#and knowledge of ancient/original versions of languages will be very useful

[fyeahaudiodrama]

Wolf 359 Characters as D&D Classes

Wolf-359 Characters as D&D Classes

Eiffel: College of Lore Bard; easy enough to see this one - Eiffel’s strength is in his communication skills, both from a technological standpoint and his ability to Never Stop Talking; bards are also known for being solid in pretty much every skill, playing into his ability to back the play of his much more specialized companions; lore bards, in addition to specializing in a broad catalogue of stories (helloooo encyclopedic star wars knowledge), are noted as being likely to tell it like it is, even to people ranking far above them, and Eiffel rarely minces words when he’s got a complaint to air; the idea of Eiffel with cutting words, diminishing everyone else's usefulness with endless jabber, also feels apt

(rest under the line for Long Post)

Minkowski: Oath of Glory Paladin; the paladiniest pal to ever din; rigid in her adherence to her sworn duty and willing to do whatever it takes to see that through to the end; i originally considered giving her oath of the crown, as that might relate to loyalty to the rules as set by Pryce & Carter, but i realized this would likely cause her to go oathbreaker at some point as her faith in that waned, so i decided on glory instead, which focuses more on her bonds with her immediate circle and desire to see them become the best versions of themselves

Hilbert: Circle of the Moon Druid; okay, hear me out - Hilbert may not come across as too mystic/nature-focused, but druids are known for being both solitary and secretive in their practices, and to me, that made more sense than something like a wizard who needs to slap his name and tower on the map; druids, in the higher levels, can also achieve an extremely extended lifespan, far outliving their peers, tying to his goals of outliving each crew (or his knowledge outliving his own body); moon druid in particular allows for ease of shapeshifting and adapting to new situations quickly, as hilbert has been known to do

Hera: Wild Magic Sorcerer; sorcery is a class of magic one is simply born with, making it a good match for the AI who didn't have a say in what their purpose in life would be; sorcerers are also one of the squishier classes, vulnerable to physical attacks (what's a sorcery point against a wrench to your "face" or someone pulling your plug); for wild magic sorcerers, mastering their power can be a dangerous process, as using their powers may inconvenience them or even hurt their allies, as seen in many of the station's tech incidents throughout the series, but a high level one can dominate their environment

Lovelace: Great Old One Warlock; while she may have been something else originally, getting yeeted into a star with no hope of return and still coming back alive is the perfect setup for a warlock pact, especially with an ancient entity nearly beyond human comprehension; warlocks can be hella powerful in combat and also have the charisma to let them act as the face of their party, but a pact also comes with its own costs, such as occasionally making you the mouthpiece for that higher power; great old ones also come with a mid-level feature that makes them immune to telepathy and resistant to other psychic abilities, which made me think of her late-series revelations

Maxwell: Horizon Walker Ranger; i feel like this one is another slight "hear me out," but rangers are another of those classes that can be good with a bit or everything - melee, casting, healing, as seen in her usefulness coming into the field with SI5, running circles around the Hephaestus crew while also working with Hera - but they do that on top of some very specific specializations; her work with languages and AI, and the ultimate goal of reaching out to alien life, made me think of the horizon walkers, who find it easy to cross the boundaries between worlds and can ally with or decimate inhuman enemies

Jacobi: Evocation Wizard; this was one of the most intuitive choices to me; the highly technical specialty? wizard; its ultimately destructive nature? evocation and harnessing the destructive power of the elements; sculpt spell allowing him to nail down the minute detail of what he's blowing up; would absolutely be that player to have a "i didn't ask how big the room was, i said i cast fireball" t-shirt

Kepler: Inquisitive Rogue; rogues can have great utility both out of combat, with a reliable talent that practically won't let them fail at certain skills, and in it, when they can cause massive damage in short order and use their allies to get the most out of their own abilities; to me, this encompasses Kepler's own skills that earned his rank in SI5, and how he's most powerful in the narrative when he has hand-picked allies he can rely on; inquisitive rogue also comes with a slew of social skills, allowing these rogues to easily spot weaknesses and secrets and use them to their advantage

[just-another-star-47]

Sebastian Sallow

My headcanons for him before Anne's curse.

More headcanons for Slytherin • Gryfindor • Ravenclaw • Hufflepuff

16 September 1873 ♍️ , born 37 minutes before Anne

He speaks English, Scottish Gaelic, Latin, (Ancient) Greek, French and knows some runic alphabets -> if he is interested in a subject or enjoys a particular story, he learns the language in which the work is written so that he can read it in the original version.

Feldcroft borders directly on Goblinland, so he also knows common phrases and words in their language

His favourite thing to read are Greek myths, as his father often read them to him; he knows the myths about the Rape of Europa and Heracles by heart - in English and Greek.

His parents were often busy with their research and experiments, so Sebastian was often left to look after himself and Anne.

His parents travelled a lot and lived in different villages, taking their children with them, so that they were unable to build up any real friendships outside the family and at some point Sebastian gave up trying to make contact with other children.

In Feldcroft, after the death of his parents, he also rarely socialised with his peers, but withdrew even more into himself

The villagers often described him as very mature for his age and often gave him tasks with which he could earn a few coins, food, etc.

Sebastian not only has many of his father's characteristics, but also looks very much like him, which made it difficult for Solomon to treat him fairly and caringly from the start - as Sebastian did not put up with this and often rebelled against it, Solomon eventually gave up trying at all.

Sebastian had the villagers of Feldcroft teach him all about field and garden work in order to provide Anne with the best possible food, but Solomon often used the work as a punishment.

Sebastian has little interest in contact with people and quickly becomes impatient unless the person has something that could benefit him - knowledge, skills, information.

He knows exactly who he should be friendly to and who it makes no difference to.

It is not difficult for him to make someone cry with words alone.

He loves puns.

Sebastian likes to be left alone most of the time (Anne and Ominis are the exception) and so it comes in handy that he has built up a bad reputation at Hogwarts over the years.

Together with Anne, Sebastian is always one of the best in his year.

In most situations, Sebastian manages to find a benefit for himself.

Due to his ability and his intellectual superiority over most people, Sebastian feels very self-confident, but does not believe that anyone could like or even love him just for himself. He therefore constantly tries to prove his worth.

He sees himself as the protector of Anne and Ominis and therefore always appears composed around them - neither of them has ever seen or heard him cry.

Sebastian thinks the world is deeply unfair and it is up to him to find his own way by any means possible.

He idealises his parents, especially his father and, to a certain extent, Anne and Ominis too.

[hellenicrisis]

hi! im really new to hellenic polytheism and this might be a really stupid question.

but ive always called him / seen it as "Lord Apollo" but i see a lot of people writing "Lord Apollon" (with the n)

is that personal preference? or does it have a bigger meaning. thank you so much!

Hi there sunshine! ☀️

I'm not very knowledgeable about this, but from what I could find and as I understand it, the difference basically comes down to the Latin influences in English.

The dropping of the 'n' is a result of the Latinisation of the name as done by the Romans. It aligns more with Latin usage and pronunciation, and has thus carried over into English.

'Apollon' is closer to the original Greek found in ancient texts. Because of this, it is more commonly used in academic texts and other works wanting to remain truer to the name's original form. It is also more common in other modern languages more directly influenced by Greek rather than Latin.

They refer to the same god, it all just comes down to who has translated or transliterated the text. As a modern pagan or polytheist, it's up to you which version you prefer.

Again, I'm far from an expert but I hope that explanation made some sense. Thanks so much for the question, sunshine!

Khaire! ☀️

[nights-nonsensical-ramblings]

So for the @year-of-the-echidna 'communication' prompt i'm putting forward a snippet from an upcoming chapter of friendship persists

But some context is required first. This fic was started back when frontiers was getting its first trailers and many of us were theorizing that it was gonna be an amnesia plot. So other than the basic pieces of 'there are weird ancient robot things, there used to be a civilisation here, cyber space is a thing and the general look of the first island' (maybr the others will stay the same, but that'll depend on the flow of the story) most of frontiers has nothing to do with this story, the pieces are completely remixed. (Sage doesn't even have anything to do with eggman in this version, the titans have a very different origin planned, (which is low key a self indulgent excuse to make expys of the botw champions.) i wont say yet cuz its become a major plot point, but the titans don't have 'pilots' and their origin warns doom for Sonic, Knuckles, Amy and Tails (i so wanna say cuz im excited to ramble)

But that aside the last bit of context required is that knuckles' knowledge of 'english' was erased along with the rest of his memories and so is dealing with a language barrier.

Im using a cypher for Knuckles' dialoge where i split the word in half and swap those halves, (if the word has an odd number of letters the middle letter stays where it is) ill put translations at the bottom.

so with out further ado, a snippet of dealing with a language barrier.

Pink lost her smirk and her face grew soft. "You got to remember he can't understand what we're saying, just how we're saying it. I think he took how you spoke about his claws and tongue as an insult."

Blue sighed. "It wasn't meant to be an insult, it just feels weirdly right to tease and poke at him, and at first it seemed like he felt the same. I don't wanna actually upset the guy, just annoy him a bit."

"Well you're certainly good at doing that."

