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Khepri Sign Conlang and Cymek

From:Elliott Belser <renyard@...>
Date:Thursday, January 24, 2002, 1:31
>On Tue, 22 Jan 2002, Bob Greenwade wrote: > >> Speaking of sign languages... >> 1) Has anyone here ever developed a sign language as a companion to a >> spoken/written conlang? (I'm thinking of doing that for one or two of Rav > > Zarruvo's daughter languages after they're completed.)
Have you ever read Perdidio Street Station? It has two conlangs described in detail. Unfortunately it has no grammar rules, but one of the conlangs is Khepri (humanoid insect) sign language, which actually might be considered a pidgin because it is used to communcate to humans who can't interpret Khepri pheromone language... The other language is Cymek, the language of the bird-like Garuda, which is very much like Arabic and Hebrew in terms of the sounds. The Garuda Yagharek makes a translation of the chaotic, maleovlent magical force known as The Torque in Bas-Lag English of the book into Cymek: Rebekh Lajhinar-h'k. Rebekh is 'The Force' in Cymek. Lajhini is 'to trust,' and 'ar' is likely an inflection. H'k is a negative. Translated into English, Rebekh Lajhinar-h'k means 'The force that cannot be trusted.' Damn it, there isn't a lot of Cymek in the book! The author is China Miéville. If anyone can find him and ask him the grammar of his languages...