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Author Topic: Fluff Bible for T'au Language  (Read 2754 times)

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Offline Myen'Tal

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Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« on: April 4, 2018, 06:24:25 PM »
Hi guys,

So I'm thinking about delving into some fan-fiction writing about two armies that I want to collect. I'm curious if anyone knows where the best encyclopedia to the T'au Empire language is outside of the one on Lexicanum? I know GW doesn't really flesh out the languages of their alien empires (or even remove some of it, what was that Craftworld Biel-tan phrase about 'The cut of a thousand falling leaves' or something similar?), but I know there are certain places where such knowledge is harnessed and gathered.

The Lexicanum is a great source for the T'au language, but I'm not sure if it's been updated in a while, and there have been some Tau books released in recent memory.

If there isn't anything noteworthy outside of Lexicanum, then I can make do somehow :).
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Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #1 on: April 4, 2018, 07:58:23 PM »
The original codex had a 36 term lexicon near the back along with the alphabet. The novels add a few new terms here and there such as the Farsight books saying a few things less than kind about the Adept Mech and Orks.
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Offline Myen'Tal

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #2 on: April 4, 2018, 09:51:25 PM »
Thanks, Grimsqueaker, I already have that one on hand, but it's still a good shout. I actually found a really good unofficial site for T'au Empire language both official, semi-official, and simply fabricated ;D. But they sound authentic at least, so I think I'll use that to help me out somewhat.
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Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #3 on: April 4, 2018, 10:38:17 PM »
Nothing wrong with fabricated. It all works in the end and fanfic is its own art form worthy of respect.
Quote from: @TracyAuGoGO
Tact is for people who are too slow witted to be sarcastic.
Drink
Knights Tippler
Quote from: Surviving the World
If you can't make fun of something, it's probably not worth taking seriously.

You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #4 on: April 5, 2018, 09:13:49 AM »
There's a bunch of new vocabulary in the new Tau Codex, but you probably already knew that.

Offline Sir_Godspeed

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #5 on: April 5, 2018, 05:37:55 PM »
Nothing wrong with fabricated. It all works in the end and fanfic is its own art form worthy of respect.

I agree. Plus, GW isn't known for fleshing out their languages to the point of actual functionality. That's not a criticism, it's just that they're a wargaming company first and foremost, and the fictional languages mostly exists as flavor, not a product in their own right (unlike Klingon or Quenya, for example).

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #6 on: April 5, 2018, 05:46:55 PM »
That and GW like to sneak in jokes with their alien languages. Such as the Eldar and Tau have suspiciously similar minds when it comes to referring to humans.
Quote from: @TracyAuGoGO
Tact is for people who are too slow witted to be sarcastic.
Drink
Knights Tippler
Quote from: Surviving the World
If you can't make fun of something, it's probably not worth taking seriously.

You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

Offline Myen'Tal

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #7 on: April 5, 2018, 05:53:12 PM »
Thanks for the answers guys, that helps broaden my search for available T'au encyclopedias  ;D.
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Offline Sir_Godspeed

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #8 on: April 5, 2018, 10:46:56 PM »
That and GW like to sneak in jokes with their alien languages. Such as the Eldar and Tau have suspiciously similar minds when it comes to referring to humans.

I fully expect Necrons to start referring to humans as "ghy'bun" or something like that soon. :P

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #9 on: April 5, 2018, 11:46:52 PM »
As long as they're funky, that's all we ask.

I still wish GW would cease and desist with the while T'au thing they've got going on. Return to Tau which made more sense. Is it the Terran or Terra Empire? There's the difference. When you read the "T'au" it's like seeing the "Earth."
Quote from: @TracyAuGoGO
Tact is for people who are too slow witted to be sarcastic.
Drink
Knights Tippler
Quote from: Surviving the World
If you can't make fun of something, it's probably not worth taking seriously.

You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

Offline Sir_Godspeed

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #10 on: April 6, 2018, 10:39:31 PM »
Eh, it's the trademarkeable thing going on.

Also, we don't really know how Tau adjectives work, so maybe "T'au" is the adjectival form of "T'au" and the difference is inferred contextually. Kinda like in English where articles can make adjectives into nouns. "a heavy", "greens", etc.

Hell, for all we know, Tau might be a tonal language, and that is what defines the difference. Norwegian sometimes does that, though only in spoken form, the written forms are otherwise distinct.

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #11 on: April 6, 2018, 11:03:39 PM »
This is the edition they changed it so, as you said, trademark applicability. amphetamine parrot early novels didn't even capitalise it, so, tau everywhere. Also annoying.
Quote from: @TracyAuGoGO
Tact is for people who are too slow witted to be sarcastic.
Drink
Knights Tippler
Quote from: Surviving the World
If you can't make fun of something, it's probably not worth taking seriously.

You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

Offline Sir_Godspeed

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #12 on: April 7, 2018, 11:05:41 PM »
Oh, I don't disagree that they're not really thinking too much about this. I was more trying to justify it more than anything else. We've got lots of languages IRL that work very differently from English and looking there can be interesting - as a fan effort, at least.

Offline The GrimSqueaker

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Re: Fluff Bible for T'au Language
« Reply #13 on: April 7, 2018, 11:26:58 PM »
We need to bring Pax into this, he's the cunning linguist  I believe.  ;)
Quote from: @TracyAuGoGO
Tact is for people who are too slow witted to be sarcastic.
Drink
Knights Tippler
Quote from: Surviving the World
If you can't make fun of something, it's probably not worth taking seriously.

You have to love the smell of science in the morning. It smells of learning.... or perhaps a gas leak.

 


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