"yeah, and he's good at doing it to me." Both Pink and Yellow snickered. At the start of the digging Blue and Red had made a game of 'accidently' tossing dirt on each other and it had made quite the delay on the burrow getting started.

The shield remained up, and they could hear dirt being flung about and no sign of it stopping.

"well he's gotta let us in when he's done."

"still feels unfair to make him do it by himself." Yellow glanced back to Blue and ended up noticing he'd taken his gloves off at some point and his hands were covered in dirt.

"What did you say that got him so upset?"

"Well I said he's got some pretty cool claws, but apparently I didn't sound like that and he poked his tongue out at me, and it was oddly long and he seemed to take me staring at it that well and kicked me out." Yellows twin tails flicked, there was something beneath the fog of lost memory about being physically singled out that resonated with him, but the harder he searched the more he felt resistance. He could bring forth the memory of Red getting huffy when being called strange though.

Yellow stepped forward and lightly knocked on the shield, there was a pause in the sound of dirt being tossed about and then the echidna's head popped out of the hole. Red's hands came into view and yellow was able to see that unlike the rest of them, who had bendy fingers tipped with a claw, his entire finger was practically a claw. When Red noticed his staring he growled and narrowed his eyes.

"Wait! before you get mad at me look." Yellow turned and pointed to his twin tails then to each of his friends singular ones. "I've got something unique to."

Red's face became thoughtful and he climbed out of the burrow and took a closer look at Yellow's tails. He then reached up to yellow's head and gave it a stroke. "Red?"

"Reuyo rentediff ot" Red used one of his claws to lift one of his quills slightly and then pointed to the quills on Pink and Blue.

"I think he understood my message!" Yellow turned back to Red when the echidna gently picked up his hand and had a closer look.

"Uryo si os llasm." Yellow’s hand was minuscule compared to Red’s. The echidna would be completely capable of closing his fist around both of Yellow’s. The fox could feel the strength held in those muscles just by the way his fingers twitched and yet Red’s grip was never too tight and the sharp claws brushed along his fur but Red didn’t leave a single scratch.

Blue moved in closer and Red immediately gave him a suspicious look, the hedgehog responded by pointing at Red's claws and giving a genuine grin. "They're cool Red, no need to get all huffy." Red continued to study Blue's expression and eventually let out a frustrated sigh.

Red looked away muttered to himself. "Stju shwi I ewkn atwh uoy rewe ingsay." He then shook his head and gestured for them to follow. "Meco no, mi ostalm nedo"

The echidna lead them into them into the burrow and once his eyes adjusted to the darkness Yellow could identify the deep gashes in the dirt came from Red and the shallower ones came from Blues faster scrabbling. Even with their bickering and head bumping the two had dug out a quite comfortable looking burrow and it was large enough for them to sit inside without bumping their heads. They'd been fine just sleeping on the ground the previous night, but Yellow would like to get some sort of bedding if there was time before the storm hit.

A loud crash sounded from outside the burrow and Yellow tensed. His breath began to quicken and his heart pulsed in his chest. The storm was coming, A thunder storm. Yellow eyes blurred and soon all he could see was the coloured blurs that had given each of them their names. Another crash made his ears lay flat against his head and he began to tremble.

Until a large hand came to rest on his shoulder. 

"Yellow! Reoyu, fesa wndo rehe." Purple eyes came into focus. The face that held them was serious and stern but yet still comforting. "Inghnot llwi teg uoy thwi ym eldshi up." There was pride in Red's voice as he pointed to the entrance where the shield has once again been put up.

Now Red's shield did bring feelings of safety, much like Red himself. Everything about the guy practically screamed 'protector' but there was still something that concerned the fox. "You've only had this power a short time you don't know if you'll be okay keeping it up for a while."

The echidna caught Yellow's concerned tone and gave him a comforting pat. But of course, Red gave no answer to Yellow's worries.

"You'll be alright bud, even if Red's shield goes down we'll keep you safe." Blue smiled and Yellow smiled back. The hedgehog tapped next to him and Yellow walked over and sat where he indicated, the hedgehog was good at keeping Yellow distracted from the storm and he barely noticed Pink and Red carrying supplies in and eventually plopping down with slightly damp fur and in Pink's case, joining the conversation.

Pink didn't miss the way Red's shoulders dropped when Yellow walked away from him to get comfort from Blue. The echidna's face screwed up and his throat tightened. Pink had no clue what he had said, but his tone sounded like he was trying so hard to be comforting. But his words meant nothing to them, and theirs meant nothing to Red.

She really didn't envy poor Red. 

"Hey Red, help me get some stuff from the plane." Pink pointed to the entrance and Red lowered his shield but remained where he was. Pink sighed and pulled him out with her. "No, no. I want you to come out here with me"

Most of the supplies would stay perfectly dry in the plane, but she'd spotted some blankets that would make it more comfortable if the night grew colder. 

Red stopped at the part of the plane that had the word 'Sonic' on it and brushed his claws along it. His gaze was hard and focused but no recognition shone in his eyes.

"You can't read that, can you?" Red looked over his shoulder and the frustration that twisted his face was like a jab. "If it counts for anything, that word is 'Sonic'. You'll at least be able to read one word." She pointed towards the plane to emphasise that 'Sonic' wasn't just another part of the sentence.

Red tilted his head and took a step back. "Sonic ro Sonic?" with the first Sonic he pointed to the word 'sonic' and spoke sharply, then he gestured broadly to the entire plane and drew out the word sonic a bit more. Pink stepped closer and tapped the word itself then ran her finger along each letter as she once again said 

"Sonic"

Red nodded and had a slight smile and repeated the word again, but this time with a proud certainty to it. 

"There we go we'll be able to understand each other in no time." 

Translations

Reuyo rentediff ot = youre different to rsuyo si os llasm = Yours is so small Stju shwi I ewkn atwh uoy rewe ingsay = Just wish I knew what you were saying Meco no, mi ostalm nedo = come on im almost done Reoyu, fesa wndo rehe = youre safe down here Inghnot llwi teg uoy thwi ym eldshi pu = nothing will get you with my shield up Sonic ro Sonic = Sonic or Sonic

[blueikeproductions]

This is around the start of the “second phase” of the anime, where the Four Treasures become reoccurring antagonists.

The Four Treasures are such a bizarre inclusion in Pokemon, where the HZ has utterly ignored them, as of typing, while the games never really… do anything with them. They’re just kinda… there, with some implications the story wanted to use them but just wasn’t able to as intended. The games have Raifort connected to them, though she also feels like a victim of scrapped plans, and while she guest starred in HZ, she didn’t get to do much there either.

In this version of events, Raifort is one of the reoccurring teachers that works with Ash, albeit with secret ulterior motives in connection to Explorers/Exceed. She does like Ash and his students, and wants nothing bad to happen to them, but her goals usually get in the way. She has an interest in the Treasures but isn’t as invested in that version of the story due to my focus on the Treasures’ rivalry with the Loyal Three, and also because I didn’t plan for it originally, I’ve been backtracking and re-examining SV’s story for some comic ideas during free time.

While she’s not here, although she was supposed to, Raifort is the one sending Ash and the others to investigate ruins related to Rakua and ancient Paldea. She usually accompanies the kids, though here she’s probably talking to Agate, who is still loyal to Master Gibeon at this point in the storyline.

Wo-Chein isn’t connected to knowledge specifically in the games, but I felt it would be fitting due to its tablets. All the Treasures can speak human language, continuing the trend of most legendary Pokemon being able to do so.

While I was working on the ideas for the Treasures, I realized a bit belatedly the Paradox Musketeers fit pretty well as counterparts to three of the Treasures. Iron Leaves is Wo-Chein’s counterpart, and besides helping Ash, has encountered Liko Blue’s group during this time also. Because of the need to keep the Loyal Three as their true rivals, the Treasures don’t think very highly of the tinker toys, and after individual encounters, are able to “permanently” deactivate them. (Though by series end, the light of Terapagos and Mega Evolution reactivated them, now on their Shiny colors.)

The Musketeers were developed by the ancient Rakuians as protectors of their empire, and fought against Master Gibeon’s future partner Zygarde. They also met Lucius (Liko’s ancestor) and Alisha (Ash’s ancestor) centuries afterwards, helping seal away the Treasures and Pecharunt with the Loyal Three.

Oh, the comment about the stench of Rakua and the focus on those characters is meant to infer Conia, Jessie, Alfie and Iono are also descendants of Rakua.

[lenorethequietbookkeeper]

Can't believe this never dawned on me before. Do any of the holders speak another language? Have new languages developed over the eons?

Very excited to talk about this one cause I've always wanted to discuss demon language specifically!

But!! I'm getting ahead of myself! I'll answer the first part quick!

John- Basically nothing outside of English. Knows some individual words, but often mixes up what languages they come from, and even what they mean.

Charles- A bit of Standard Chinese, but not enough to hold a conversation. Some Greed-Variety Demontongue, just enough to handle business contracts.

Ferris- A decent amount of Spanish, although he doesn't use it a whole lot due to lack of opportunities. Basic Demontongue, mostly dumb pickup lines.

