Sangheili (language)

"Their language doesn't translate in a literal manner, and each word has multiple meanings."

- Cortana

Sangheili is the language spoken by the species of the same name. Though the member species of the Covenant had their own unique languages, an advanced dialect of Sangheili came to serve as the lingua franca throughout the entire Covenant Empire. and as such, many names of member species are derived from the Sangheili. Even after the fragmentation of the Covenant, many former client species of the Covenant continue to use the Sangheili language in lieu of their native tongues; Sangheili has even replaced their native language for many. A specific trade pidgin also existed within the Covenant fringe.

Description
Text, or writing, in Sangheili appears to be mostly triangle shapes and composed almost completely of equilateral triangles. The triangular characters have been seen oriented both in the horizontal left-to-right direction and in a vertical right-to-left direction. Furthermore the Covenant doesn't use Morse code.

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. 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". During the San'Shyuum-Sangheili War, the San'Shyuum obtained a comprehensive understanding of the Sangheili language by brutally torturing and interrogating prisoners of war. After establishing peace with the Sangheili, the San'Shyuum of the fledgling Covenant relied on translation software built into their anti-gravity chairs to understand the language. The Ussans developed in isolation from other Sangheili, and their language evolved into a different form of the Sangheili dialect. It possessed similarities to Old Sangheili, but the language developed into a new language that could not be understood by the "average" Sangheili.

Symbol types
There are four known written types of the Sangheili language.

Triangle type (original cipher)
This triangle variant of the written language has a few key features. They are a big triangle surrounded numerous smaller triangles. These smaller triangles are known to be closer to the corners of the bigger triangle, and can either be floating above the corner, or very close to it. The direction of the bigger triangle is not set, leading to there being numerous possibilities to what one symbol could mean. The bigger triangle is also known to have semi-circles cut out of the middle of its sides.

There is also thinner and longer triangle symbols in this type of symbols. These can have a smaller triangle at its smaller side or not.

These are seen often in transmissions, on control panels. These have been in use as early as February 4th 2531 in transmissions during the Harvest Campaign.

Bumped triangles type
These triangle symbols are similar to the base triangle type. They are big triangles with a spike coming out near the corners. Smaller triangles, unlike the triangle type symbols, are closer to the middle of the sides, touching the spike coming out near the corner.

There is sometimes a smaller triangle taken out the sides of the bigger triangles, and sometimes triangle taken out the middle of them also.

These are often seen in transmissions and also on control panels. These have been in use as early as April 26, 2526 in transmissions during the Battle of Circinius IV.

Forerunner symbol type
These symbols are often borrowed or adapted from actual Forerunner symbols for use in speech or on Sangheili armor.

Ancient Sangheili
On Sangheili ruins and ceremonial Curveblades. Symbols similar to the Hexagon type forerunner symbols appear.

Vocabulary
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.

Transliterated Sangheili
--Nnse-kooree-koocha nee-ey-mawoo.

Dieduckt gahkaboonoh Liebuh-Rahrian musuyano. Kaboonzaywah wohchita kneekohsoh woorumahtwo.

Nmtahbonwon Sayoh. Gah-eymayoh Reecleymah toymeh-ushou zosuerohkoh!

Non-native speakers of Sangheili
Several species, including humans, Mgalekgolo , Unggoy and Kig-Yar, are able to speak Sangheili. Not all races can speak 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. To facilitate easier communications between member species, translation software is used on Covenant ships to decipher words. During and after the Human-Covenant War, several humans were able to understand Sangheili :
 * Catherine Halsey
 * Evan Phillips
 * Olympia Vale
 * Luther Mann

Behind the scenes
Before the release of Halo 2, the official website at Halo2.com was made to look like a Covenant computer complete with the Sangheili 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.

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. 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.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Landfall
 * Halo: Arms Race
 * Halo: Combat
 * Halo: Last One Standing
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * ''Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * The Package
 * Origins
 * Halo: Blood Line


 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss
 * Blunt Instruments
 * The Mona Lisa
 * The Return
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Glasslands
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Terminals
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Mortal Dictata
 * Halo: Broken Circle
 * Halo: Nightfall
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo: Hunters in the Dark
 * Hunt the Truth
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Shadow of Intent