<p>So I’m working on a species (called Xohamyan if your curious) in a sci-fi universe. They possess three tones (high, medium, and low) and a variety of ways to use them. As the written language is completely different from any language system I know of on earth (e.g. =, ~, ^, -, &lt;, and &gt;), designating different whistling patterns, how would the Xohamyan and humans create a translation guide? Mainly for intangible items like time and space. E.g. define tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, money, distance, etc., etc. I’m curious as to how they would define objects that are measured differently (time+space)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-03T23:40:41.853Z
I'm not sure I understand the question. Is there some supernatural element that prevents humans from learning their writing system, or inventing their own writing system to represent the language? That's how lexicographers generally approach this problem.
Draconis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-03T23:44:22.877Z
No, it’s just like how we still don’t know what the Egyptian hieroglyphs mean, but we have the Egyptians speaking a completely unrecognizable language.
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T00:47:29.017Z
If Xohamyans are working with the humans on this project, surely they could just explain the system?
Draconis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T09:36:37.663Z
@RYANLANDELS ... Egyptian hieroglyphs have been mostly deciphered, and we know a lot about the language of the Ancient Egyptians, not to mention current Egyptians.
Regardless, I'd suggest this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYpWp7g7XWU) wherein linguist Daniel Everett demonstrates how to learn an unknown language without prior knowledge.
Cecilia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T12:53:42.463Z
They could, but it’s like having a group from Japan and a group who only speaks Navajo come together. Only the Navajo uses the English alphabet and the Japanese use their characters. I’m trying to figure out how the translation process would work. Mainly for concepts like yes, no, yesterday, and other intangible objects
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T14:25:19.853Z
So what you're asking is not "How would those species communicate and learn each other's languages?" but more specifically "What would a 'Xohamyan lanuage tutorial' in English look like?", am I getting that right?
Cecilia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-04T19:50:11.777Z
Essentially, yes that’s the idea. I’m trying to figure out how to set up contact and sharing of language.
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-06T13:12:47.133Z
I think this question is too open ended - there are lots of ways this could be done. Can you [edit] this to add some criteria to narrow down the possible answers?
curiousdannii
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-10T13:53:46.213Z
I agree with @curiousdannii that this currently seems too open ended
Tristan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-10T13:55:34.410Z
that said, @Richard's linked video seems to provide a demonstration of how far you can get in a very short amount of time. Essentially you would continue that method for as long as it takes. Doing so will also likely require substantial changes to how you analyse certain things, as can be seen in language documentation literature IRL, e.g. in Everett's own work on Pirahã
Tristan
<translation>
How would different species (e.g. human + hypothetical alien) create a language dictionary/ translation guide?
# How would different species (e.g. human + hypothetical alien) create a language dictionary/ translation guide?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-03)

So I’m working on a species (called Xohamyan if your curious) in a sci-fi universe. They possess three tones (high, medium, and low) and a variety of ways to use them. As the written language is completely different from any language system I know of on earth (e.g. =, ~, ^, -, <, and >), designating different whistling patterns, how would the Xohamyan and humans create a translation guide? Mainly for intangible items like time and space. E.g. define tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, money, distance, etc., etc. I’m curious as to how they would define objects that are measured differently (time+space)

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not sure I understand the question. Is there some supernatural element that prevents humans from learning their writing system, or inventing their own writing system to represent the language? That's how lexicographers generally approach this problem.  
> **username_0**: No, it’s just like how we still don’t know what the Egyptian hieroglyphs mean, but we have the Egyptians speaking a completely unrecognizable language.  
> **username_1**: If Xohamyans are working with the humans on this project, surely they could just explain the system?  
> **username_2**: @RYANLANDELS ... Egyptian hieroglyphs have been mostly deciphered, and we know a lot about the language of the Ancient Egyptians, not to mention current Egyptians. Regardless, I'd suggest this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYpWp7g7XWU) wherein linguist Daniel Everett demonstrates how to learn an unknown language without prior knowledge.  
> **username_0**: They could, but it’s like having a group from Japan and a group who only speaks Navajo come together. Only the Navajo uses the English alphabet and the Japanese use their characters. I’m trying to figure out how the translation process would work. Mainly for concepts like yes, no, yesterday, and other intangible objects  
> **username_2**: So what you're asking is not "How would those species communicate and learn each other's languages?" but more specifically "What would a 'Xohamyan lanuage tutorial' in English look like?", am I getting that right?  
> **username_0**: Essentially, yes that’s the idea. I’m trying to figure out how to set up contact and sharing of language.  
> **username_3**: I think this question is too open ended - there are lots of ways this could be done. Can you [edit] this to add some criteria to narrow down the possible answers?  
> **username_4**: I agree with @username_3 that this currently seems too open ended  
> **username_4**: that said, @Richard's linked video seems to provide a demonstration of how far you can get in a very short amount of time. Essentially you would continue that method for as long as it takes. Doing so will also likely require substantial changes to how you analyse certain things, as can be seen in language documentation literature IRL, e.g. in Everett's own work on Pirahã  

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## 0 answers