Daniel- Literate with French, Egyptian, Standard Chinese, and a decent amount of Basic and Pride-Variety Demontongue, is unable to speak any of these.

Jeagar- Very knowledgeable regarding Hebrew, literate with several ancient dead languages, especially Latin, Sanskrit, Biblical Hebrew, and Akkadian. Also literate with all varieties of Demontongue and Angelchirp. Can speak most of these on an intermediate level.

---

Now!! Regarding languages in the ZoP universe! In general, at least on Earth, I don't imagine humans or undead have really created new languages. That being said, I do imagine the degradation of borders and interactions between undead/humans from other cultures has led to the development of multiple sub-languages all around the world. I won't get into every single one here, it's just something I'm laying out.

There are two languages exclusive to ZoP itself I'd like to discuss; Angelchirp and Demontongue, those being the native tongues of angels and demons of course.

---

NOTE: Just for context, the words from these languages take snippets from other words of whatever speech they're being translated into (ex; "fivfinlim", which takes bits from the words "five", "finger", and "limb", means "hand" in Basic Demontongue). The words in my writing will be based on the English language for my convenience. That being said, Angelchirp and Demontongue are very complicated in their original forms, so they need to be heavily localized for humans to even understand them as languages (and literally not explode while trying to speak them).

TLDR; The translated versions of these languages I use in ZoP are not the only versions that exist.

---

OK WITH THAT IN MIND, Angelchirp is pretty universally similar for all angels. There may be some dialect differences for the higher-ups, but that's about it. When translated, it often uses bits of words related to emotions and the spiritual. It also acts as the base for all languages in the universe, including Demontongue.

Speaking of, Demontongue is far more complex and insane than to Angelchirp. While most basic nouns/verbs are universally the same, a lot of words can be totally different depending on what species of demon is speaking. So uh...yeah...prepare for a beefy ass read lmao.

---

Gluttony/Wrath/Lust-Variety (also called Basic): The first and most common rendition of Demontongue. Quite similar to Angelchirp in its original script due to being a direct descendent from when Hell was first created. Where it differs is that when translated, it uses snippets of words related to the physical, usually regarding nature and flesh.

---

Greed-Variety: A more complicated version than Basic, originally invented by greed demons as a form of code to prevent outsiders (including other demons) from prying into their affairs. Not really spoken in casual conversation, mostly used to encode secret messages. Often rely on the words of numeric systems when translated.

---

Sloth/Envy-Variety (also called Simple): An odd version of the language that predominantly appears in magic-related material written during humanity's Dark Ages. Origins coincide with the era when Sloth and Envy Demons terrorized humanity. Most notably the easiest variety to translate due to being more similar to the Greek alphabet than demonic runes (the progenitor for Basic Demontongue). Because of this, magidemics believe Simple was actually created by early human sorcerers as a tool for what would become spell crafting.

---

Pride-Variety: The most difficult and complicated of all varieties of Demontongue created during the peak of the Pride Demon's culture. Infamous for having some of the most convoluted, long, and difficult to pronounce words, perhaps in all of the universe (ex: "crekmahogoakbireverbarkflorfon", which means board). Hell-based historians argue this is to increase the magic potential of Pride Demon spells, although adept sorcerers believe this was done so the noble class could gatekeep their brand of magic from the "common rabble". Regardless, due to the outbreak of the Affliction, there is the very real possibility that this dialect might become a dead language in the not too distant future, which brings worry to the magic world, but relief to those tasked with translating demonic scripture.

---

-From Biblically Accurate Producer!

[areadersquoteslibrary]

When someone tells you in the general anti-intellectual scene of these end days of the world that college is a bad investment or indoctrinating kids etc etc, just agree with them and give them some version of this quote from Schopenhauer lamenting that college-level education was too focused on his personal nemesis Hegel instead of more worthy minds like Kant.

"Now if it is said that ‘Sound reason teaches this’, or that ‘Reason should rein in the passions’ and the like, then in no way does this mean that reason produces material knowledge from its own means; rather, this points to the results of rational reflection, to logical inferences from principles that abstract knowledge, enriched by experience, has gradually gained, and by virtue of which we can clearly and readily survey not merely that which is empirically necessary and hence to be foreseen, should the occasion arise, but the grounds and consequences of our own deeds as well. ‘Rational’ or ‘reasonable’ is everywhere synonymous with ‘consistent’ or ‘logical’, and the opposite is also true. For indeed, logic is just the natural method of reason itself expressed as a system of rules: these expressions (rational and logical) are related to one another as are practice and theory. A rational way of acting is understood in just this sense as a way of acting that is quite consistent, proceeds from universal concepts, and is intentionally led by abstract thoughts, but not determined by momentary, fleeting impressions; however, nothing is said about the morality of such a way of acting; on the contrary, it could be bad as well as good. Detailed explanations of this can be found in my ‘Critique of  [117] Kantian Philosophy’ 2nd edn, p. 576 ff.,b as well as in The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics, p. 152 ff.c Finally knowledge from pure reason (knowledge that we can bring to consciousness a priori, i.e., without the aid of experience) is such that its origins lie in the formal part of our cognitive faculty, be it thinking or intuiting. This sort of knowledge is always based on propositions that have transcendental or even metalogical truth.

In contrast, the idea of reason through its own means providing original material knowledge, knowledge therefore beyond all possibility of experience, positively enlightening us – the idea of reason as something that must contain innate ideas – is a pure fiction of philosophy professors, resulting from the anxiety evoked in them by the Critique of Pure Reason. – Are these gentlemen acquainted with a certain Locke, and have they read him? Perhaps once, a long time ago, superficially, in passages, in a poor, hackneyed German translation, looking down on the great man with conscious superiority – for I do not see an increase in knowledge of modern languages in proportion to the decrease in knowledge of ancient languages, no matter how much it is lamented. Of course they have had no time to waste on such old curmudgeons; in fact, even a real and fundamental knowledge of Kantian philosophy is at most to be found in some – very few – old fellows. For the youth of the generation now in manhood must have been expended on the works of that ‘giant intellect, Hegel’, of the ‘great Schleiermacher’ and the ‘discerning Herbart’. Alas! Alas! Alas! For this is just what is pernicious about such university celebrities and about what comes out of the mouths of decent colleagues in office and aspirants hoping to rise to the heroic heights of a university chair: that mere products of the factory of nature are praised as great minds, as the exceptions and ornaments of humankind, to good, faithful, youth of mediocre minds, lacking in judgement, so that these students dedicate themselves, with all their youthful energy, to the sterile study of such people's endless and mindless scribbling and squander the short and valuable time granted to their higher education, instead of devoting their youthful energy to real instruction, offered  [118] by the works of rare, genuine thinkers, the true exceptions among humankind, ‘scattered swimmers in the vast abyss’,a who across the centuries have only now and then emerged, since even nature only occasionally produces their sort and then ‘breaks the mould’. These genuine thinkers would also have been alive for today's youth, had they not been cheated out of their share of these genuine thinkers by the exceeding perniciousness of those who praise the bad, those members of the great fellowship of sponsors of mediocre thinking, who always flourish and hoist their banners high as the regular enemies of the great and genuine, who humble them. Just because of these and their activities, the age has so declined that Kantian philosophy, which our fathers understood only after years of serious study and through great effort, has now become unknown to the current generation, before whom Kant's philosophy is like pearls before swinea and who try to attack it in a kind of crude, awkward, doltish way – as barbarians throw stones at statues of Greek gods unfamiliar to them. Because this is the way it is nowadays, it is incumbent upon me to recommend something new to the advocates of that reason that knows immediately – that comprehends, that intuits, in short, that reason that produces material knowledge from its own means – to recommend the first book of the world-famous, 150-year-old work of Locke, which is expressly directed against all innate knowledge, and especially to recommend the 3rd chapter, §§ 21–26.b For although Locke goes too far in his denial of all innate truths, insofar as he extends that denial to formal knowledge (for which Kant most brilliantly corrected him later), nonetheless he was perfectly and undeniably correct about all material knowledge, i.e., substantial knowledge."

-Arthur Schopenhauer, On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason

[telleskyggene]

Dwarven Runecraft

Within the Diamond Quarter of Orzammar lies the Shaperate, a branch of dwarven society so ancient that the dwarves themselves do not know when or where it began. They are the keepers of history for a people who have never known the sun or seasons, and who track time by the lives and deaths of kings. But they are not mere historians. They are craftsmen. For the living history of the dwarves is not written, but forged. "The Memories," as the dwarves call their records, are runes painstakingly crafted from lyrium which contain the actual thoughts of the Shapers who made them.

The making of runes is not restricted solely to the Shapers. The most commonly useful kind are crafted by many members of the Smith Caste from lyrium and other magically reactive metals and can imbue a variety of fascinating new properties to an item when properly applied, just as the runes of Tevinter design do. But runes are found everywhere in dwarven artwork and not all serve a practical purpose - at least, not one that's known. They are carved onto houses and store fronts. They are embroidered on garments. Etched in glassware. Even painted on chamber pots.

