derived from the Sangheili.[3] Not all races spoke the same language due to evolutionary design restrictions; for example, the Yanme'e could only communicate through a cacophony of high-pitched clicks and screeches.[4][5] To facilitate easier communications between member species, translation software is used on Covenant ships to decipher words. A specific trade pidgin also existed within the Covenant fringe.[6]

Written language

A guide to the cipher at a former incarnation of halo2.com

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.[7][8] Whether all of the species that are or were in the Covenant use this form of text is currently unknown.

Before the release of Halo 2, the official website at Halo2.com was 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. 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.

Languages

Unggoy

Main article: Unggoy

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.[9] The word "Unggoy" itself is not a word from their vocabulary - rather, it is the Sangheili name for their species.[3] Unggoy are also fully capable of speaking a variety of human languages, a fact in which they take great pride.[10]

Kig-Yar

Main article: Kig-Yar
A Kig-Yar speaks its foreign tongue.

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.[11][12][13][4] The Kig-Yar are capable of speaking the Sangheili language. In addition, Kig-Yar are also capable of speaking the human English language in a rasped manner.[14] However, most Kig-Yar are unable to form a proper "f" sound in speech.[15] After the Human-Covenant War, some Kig-Yar often spoke amongst each other in odd mixes of English, Sangheili, and the Kig-Yar dialect.[16]

Known words of the Kig-Yar language include:

Irukan - The name of a type of grain.[17]
Mev-ut - Jackal equivalent of a bounty.[18]
Jha-sig - A kind of ailment.[19]
Shaks - A type of game played by Kig-Yar.[20]

Huragok

Main article: Huragok

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 Shipmaster and their crew.[21] 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.[4]

Yanme'e

Main article: Yanme'e

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.[4] 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.[22]

Lekgolo

Main article: Lekgolo

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.[4] For inter-species communications, Mgalekgolo are capable of speaking at least the Sangheili language.[3]

Jiralhanae

Main article: Jiralhanae

The native Jiralhanae language is animalistic, incorporating a wide range of sounds from growls and barks, to full-out howls and roars,[4][13] 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.[4] A communal howl is often made by the Pack Chieftain as a sign of celebration, and failure to participate in the howl is a serious affront to the Chieftain's authority.[4] Jiralhanae are also capable of speaking the Sangheili language.[verification needed]

Sangheili

Template:FOF-1

Main article: Sangheili
Deleted material: Elite speech from Deliver Hope
SoundQuote.png Trouble with the audio sample?

Though originating with the Sangheili, an advanced dialect of their language has come to be the Covenant lingua franca, used to connect the different races and species.[2] It is seemingly based upon the Forerunner language,[3] likely pieced together from fragments recovered on Forerunner relics. Curiously, in several instances of Forerunner-related terminology, the Sangheili appear to use the English translations of the original Forerunner terms, as for "Forerunner", "Requiem", "Reclaimer", "Didact", and "Librarian".[23][note 1]

Note: All words in the following list should not be pronounced as if they were English. The pronunciation of each letter does not depend on the letters that follow. Certain sounds are not written due to them only being available via the International Phonetic Alphabet. This results in letters: a, o, i, u, e, y, t, d, f, v, b, c, p, k, l, h and s not representing the actual sounds in the Sangheili language.

A few words, and their meanings, are known:

