Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RayesKotrora]

I am creating a language file based on Arabic for a race of intelligent sand-devils I am making for an upcoming mod (or just my personal fun depending on how it turns out). The thing is, writing a perfectly accurate phonetic translation of Arabic script to Roman looks kind of strange in English, and I am not very good at determining what looks best to someone who doesn't speak Arabic themselves (as I am biased towards the better phonetic spelling).

Anyway, my question is if there are any non-Arabic speakers that would like to help me doing a comparison of words with what they think would look better to others. I will do a certain amount of work on the file and then send a comparison list as it goes on and we can get in touch and you can tell me what you think looks best.

Does this sound like it would interest anyone?

[narhiril]

I am creating a language file based on Arabic for a race of intelligent sand-devils I am making for an upcoming mod (or just my personal fun depending on how it turns out). The thing is, writing a perfectly accurate phonetic translation of Arabic script to Roman looks kind of strange in English, and I am not very good at determining what looks best to someone who doesn't speak Arabic themselves (as I am biased towards the better phonetic spelling).

Anyway, my question is if there are any non-Arabic speakers that would like to help me doing a comparison of words with what they think would look better to others. I will do a certain amount of work on the file and then send a comparison list as it goes on and we can get in touch and you can tell me what you think looks best.

Does this sound like it would interest anyone?

I don't know the first thing about Arabic, but I'd definitely want to use it for a custom civ.

[Befenismor]

Shouldn't fantasy civs have their own, original language? I wouldn't say no to an Arabic language file though.

[Jeoshua]

I think having pseudo-real languages really helps suspension of disbelief.  Better to have characters named Arcturian than Xgebelref

[Grimlocke]

I would want to use that, seems a lot more convincing than the default languages.

Not sure if I would be much help with the phonetic writing part though, as I am not native English I often end up reading them wrong. English phonetics arnt quite the same as Dutch ones.

[Patomago]

I would be extremely interested in it.

[Ampersand]

I am creating a language file based on Arabic for a race of intelligent sand-devils

Are you sure this is the best idea? Really?

[Grimlocke]

We farm and kill mermaid children. Its too late to worry about political correctness.

[narhiril]

We farm and kill mermaid children. Its too late to worry about political correctness.

I don't have room in my sig... But this deserves it.

[Deon]

What does it have to do with political issues? I am pretty sure that there are many sand ghouls and devils in arabic folkloire, so it's pretty natural for them to speak arabic.

I would TOTALLY love it for my Ezrakim elves (desert dwellers). Do you have any good online translator which shows english pronounciation?

[Befenismor]

What does it have to do with political issues? I am pretty sure that there are many sand ghouls and devils in arabic folkloire, so it's pretty natural for them to speak arabic.

I would TOTALLY love it for my Ezrakim elves (desert dwellers). Do you have any good online translator which shows english pronounciation?

I think this would suit them better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language

but then again, I have my own image of what ezrakim look like, what their culture is like etc.

[Deon]

They are closer to egyptians actually in my book . But an egyptian language would sound totally wrong.

[Kiktamo]

This should help it translates using english letters for phonetics.

http://www.firdaous.com/en/0023.htm

Some of DF's words don't seem to exist in it so you might need to lookup synonyms if you use it.

Of course if you find Arabic speakers this won't be necessary but it might help if you can't. 

[Jeoshua]

Finding Arabic speakers to translate a game-language for a group of SAND-DEVILS might prove challenging, for the same reason it was difficult to find Japanese to translate a language file for a race of Orcs.

I mean if you made them djinn, maybe.  Seriously tho, make them djinn.  Makes more sense.  "Sand Devil" vs. "Mischevious Being made of Smokeless Flame"

Which is cooler, I ask you?

[Ultimuh]

I agree with Jeoshua, calling them Djin or something similar might sound more.. accurate to the folklore in those regions.

Also, I have always imagined the several races to have more.. realistic languages.

Dwarves should have some olden Norwegian/scandinavian language.
Humans should be perhaps.. Latin.. Ancient greek.. perhaps ancient germanic?
Goblins.. perhaps.. Ancient mesoamerican? (Aztec, incan, etc.)

But as for elves.. I have no idea..