The meanings of the symbols themselves are sacred knowledge kept by the Shaperate. They are not, as many surface-folk believe, the written language of the modern dwarves, but rather are remnants of a lost language that predates Orzammar, the dwarven kingdom, and even the tens of thousands of years of history recorded in the Memories. The Shaperate recognises the meanings of a few dozen dwarven runes. "Memory," obviously, is used for their record keeping. Many have not so much been translated as inferred. Runes which decorate both armour and load-bearing architecture might very well mean "Strength" or "Endurance." New symbols are unearthed now and then in the fallen thaigs, brought back by the Legion of the Dead and jealously hoarded by the Shapers who struggle to find their uses and origins. Were these symbols an earlier version of the written dwarven tongue? A language that fell into disuse, replaced by the modern King's Tongue? It is hard to guess, and the Memories offer us no wisdom.

—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar by Brother Genitivi.

[gangstalkerbarbie]

ok so I actually don't think anyone else in the world has ever had this headcanon but

if you look carefully at the implications, it's kind of obvious that the homestuck trolls are like, judean, right? like they're not all jewish (although gamzee is a kohen, terezi is presumably a hellenised levi and it's plausible redglare had both like smicha and a troll roman legal license, kanaya is in some sort of essene type cave sect, and karkat is obsessed with the colonised auxiliary troop cosplay version of the sikrikim), but every one of their ancestors either lived on the land they still live on now or invaded it a bazillion years ago, and for better or worse they all seem to be neighbours in the same occupied territory, and, you know, the implications?

so then notice how a majority of their terms are anglish compound words, to convey a feeling of ancientness and like nativeness to english, and the further up you go in dialectal prestige the more romance language roots they use? this is an accident of english related to the norman conquest, i think it's quite intentional, eridan is very space roman

(this is why in my friends and i's beautiful and strong dune coded byzantinesrael au [what hemoswaps want to be] where the rebels won and then formed the same evil byzantine empire but in like a 'we will be a light unto this wretched world' way, it's the other way around and anglish moot-style anglish is the sociolectal equivalent of rabbinic hebrew. the descendants of the now very put upon space romans say things like 'cuspidated grimalkin' because the true names of things are tabooed to them, and kritarchal language is full of delights like 'kithlore' [hive grouping- or caste-restricted knowledge, such as of water stewardship, which is partly how bug kohanim and old synedrial hives maintain power and relevancy, as distinguished from hivelore, which is specific to a particular house] and 'telcraft' [formal mathematics, because the Reckoning is already the apocalypse].)

anyway we all know this, this isn't the headcanon, the headcanon is that the condesce's regime are not the first people who domesticated lusii, they only encountered that sort of thing in the troll Levant, much later

evidence:

• people don't generally name useful things in insults

• however colonisers name things they don't understand that way

• 'lusus naturae' is not a name compatible with what you could be woowoo and call 'indigenous latin folkways', because at the early stage this concept would have formed for these hypothetical bee romans, animals would have been peoplier, and also because 'nature' as a hostile personification is relatively young, etymologically it just means 'the world/condition you were born to' which doesn't start to cruelly play with anything (that's the gods' job) until Nature becomes an exploitable construct that needs propagandising

• if however they had first encountered lusii among other people (like, idk, phoenicians) AND those people had biotechnology sufficient to breed docile or at least psychically susceptible versions of major predators AND it was a status symbol of a sort to keep them THEN ok yeah i can see how troll pontius pilate could roll up and be like 'feh. the barbarians and their freakish custom of animal childcare, typical of this region'

• this would have been ages ago even by the signless' standards, probably more ancient than the empire in its current form

I think originally lusii as caregivers were like one or a group to a hive, though, like some wasps brainwash roaches to protect their brood (or worse), because normally a given bug mediterranean hive would have people (probably male people all things considered) to look after the kids, and the later model of 1 creature : 1 child is a consequence of mass conscription that was widely adopted everywhere because it worked :)

do as you please with this knowledge all i have done is set it free into the wild

[davidcharlotte92]

What Role does Interpretation play in Translation?

A translator’s role is a nuanced commodity that undoubtedly facilitates both literature and languages. Yet, it has the baggage of Semantics and Etymology because without them, much can be lost in the translation. One word can mean many different things depending on the language and where it’s been said, at what time, and by whom. Throw in the added difficulty of perception, and you'll have translations varying in interpretations. Even in English, there are words called homonyms that sound the same and are spelled the same, and still, they differ in meaning.

This complexity doesn’t just end with words; it continues with phrases or even sentences. For example, saying the phrase "shooting your shot" in a bar should not be taken literally because, based on the context here, it means taking a chance with someone you fancy. Now, if the same sentence was said in a shooting range, no one would have interpreted it any other way. This example might be a bit mundane, but it explains the core of the title.

Translations are an important branch of literature as they help people understand the thoughts and ideologies of foreign lands and cultures. It creates awareness in readers about the speakers of the language and brings them together through literature, as many believe that a country's literature is the mirror of its history, culture, and values. Translators make literature accessible to more readers and are somewhat the bridges among cultures. A good translator will be able to retain the intention of the writer and narrator until the very end with remarkable consistency.

The most convoluted case of translation-interpretation is religious texts, especially the bible. Perception and context make the whole of its translation, leaving room for individual interpretation. Compared to English, the languages of most religious texts is ancient and have gone through centuries of change that a modern-day translator can hardly do justice to its Semantics. Translators dealing with religious texts mostly use notes and context of the old translations, deeming them more historically accurate. Still, it doesn’t mean that new translations of religious texts are just replicas of old ones because perception can very well interfere with the interpretations.

While the freedom to interpret the translated text as per perception provides flexibility in ideas, it threatens the credibility of original ideas. Despite being open to interpretation in some cases, the bible isn't entirely dependent on its reader's whims. But anyone with authority and influence can convince the masses to accept their self-serving interpretations, and history bears witness that this claim is not far from reality.

To put it simply, there is no denying that translating religious or any kind of texts without context can open doors for a plethora of different interpretations. A translation uncertain in its intention can land flat on the reader’s understanding, forcing them to pull meaning out of thin air. And while translation with clear intentions is imperative, sometimes it fails to yield the desired outcome because when it comes to interpretation, people rely on their knowledge and perception more than others unless they deem someone with more intellect than them.

The old and new testaments and the many versions of the bible prove how interpretation can interfere with translation and create entirely new versions of the same text. Cletis McMurty’s “Is that really in the bible?” expounds on the conundrum of choosing between these versions. The author primarily considers the bible as any other book instead of a religion’s rule book, and that helped him gain a personal perspective on its texts. Of course, understanding the book without its religious context was impossible, but his stance on translations affecting understanding and interpretation is conveyed exceptionally.

[hashems-truth-matters]

Introduction to Ancient Hebrew

Introduction to Ancient Hebrew This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on sales. Given the choice between a fast food meal and fine dining at a 5-star restaurant, which option would you prefer? While both establishments serve food, it is undeniable that the 5-star restaurant offers a superior dining experience and a more exquisite ambiance compared to a fast food joint. The Hebrew Bible can be seen this way. While reading an English translation of the Bible still provides nourishment, it lacks the profound impact of the original Hebrew text. Understanding Hebraic concepts can be a valuable source of knowledge, even for those who are unfamiliar with the Hebrew language. Ancient Pictograph of the Hebrew Word “El” Meaning God

A remarkable inscription dating back 4,000 years, was uncovered in the beautiful land of Israel. This precious artifact was adorned with two letters, perfectly preserved, written in the ancient pictographic Hebrew script. The inscription is truly captivating, showcasing the magnificent history and legacy of this remarkable region. At the very beginning of the script, there lies a mesmerizing letter called Aleph, which takes the form of an ox head and symbolizes “unparalleled strength”. Beside that is the letter Lamed, which is depicted as a picture of a shepherd's staff symbolizing “authority”. When these pictographs are combined, the word "el" is formed, meaning "the mighty one of authority." The Hebrew Bible, known as the Tanakh among Jews and the Old Testament among Christians, was initially composed in the pictographic Hebrew script. There was also a modified version commonly referred to as Paleo-Hebrew. The authors of these texts were Hebrews who had a language and culture that differed greatly from our own. Therefore, delving into the study of the ancient Hebrew alphabet, language, and culture is crucial in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Biblical texts. The Ancient Hebrew Alphabet The Ancient Hebrew language utilized a distinctive writing system consisting of 22 letters, each of which was represented by a picture depicting symbols like an ox, tent, foot, or door. These pictographic letters not only served as sound identifiers, but also possessed profound meanings that added further depth to their significance. Looking at Hebrew prefixes is the most effective way to showcase the advantages of comprehending the meanings of each pictograph.  In Hebrew, there are five commonly used Hebrew letters that serve as prefixes to convey additional information. We will explore how these prefixes function and how the visual representations of the prefixes assist in defining their meanings. In the following examples, we will utilize the Hebrew term "erets" (Strong's #776), which conveys the notion of “land”, and we will incorporate the prefix preceding it.

This letter is called Beit and it carries the soothing sound of "b". Beit is more than just a simple symbol; it portrays a fascinating image of a nomadic tent, reminiscent of those used by the ancient Hebrews. Within this humble shelter lies the essence of family, encapsulating the warmth and love that dwell inside. The letter's significance lies either inside or within. When placed before the word "erets," it creates the word "be'erets," which conveys the profound notion of "within a land."

