The Shape of Rain
Page 54
GZ :
This is not a naturally occurring English digraph, nor is there a single Elliqui rune for the sound. Early English translators chose to represent the sound using gz, again, likely to mark a particular shift in the Original Mode. The Elliqui sound is a trigraph and is similar to the ending of age or bridge. The pronunciation might be best demonstrated by taking the digraph sh and replacing the s sound with the z sound and ending with an elongated j. Curiously, this sound appears in Elliqui words that convey children or youth.
J :
With the exceptions above, j functions as it does in English: joy, adjoin. see G.
K :
The Elliqui k rune functions as the English hard consonants of c and k. Again, it is worth noting the shifting of this sound’s usage when translated to English. see C, Y and S.
Q :
Q, or in English characters qu, functions as the kw sound as in quiet, question.
R :
R trills when followed by the vowel sounds ä and ĕ. Rathinalya, for example. In all other positions it remains r as in rain, far, sorrow.
S :
The Elliqui sound of s is the same as it is in English. C when followed by the vowel sound of ĭ and ě the English character shifts to c. see Y.
SH :
This digraph sound is a single rune in Elliqui. The sound has the value of shout, share, Rush. see CH, TH.
TH :
This digraph sound is a single rune in Elliqui. The sound has the value of the, there, breath. see CH, SH.
W :
The Elliqui sound of w functions similarly as it does in English save that there is slightly more emphasis on the blowing of air as the consonant leaves the mouth. It has been suggested that the English equivalent should include a silent h to accentuate the character’s breathy aspect, though it never caught on.
X :
In some cases, early translators use an English x to represent the paired Elliqui sound of k and s.
Y :
has the Elliqui and English equivalent of y as in yard or Yafarra. However, English transcriptions often use the character in place of the Elliqui vowel ī, most often following the letter c: Cy or sī. This is particularly anomalous for both English consonants, when translated to Elliqui sounds, to change from their original sound to another when paired. It is thought that this pairing is linked directly to a telepathic marker designating evil or dark purpose. Further, the shifting from harder consonant sounds y and k to lighter long i and soft s denotes a kind of disguise in of itself. A deception. An Elliquist should be wary when using such a pairing. Perhaps in clairvoyant opposition to the cy pairing is the combination of c and the vowel sound of ĕ. C followed by the sound ĕ shifts the c/k sound to s as in cer and cerwis. Interestingly enough, these two letters together in an Elliqui word summon truth and power. Why early translators did not simply use the English s has been the subject of many debates, and has spurred research into the Original Mode of Elliqui’s telepathic foundation.
Z :
functions as z in English except when connected to g or j. see GZ.
VOWELS TONES V
Elliqui’s vowel sounds share many of the same complexities of English, each having variables in softness and mode. The vowels are the essence of what Belzaare calls the Thavelle. The Thavelle is the ‘art of language’ that Elliqui uses to transmit feeling. Vowels by their very nature are the sound of the body and the hum of the spirit. Or, as Dr. Astrid Finnley has written, “When the Elliquist masters a forceful annunciation of these tones, the connection of spirit and Earth are again, one.”
Each sound corresponds to an Elliqui character. There is no single rune for any Elliqui vowel.
A :
The sound of a, to us, is really the beginning of our learning of English: our A, B, C’s. It is important to note that no order exists for the Elliqui tone structure, but rather an overall continuum of sound. A at the end of the word is often pronounced long as in way.
pat — ă
pay — ā
care, air - âr
father, song - ä
E :
E like a is similar in its complexity, for example, e at the end of a word will function as the long a: away or the schwa ә as in item. The silent e does not exist in Elliqui.
pet - ĕ
bee - ē
item - ә
I :
I is often pronounced ē following another vowel or at the end of a word.
pit - ĭ
pie - ī
O :
O in its many manifestations is the primary hum in the continuum. It functions as the focus of the spirit. There are several variations of o, more so than any other vowel:
pot - ô
toe - ō
noise - oi
took - ŏ
boot - o
out - ow
U :
U has several varied properties in telepathic modes. U is often used for the English translation of o sounds.
cut - ŭ
urge - ûr
ii.
