Why Summerian?

[ArcaneArts]

Eh, I dunno-Summerian really rolls out well in growls, but that might be the way I read it.

[Papa Bear]

Permission to use that quote for a snarky Cahalith?

Abso-floggin'-lutely.

[That Other Guy]

Eh, I dunno-Summerian really rolls out well in growls, but that might be the way I read it.

I tend to speak First Tongue stuff from the throat and put a bit of a harder emphasis on the 't' in Uratha. It works well in my opinion

[nofather]

Agreed, I've enjoyed the First Tongue since the Core Book came out, definitely adds a nice flavor.

[Christian A]

I would love to see basics of it as First Tongue as alternative, becuase I would love to run my Scandinavian game.

Heh. I specifically *wouldn't* use Old High German First Tongue in a Scandinavian game. First Tongue is supposed to sound like this really alien sort of language, right? Old High German probably doesn't sound so alien to Scandinavian ears.

This is also why, while I like the idea of Old High German First Tongue, I don't use it in games set in my native country, Austria - because we talk modern German here.

[Christian A]

Sumerian is a great choice because noone really talks anything like it anymore in the real world, to my knowledge.

[Sikla Alkis]

No. Atlantean is it's own language, and like everything else Atlantean, it's mostly gone from the world with Atlantis being wiped from reality. There's no corollary to it.

High Speech and First Tongue are different languages, and spirits don't know what the hell mages are babbling on about.

No - I think that Atlantis formed their own speech to basically 'tame' magic and stamp their civilisation on the Supernal. That, I feel, fits better with the hubristic narrative of Atlantis (assuming, of course, a literal interpretation of the Atlantis mythology)

Makes sense. You can't know the Name of things if there's nothing to use to Name it with, now can you?

This Wikipedia article may also interest you — the idea of a divine language in culture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_the_birds

The only other language I could see thematically fitting as the basis of the First Tongue other than Sumerian would be Old High German, a particularly harsh, primal-sounding language. Then again, I like the Sumerian.

Eh, I dunno-Summerian really rolls out well in growls, but that might be the way I read it.

Another article you may find of interest — the phonology section of the Sumerian article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumeria...gy_and_grammar

If anyone wants an explanation of linguistic terminology used in the article, I can give it. Furthermore, as First Tongue is said to have gone through Grimm's Law, it's very likely the language still has the laryngeals lost in PIE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laryngeal_theory

An explanation of how the laryngeals affected PIE can be found at here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larynge...for_laryngeals

I can attempt to make a tl;dr for anyone that's interested, but I find it a bit hard to explain these concepts sometimes, simply because I have a hard time being explanatory with some subjects. >_<

[ArcaneArts]

The only other language I could see thematically fitting as the basis of the First Tongue other than Sumerian would be Old High German, a particularly harsh, primal-sounding language. Then again, I like the Sumerian.

I'm not a hundred percent sure what Old High German sounds like, but if it's anything like Old English, then it does inherently sound harsher, yes.

So forgive me when I say, whenever people say German sounds like a fierce language, I kind of have to respond with this.

German sounds so cute there! If only the meaning was as nice...(I don't wish that, really)

[Sikla Alkis]

I'm not a hundred percent sure what Old High German sounds like, but if it's anything like Old English, then it does inherently sound harsher, yes.

So forgive me when I say, whenever people say German sounds like a fierce language, I kind of have to respond with this.

German sounds so cute there! If only the meaning was as nice...(I don't wish that, really)

Old High German in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC_BTrC_uNU

[Errol216]

There's also a hint of racial prejudice I haven't noticed before in the Uratha origin story. Another definition for the word "ur", this time in English, is "ancient" or "old". The name "Urfarah" not only can mean "Father Wolf", but his name could also mean "Ancient Father" or "Oldest Father". Not only could he apply to being the oldest werewolf-esque spirit around, the name, to some, might also suggest that he is the oldest of the spirits to ever sire a brood like the Uratha, a name which roughly can mean "oldest that changes" according to the translating I've been doing from First Tongue to English.

In short: "we're superior because we were here first". Something a spirit might very well use in an argument against a werewolf, and what werewolves might use amongst each other. Again, this especially could apply to the Pure.

On the other hand, the Pure are Anshega but the Forsaken are Urdaga. Unless "-daga" is derogatory, I have a hard time believing the Pure would willingly call the Forsaken that.

[Sikla Alkis]

On the other hand, the Pure are Anshega but the Forsaken are Urdaga. Unless "-daga" is derogatory, I have a hard time believing the Pure would willingly call the Forsaken that.

Another meaning of "ur" is "primitive", meaning first or base. "Anshega" means "the geas of heaven", suggesting an enlightened state, so they'd call the Urdaga the Urdaga with the intent to convey that the Forsaken are primitive, backwater remnants of the old days.

[Ephsy]

Basically? High speech is Elven. First Tongue is Numenorian.

[Sikla Alkis]

Basically? High speech is Elven. First Tongue is Numenorian.

That...is roughly a good analogy, yes.

[wyrdhamster]

Basically? High speech is Elven. First Tongue is Numenorian.

My Tolkien-skills are a bit dull now - how Numenorian was connected with Elven?

Old High German in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC_BTrC_uNU

Totally would used it in my Werewolf games if I could! Sounds great and "wolfish"!

[Sikla Alkis]

Totally would used it in my Werewolf games if I could! Sounds great and "wolfish"!

There's nothing stopping you from having the ex-Bale Hound mentor you have writing all her notes in Old High German as a code.