The letter Waw represents the "w" sound (referred to as vav in modern Hebrew, pronounced with a "v" sound) and is depicted as a symbol of “unity”, resembling a peg or nail that brings things together securely. This letter is used as a symbol for "and" when adding things together. When this letter is added to the word "erets," it forms a new word: "we'erets," which means "and a land."

The letter Hey is pronounced with an emphatic "h" sound and is represented by an image of a man triumphantly raising his arms, passionately pointing towards a magnificent sight, as if inviting you to witness its incredible splendor. The purpose of this letter is to signify The" when referring to something significant. By adding this letter as a prefix to the word “erets”, it creates the powerful term ha'erets, which signifies "The Land."

The letter Lamed symbolizes the soothing sound of "l" and embodies a captivating image of a shepherd's staff. This staff, once wielded by the caring shepherd, skillfully guided the sheep towards greener pastures and life-sustaining water sources. The term "le" serves as a prefix to the word "erets" to create "le'erets," which signifies "toward a land." This letter is a crucial designation of direction.

The letter Mem depicts a magnificent "m" sound, showcasing a captivating image of water. Furthermore, it symbolizes the harmonious flow of water in both humans and animals, resembling the sacred essence of life - the vital fluid that courses through our veins, commonly known as blood. Blood carries on from generation to generation, symbolizing “continuity”. It signifies a connection with one's ancestors and a link to the past. When the prefix "me" is added to the word "erets," it forms the word "me'erets," which represents the concept of “origin from a specific land.” The Ancient Hebrew Vocabulary Hebrew root words are the fundamental building blocks of the language, created by combining two Hebrew letters. These words are versatile because they can be used as both nouns and verbs. The meanings of individual letters hold significant meaning, which can help unveil the true Hebraic essence of a word. Delve into the profound connections between the meanings of these letters and the meanings of nouns and verbs. Allow me to provide you with a handful of compelling examples.

The initial letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called Aleph and is depicted as a symbol of an ox. Just as the ox represents “strength and power” so does this letter symbolize the same characteristics. 

The letter Bet (B) represents a tent or house, a place of residence for the family. When combined, these letters form the word “ab”, embodying the concept of "the power of the home" and embodying the role of the "father."

The first letter here is the Aleph (A), which is depicted as the image of an ox. Just like the mighty strength of an ox, this letter also symbolizes “strength”. The second letter is the Mem (M), which symbolizes “water”. The meaning of "strong water" is revealed through these two letters. It was the Hebrews who developed a technique of boiling animal skins in water to create a substance known as glue. Throughout this process, the skin would gradually decay, ultimately leading to a thick and sticky liquid forming on the surface of the water. The viscous substance was extracted and employed as a formidable adhesive called "strong water". This term originates from the Hebrew word “am”, which symbolizes "mother", the one who firmly unifies the family.

The primary letter in this image is "B," represented by a captivating image of a tent or house. Following that, the second letter, "N," showcases a fascinating picture of a seed. The seed represents the dawn of a vibrant existence, sprouting forth to sow the seeds of a new era. In fact, this profound symbol can be interpreted as a declaration of “perseverance”. When united, these two letters forge the powerful word BeN, signifying the “eternal continuity of our lineage”, serving as the Hebrew word for "son."

The initial letter is the Aleph (A), depicting an ox, symbolizing strength. As the ox exemplifies “mightiness”, this letter also embodies great power. The following letter, hhet (Hh), resembles a tent wall, representing “protection and shelter”. The wall serves as a formidable shield guarding the contents within its boundaries from the external world. When united, these letters give birth to the noun AHh, embodying the essence of a robust barrier and symbolizing the “brother” as the steadfast safeguard of the family.

The first letter is lamed in Hebrew, represented by the picture of a staff. The second letter is called kaph, depicted as the palm of a hand. When the staff is held in the palm, it signifies a “journey or walking”. The verb LaK is used to express the action of “walking or going.” "Go Down" The first letter is resh (R), which portrays the majestic countenance of a noble man. The second letter, dalet (D), serves as a captivating depiction of a grand entrance to a tent. Entering or exiting through the door of the nomad's tent required one to stoop down due to its low roof. The verb RaD translates to "go down".

The initial letter, Ayin (A), is symbolized by an eye, conveying the essence of “experience”. As for the second letter, Lamed (L), its pictorial representation is a staff that also signifies a “yoke” placed upon the shoulders. When combined, these two letters form the word AL, which means “to experience the yoke”. As the yoke is lifted up onto the shoulders, this verb implies “going up”. When used as a noun, this same two-letter root signifies a “yoke”. Uniting The initial letter, Q, represents a captivating image of the sun gracefully ascending or descending on the horizon. This symbolizes the essence of “unity and gathering”, as the light beautifully merges at the point where the earth meets the sky. The second letter hhet (Hh) is a compelling depiction of a formidable wall that serves as a barrier. When combined, these two letters create the powerful word QaHh, representing the act of “uniting that which has been divided”, the profound act of taking.

The initial letter represents the sound shin (Sh) and depicts the action of pressing with the image of teeth. The subsequent letter, beyt (B), symbolizes a tent or home. The two letters combined create the powerful word ShaB, which symbolizes a “sense of urgency to seek refuge” and signifies the act of “coming back.”

The letter Q represents the rising or setting sun on the horizon, symbolizing “unity and gathering”, as the light comes together at the edge of the world. The second letter, resh (R), depicts the head of a man. When combined, these two letters create the word QaR, which signifies “a gathering of men” and signifies the act of “meeting or calling out”. An Act of True Understanding The opening letter, known as dalet (D), portrays a visual representation of the tent entrance - a gateway for easy passage. As for the second letter, ayin (A), it symbolizes the intricate beauty of the eye. These two letters, when combined, create the powerful word DA. It represents the mesmerizing motion of the eye, as if absorbing everything, and signifies “the act of true understanding.” The Ancient Hebrew Language The Hebrew Bible was penned by the Hebrews around 2,500 to 3,500 years ago, when their culture and way of life greatly contrasted with our present reality. As 20th century Americans, our interpretation of the words and phrases in the Word of God is often influenced by our culture and lifestyle. Rain is a prime illustration of how culture can shape an individual's perception of a word. The meaning of rain may hold negativity for a bride and groom getting ready for an outdoor wedding, yet for a farmer in the midst of a drought, that very word carries a sense of optimism and positivity. Rain may be seen as a picnic spoiler by many of us, but for the ancient Hebrews, it symbolized the very essence of life. Without rain, their nomadic existence would come to a halt. It is important to grasp the cultural significance embedded in the words of the Bible, as much can be lost or disregarded without this understanding. The language of a group of people is intricately linked to their culture. This holds true for the nomadic Hebrews of the Near East, whose language is profoundly intertwined with their nomadic way of life. Every Hebrew word captures a vivid action witnessed during the nomadic odyssey of the Hebrews across the untamed wilderness. When we bring back the Hebraic essence of the text, we discover a prevailing theme that permeates the Bible, shining forth in all its splendor - our enduring journey as nomads through the vast wilderness of life. Most people wrongly assume that everyone thinks in a similar way. However, the truth is quite the opposite. The thinking processes of different cultures are incredibly diverse, often contrasting like day and night. On this website under the Learn tab, we will delve into Hebrew words and concepts, aiming to gain a profound understanding of the Hebrew mindset. A proper comprehension of ancient Hebrew thought is essential for a thorough understanding of the Bible. When we interpret the Biblical text based on our own perspective, we risk diluting it with modern Greco-Roman thinking. During my extensive research on the language used in the Bible, I have made a remarkable discovery of three fundamental components to the proper interpretation of the words and ideas within the text. The Culture Like any language, Hebrew is deeply intertwined with the culture of its speakers and writers. When reading the Bible, whether in Hebrew, English or any other language, it is essential that it be read through the eyes and mind of the Hebrew culture and not one's own culture. To illustrate this let’s look at Isaiah 40:22: “It is he... that stretches out the heavens as a curtain.” Based on our cultural knowledge, we can infer that this refers to the formation of stars, which are colossal spheres of blazing gas located billions of miles away from us. However, even though this perspective may be accurate, it is crucial that we disregard our concept and rather comprehend it from Isaiah's viewpoint of the heavens.  Within the Hebrews' goat hair tents, the roof is dark, yet the gaps between the fibers of the material enable tiny beams of light to seep through, creating the illusion of stars in the pitch-black sky. Because of this, the Hebrews perceived the nighttime sky as an expansive canopy, symbolizing “God's presence and protection” enveloping the entire world, His beloved creation. Action The languages we use today have been shaped by the ancient Greco-Roman civilization, which cultivated a rich vocabulary of abstract words. Abstract words are those that cannot be tied to any of our five senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Every Hebrew word is connected to a tangible concept, a substance of “action”. An excellent example of this contrast is the word anger, which, from a contemporary standpoint, may seem like an abstract notion.  In Hebrew, the term for anger is אף (aph), which, intriguingly, refers to "a flaring of the nostrils in anger." This vivid word captures the essence of this powerful emotion, conveying a tangible image of its expression. Remarkably, אף (aph) also happens to be the Hebrew word for nose, unveiling an intriguing connection between anger and this vital facial feature. On this website, you will have the opportunity to break free from abstract thinking and embrace the concrete significance of words, as they were originally perceived from a Hebraic standpoint. Function In Hebrew thought, the emphasis lies on the “practicality of things”, while we, in our Greco-Roman mindset, tend to prioritize their “outward appearance.” As we delve into the pages of the Holy Scriptures, our minds are incessantly crafting a vivid illustration of the words depicted within. However, we must recognize that the original author seeks not to portray a mere physical image, but rather a profound depiction of “purpose.” An example of this concept is: “...and this is how you are to make it, the length of the vessel is three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.”  (Gen. 6:15) Does this description provide us with a visual depiction of the ark? Absolutely not. Rather, it elucidates its purpose by emphasizing the tremendous size and capacity of the vessel, highlighting its ability to transport an extensive array of animals. By keeping these three keys in mind while reading the Scriptures, you will be able to approach the Bible from a Hebrew perspective rather than the Greek perspective that we have been taught since birth. The Hebrew Bible The process of translation involves numerous hidden and unfamiliar elements, often overlooked by those who simply read the translated text. Many individuals who read the Bible assume that the English translation is a precise and faithful rendition of the original scripture. However, an exact translation is impossible due to the significant disparities between the language and culture of the Ancient Hebrews and ours.  The translator plays a crucial role in connecting languages and cultures. Given the various possible translations of Hebrew text, the personal beliefs of the translator greatly influence the outcome. The translation of a Biblical text represents the translator's interpretation, shaped by their own theology and doctrine. Readers are compelled to rely on the translator's interpretation as the basis for understanding the text. Read the full article

