Sangheili (language)/Silver: Difference between revisions

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'''Sangheili''' is a constructed language created for the ''[[Halo: The Television Series]]'' co-created by linguists [[Wikipedia:David J. Peterson|David J. Peterson]], creator of the Dothraki and Valyrian languages used in ''Game of Thrones'' and Chakobsa language in ''Dune'' (''Parts 1 & 2''){{Ref/Twitter|k_wolfkill|1507493397807788032|Kiki Wolfkill|Quote=@CharlieBMurphy literally learned an entire new language and performed beautifully in that language.  Unreal. Language created by David Peterson who created Dothraki for GoT #HaloWatchParty|D=25|M=03|Y=2022}}, and Carl Buck.{{Ref/Twitter|tlacamazatl|1506947170490060800|C. Buck|Quote=If you have #ParamountPlus, are a fan of #HaloSeries , and enjoy a good #conlang. You might be interested to know that I helped @Dedalvs develop the language for the Covenant.|D=6|M=04|Y=2022}} Both conlangers began jointly developing the Sangheili language nearly three years prior to the series premiere.<ref>[https://archiveofourown.org/series/2828287 Archive of Our Own -  Conlang Dialogue: Halo (Paramount+)]</ref> By early [[2022]], Carl Buck estimated they had crafted close to 250 Sangheili words, those being base words and not variations of verbs and nouns. Actress [[Wikipedia:Charlie Murphy (actress)|Charlie Murphy]] learned to speak Sangheili for her role as [[Makee]] on the show and was noted to have done a phenomenal job capturing the emphasis, pitch and pronunciations of the alien language.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=S101|bnJ0Y4So_Cc|Halo The Series|Learn To Speak Sangheili|Y=2023|M=8|D=28}}

Peterson posts transcripts for the words and their translations on his [https://wiki.languageinvention.com/index.php?title=Sangheili_language language wiki], as well as in a series of posts on ''Archive of Our Own'', accessible [https://archiveofourown.org/series/2828287 here]. See also [https://dedalvs.com/work/halo/ David Peterson's records here] and his additional informative [https://www.halopedia.org/Archive:Twitter_-_David_J._Peterson_Sangheili_primer Tweets archived here].

 

 

In the tradition of his other constructed languages, Peterson crafted the language by laying the groundwork with a proto-language known as Proto-Sangheili. This ancient Elite language evolved organically, undergoing both phonological and grammatical changes, eventually giving rise to the modern Sangheili language spoken within the Covenant empire.

| p^x <br/><br/>'''pkh''' || t^x, (ts), ts^x, dz, ts′ <br/><br/> '''tkh, ts, tskh, dz, ts′'''|| (tʃ, tʃ^x, dʒ, tʃ′) <br/><br/> '''ch, chkh, j, ch′''' || k^x <br/><br/> '''kkh''' || q^x <br/><br/>'''qkh''' ||

* Certain sounds that are found in proper names among the Sangheili, which are not part of Sangheili phonology, are treated as approximations resulting from human attempts at Latinizing these names. Because there are no [f], [θ], or [v] sounds in the language, names like [[Thel 'Vadamee]], [[Var 'Gatanai]], and [[Fal 'Chavamee]] are English approximations of ''T'elo Badami'', ''Baro Gat'anai'', and ''P'alo Chabami'', respectively, in Sangheili.<ref>[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37951303/chapters/105183123#workskin Archive of Our Own -  Conlang Dialogue: Chapter 6 ]</ref>{{Ref/Twitter|Dedalvs|1511104056244154368|David J. Peterson|Quote=P and T. Wasn’t too concerned. After all, München becomes Munich in English; Köln Cologne, etc.|D=6|M=04|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Twitter|Dedalvs|1511105091167670274|David J. Peterson|Quote=B, I’m that case.|D=6|M=04|Y=2022}}

Sangheili generally follows SOV (subject-object-verb) word order akin to Japanese and Latin:

Sangheili has an inclusive / exclusive distinction in its First Person plural pronouns for "we, us" ("Riin" for  <u>''you and us''</u> and "Jaari" for  <u>''us and not you''</u>).  The Sangheili language also recognizes both animate and inanimate entities, but the Third Person singular pronoun "Mu" makes no gender distinction between "he" (masculine) and "she" (feminine), acting neutral as "it, itself, they".  

