Extraterrestrial Linguistics

I would like to ask any of the numerous people on this board who claim to be in "contact" with alien intelligences if it would be possible to give a phonetic sample of an extraterrestrial language. I've already anticipated all the problems and difficulties this could entail, so if you believe it impossible then it just may be. The point is that I've read so many "names" and "places" of supposed alien origin and have noticed that, curiously, they seem to be easily spelled, spoken, and written in phonetic English. This just doesn't add up to me. If anyone's reply would be that "They speak to me via telepathy", that won't cut it. My thinking would conclude that no matter how advanced an alien race was, there would always be a need for a written language for records, references, and all the other obvious reasons. And if you can write it, you can say it.
I would also like to add that this is an attempt to add credibility to certain claims, not debunk them. Thanks in advance.

They probably do have a written language some people that claim to have been abducted even report seeing strang symbols and pictographs on the alien ship but since humans obviously can't read or understand their written and spoken language the only way for them to communicate with us is through telepathy.
Also they have most likely been studying the languages of Earth for some time so they can understand our language.

I agree ozvulcan and good points there. Here's my point.
Do a search on "alien names" or anything related. What you'll find is that most names (any words really) can be pretty easily written or spoken in phonetic English. A few examples...."Yarcore", "Gahad", etc. I find it worth noting that these words use English (Latin) consonants and vowel sounds. If these names can be phonetically spelled in English, then I would assume that a great portion of their language could be as well. There are languages on Earth which cannot be accurately written in phonetic English. If these beings are teaching these "chosen" earthlings the wisdoms of the universe, then certainly a simple paragraph in the native language wouldn't be too much to ask. I doubt there will be any takers on this offer since anything beyond a few simple isolated words will appear as nothing but gibberish and a fraud will be exposed. As I said before, that's not the intent. The intent would be to strengthen an already credible claim.

Have you considered that our most ancient languages may have been derived from their native tongues? The names of their cultures or species may have been the very first words taught to our ancestors. Every language on the planet may be constructed from the pieces they gave us so long ago.

bb

An interesting point

The Undefeated

Alien languages are so different from one another that often a race cannot pronounce another's language sounds audibly. This is not a problem between advanced races because of their advanced telepathic abilities and preexisting relationship. When they are coming here to work, they study our languages in preparation as well. When they speak to us, they also keep the concepts they share at our human level of understanding.

When advanced races meet with a human, it's normal for the human not to be able to receive, or to refuse to accept, their attempts at telepathic communication. But even when we can and do, we could not understand or translate their languages into spoken language because we cannot produce the sounds audibly. So the aliens speak to us in our own languages, audibly at times if possible, but usually strictly telepathically.

Their languages usually sound like noises that are outside of our vocal range or acrobatics. But even when we hear them speaking their own languages audibly, we can still receive them perfectly in our own at the same time telepathically.

When it comes to their specific names, they usually go by pseudonyms for our benefit. These are sometimes adopted from what the humans who initially meet them choose to name them, and sometimes it's their true name or a part of their true name if pronouncable. Some choose to be known by their titles, already created in human language sounds for their work here.

Some names of people, places and things have a common adjective translation into our languages, but we can't write a comprehensive paragraph of distant thunder rolling or a rusty hinge squeaking. Even an alien sentence that could be written in alien sounds would not say what was said when spoken.



[edit on 5/8/2007 by EarthSister]

bling blop doop beep beep

Originally posted by SloS13
bling blop doop beep beep

Oh come on! This is dissapointing to say the least.

You've been a member here for almost 2 years and you're still posting this child like stuff. Get outta here!

Whatever happened to intelligent conversations?

***I am not your mother so take that with a grain of salt***

Seriously though, I agree with an earlier poster who brought up the point that perhpas our entire language system is extraterrestrial in origion. That would definately explain why so many alien names and places have that "earth-like" feel to them.

To me that makes more sense that to assume that we created our own language and everyone else in the galaxy should sound completely different.

Are we that egocentric as a planet?

I was being serious.

@ EarthSister - Thanks very much for your very detailed answer. Those are some of the problems I anticipated. Take a dolphin for example. Essentially they are "intelligent" and they "talk" and have a language, but it would be impossible to write their "speech" phonetically.

@ BlueBoy9 & nyk537 - Very interesting theory and one I have thought about before as well. The problem I see with it would be that we have little or no evidence of an ancient "global" language, which it would have to be, that splintered off in to the many languages spoken on Earth today. Another thing would be that our speech muscles, larynx, vocal chords, tongue, etc. would have to be essentially the same to reproduce the same sounds they would. Take the dolphin example I gave above. Even if they were able to understand us they wouldn't be able to reproduce the basic sounds we make and vice versa. On the other hand, I wish this theory would be true since it would definitely make the topic of this thread a hell of a lot easier.

Anyway, thanks again folks. I'm just trying to spark some conversation here. I would much rather throw ideas out there and debate them than sit around waiting on the next reported "light in the sky" or faked YouTube video. Unfortunately, I feel that I am in the minority.

[edit on 9-5-2007 by The Undefeated]

undefeated, you are very right to try and spark some debate on this concept. I too have wondered about the idea of xenolinguistics. I am open to the various ideas above stated, but somehow doubt that they exactly answer the question of communication with EBEs.

Even with telepathy, an alien concept would still be alien. To transpose this to a human would seem to be an extremely difficult task. It would be color to a blind person, words/pictures without reference. I doubt that such a thing, outside of math/physics, would pass such a barrier. Perhaps, as in the Betty Hill case, a map of some sort could be conveyed.