[translationwala]

Going to New Heights with English to Marathi translation

There are a lot of different languages spoken in the world, and each one has its own beauty and cultural meaning. Marathi, which is spoken by more than 90 million people around the world, stands out as a language with a rich literary history and a lively culture. But for many people who don’t understand Marathi, the language hurdle keeps them from enjoying the rich literature and culture of Marathi. This is where English to Marathi translation comes in. It connects these two worlds and lets a lot of information and understanding flow through.

Preserving Heritage and Fostering Understanding

Marathi is the main language in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and English to Marathi translation is an important part of keeping its rich cultural history alive. Translators make sure that the region’s literary gems, from ancient epics to current poems, don’t get lost in the English-language flood by turning Marathi works into English. Heritage protection is important for keeping cultural variety and making the world’s literature scene richer.

Not only does translating from English to Marathi help preserve tradition, but it also helps people who know English and Marathi understand each other and talk to each other. Marathi people can access a huge library of information, ideas, and points of view from all over the world by turning English works into Marathi. This access helps people from different cultures understand each other, breaks down boundaries, and pushes them to talk to each other.

Unlocking the Wonders of Marathi Literature

A lot of stories, songs, and plays written in Marathi can teach you about the Marathi people’s past, customs, and way of seeing the world. But people who don’t know Marathi have long been unable to enjoy the beauty and depth of this writing heritage because of the language hurdle.

The translation from English to Marathi has opened up this literary haven, letting readers all over the world get lost in the stories of Marathi authors like Sant Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, and Laxmibai Kelkar. After reading these versions, people can better understand Marathi society and the unique ways it sees the world.

Bridging the Gap with Technology

The world of technology has changed the way translation is done by giving us tools and resources that make translating from English to Marathi easier and faster than ever. Machine translation tools, in particular, have helped a lot to bridge the language gap by making it easy to translate big amounts of text quickly.

But it’s important to remember that computer translation tools can’t take the place of human interpreters’ knowledge and subtlety. Because language is so complicated, especially when it comes to national background and idioms, it often takes a person to make sure that readings are correct and make sense.

The Role of Skilled Translators

For English to Marathi translation projects to go well, they need translators who are skilled and know a lot about both the English and Marathi languages and cultures. It is very important for them to be able to understand the subtleties of the original text and communicate them clearly in the target language. This keeps the message true and helps people from different cultures understand each other better.

It is very important for these translators to help bridge the language gap and make sure that more people can enjoy Marathi’s rich history and cultural gems. Their work helps make the world a better place for everyone, where everyone’s voice is heard and understood.

Conclusion

This English to Marathi version shows how language can bring people together, protect traditional history, and help people understand each other better. Translation will become even more important as the world becomes more linked. It makes sure that the views of different groups are heard and understood.

English to Marathi translation is hitting new heights thanks to the hard work of skilled translators and improvements in technology. This is letting people all over the world enjoy the beauty of Marathi literature and culture. As we learn more about this linguistic treasure trove, we gain a greater understanding for how rich and varied human language is.

Source: https://translationwala.wordpress.com/2023/11/29/going-to-new-heights-with-english-to-marathi-translation/

[salsa-and-light]

Let me save us some time.

Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13

Dubious translation, part of Levitical Law, therefore defunct.

Therefore irrelevant for universal claims.

Genesis 19 & Romans 1

Specific circumstances which would have been equally as immoral if they were heterosexual.(See Judges 19 & Revelation 2:14)

Therefore irrelevant for universal claims.

1 Corinthians 6:9 & 1 Timothy 1:10

A well-documented mistranslation of the same word with almost no contemporary archeological presence. 

Therefore irrelevant for universal claims.

Genesis 2:24 & Requotes (Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7, Ephesians 5:31)

Neither a definition, prescription nor a command. They are an explanation of one type of marriage with many examples of recognized marriages in scripture which do not match the listed qualities.

...

Christian Anti-Queer sentiment is personal feelings first and justification second. It has no real basis in scripture.

And personal opinions are not sufficient.

...

Now, let's look at the specifics.

"I wonder which god this man is talking about. Certainly not the God of the Bible, because God has been open time and time again over the sin of homosexuality:"

That is false is multiple respects, most crucially because the concept of homosexuality did not exist until the 19th century, and it did not appear in any Bible until the 20th century, incorrectly mind you; there is no ancient Greek or Hebrew equivalent.

"I don’t want anyone to assume that the sin of homosexuality is the worst one can commit."

Well that's very good of you, but it doesn't change how the church treats Queer people.

"We are all born in sin, God demands we be born again [John 3:3] "

I assume that this is premise for telling Queer people that they can change.

It reminds me of how mormons used to believe that Non-White converts to Mormonism would become White once they were in the church.

Because sure, God can do anything, but whoever said that God was going to change his creation for the arbitrary aesthetic preferences of humans.

"Jesus died to pay our sin debt, not so that we can continue in sin."

Love is not a sin, the Bible is explicit that Love is a virtue.

There were no stipulations about gender.

"Making excuses for the sins we like isn’t something a Christian does."

Have you considered that Queer Christians aren't making excuses? Have you considered that you might be the one making excuses for your double standards?

"The Bible is not mistranslated,"

Just because you put it in bolds, that doesn't make it more convincing.

The Bible has been mistranslated many times, these are well documented and debates rage about this exact topic regularly.

"it’s the most carefully translated text, from the original Hebrew and Greek writings, [the Bible never went through a game of ‘telephone’]"

This is also completely false. The King James version is one of the most popular English Bibles in the world, and apart from it being an amalgamation of at least three different previous translations(Tyndale, Geneva & Bishops') most of which were either translated from the Latin Vulgate(not Greek or Hebrew) or took influence from the Vulgate.

In the modern day scholars have been able to translate directly from the source languages and find ancient douments which managed to correct much of the knowledge about mistranslations and clerical errors.

However after decades or centuries of theology based on previous translations some corrections have not made it into modern translations and many others are still disputed.

Of course there's also the problem of linguistic drift, "fornication" was a correct term to use in English five hundred years ago but now it means something completely different.

"You will see your faith transform when you read the Bible without a lense, but reading it as authority. "

This is a words salad, it means nothing.

You can not read the Bible without a lens, you are incapable of viewing the world through totally objective means.

just a reminder to my LGBTQ siblings in faith that God loves you and God fully intended for you to be LGBTQ. God blesses same gender relationships and blesses people going through their gender transition.

[breelandwalker]

heyyy, good natured question here: because i kind of think ignoring how incredible the tarot system built by waite is, just because it uses symbols from different religions is quite limiting. when i compared pre waite decks to his creation there really is s lot that doesnt quite have as much meaning. i feel like a lot of the pre golden dawn decks are more focused on mundane and fortune telling. while waites system is actually very mystical and its more of a system than what ive observed otherwise. this is just my own pbservation but i wonder what you think about it. i of course would neever propose any deck to a person who feels uncomfortable with what it depicts, especially when it concerns religions. but i feel like a lot of the new hip and aesthetic tarots kind of miss out on a whole lot of mysticism, symbolism and meaning. they become a bit watered down if you know what i mean? wonder if anyone else feels this way

Oooo, let me get my Witchstorian hat....because there is some TEA here.

