Creature Languages, 03/02, Period 3

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

"I hope you are all prepared for your midterm. The test is on your desks; you have until the end of the class period to complete it. After you have handed it in, you may leave."


Creature Languages Midterm

Part One: Essay

Answer two of the following three questions.

1. We have learned Spider, Dragon, Rat and Cat. Which did you prefer and why?

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

[OOC: This is really a test of creativity, obviously. Handwave it if you have to, but it's 25 percent of your grade, and I need something by the end of Spring break.]

Comments

Re: Midterms, Creature, 3/02

[swerval_zero]

2. Have you attempted to apply your lessons in this class in your dealings with animals in the world? Briefly discuss what you did and the results. If you have not, explain a situation in which it might be beneficial.

I suppose it would be unfair to discuss my experiences with Cat, though my experiences with that language have been the most extensive. I recently found a spider in my room, and thanks to my education in this class, I was able to negotiate wtih it for a move to another, empty room where I would not be startled by it, nor it accidentally squished by me or eaten by my pet cockatoo.

3. How do creature languages reflect the culture of the beings who speak them? Give an example.

In Cat No, that's still not fair, is it? All right, creature languages vary widely based on culture. In Dragon, for instance, there is a formal, rhyming form of the language used in formal situations, since Dragon culture includes highly stylized rituals and a clear delineation of classes. In Rat and Spider, however, the language is far more informal, due to a looser class structure. As well, in the case of Spider, since they are not social animals, the language has very little allowance for groups.

Part Two: Translation
Translate these sentences into creature languages to the best of your ability:
a. SPIDER -- "A stitch in time saves nine.”
A quickly woven web catches nine bugs faster.
b. DRAGON -- "Necessity is the mother of all invention."
When you are in need
Inventions take seed.
c. RAT -- "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
Sticks and stones may smush me, but words will never do so.
d. CAT -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
All work and no play makes Kitty bored. You wouldn't like Kitty when she's bored.

Extra Credit
Write a dialogue (three to five exchanges) in the creature tongue of your choice.

In Spider:
1: Salutations.
2: Salutations to you, as well.
1: What are you doing in my web?
2: I thought this was my web.
1: No, it's definitely my web. See that beetle? My beetle.
2: I am terribly* sorry.
1: You had better be sorry. Go back to your own web.
2: All right, I'm going.
1: Good. Go faster.
2: And may the sky newspaper* not touch you.
1: Same to you.

((*misspelled))