fandomhigh | Speaking in Tongues [8.02] (4-5pm) [The Library]

Karal had set up some of the library tables into a horseshoe shape, and was sitting near the middle with Andrew and Inara ~~when/if they're there!~~. "Hello," he greeted everyone once they'd arrived. "Welcome. I'm Karal, and this is Andrew and Inara. I thought that perhaps we could simply introduce ourselves today, and talk about what languages we know and if we want to teach any of them to the others. You can do so either by speaking or by writing a note to pass around the class."

He gave Adah ~~if she was there, la~~ a quick smile. "This would also be a good time to decide which languages you might be interested in learning. I made a primer of Karsite and Valdemaran, just some simple words and phrases ~~moddable within reason~~ and noted how to pronounce them, because there's no books here in those languages."

He passed out the hand-written, photocopied sheets (five of them, covered in neat, precise handwriting, split into three columns), then smiled. "While I was checking-in books today, I realised that one thing all languages have in common is truly terrible poetry. I've written out a ballad from Valdemar - it's fairly old, but it's still sung often enough to make right-thinking people unhappy - and translated it into English and Karsite. I feel as if I should apologise, though, because it is absolute doggerel."

He passed that out as well. "I have a challenge for next week, and that's to find the the very worst poem you can, and bring it along to translate. We might be able to find a prize for the most painful."

[ooc:

plz to wait for OCD

OCD IS UP!. ETA: Handwavy knowledge of other languages is AWESOME. I speak none, and most fictional languages aren't written out, so handwavy can be our motto.

ETA2: My Lady's Eyes - the song, in all it's terrible glory.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Introductions, talk or write about the languages you know, or the ones you'd like to learn.

(Everyone else can ask questions of/talk to the introducer - it's a discussion, not a lecture!)

"I'm Karal," in case anyone had forgotten, "and I'm from Karse. I speak Karsite, Valdemaran and the Imperial tongue fluently, and can get by in Shin'a'in, Rethwellan, and Hardornen. I'd be more than happy to teach any of them," he smiled, "though I might be the only person you'd be able to talk to in them."

"I'm Andrew Wells. I can speak a number of languages, but, um, most of them aren't really used anymore." He glanced uncomfortably at Karal.

"But I'm good with Latin and some French, ancient Etruscan, a good number of your Indo-Iranian, Indo-European dialects, Akkadian and Sumerian, some of your more rural tribal dialects..."

He looked about. "And I'll just stop there."

Hoshi normally would have sat in back and listened to everyone else, but the whole idea of signing up for the club was to socialize more. So she reluctantly got up and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Hoshi. My tutors back home called me a linguistic genius and I speak pretty much every Earth-based language. Um, my favorite right now are Russian, because it sounds really cool. I'd be interested in learning any non-Earth language."

"I'm Evey," she said quietly, wanting the focus off her as soon as possible. "I speak English, and some Latin -- I really like Latin." She unconsciously rubbed her hand over her left shoulder, looking almost shy. "I know a little French, some Spanish, and I'm working on dipping my feet into Japanese and Russian now. It's important to me to be able to communicate with people, no matter where they're from."

"My name's Carmela Rodriguez and as far as human languages go I speak English, Spanish, Japanese, and French. I'm pretty good with some non-human languages too, especially Ailurin and Cyene, since those are the ones I get the most practice with. I speak the Speech as well, which is sort of a category of it's own." She pauses there, aware that she's sort of babbling.

"I'd like to learn more nonhuman languages, or human languages from worlds that aren't Earth. Either would be cool."

"I'm Seregil i Korit Solun Meringill Bokthersa," Seregil said, mouth turned up in a wry smile as he rattled off his full name. "I'm most recently from Rhiminee in Skala, but I was born in Aurenen. I'm fluent in Aurenfaie, Skalan, Plenimaran, Zengati, Dravnian and can make my way in a few more." His smile grew a little. "I've been told I have a talent for languages."

"I'm John Sheppard, and I've been taking French," he began. "Um, I'm open to learning about any languages and really I couldn't not come after Andrew told me about it."

"I'm Naomi Wildman," Naomi said, "I can speak English and Ktarian fluently and I know some Earth based and non Earth based languages from back home,"

"Hi, I'm Lana, and I mostly speak animal languages - other than English, of course. I speak starling and a few variations on it, swan, snake, cat, and panther, mostly."

"I am Romeo, from Verona Beach in California," Romeo began. "I speak English -- mine and the type most of you use -- and I know a little Latin from church and some Italian from my parents. I suppose I came because I am interested in all of these tongues and more."

With a tiny, narrow-eyes smirk back at Karal for the mention of her preferred form of communication, Adah cleanly took out a sheet of paper from her notebook, quickly wrote something down, and then passed it along the horseshoe.

"Adah Price. Originally from Bethlehem, Georgia, and, more recently, Kilanga in what was, when I left, the Congo of Africa. Fluent in English, French, mathematics, virology and belligerent Southern Baptist. Also not too shabby with Latin, Igpay Atinlay, Japanese, Kilanga. A self-proclaimed expert in Sdrawkcab eht fo Egaugnal eht and Garmaan.

Edited 2008-02-09 00:27 (UTC)

"I'm Inara," she said, smiling as she realized how successful the turnout had been, "and I both speak and write Chinese and English primarily, but I also am also fluent in French and Italian, and able to read in Japanese."

Speaking in Tongues [8.02] (4-5pm) [The Library]

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