Unggoy - Grunt
Kig-Yar - Jackal
Sangheili - Elite
Yanme'e - Drone
Jiralhanae - Brute
Lekgolo - Hunter
San'Shyuum - Prophet
Huragok - Engineer (taken from the Forerunner name "Huragok")
Domo'Inganon - Human[24][note 2]
Wort - Go (imperative)[25]
Kaidon - Clan leader[26]
Ossoona - Eye of the Prophet[27]
Neru Pe 'Odosima - Servants of the Abiding Truth[28]
A'ul - Lump of wood[29]
Utshans - Shipmaster[24][note 2]
Otshoka - Shipmaster
Nishum - Intestinal parasite; a common insult towards humans[30]
Jishiua - Hand[note 2]
Jin'e - Soul[note 2]
Laqil - New Llanelli[31]
Sqala - Venezia[32]
Nou - Cognate with English "no", as a negative response[24][note 2].
Ei - Cognate with English "No" and "not,[24][note 2][33] also used as an interjection[34]
Idaiuk/idaiuko/idaiukshou - Brother, loyal friend. Suffix probably indicates politeness,respect or emotion.
Meio - refers to a group in which the speaker is a part of.[24][note 2]
Tashi - refers to a third group, which the speaker is not part of. Also means different.[24][note 2]
Qutashi - refers to something that is very different, like an alien or in some cases human.[24][note 2]
Koyakumo - Vector[24][note 2]
Magatshi - Approach[24][note 2]
Ja - I/me/we refers to first person[note 2]
Wua - You (singular and plural)[note 2]
Ina - Like/who/whoever Meaning varies significantly depending on context.[note 2]
Re - make/made[note 2]
Dida - gift [note 2]
Masuyano - Rest/Remains/Remnant [note 2]
Kabono - travel/go [note 2]
Ga- - denotes location compare with english "at" [note 2]
Nouko - Keep (verb)[note 2]
Se - away from/from [note 2]
Toshiko - have awoken could also mean awake (verb)[note 2]
Ungendo - connects sentences with same meaning, denotes the addition of information, roughly translated as "and" and "now" although it does not denote time.[note 2]
Eiro - do/did not expect.[note 2]
Rio - will be (denotes the possession of a trait in the future)[note 2]
Tana - be (denotes the possession of a trait in the present)[note 2]
Werege - Begin (imperative)[note 2]
Doshuga - Evacuation[note 2]
Ko'e - Bring (imperative)[note 2]
Roke'e - Rise (imperative)[note 2]
Regatshito - find[note 2]
Wo - way[note 2]
Quillick - Small hunter[35]

San'Shyuum

Main article: San'Shyuum

Based on religious sermons by the Prophet of Regret on Installation 05, the native Prophet language is similar to Medieval Gregorian-style chanting.[12] Whether this is spoken by all San'Shyuum, or if it is a special dialect for religious purposes is unknown. The San'Shyuum also used nonverbal communication, in the form of elaborate or simple hand gestures. Most other races, such as the Sangheili, were completely unaware of this.[35] Rippling the three fingers of one's right hand was the gesture of regret, meaning "All things flow away".[36] The San'Shyuum were also able to convey expressions through these gestures, such as irony,[37] obeisance,[38] amusement,[39] respect,[40] and empathy.[41] An extra flip of the thumb was used to show a gesture was being used mockingly.[39] Accents could also be conveyed through these gestures.[42] The Stoics on Janjur Qom seemed to have used the same hand gestures.[43]

Yonhet

Main article: Yonhet

The Yonhetian language seemingly makes use of illeism in everyday speech, as Yonhet individuals casually refer to themselves in the third person instead of the first person. Apart from their native tongue, Yonhet traders and smugglers also speak pidgin languages.[44][6]

Production notes

  • 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.[25] The hissing-like language of the Jackals is actually the English language reversed. This, and the other Covenant languages (Drones, Hunters), have remained the same since Halo 2.
  • Conversations from the Universe contains letters written by the Prophets of Truth and 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.

Gallery

  • Covenant glyphs H4FUD.png

    Covenant glyphs appear on cadet Thomas Lasky's comm unit prior to the invasion of Circinius IV.

List of appearances

Note

  1. ^ It should be noted that in Spartan Ops subtitles, these terms are phonetically transliterated from Sangheili speech (e.g. "Dyeduckt", "Liebuh-Rahrian", "Reeclaymah") rather than using their proper spellings.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af This is a phonetic spelling. The proper rendering has not been confirmed in canon.

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 156
  2. ^ a b Halo Waypoint: Covenant
  3. ^ a b c d Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Halo: Contact Harvest, page 311 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Contact" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, pages 148-149
  6. ^ a b Halo Waypoint - Axl
  7. ^ Halo: Uprising
  8. ^ Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Part 1
  9. ^ Conversations from the Universe
  10. ^ Bestiarum
  11. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved
  12. ^ a b Halo 2
  13. ^ a b Halo 3
  14. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 156-157
  15. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 394
  16. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 92
  17. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 62
  18. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 218
  19. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 274
  20. ^ Halo: Mortal Dictata, page 218
  21. ^ Halo: First Strike
  22. ^ Halo Encyclopedia
  23. ^ Halo 4, Spartan Ops
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Halo 4 - Terminal 1
  25. ^ a b EliteSpeak
  26. ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol
  27. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 28
  28. ^ Halo: Glasslands
  29. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 24
  30. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 79
  31. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 295
  32. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 262
  33. ^ Spartan Ops, E3 Catherine
  34. ^ Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
  35. ^ a b Halo: Broken Circle, Chapter 1
  36. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 4
  37. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 50
  38. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 75
  39. ^ a b Halo: Broken Circle, page 112
  40. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 160
  41. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 148
  42. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 16
  43. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 133
  44. ^ Halo: Nightfall, Episode One
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