USING THE ELLIQUI
The Quadrivium of Elliqui:
The Original Mode’s foundational principles were identified by The Silent Author and Belzaare as four
Reason
Intention
Entheos
Simplicity
The Silent Author and Belzaare taught these four principles for the successful verceress: a specific reason to pass information; a clear intention; a passionate or enthusiastic desire to be understood; and finally, breaking the message down to its most basic meaning—simplify.
WRITING
Each Elliqui letter represents a sound. It is important to note that when writing an Elliqui word one must use the correct phonic letter: that is, the letter that corresponds with the pronunciation key, not the English translated character.
For example when writing the word:
farewell - galinna, one must use these letters: (gā•lē´•nә), in correspondence with the Elliqui characters for correct Elliqui spelling. Elliqui tone characters apply to the pronunciation, not the English spelling.
TENSES
The original mode in which Elliqui was communed did not allow for the idea of time, past, present or future. For the true Elliquist, these constructs would not need to be defined, they would simply be felt. Even the Silent Author suggested that it was impossible to generate words that communicated time. Past, present and future in language is often marked by additions to verbs. Like all true Elliqui a telepathic marker made tense obvious. After much thought however, the Silent Author found in his own verceress a mode in which past, present and future could be written, and even spoken. He constructed three words in order to communicate tense: olo (ō´•lō), nye (nī), and uta (oo´•tә). These words begin a sentence or utterance when tense is necessary.
Olo: past. Olo is not connected to the Elliqui verb itself, but instead determines that the action or event et cetera, is in the past, much like was or the ed at the end of a word. With the presence of olo, the Elliqui word for eat would now function as ate.
Nye: present. Nye is seldom used in Elliqui for all Elliqui words are present tense. However, nye can function as is in English. The translation of nye is now, and can be used as that meaning elsewhere in a sentence. Nye at the beginning of a sentence is effective for urgency, but not always necessary.
Uta: future. Uta translates as the time to come, or the time ahead. Technically it functions as future thought or manifestation, for example, when the snow falls, or someday I will journey far. It also communicates the idea of yet, as in: I’ve not yet journeyed far.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Basic sentence structure is similar to the ease of verceress for the ancients. True Elliqui was wordless, though there was often, according to Belzaare and the Silent Author, an etiquette for proper communing. Written and spoken Elliqui reflects the original modes:
Simply, Elliqui translated to English is always (for the highest pote
ncy), noun, verb, adjective. When tense is needed: tense, noun, verb, adjective. It is important to understand, however, that emotional subtleties can exist as one’s ability to verceress strengthens. Belzaare instructs that the emphasis of emotion is on word placement, and only by following this pattern can Elliqui retrieve a telepathic marker.
The pattern to learn is this: TNVA: an acronym for tense, noun, verb, adjective.
TRANSLATING ENGLISH TO ELLIQUI
To write or speak the equivalent of Elliqui from English, one must reduce the English phrase to its simplest, or rather, telepathic form.
Let us use an example for translation.
“The Horn of Wyn Avuqua echoed and the green of spring came.”
Here we see a fairly complex sentence in English, however, we can reduce it to its telepathic form by merely communicating its essence. There are two parts to the sentence:
“The Horn of Wyn Avuqua echoed ~ the green of spring came.”
This connecting character (~) allows the full idea to emerge.
Remember, TNVA.
Tense = echoed (echo is past) olo
Noun = the Horn
Verb = echo
Adjective = of Wyn Avuqua
~
T = came (past tense)
N = spring
V = came
A = green
So an Elliqui/English version might be:
“In the past, the Horn echo Wyn Avuqua ~ spring came green.”
