Words

Words

                "So these machines, they make us all speak the same language?" asked Lucas. He was an academic at one of the many universities dotting the fairly enlightened (and somewhat advanced) country of Addlestone. It had once been a city state, but it had absorbed its neighbours over several centuries to grow to its current size.

                Lucas was engaged in conversation with Dytja who was quite happy to explain the abilities (though never the design) of the machines left far beneath the surface by the civilisation that had ruled, and caused the ravaging of, the world. "Most definitely," replied Dytja, "Although their effect is minimal on grown adults. The records I've had access to indicate that the idea was to prevent language drift over large areas; which would still occur, but would not result in an inability (or difficulty) in communicating."

                "I see," said Lucas, shuffling in his seat to get comfortable. He suspected that this would be quite a long conversation - Dytja had taken a seat as well. "It does make sense of how we speak the same language as even our most distant neighbours; and despite our origins in very different places. And it certainly explains why the ancient languages even within our borders vary greatly. I assume that the same applies to the written word? And what is the difference with children?"

                "Yes, there are similar machines for writing. A child is more strongly affected, if they are not taught words for particular things or especially if they are not being taught a language at all. That is why 'lost children' still learn an approximation of the language; and also why it took many generations for the oldlangs to become lost," explained Dytja, "Although some places I have been have remembered theirs, for various reasons."

                "I have come across examples during my studies," said Lucas. "They are used for keeping information out of the hands of those who might... Utilise it wrongly."

                "And a vast many other things. Most cases I have encountered utilise the language for tradition or ritual, rather than academia."

                "Perhaps my understanding is from my limited perspective as an academic, then. Hm. To return to the spoken word, there is one thing that has been bothering me: there are words that have attached context that are things that either do not exist now or never existed, and there are words (or word-likes) that have no meaning beyond some kind of implied one. They have no true definition, I suppose I mean."

                "Such as 'saurus', perhaps? Implying some kind of large lizard."

                "Yes, quite like that. Or umbra, umber, several similar sounding words, implying darkness, I feel? There are others, but they are hard to think of - I have compiled a list, but I suppose it would be pointless to go through it."

                "Those 'word-likes' come from... Older languages than the one this world eventually spoke. Most of the time. Others are from slang - similar to the phrases that have meanings in particular contexts without obvious origins."

                "Oh! Oh yes, I had never thought of those." Lucas began scribbling down notes, and even some examples - 'flat out like a lizard drinking', for one.

                Dytja smiled, and continued. "As for the words that you somehow know are of things that never did exist - elf, dragon, orc for example - these are things from their fiction. You might imagine that such things could have come through the portals, but they did not - what came through the portals was not born or created by the imaginations of those living here. It is quite different."

                "I see. I do wonder why humans were so common - why not something different, stranger, more often?"

                "Search me. If I had to guess, you lot are to blame for the multiple-dimension mess existing in the first place. Some kind of 'your imprint on them all'. But that's getting further into... What the multiple dimension existence is than I care to; we're cut off here and that's a damn good thing. And it makes no sense."

                "It's not my area of interest - or expertise - either. So back to these phrases - do you recall many of them?"

                "Oh, plenty. I can probably give you a few new words for your other lists, as well."

                "Excellent."

                It was a long night, but Lucas was sure the words Dytja spoke would earn him quite a few accolades. What a scoop!