It is for this reason that I hold little faith in the 'warnings of doom from our elder space brothers' type of message you hear so often. While these EBEs might be very advanced, we on the other hand are not, and a complex message needs a complex receiver. It is the same idea as giving commands to my German Shepherd: if I tell her to "sit", she gets the idea (mostly), but if I tell her to "stop pestering the neighbors cat with your fake attacks", she just looks at me like I'm the one with a problem.

Now I can assume that a computerized translation device of some sort, programed AI if you will, could comprehend an earthly language and the alien one at the same time, but finding comparable relationships between two such divergent viewpoints would still render communications almost meaningless for all practical purposes.

I find the idea of telepathy respectable in theory, and do not out of hand deny it to be fact. I simply doubt it's usefulness in such a situation. It seems more to be the 'storytellers' way of bridging what would be problem area without having to logically show how it could be done.

And as a side note, you are advised by yours truly to not have high expectations of finding many on this forum wanting to probe and overcome or address problems in rational debate. I started a thread in the UFO section on how to handle UFO pictures, expecting a large response with many useful ideas. While I did get some very good responses from those few who answered, it was limited to only a couple of pages, half of which were my own replies to posters. Meanwhile an argument raged for 15 pages over the validity of some pictures from c2c, including mods and co-owners of the site. In retrospect, I am forced to think that no one here wants to solve or improve the process of verifying data, but rather, want to argue endlessly in an effort to enhance personal standing.

I thank you for your effort to stimulate good content on this site, all the while warning you that it seems doomed to failure.

Good luck, and I will watch this thread to see if I may be of ant assistance in the cause of enlightenment.

( Edit by NGC2736 for spelling)

[edit on 9-5-2007 by NGC2736]

David Adair claims to have cracked the mystery behind the writing on the area 51 plasma containment engine...he figured out the writing on it was infact a serial number system used for the parts. If true, could this be used as a Rosetta stone of sorts?

[edit on 5/9/2007 by bokinsmowl]

How would you describe phonetics of a dolphin's communications or a whalesong? How about the ultrasonic chatter of rodents, or even some of the more sophisticated birds calls? Essentially you should probably be considering onomanopoeia. Ironically, we have hardly bothered to understand our own earth species.

My overall point is potential aliens which bother to use the electromagnetic spectrum for language, would probably defy our current classification of what language is. Food for thought?

I like the thread concept btw

To the OP:

I'm in no way a specialist on this but I'm sure I've read somehwere and it's on a thread in ATS too but the Hungarian language is like no other, it shares no similarities to any european or global language and linguists can not trace its routes. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, what about the remote tribes out there untouched (those that are left) who have languages that involve clicks and other wierd sounds? I also think about places like asia where they use charactures and also have a strange tongue when it comes to using their language. Just as a side note, a previous poster or posters state that we must have a common vocal structure and that's why we can't make whale or dolphin sounds. I agree. But...... what about in oriental cultures where they struggle or just simply can not pronounce the letters "L" and "R". I think it's L & R anyway, I again could be wrong. Maybe it's because in "thier" language there is no call for those consonant sounds to be made?????

Going back to the charactures in the eastern languages, doesn't it seem more logical if that the cultures from who knows how many years ago first made contact with these advanved "beings / humanoids" that they were educated in how to write, thus taking on charactures and not letters as we us "in the west" today?????

Somebody stop me, i'm waffling.......Sorry

Remirah

Waffling is good. It means your mind is still processing data. That beat being set hard, like cement.

That's how problems are addressed by we mere mortals, as opposed to those demi-gods who 'tell' everyone else how to think and what to think.

Great input everyone. All are intersting ideas that I look forward to reading into. NGC2736, you appear to be a kindred spirit in the discussions I like to jump in to. I especially look forward to speaking with you. Thanks----

We must engage in dialogue folks. The sum is greater than the parts. Never consider an idea not worthy for discussion. This reminds me of an old story I read once. I think you'll all understand..........

Many, many years ago two Tibetan monks were watching a flag blowing in the wind. They began to debate the cause. One monk argued that the flag was moving. The other argued that it was the wind, not the flag, which was moving. The debate went on for a few minutes when an elder monk walked up on the two. He said, "My sons, it's not that the flag or the wind is moving. The most important thing is that your minds are moving."---------

[edit on 11-5-2007 by The Undefeated]

Where'as you may think that most 'aliens' actually speak...Alot of them communicate telepathically.
This means no langiage but tone and feel and vibration are used instead of words.

Valorian

Originally posted by Remirah
To the OP:

I'm in no way a specialist on this but I'm sure I've read somehwere and it's on a thread in ATS too but the Hungarian language is like no other, it shares no similarities to any european or global language and linguists can not trace its routes. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Actually Hungarian has quite a few related languages, such as Finnish and Estonian. Basque on the other hand is a totally isolated language.

As for the actual topic, extraterrestrial linguistics could be anything. You only need look at how differently our own animals here on Earth communicate. There are animals that use vibration, sounds, colors or smells in order to communicate. The human way of communicating mainly by sounds is just one of the many ways aliens could communicate. It all depends on their environment, which could very well be unsuitable for vocal communication.

One example that shows how different alien communication could be is an extraterrestrial being that uses rapidly flashing colors on it's skin as a form of communication.

[edit on 11-5-2007 by leonee]

if you search on my name you will find my personal contact story, and we managed to *POSSIBLY record an alien speaking...and it wasnt english.

I'm imagining non-auditory languages. For example, one in which creatures emit chemicals and they smell each other. Imagine hundreds of thousands of chemical building blocks in a language. Very smelly.