#power and language

[insightfultake]

How Language Behaves: A Journey Through Communication, Thought, and Identity

Language is one of humanity’s greatest achievements. From the earliest cave paintings to the complex digital communications of today, language is both the medium and the mirror through which we understand the world and express our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Yet, language is not a static entity. It evolves, adapts, and behaves in ways that reflect the shifting currents of culture, society, and individual consciousness. This article explores how language behaves—its structure, its impact on thought, and its role in shaping both identity and society...read more

[sayitaliano]

Valerio Minato's photo that won the Astronomy Picture of the Day Contest by NASA on December 25th, 2023.

In the picture: the moon, the Monviso Mount and the Basilica of Superga (on the Superga hill) outside Turin are all aligned. it took him 6 years to take this shot (and I take it as an example to never give up on your dreams).

[littlemizzlinguistics]

Studying linguistics is actually so wonderful because when you explain youth slang to older professors, instead of complaining about how "your generation can't speak right/ you're butchering the language" they light up and go “really? That’s so wonderful! What an innovative construction! Isn't language wonderful?"

[communistkenobi]

I constantly think about that Adorno quote where he says that a characteristic of reactionaries is that they always behave as if they are speaking truth to power, that they are saying the uncomfortable thing that everyone secretly believes but are too afraid to admit, and they are at all times only repeating what is already widely accepted as true in society. And I’m reminded of this anytime someone smugly says violence isn’t the answer or radicals are all the same or this is what jorjorwell warned us about, repeating beliefs so hegemonic that not only do they not require evidence to be believed, they are treated as sensible wise things to say

[nakialli]

Read the oathbreaker by @lesbianherald y'all. At this point if you see medieval jayvik by me just assume bee is responsible for it

[outofgloom]

Bionicle: Masks of Power - Matoric Conlang Dialogue Files

As you may have seen, it's now been publicly announced that LEGO has asked for the Bionicle: Masks of Power fan game by Team Kanohi to be shut down.

You can read the announcement letter from Team Kanohi here, and also view a walkthrough of the game demo on YouTube, with and without dev commentary. The demo would have been released on 8/10 of this year.

As I've posted about before, the game was slated to feature fully voice-acted lines in the Matoran Language conlang ("Matoric"), and I've been contributing Matoric line translations for this purpose for a few years now. This work amounted to nearly 800 individual lines of Matoric dialogue translated.

Needless to say, this was a very disappointing thing to experience behind the scenes, after the amount of work that Team Kanohi had put into the game, and (in my opinion) it's an extremely poor repayment from LEGO for the enthusiasm that the team has created in the Bionicle fandom over the years, although not unexpected or shocking on LEGO's part.

With that said, there is some solace to be found in the fact that many resources from the game, including 3D models, music, art, and other development materials, have been preserved by the team (for the time being) via Google Drive. This includes all of the individually recorded voice-actor lines in Matoric!

Here is a link to the full Google Drive.

Here is a link to the folder containing the Matoric line recordings.

Here is a link to a spreadsheet containing all of the written Matoric lines and their English translations (along with a few fun easter eggs).

Finally, here are the credits for the audio directors and individual voice actors whose excellent work was represented in the game:

Voice Acting Directors Tasch Ritter Gort (Garrett B)

Voice Acting Lewa ……………….. Dane Braddy Pohatu ……………….. Gianni Matragrano Gali ……………….. Tasch Ritter Onua ……………….. Ashley Quills Kopaka ……………….. Tom Schalk Tahu ……………….. Wes Wiggins Makuta ……………….. Justice Washington Mata Nui ……………….. Justice Washington Matoran 1 ……………….. Ethan Godwin Matoran 2 ……………….. Viator Matoran 3 ……………….. Lou Haroldson Matoran 4 ……………….. Tasch Ritter Matoran 5 ……………….. Mark (Markle) Stefely Matoran 6 ……………….. Anna Maguire Matoran 7 ……………….. SyntheticCharmVa Matoran 8 ……………….. Tabitha Bardall Matoran 9 ……………….. Mark Beischel Matoran 10 ……………….. Jordan (Jocool1231) Willis Matoran 11 ……………….. Quinn Stokan Matoran 12 ……………….. Abigail Adair Matoran 13 ……………….. Cody (MasterGir) Littlefield Matoran 14 ……………….. Zane Schacht Narrator ……………….. Justice Washington Announcer ……………….. David Michael Williamson

I was honored to be able to contribute to this project in a small way, and I hope that the Bionicle community will continue to support the team as it rebrands and moves on to future projects.