The association of tarot cards with various types of mysticism goes back to 18th-century France. The decks existed in Italy before then, as playing cards for various types of trump-style games, some of which are still played on the peninsula today. A French scholar by the name of Antoine Court de Gebelin, who is considered the grand-daddy of many later occultist philosophies, published a piece in 1781 on the allegedly-ancient origins of the symbols on tarot cards. He claimed that Ancient Egyptian priests had encoded their sacred text, The Book of Thoth, into tarot cards and that if a person knew how to read the symbols properly, they could unlock all of human knowledge.

Fun Fact: Gebelin knew precisely jack shit about Ancient Egypt. The language on the ancient papyri hadn't even been translated yet when he put forth these ideas (and once it was, none of it supported his claims). But Gebelin was very popular and he was a white guy in colonial academia, so nobody was asking inconvenient questions.

The same year, another French guy wrote an essay that posited that one could map the 22 Major Arcana cards onto the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This eventually led to members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn creating the Rider-Waite deck with Hebrew lettering and the tetragrammaton, because they were Ob.Sessed. with Jewish mysticism even though none of them were actually Jewish.

The Order created the first modern standard set and the rules for reading them in 1909-1910, and these were later expanded upon by Eden Gray in the 1960s, which gives us the tarot as we know it today.

There's a lot more to the story of tarot than this, but that's the TL;DR version of how the cards became mystical and why some decks include Jewish symbols. Which, quite frankly, they shouldn't, mystical associations or no.

If you're interested in the full story, you can check out the August 2021 episode of my podcast, Hex Positive - "The Trouble With Tarot." I wrote it in response to a then-prevalent argument that tarot originated with the Romani people and that the use of the cards was culturally protected. (Spoiler alert: they didn't and it's not, but I do address the connection in the episode.)

Personally, I don't feel like artistic decks water down the practical use of the cards anyway, but I do find that people connect more strongly to some decks. I love my Visconti-Sforza deck with its' classical artwork and old symbols, and I love my Golden Nouveau deck with all the flowery, flowy paintings. And I learned to read on the Faery Wicca tarot deck, which is exactly as fluffy and ridiculous as it sounds, but I love that one too.

So really, I think it's all a matter of personal preference. If the artwork and symbolism in a deck doesn't resonate with you, that's probably going to feel kind of useless to you personally. But somebody else might pick it up and go, "Wow! This is exactly what I've been looking for!" and have great success with their readings. To each their own.

Hope this helps!

[imsorryimlate]

But at length, such calamities did ensue in these assaults—not restricted to sprained wrists and ankles, broken limbs, or devouring amputations—but fatal to the last degree of fatality […]

(emphasis mine)

oh god….. man, i just. i hope this is deliberate on melville’s part and i’m not just coming across as a complete clown

linguistic stuff below

this immediately brought to mind genesis 2:17

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

(emphasis mine)

now, translations have their limits. this is such a limit.

see, the original hebrew renders that with an absolute infinitive + an imperfect (מות תמות).

the absolute infinitive is a verb form which is used for enhancement, so you more or less has this verb “repeated” for emphasis. in a very simple english, we might render it as “you will die-die”, like you will die so hard. you will die utterly and completely.

actually, while modern swedish translations will render it similarly to “surely die” (sannerligen dö), older versions kept very close to the original with “döden dö”, sort of like “you will (by) death die” (and although it’s a fairly outdated translation, the expression döden dö has become culturally rooted in the swedish language and is not uncommonly used in other contexts)

so yeah lets go with the archaic swedish translation that i’m translating into english lol

“you will (by) death die” “fatal to the last degree of fatality”

quite similar, don’t you think? death taken to its furthest point

i think it’s deliberate!! also, i’m even more reinforced in this idea because of this later part in the chapter, which directly references the snake of the garden:

That intangible malignity which has been from the beginning; to whose dominion even the modern Christians ascribe one-half of the worlds; which the ancient Ophites of the east reverenced in their statue devil […]

from the annotations:

Ophites: a religious sect from about 100 A.D. who believed that the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve was the story's hero, and God its villain.

anyway, i'm always excited about the bible and allusions to biblical hebrew, so i just saw it and became very excited

but then again, we know from the dictionary part of moby dick that melville didn’t have a strong grip on hebrew lol so maybe it’s not deliberate? or maybe he knew someone who explained the whole thing to him, or maybe he used an english translation of the bible which did note these things. who knows!

[bao3bei4]

fan language: the victorian imaginary and cnovel fandom

there’s this pinterest image i’ve seen circulating a lot in the past year i’ve been on fandom social media. it’s a drawn infographic of a, i guess, asian-looking woman holding a fan in different places relative to her face to show what the graphic helpfully calls “the language of the fan.”

people like sharing it. they like thinking about what nefarious ancient chinese hanky code shenanigans their favorite fan-toting character might get up to⁠—accidentally or on purpose. and what’s the problem with that?

the problem is that fan language isn’t chinese. it’s victorian. and even then, it’s not really quite victorian at all. 

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fans served a primarily utilitarian purpose throughout chinese history. of course, most of the surviving fans we see⁠—and the types of fans we tend to care about⁠—are closer to art pieces. but realistically speaking, the majority of fans were made of cheaper material for more mundane purposes. in china, just like all around the world, people fanned themselves. it got hot!

so here’s a big tipoff. it would be very difficult to use a fan if you had an elaborate language centered around fanning yourself.

you might argue that fine, everyday working people didn’t have a fan language. but wealthy people might have had one. the problem we encounter here is that fans weren’t really gendered. (caveat here that certain types of fans were more popular with women. however, those tended to be the round silk fans, ones that bear no resemblance to the folding fans in the graphic). no disrespect to the gnc old man fuckers in the crowd, but this language isn’t quite masc enough for a tool that someone’s dad might regularly use.

folding fans, we know, reached europe in the 17th century and gained immense popularity in the 18th. it was there that fans began to take on a gendered quality. ariel beaujot describes in their 2012 victorian fashion accessories how middle class women, in the midst of a top shortage, found themselves clutching fans in hopes of securing a husband.

she quotes an article from the illustrated london news, suggesting “women ‘not only’ used fans to ‘move the air and cool themselves but also to express their sentiments.’” general wisdom was that the movement of the fan was sufficiently expressive that it augmented a woman’s displays of emotion. and of course, the more english audiences became aware that it might do so, the more they might use their fans purposefully in that way.

notice, however, that this is no more codified than body language in general is. it turns out that “the language of the fan” was actually created by fan manufacturers at the turn of the 20th century⁠—hundreds of years after their arrival⁠ in europe—to sell more fans. i’m not even kidding right now. the story goes that it was louis duvelleroy of the maison duvelleroy who decided to include pamphlets on the language with each fan sold.

interestingly enough, beaujot suggests that it didn’t really matter what each particular fan sign meant. gentlemen could tell when they were being flirted with. as it happens, meaningful eye contact and a light flutter near the face may be a lingua franca.

so it seems then, the language of the fan is merely part of this victorian imaginary we collectively have today, which in turn itself was itself captivated by china.

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victorian references come up perhaps unexpectedly often in cnovel fandom, most often with regards to modesty.

it’s a bit of an awkward reference considering that chinese traditional fashion⁠—and the ambiguous time periods in which these novels are set⁠—far predate victorian england. it is even more awkward considering that victoria and her covered ankles did um. imperialize china.

but nonetheless, it is common. and to make a point about how ubiquitous it is, here is a link to the twitter search for “sqq victorian.” sqq is the fandom abbreviation for shen qingqiu, the main character of the scum villain’s self-saving system, by the way.

this is an awful lot of results for a search involving a chinese man who spends the entire novel in either real modern-day china or fantasy ancient china. that’s all i’m going to say on the matter, without referencing any specific tweet.

i think people are aware of the anachronism. and i think they don’t mind. even the most cursory research reveals that fan language is european and a revisionist fantasy. wikipedia can tell us this⁠—i checked!

but it doesn’t matter to me whether people are trying to make an internally consistent canon compliant claim, or whether they’re just free associating between fan facts they know. it is, instead, more interesting to me that people consistently refer to this particular bit of history. and that’s what i want to talk about today⁠—the relationship of fandom today to this two hundred odd year span of time in england (roughly stuart to victorian times) and england in that time period to its contemporaneous china.

things will slip a little here. victorian has expanded in timeframe, if only because random guys posting online do not care overly much for respect for the intricacies of british history. china has expanded in geographic location, if only because the english of the time themselves conflated china with all of asia.

in addition, note that i am critiquing a certain perspective on the topic. this is why i write about fan as white here⁠—not because all fans are white⁠—but because the tendencies i’m examining have a clear historical antecedent in whiteness that shapes how white fans encounter these novels.

i’m sure some fans of color participate in these practices. however i don’t really care about that. they are not its main perpetrators nor its main beneficiaries. so personally i am minding my own business on that front.

it’s instead important to me to illuminate the linkage between white as subject and chinese as object in history and in the present that i do argue that fannish products today are built upon.