In Elliqui:
Olo shewu sheshu Wyn Avuqua~ gendel veli lemheth
PREFIXES
Prefixes or performatives in Elliqui alter the words to which they are affixed.
go : reversal, negative
ple : all
agn : not
NOTES ON SEMANTICS
For the Elliquist, success in communication is based on the speaker’s (writer’s) individual creativity and the listener’s (reader’s) ability to understand conveyance. In other words, not all written or oral Elliqui will be immediately understood, and translating can cause confusion. For example, one Elliquist may write, “I eat green food.” Another Elliquist, if they are not careful might translate the utterance as, “Green food eats me.” Tricky to be sure. This is where a sense of communing comes in to play.
In many languages, contrastive intonation plays a vital role in conveyance and understanding. For example:
I told the story. (It was me that told it, not Loche.)
I told the story. (I told it, I did not sing it.)
I told the story. (The important one, not the other.)
I told the story. (Not the facts.)
It is important to note, the Original Mode did not suffer the tedium and subtlety of contrastive intonation, nor did it have to endure the difficulties of semantics overall. As to who told the story, which story it was, how it was told, why, where, and quite possibly, the story’s content in its entirety—these aspects could be could be conveyed by one and understood by another using the Original Mode with a focused glance. The spoken and written forms were intended to function as closely to the Original Mode as possible, but they too often fall short. And it is no wonder that such primitive mediums of tongue and pen prevent the language from ascending to the telepathic power of its former glory. The quadrivium: reason, the simplicity of structure, the power of intention and focused entheos are the four elements the Silent Author and Belzaare have continually invoked as the bridge back to what was—simpler days—easier words. The way home.
Of course such open communication begs questions such as these: Was there individual thought? Could one withhold information? Was there a sense of autonomy?
As noted in the Toele and in other documents uncovered by Professor Astrid Finnley, Original Mode Elliquists were said to have both individual and altruistic hearts and intentions. There was no instinct to harm or hinder another that could speak true Elliqui. Many have remarked that true Elliqui was simply complete empathy.
It is hoped that the Original Mode may one day be returned to us. In the meantime, we can only speculate.
If the above grammatical rules are followed for both speaking and writing the language, the translation gap narrows. What’s more, a good Elliquist will be able to get the “feeling” from the words and be able to place them in a proper order without reversing the initial meaning altogether. This skill, of course, is paramount to becoming a great Elliquist. Finally, creativity with the words and speaking simply is yet another element to speaking and writing well. Compound sentences can be difficult to translate. Reducing intention to its essence will prove the Elliqui more true.
iii.
THE WRITTEN ELLIQUI
TONES i THROUGH iv
iv.
THE ELLIQUI LEXICONS:
ENGLISH TO ELLIQUI
ELLIQUI TO ENGLISH
Compiled by Dr. Astrid Finnely, with acknowledgement to Belzaare Lord of Air Edited by Michael B. Koep, 1996.
PRONUNCIATION KEY
Vowels:
pat — ă
pay — ā
care, air - âr
father, song - ä
pet - ĕ
bee - ē
pit - ĭ
pie - ī
pot - ô
toe - ō
noise - oy
took - ŏ
boot - o
out - ow
cut - ŭ
urge - ûr
about, item
edible, gallop- ә
butter - әr
consonants:
ck - long k
regime - zj
song, hung- ng
__________________________
1 Allison Bogart. (2017). The Newirth Artifacts. New York: Italic Semicolon Publishing.
2 Professor Finnley’s works:
Finnley, Astrid. (1994). The Tear of Heaven:Lost Cities of the World and Why We Lost Them. Seattle: Will Dreamly Arts Publishing.
Finnley, Astrid. (2002). The Twin Toele: Immortals Among Us. Spokane. Kite House Publishing.
Finnley, Astrid. (2008). Elliqui: The Silent Foundation of God. Seattle. The RUB Publishers.
