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An alignment language example

Started by Kyle Aaron, July 28, 2017, 09:22:55 PM

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Elfdart

#15
July 30, 2017, 03:43:08 PM
Quote from: Kyle Aaron;979168From 20th century Britain, Polari, the language of homosexual men.

   "One of the things that makes Polari so powerful is that it is simultaneously about disguise and identification," the artist Jez Dolan tells BBC Culture. "You would be hiding what you were talking about from people who didn't know it, but also if you were in a bar and you liked the look of somebody, you'd pop it into conversation and they'd either go 'ah' or they'd look blank and you'd be on your way."

[...] Baker believes Polari is a form of 'anti-language' – a term coined by the linguist Michael Halliday in 1978 that Baker defines as "a language used by people who are on the 'outside' of mainstream society". "It has its own vocabulary for elements that mainstream society is not interested in," he says. "Words relating to gay sex or evaluating male bodies – but it also demonstrates an alternative value system."

This "hiding in plain sight" and variations on the local language aspect would, I think, be key to how an alignment language would work. I don't see how it'd work separate from a system of deities, though. The church of Christ teaches Latin, or Greek; the Temple of Grolka the Mad would teach Chaotic Evil's cant. So you'd need 3 dieties in B/X, and 9 in AD&D1e.

The article's pretty interesting. Thoughts?

Why would gay men need a secret language in Britain of all places? That's like Hispanics needing a secret language in San Antonio.
Jesus Fucking Christ, is this guy honestly that goddamned stupid? He can\'t understand the plot of a Star Wars film? We\'re not talking about "Rashomon" here, for fuck\'s sake. The plot is as linear as they come. If anything, the film tries too hard to fill in all the gaps. This guy must be a flaming retard.  --Mike Wong on Red Letter Moron\'s review of The Phantom Menace

Dumarest

#16
July 30, 2017, 06:26:57 PM
Quote from: Elfdart;979614Why would gay men need a secret language in Britain of all places? That's like Hispanics needing a secret language in San Antonio.

You think the UK has a history of acceptance of homosexual men?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history_in_the_United_Kingdom

Voros

#17
July 30, 2017, 07:19:15 PM
No he's making a joke. Homosexuality in the past was often referred to as 'the English vice' because of its prevalence in English boarding schools (cf. Orwell and pretty much every English writer ever).

Opaopajr

#18
July 30, 2017, 08:54:42 PM
I've heard it called Parlarey, namely in Boy George's autobiography. "Varda the dish, girl. But nada in the larder." (His given example.) But now I realized my bible collection was not complete without the Polari Bible translation. Yoink!

"In the name of Gloria, Josephine, and the Fantabulosa Fairy. A-men!" she cackled.
Just make your fuckin\' guy and roll the dice, you pricks. Focus on what\'s interesting, not what gives you the biggest randomly generated virtual penis.  -- J Arcane
 
You know, people keep comparing non-TSR D&D to deck-building in Magic: the Gathering. But maybe it\'s more like Katamari Damacy. You keep sticking shit on your characters until they are big enough to be a star.
-- talysman

Willie the Duck

#19
July 31, 2017, 08:37:46 AM
Quote from: soltakss;979287I get that all the above are languages that are used by certain groups of people and that is fine.

However, the idea of a language that is spoken by everyone who if Chaotic Evil, for example, makes no sense to me at all.

Quote from: Dumarest;979316Forget it, Jake, it's D&D...

You either roll with it or you don't...I've  never played in a game that used alignment languages. It's easy to strip out, along with alignment en toto.

What I want to know is when you learn an alignment language? Do parents teach their children "Chaotic Evil"? Or do you wait to see what alignment a child is turning into and then teach them accordingly? If you're Lawful Good but your son is Neutral Good, how do you find a teacher? :confused:

Let's not forget that the term is "Alignment" and not "Ethics" or "Morals." The original D&D/Chainmail alignment system (and the alignment languages that came with) was based on people being on Team Lawful or Team Chaotic more than any specific personal codes or beliefs. The idea that, for example, all the bad guys 'aligned' against the PCs could communicate with each other is a ridiculous conceit. But not, however, and more ridiculous than the idea that they could all see in the dark and open locked doors, but only up until they started working for the PCs.

Voros

#20
August 01, 2017, 02:04:52 AM
The OP seems like a better example of thieves cant rather than alignment languages.

Dumarest

#21
August 01, 2017, 11:35:37 AM
Quote from: Voros;979876The OP seems like a better example of thieves cant rather than alignment languages.

True.
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