[kimasousparky]

my goofy thought that all Power Stars are sentient though unable to communicate in a way most organic beings can understand, and that peach's castle's stars really love mario

[kizzer55555]

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

[eye-spy-an-eye]

Playing around with a mod ZombieCleo design!

I was trying to take some inspo from 50s and 60s cartoons and wanted to make her silhouette look like a skull! (Albeit a bit of a goofy one)

I kind of wish I was able to hide one more black skull in there for the Wither reference, but ah well.

[tryingtoforgetapples]

Spike saying "I happen to speak Fyarl" as though it's something he casually acquired but then he later says "funny hearing a Fyarl demon say serviceable... They're more like 'like to crush, crush now'"

Bro is FLUENT in Fyarl.

Bro STUDIED Fyarl.

[s0larspace]

Full SPG lineup drawing, huzzah!

Its not the most interesting, but its all I've had motivation for :)

[linguist-breakaribecca]

Today, in “I’ll take any good news I can find”:

A production of Romeo and Juliet with Deaf actors signing their lines has been referred to as bilingual! Not just “accessible” or “diverse” but also BILINGUAL!

This makes me happy because the general idea of ASL (and other signed languages) is that they’re just a manual version of the spoken language. By that logic, Norwegian is just a higher-latitude version of German. Signed languages are languages of their own! With unique vocabulary, grammar, and dialects!

[menlove]

HOWARD STERN: Here's what the book claimed- your sexuality was so powerful over him, he was so enamored of you, so attracted to you, almost- PAUL: Wow. STERN: -that you could have your way with him. Not sexually- ROBIN QUIVERS: Did you feel a power over him? PAUL: [rapidly shaking his head] No. STERN: -but in business. That you had a- that he was sort of at your mercy because he was so in love with you. That was the theory in the book. PAUL: Well, you know, I mean- I like that theory. [laughs] STERN: Wish that could've been true. PAUL: No, man.

(x- translation from portuguese by @todayesterday here) (x) (x)

[reality-detective]

This 👆 is interesting. I was never a Star Wars kinda guy but for you who were... Check it out and as always You Decide. 🤔

[ghostreblogging]

Just some random ass au.

Like what if Danny's main language becomes ghost speak. So ghost speak is like a magic language. Meaning when using this language and putting intent into it you can do magic.

But still he can work around it since all he has to do is be super casual about every word he says. So it wasn't a problem

Until it comes to light that anything Danny writes becomes a magic spell, because he's in all of his half dead glory and is now a native to the language . Since Danny is writing and has an intent. Like pass this as a good essay for his class.

So like every school assignment becomes a mini magic scroll. Which every one of them is either luck magic or whatever things he had to write. Like he had to write about marine biology. And ended up with a paper that spews out water.

Even computers don't help. Since technically unknowingly he's still writing it in ghost speak just romanized. So it's a little bit better but still.

Anyway. This becomes a huge problem when a new nobody rogue tries to use his school assignments bunched together with staples as a magic tome.

In other news , when the bats finally get the powerful magic tome the new unknown was using they are faced with subfar school assignments. Like graded. The mini tsunami spell is a paper on ocean currents.

Well at least it's super easy to find the maker of the tome.

[mxystan]

taiwan travelogue by yang shuangzi tr. lin king is indeed an award-winning banger and perhaps the first time in my life i've ever felt vindicated for dual-wielding a novel with its english translation because the act of translation itself is such a big theme in the novel. big win for metafiction-obsessed himejin everywhere!!