THRANX LANGUAGE


Thranx use a complex language relying on both sounds and gestures .
The gestures  express the emotions and the emphasis of the speaker while sound language provides the meaning.The gestures  are made using the four  arms ( true-hands and foot-hands), sometimes both true-hands and foot-hands are used  at the same time!
To represent thranx speech correctly one must use symbols without a direct translation......
other species have many problems in  proper using of this complex system  and very few  can master it.


PHONOLOGY

This is the study of the sounds made in languages. there are three types of sounds in thranx:

   1)   CLICKS :   ( some consonants ) they are made using  the four mandibles, usually softer sounds are made using only the outer mandibles..

   2)   SIMPLE WHISTLES:  ( some vowels ) whistles and buzz produced by the thranx eight spicles of their b-thorax .
  3)   COMPLEX WHISTLES :  ( some vowels and consonants ) sounds often composed of both  whistles and clicks performed at the same time.

CLICKS  ( adapted to human mouth.)

 c    (one of the harder clicks to copy if you are not a thranx ). Pronounced by faking to bite the tip of your tongue while making the noise by pushing the middle of  tongue against the inner gums on the upper portions of your mouth and the sudden release will make the sound .
g   pronounces as the "G" of "galaxy" is  pronounced in Terranglo and English.
k   pronounced like the dutch "k".
kr  Like the K, but use the back of the tongue and press against the back of the mouth. Should make a scratching sound.
ndz  sound like a "bee buzzing".
q   Push the tongue against the roof base of the teeth (bulge) and form a small cusp and let the lips lose. The sound is made by releasing the tongue and the air trapped between the tongue and roof producing the sound.
t   as in Terranglo and English but pronounced quickly .
tt   a click composed by two quick but distinct " T " . Something like " T-T "
th   sounds  like the " T " in English.
! represents another clicking sound thranx make with their mandibles, a quick sound like " TK ".
!!  a different clicking sound similar to " KT ".
cr  a sound performed rubbing the four mandibles together ( humans can pronounce this as "krrr" ).
tr    another chirp . it's like  "trrr".
d    a sound between " T " and " D " as they are pronounced in English .
p   as "P" in English stopping the airflow entirely and strongly.
 
 

SIMPLE WHISTLES ( adapted to human mouth )

a    .pronounced like  " DUCK " in English.
e    .pronounced like  "A" of " AIR "  in English.
o    as " FORK " in English.
u    as German " Ü "or French  " U " . The lips are rounded .
ee  as in English " BEE ".
oo  as English "FOOL" but aspirated : " HOO".
oi    as English pronounce for " OOEE ".
ui    as English pronounce for " WEE " for example in " WHEEL "..
ei    a closed sound like " EH " in English.
eu    a closed sound like " AW " in English.
w    as English  " WATER ".
v    almost indistinguishable from "W"  to  non-thranx .....
y    as " I " in " BIRD ".
i    as  English  pronounce for " IT " or " PIG ".
ph    it sounds like blowing out a candle.
 
 

COMPLEX WHISTLES ( adapted to human mouth )

ch  similar to  " C "  in many ways but you breathe out on your release.
~ represents a short stridulation like " WRIII " .
j    as  pronounced in French (i.e. " BONJOUR ") or as the " SI " of " VISION  " in English.
  It's a vibration of  almost closed spicles.
l    as English but with a slight hiss.
m    as in English and Terranglo but prolonged " MMM " ( it's a whistle after all ).
n    as in English, but prolonged " NNN "  (if not followed by  a simple whistle).
r   as in French " ROUGE "  an uvular sound ( the thranx spicles vibrate when making this whistle).
s    as English " ROSE ".
sz    as above with a slight hiss.
sh    as in the English word " FISH ".
nx sounds more like " X ", but it's weakened by the " N "pronounced at the same time.
b    you can imitate this using lips only. Fold your lips inside your mouth and release while inhaling This is the opposite breathing action as in the English " B ". Thranx modulate the sound using a brief inhalation..
x  as " KZZ " , an English "K" followed by a buzzing sound .
xh    as above with a slight hiss
z   as " TZ " in English or Terranglo or the sound of  the scissors.
h    as in English.
 


SIGN LANGUAGE  
Thranx use a complex language relying on both sounds and gestures .Thranx gestures  express the emotions and the emphasis of the speaker while sound language provides the meaning.
The gestures  are made using the four  arms ( true-hands and foot-hands), sometimes both true-hands and foot-hands are used  at the same time!
Other species have many problems in  proper using of this complex system  and very few  can master it.

there are two groups of gestures:

1) WREIHX ("spirit signs") : these gestures are performed with  true-hands  following  various movements.
 
 

name emotion true-hand position
tan wreix  Pessimism first finger up , the other three closed together
go wreix Optimism all fingers raised
 eev wreix  Calm true-hands are in praying mantis position
te wreix  Wonder  fingers in "O" shape 


2) PHATEHV ("emphasis signs") : are usually performed using foot-hands in static  postures.
 
 

name
level
foot-hand position
ry phatev
zero (just a nuance)
fingers lowered and back of the foot-hands forward
tan phatev
first
foothands in christian praying position but with some space between palms
go phatev
second
foot-hands in forward fist position 
 eev phatev
third
 the last finger of each foot-hand raised,the others closed together
te  phatev
fourth
the foot-elbows outward and foot-hands extended horizontally 
ac phatev
fifth
foot-hand open and the  wrist twisted outward. 

The spirit and emphasis gestures are used together in two different ways :
 

  • TWITEPH ( "the basic pattern") :  This is the ancient system practiced since the origin of the thranx race and used instictively :
      In the Twiteph system there are four movements ( ZENTOSTEHX ):
that means  Neutrality
that means  Passiveness
that means  Activity
that means  Doubt

In HIGH THRANX  ( the ancient cerimonial language ) Twiteph (pronounced  twih-TEHP in Terranglo)  is composed by a movement of  the true-hands using a whreihx, and a phatev of the foot-hands at the same time .
In the usual LOW THRANX  the true-hands only are usually used  : ( the right true-hand performs the phatev, the left one performs the whreihx ).

the  table of the Twiteph:
 
 
 

 
Pessimism
Optimism
Calmness
Wonder
Neutrality
sadness
happyness
serenity
surprise
Passiveness
depression
gentleness
resignation
fright
Activity
anger
astuteness
resolution
amazement
Doubt
scepticism
suggestion
apprehension
curiosity


THRANX NAMES It's easy to  translate your name in thranx :
  1. : Pick the first three letters of your first name
  2. : Pick the first three letters of your family name
  3. : Pick the first three letters of your county/ region/ lander etc.
  4. : Pick the first three letters of your city/ town / village ( don't use adjectives like New or St. )
example:  John Smith from St. Petersburg,  Texas

John --->  Joh   this is his personal name
Smith ---> Smi   this is his family name
Texas --->  Tex   this is his hive name
( St.) Petersburg --->  Pet   this is his clan name

Now we are ready for the complete name:   Johsmitexpet
  Thranx use their full name in the majority of situations , but in familiar speech
they call one another by their personal name ( e.g. Joh ) or by personal + family names
(e.g. Johsmi ).

For more realism you can substitute a few letters ( if are used more than one time ) with others :

  • "s" with "z"
  • "c" with "x"
  • "i" with "y"
  • substitute any vowel ,if it is the last letter of the full thranx name, with  "x"
e.g.  Alafosaripre ---> Alafosariprx


Thranx Language by Riccardo Fregi