! rowspan=2 | Personal pronouns !! rowspan=2 | Singular !! colspan=2 | Plural

These case particles are placed after a noun to indicate the role they play in a sentence. The ergative and absolutive are grammatical. The vocative case is used for direct address, while the rest pertain to locative functions. Nouns in Sangheili otherwise do not change form to indicate their grammatical role.{{Ref/Twitter|Dedalvs|1511090947278311427|David J. Peterson|Quote=Cases are, in this case, little tags that let you know what role a noun plays in the sentence. Ergative and absolutive are grammatical; vocative is for direct address; the rest are locative. I’ll explain these.|D=6|M=04|Y=2022}}

| Used after a noun to mark it as the subject of a transitive verb (a verb that accepts an object).

| Indicates being in a certain place or object. It expresses the ideas of "in, inside, within, or along side."

|-style="text-align: center

| wele ga  

| from the ship, away from the ship

| K'uucho wele ga jayatan.  (''The warriors came from the ship.'')

|-style="text-align: center

| wele ni

| by the ship, on the ship

| K'uucho welegoja ni ts'aha. (''The warriors are on the bridge.'')

|-style="text-align: center

| wele oni

| onto the ship

| Wele oni warut'o!  (''Go to the ship!'')

|-style="text-align: center

| wele ba

| out of the ship

| K'uucho wele ba jayatan.  (''The warrior came out of the ship.'')

|-style="text-align: center

| wele zhi  

| K'uucho wele zhi waruutan.  (''The warrior went into the ship.'')

|-style="text-align: center

| wele me  

| inside the ship, within the ship

| K'uucho wele me ts'aha.  (''The warriors are in the ship.'')

|}

Similarly to the [[Wikipedia:Siouan languages|Siouan]] or [[Wikipedia:Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan languages]] of the North and Middle Americas, Sangheili has instrumental prefixes that can transform verb bases into entirely new verbs.{{Ref/Twitter|Dedalvs|1511100010951110656|David J. Peterson|Quote=The other big table up there has less to do with grammar than the lexicon. The instrumental prefixes are used to derive new verbs from verb bases. It’s a little like how we have verbs like “deduce”, “produce”, “induce”, “adduce”, etc.|D=6|M=04|Y=2022}} The following 12 prefixes are routinely used to form a range of derivations.

| ''ban'' + k'utkho (to fight) → bank'utkho (to defend / resist)

| ''t'i'' + khawa (to say) → t'ikhawa (to chat)

::*'''Maaro''' (seek) → '''maarojo''' (search team, searchers)

 

 

 

::*'''Hai''' (be able / have ability) → '''hait'u''' (strength, might)

| '''Imperfect''' <br/><br/><small>(An action is ongoing or continuous)</small> || '''Emphatic''' <br/><br/><small>(A state or condition is emphasized)</small> || Varies  

! Witnessed / Direct

| '''Emphatic''' <br/><br/><small>(An experienced action is emphasized)</small> || '''Past''' <br/><br/><small>(A past state or condition is referred)</small> || -(i)ji (or -chi)

! Overheard / Inferential

| '''Uncertain''' <br/><br/><small>(An action has an element of uncertainty)</small> || '''Possibilitive''' <br/><br/><small>(A state or condition carries a sense of possibility or potentiality)</small> || -(i)jen (or -chen)

* ''Ghashank'o. Mu sachahe?'' — The demon. He's sure?

* ''K'e sachahe, Hirajo?'' — Are you certain, Blessed One?

* ''Ikhi k'e o ch'anik'ojahe?'' — Do you see now?

* ''Q'a riin ni tkha jayetanjahe?'' — But it did not make its way back to us?

* ''Juukhojo ine ga waawotkhijahe?'' — This is what the prophets fear?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

| ii - ''no, not''|| colspan=2 | ngajo - ''none, no one''|| ngamaas - ''nowhere''

| Makee || Ne oni k'e o k'utkhitanjahe? || Is that why you did not fight? (For this you did not fight?)

| Mercy || Ghashank'o matkhaya pkha! || Take the demon alive! (Do not kill the Demon whatsoever!)

| Mercy || Ine Mot'onguut'u ga shak'o k'umas juuchkhugiijo. Aamu me mos ba tkhuyujo yodu jaari o ghashangojo. || This is  the vindication of the ways of the Covenant (This Covenant's ways are again vindicated). We will soon join the ancients as gods.