3 Euprophecy is a portmanteau word to define the anomalous phenomenon that is Loche Newirth’s writing. If the definition of prophecy is the foretelling or prediction of what is to come, usually declared by a prophet, very often divinely inspired, euprophecy acts as its reciprocal. For example, a definition of euprophecy might be a retelling of history declared by an ordinary man or woman using the human imagination. This act, through a non-summoned supernatural force, changes the past and redefines reality. Another definition might reside somewhere within the idea of how we believe the past was and how that belief changes to define our ever evolving perception.
4 The Itonalya often regard Dellithion (the sun) and Thi (the One creator that is all) as the same entity.
5 The Itonalya employ the poetic notion that Endale’s (Earth’s) beauty is so great among the stars is proven by every night’s sky full of stars. No eye of heaven can look away.
6 Which song Ashto sang to the Earth and Moon is still hotly debated. There are three recurring songs that appear in varying texts. In the earliest version of this tale, Ashto’s song tempts Endale to seek knowledge for herself by embarking upon a great journey. This of course was not the will of Thi and would have been regarded as an act of disobedience. Centuries later another song of Ashto’s was inserted into the tale. Still a song of temptation, it promised Endale and Mellithion both that they would themselves become gods if they followed the teaching of Ashto.
7 The moon, or Mellithion.
8 When sighting a red moon (or the glinting red of Mars) in the sky, Itonalya will often say: melagyar diluthia, which means, simply, the moon is at war and either love or blood is near. The saying has also come to mean: love and war are the same thing, both will purify the soul.
9 The Messenger’s voice to the Itonalya is not always negative. Unlifso is known as a trickster, certainly, but he is also
a purveyor of truth, and to hear his voice is considered a blessing. In the end, Unlifso provides potentialities both good and bad—the meanings of his messages are for the Itonalya to decipher.
10 The Tengstre or the Long Cry of Mellithion is a 9000 plus word elean (prayer) that strikes at the heart of the immortal condition.
11 Shivtiris or the Cymachkena is perhaps the only recorded god to have bridged into the mortal realm more than once. Shivtiris became seemingly ever present among the Ithea. (Until, of course, the end of the Newirth War.)
12 Cervalso and his presence in Itonalya lore represents the unknown, cloudy or misty visions and the uncertainty of existence. He was later interpreted by the Greeks and Romans as the god Neptune or Poseidon, the ruler of the vast and endless seas.
13 Cervalsian beliefs were often an area of heated debate when it came to whether a god was given grace to exist on earth against the Old Law. There was a faction of Itonalya fundamentalists that held fast to the Old Law and they would suffer no Godrethion life on Endale, good works or no. The movement called themselves the Gacervals and they rose out of the Wyn Avuquain household of Shartiris shortly after the city was founded. The beliefs and hard-lined judgements of this group were dangerous, and over time they built a reputation on savagery and willing ignorance. Over time the movement fell into disfavor among the majority of Itonalya—but their influence was never completely extinguished from Itonalya history or training, for the Itonalya, gods were to be sent back into the void regardless of their gifts to humankind. But it was deemed that those who loved Endale and her children would let a god live whose gifts would propel humankind to peace, healing and prosperity.
14 Elements of Ressca and the tales of his adventures on Endale evolved into many other sky god characters for the Ithea over the centuries. Traces of Ressca can be found the Greek’s Uranus, the Roman’s Caelus, the Egyptian goddess Hathor and the Sumerian god Enlil, among others.
15 According to George Eversman and other sources, the opening seventy-one verses of the Lay of Melea’s, Fenor the Lover contain the fundamental principles of Itonalya philosophy and the meditations on time endurance that are the core of Itonalya curriculum. Time endurance is described through what the Silent Author (in the voice of Mellithion) names as the three sisters: Patience, Action and Outcome. Through the first section of Fenor the Lover, Mellithion meets these allegorical sisters and learns the slow lesson that “time will inevitably tell,” and how slow thoughtful action creates the most peaceful outcomes.