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it’s not radical, or even new at all, for white audiences to consume⁠—or create their own versions of⁠—chinese art en masse. in many ways the white creators who appear to owe their whole style and aesthetic to their asian peers in turn are just the new chinoiserie.

this is not to say that white people can’t create asian-inspired art. but rather, i am asking you to sit with the discomfort that you may not like the artistic company you keep in the broader view of history, and to consider together what is to be done about that.

now, when i say the new chinoiserie, i first want to establish what the original one is. chinoiserie was a european artistic movement that appeared coincident with the rise in popularity of folding fans that i described above. this is not by coincidence; the european demand for asian imports and the eventual production of lookalikes is the movement itself. so: when we talk about fans, when we talk about china (porcelain), when we talk about tea in england⁠—we are talking about the legacy of chinoiserie.

there are a couple things i want to note here. while english people as a whole had a very tenuous knowledge of what china might be, their appetites for chinoiserie were roughly coincident with national relations with china. as the relationship between england and china moved from trade to out-and-out wars, chinoiserie declined in popularity until china had been safely subjugated once more by the end of the 19th century.

the second thing i want to note on the subject that contrary to what one might think at first, the appeal of chinoiserie was not that it was foreign. eugenia zuroski’s 2013 taste for china examines 18th century english literature and its descriptions of the according material culture with the lens that chinese imports might be formative to english identity, rather than antithetical to it.

beyond that bare thesis, i think it’s also worthwhile to extend her insight that material objects become animated by the literary viewpoints on them. this is true, both in a limited general sense as well as in the sense that english thinkers of the time self-consciously articulated this viewpoint. consider the quote from the illustrated london news above⁠—your fan, that object, says something about you. and not only that, but the objects you surround yourself with ought to.

it’s a bit circular, the idea that written material says that you should allow written material to shape your understanding of physical objects. but it’s both 1) what happened, and 2) integral, i think, to integrating a fannish perspective into the topic.

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japanning is the name for the popular imitative lacquering that english craftspeople developed in domestic response to the demand for lacquerware imports. in the eighteenth century, japanning became an artform especially suited for young women. manuals were published on the subject, urging young women to learn how to paint furniture and other surfaces, encouraging them to rework the designs provided in the text.

it was considered a beneficial activity for them; zuroski describes how it was “associated with commerce and connoisseurship, practical skill and aesthetic judgment.” a skillful japanner, rather than simply obscuring what lay underneath the lacquer, displayed their superior judgment in how they chose to arrange these new canonical figures and effects in a tasteful way to bring out the best qualities of them.

zuroski quotes the first english-language manual on the subject, written in 1688, which explains how japanning allows one to:

alter and correct, take out a piece from one, add a fragment to the next, and make an entire garment compleat in all its parts, though tis wrought out of never so many disagreeing patterns.

this language evokes a very different, very modern practice. it is this english reworking of an asian artform that i think the parallels are most obvious.

white people, through their artistic investment in chinese material objects and aesthetics, integrated them into their own subjectivity. these practices came to say something about the people who participated in them, in a way that had little to do with the country itself. their relationship changed from being a “consumer” of chinese objects to becoming the proprietor of these new aesthetic signifiers.

--------------------

i want to talk about this through a few pairs of tensions on the subject that i think characterize common attitudes then and now.

first, consider the relationship between the self and the other: the chinese object as something that is very familiar to you, speaking to something about your own self vs. the chinese object as something that is fundamentally different from you and unknowable to you. 

consider: [insert character name] is just like me. he would no doubt like the same things i like, consume the same cultural products. we are the same in some meaningful way vs. the fast standard fic disclaimer that “i tried my best when writing this fic, but i’m a english-speaking westerner, and i’m just writing this for fun so...... [excuses and alterations the person has chosen to make in this light],” going hand-in-hand with a preoccupation with authenticity or even overreliance on the unpaid labor of chinese friends and acquaintances. 

consider: hugh honour when he quotes a man from the 1640s claiming “chinoiserie of this even more hybrid kind had become so far removed from genuine Chinese tradition that it was exported from India to China as a novelty to the Chinese themselves” 

these tensions coexist, and look how they have been resolved.

second, consider what we vest in objects themselves: beaujot explains how the fan became a sexualized, coquettish object in the hands of a british woman, but was used to great effect in gilbert and sullivan’s 1885 mikado to demonstrate the docility of asian women. 

consider: these characters became expressions of your sexual desires and fetishes, even as their 5’10 actors themselves are emasculated.

what is liberating for one necessitates the subjugation and fetishization of the other. 

third, consider reactions to the practice: enjoyment of chinese objects as a sign of your cosmopolitan palate vs “so what’s the hype about those ancient chinese gays” pop culture explainers that addressed the unconvinced mainstream.

consider: zuroski describes how both english consumers purchased china in droves, and contemporary publications reported on them. how: 

It was in the pages of these papers that the growing popularity of Chinese things in the early eighteenth century acquired the reputation of a “craze”; they portrayed china fanatics as flawed, fragile, and unreliable characters, and frequently cast chinoiserie itself in the same light.

referenda on fannish behavior serve as referenda on the objects of their devotion, and vice versa. as the difference between identity and fetish collapses, they come to be treated as one and the same by not just participants but their observers. 

at what point does mxtx fic cease to be chinese? 

--------------------

finally, it seems readily apparent that attitudes towards chinese objects may in fact have something to do with attitudes about china as a country. i do not want to suggest that these literary concerns are primarily motivated and begot by forces entirely divorced from the real mechanics of power. 

here, i want to bring in edward said, and his 1993 culture and imperialism. there, he explains how power and legitimacy go hand in hand. one is direct, and one is purely cultural. he originally wrote this in response to the outsize impact that british novelists have had in the maintenance of empire and throughout decolonization. literature, he argues, gives rise to powerful narratives that constrain our ability to think outside of them.

there’s a little bit of an inversion at play here. these are chinese novels, actually. but they’re being transformed by white narratives and artists. and just as i think the form of the novel is important to said’s critique, i think there’s something to be said about the form that fic takes and how it legitimates itself.

bound up in fandom is the idea that you have a right to create and transform as you please. it is a nice idea, but it is one that is directed towards a certain kind of asymmetry. that is, one where the author has all the power. this is the narrative we hear a lot in the history of fandom⁠—litigious authors and plucky fans, fanspaces always under attack from corporate sanitization.

meanwhile, said builds upon raymond schwab’s narrative of cultural exchange between european writers and cultural products outside the imperial core. said explains that fundamental to these two great borrowings (from greek classics and, in the so-called “oriental renaissance” of the late 18th, early 19th centuries from “india, china, japan, persia, and islam”) is asymmetry. 

he had argued prior, in orientalism, that any “cultural exchange” between “partners conscious of inequality” always results in the suffering of the people. and here, he describes how “texts by dead people were read, appreciated, and appropriated” without the presence of any actual living people in that tradition. 

i will not understate that there is a certain economic dynamic complicating this particular fannish asymmetry. mxtx has profited materially from the success of her works, most fans will not. also secondly, mxtx is um. not dead. LMAO.

but first, the international dynamic of extraction that said described is still present. i do not want to get overly into white attitudes towards china in this post, because i am already thoroughly derailed, but i do believe that they structure how white cnovel fandom encounters this texts.

at any rate, any profit she receives is overwhelmingly due to her domestic popularity, not her international popularity. (i say this because many of her international fans have never given her a cent. in fact, most of them have no real way to.) and moreover, as we talk about the structure of english-language fandom, what does it mean to create chinese cultural products without chinese people? 

as white people take ownership over their versions of stories, do we lose something? what narratives about engagement with cnovels might exist outside of the form of classic fandom?

i think a lot of people get the relationship between ideas (the superstructure) and production (the base) confused. oftentimes they will lob in response to criticism, that look! this fic, this fandom, these people are so niche, and so underrepresented in mainstream culture, that their effects are marginal. i am not arguing that anyone’s cql fic causes imperialism. (unless you’re really annoying. then it’s anyone’s game) 

i’m instead arguing something a little bit different. i think, given similar inputs, you tend to get similar outputs. i think we live in the world that imperialism built, and we have clear historical predecessors in terms of white appetites for creating, consuming, and transforming chinese objects. 

we have already seen, in the case of the fan language meme that began this post, that sometimes we even prefer this white chinoiserie. after all, isn’t it beautiful, too? 

i want to bring discomfort to this topic. i want to reject the paradigm of white subject and chinese object; in fact, here in this essay, i have tried to reverse it.

if you are taken aback by the comparisons i make here, how can you make meaningful changes to your fannish practice to address it? 

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some concluding thoughts on the matter, because i don’t like being misunderstood! 

i am not claiming white fans cannot create fanworks of cnovels or be inspired by asian art or artists. this essay is meant to elaborate on the historical connection between victorian england and cnovel characters and fandom that others have already popularized.

i don’t think people who make victorian jokes are inherently bad or racist. i am encouraging people to think about why we might make them and/or share them

the connections here are meant to be more provocative than strictly literal. (e.g. i don’t literally think writing fanfic is a 1-1 descendant of japanning). these connections are instead meant to 1) make visible the baggage that fans of color often approach fandom with and 2) recontextualize and defamiliarize fannish practice for the purposes of honest critique

please don’t turn this post into being about other different kinds of discourse, or into something that only one “kind” of fan does. please take my words at face value and consider them in good faith. i would really appreciate that.

please feel free to ask me to clarify any statements or supply more in-depth sources :)