A poem was crafted for the series inspired by the [[Ballad of Kel 'Darsam]] in [[Joseph Staten]]'s short novel, ''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]''. In the show, this ballad is sung as a Sangheili war chant. The line ''"K'iis o aamu ni mu maaroji"'' can be heard in [[Transcendence]], the ninth and final episode of the first season. {{Ref/Site|Id=SDT|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/silver-debrief-transcendence|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Silver Debrief: Transcendence|D=22|M=08|Y=2023}} The following are only the first eight lines of a lengthier poem.<ref>[https://archiveofourown.org/works/37951303?view_full_work=true Archive of Our Own -  Conlang Dialogue: The Ballad of Kel Darsam ]</ref>

==Vocabulary List==

*''Ch'anggagomo'' : [[Halo Array|Halo]], the Ring

*''bambit'agha'' : promise, oath, vow

*''baqkhat'a'' : shield, defenses; (v.) to shield, to shelter (derived from the verb: qkhat'a)

*''chkhan'' : all, whole, entire

*''et'o'' : blades, swords

*''gaik'inat'u'' : regret

*''ghunu'' : (v.) to destroy, to eliminate (See also: ruubakha)

*''hira'' : (v.) to bless, to praise

*''hirajo'' : ones who are blessed

*''hodu'' : (v.) to wait, to pause (and by extension: to await)

*''ine'' : this, this one; proximal demonstrative singular pronoun

*''jaari'' : [First Person Plural pronoun] : we, us, ourselves (exclusive of you)

*''jan'' : [First Person Singular pronoun] : I, me, myself

*''juq'u'' : (v.) to connect, to join, to unite

*''juukhojo'' : ones who prophesy, prophet(s)

*''juukhot'u'' : prophecy

*''k'e'' : [Second Person Singular pronoun] : you, yourself

*''k'iri'' : [Second Person Plural pronoun] : you, you all, yourselves

*''k'unjo'' : another, others, the rest

*''khebit'ajo'' : one who possesses a common quality, ones with a similarity

*''khuut'a'' : brother(s), kin, same

*''khuzho'' : [Reflexive Pronoun] : one's self; myself, yourself, themselves, itself

*''kkhaaya'' : (v.) to be worthy, to have value, to matter

**''kkhagadza'' : (Reduplicative Form) correct, that's right

**''maamaro'' : (Reduplicative Form)

*''mech'in'' : (v.) to cut, to rip

*''mobit'a'' : (v.) to remind (derived from the verb: bit'a)

*''moq'aara'' : (v.) to be pious, to have faith (derived from the verb: q'aara)

*''moshkhop'o'' : (v.) to indicate (derived from the verb: shkhop'o)

*''mositskha'' : (v.) to intrigue, to fascinate (derived from the verb: itskha)

*''mot'ongu'' :  (v.) to agree (derived from the verb: t'ongu)

*''mot'onguut'u'' : agreement, covenant, pact

*''mots'aha'' : (v.) to leave behind, to abandon (derived from the verb: ts'aha)

*''mu'' : [Third Person singular pronoun] : he/him/himself, she/her/herself, they/themself

*''muuri'' : [Third Person plural pronoun] : they, them, themselves

*''nasa'' : exceeds (a bit much, much too, far too, more)

*''ngajo'' : nobody, no one, none

*''ngani'' : need, must, require

*''nuju'' : (v.) to be weak, cowardly, pathethic

*''oq'o'' : (v.) to be great, glorious, noble, have honor

*''oq'otu'' : glory, honor

*''q'a'' : but, but rather, yet

*''q'on'' : (v.) to teach, to instruct

*''q'iitu'' : mercy

*''riin'' : [First Person Plural pronoun] : we, us, ourselves (inclusive of you)   

*''ruq'ota'' : (v.) to burn, to scorch (derived from the verb: ot'a)

*''ruut'sage'' : (v.) to light, to kindle, to ignite, to set fire to (derived from the verb: ts'age)

*''skhala'' : hammer, mallet

*''t'iiwajo'' : ones who doubt, infidels, heretic(s)

*''t'ik'utkho'' : (v.) to argue, to dispute (derived from the verb: k'utkho)

*''t'iya'' : (v.) to live, to be alive, to manifest

*''t'ongu'' : (v.) to meet

 

*''tkha'' : [Inanimate Third Person Singular pronoun] : it; [distal demonstrative determiner] : that

*''tkhaari'' : [Inanimate Third Person Plural pronoun] : those, them

*''tkhahana'' : (v.) to finish, to conclude, to end something

*''tkhet'a'' : species, people, folk, kin (tkhet'a literally means a nest or den)

**''tkhet'a ga'' : please (directly translating to ''Of the people'' or ''For the people'')

 

*''ts'aha'' : (v.) to be at, to be in proximity

*''bank'ina'' : (v.) to ignore, to disregard (derived from the verb: k'ina)

*''juushkhop'o'' : (v.) to specify, to clarify (derived from the the verb: shkhop'o)

*''ngodza'' : metal