Below is a term project from the Spring 2023 edition of the course! It should give you ideas about what past students learned from the course.
Kai'us Magnus Iang (Caius Magnusson of Slytherin)
Part 1: Parseltongue Analysis
Introduction
The overlap between culture and language runs quite deep, to the point that the latter cannot be properly interpreted if we were to ignore the former. This phenomenon is true for all sorts of language, including those that were not initially structured by humans - and, as such, Parseltongue is not an exception to that rule. However, even though most humans consider Parseltongue to be monolithic in its form, the truth is that dialects, as well as their respective verbal and grammatical choices, are a natural part of the language as we know today, in spite of the fact that these subtleties are usually not discussed in deeper detail.
Some examples of the former assertion can be seen when comparing the version of Parseltongue spoken when Salazar Slytherin was alive - which differs from modern Parseltongue, showcasing that the language is subject to historical and cultural evolution - as well as the fact that certain snake species, such as whipsnakes, make use of distinctive phonemes (such as the 'hw' combination) in their words.
The present work strives to identify traits that are characteristic to distinctive forms of Parseltongue, as well as any potential cultural reasons why the language has structured itself in that manner.
Dialect A: Whipsnake Parseltongue
Features: Whipsnake Parseltongue is defined by the presence of the characteristic 'hw' phoneme, as detailed above, as well as the softening of the 'ʃ' phoneme. Although Whipsnake Parseltongue is not marked by major vocabulary changes, there are interesting developments in prosody related to grammatical features - most notably, the fact that the subject, object and verb in a given sentence are usually emphasised, whereas the surrounding adjectives and adverbs are spoken in softer tones.
Cultural Aspects: It is believed that, since whipsnakes are not particularly connected to a given geographical region (as species of whipsnakes can be found in all inhabited continents), their spatial dispersion has caused them to adopt Standard Parseltongue with minimal changes when it comes to vocabulary. However, we cannot ignore the concept that whipsnakes present a specific species identity, and that this factor, in turn, may influence how they adapt their sound production.
Simply put, it is theorised that language features that emphasise the whip-like traits of the whipsnake have been passed through generations, making it so that their pronunciation choices serve as a reinforcement of their identity. Most notably, the use of stressed subjects, objects and verbs act like a metaphorical recoiling (which happens before the crucial syntactical feature) and subsequent lashing out (which happens at the core elements of a sentence, during its "offense" analogical component), representing the attack mechanism of this snake species through an analogical speech pattern.
Dialect B: Basilisk Parseltongue
Features: The main aspect of traditional Basilisk Parseltongue is the lack of the ʃe verbal tense, which is replaced by its ʃa form even when relating to past or present non-imperative events. Furthermore, Basilisk Parseltongue also presents a dative flexion for nouns, represented by the addition of the stem -an - for instance, the word nuʃan is used in order to explain that rains falls from the sky.
Cultural Aspects: Latest linguistic analysis seems to indicate a great overlap between Basilisk Parseltongue and Old English, as Basilisks are particularly long-lived creatures that potentially did not need to modify their verbal expression with the change of the eras. Thus, it is not surprising that certain Old English traits, such as the presence of a dative form, have their parallels in Basilisk Parseltongue.
Furthermore, another noteworthy inclusion of Basilisk Parseltongue may be determined by the creature's overall demeanour and self-perception. Modern language theory implies that the use of the ʃa form in all verbal flexions stems from the Basilisk's self-perception as a powerful actor for change; in other words, both past, present and future may be seen as times in which its will has or has not been attained, and as such all verbal tenses can be expressed in light of positive or negative forms of an imperative verb. It is no surprise that this creature, therefore, has a name that etymologically can be interpreted as "King Cobra" - although we cannot determine whether it is its personality that led to its naming, or if its naming and personality were both bestowed by those that have decided to first breed the creature, such as Herpo the Foul.
We must note, however, that Basilisks can, and frequently do, communicate in Standard Parseltongue in the modern era. Theories on why they do so are abundant, but the one regarded as the most valid states that by doing so they are able to keep control over other snakes that are not fluent in Basilisk Parseltongue, ensuring they have a direct channel to command an army of "lesser creatures" according to their personality. Others defend that using Standard Parseltongue ensures the purity of Basilisk Parseltongue, which is to be used only with other Basilisks and those that have obtained the respect of the creature, as a secret code of sorts that is not made readily available for the common populace.
Dialect C: Amazonian Parseltongue
Features: The inclusion of a trilled 'r' phoneme, conventionally written as rr in most transcriptions, is the most noteworthy vocal aspect of Amazonian Parseltongue. Nevertheless, much more important than that is the addition of a nonverbal layer to Amazonian Parseltongue: many adjectives and adverbs are represented by the inclusion of tail gestures, which must necessarily come between the noun and the verbal adjective or adverb. For instance, if one were to explain that the river flowed violently, the use of a gesture adjective (consisting of two quick lashes of the tail to the left) would be employed between the words 'river' and 'flow'.
Cultural Aspects: Many Parseltongue experts defend that the inclusion of gestures in Amazonian Parseltongue is a direct consequence of the sheer number of species located in the area. Given the fact that gestures tend to be somewhat consistent in different human groups - even for those that come from drastically distinctive cultural and linguistic backgrounds - these linguists defend that the same reasoning can be applied to Amazonian Parseltongue, or at least that the language developed from a pidgin that has evolved into a creole.
On the other hand, the formative processes for the trilling 'r' phoneme are not as clearly understood; some theorise that influences from Portuguese and Spanish (particularly Amazonic Spanish) made their way into the language given the extensive opportunities the snakes residing in this area had in interacting with human speakers, but that assertion is far from definitely proven. Nevertheless, given the fact that most native Indian traditions do regard snakes as important and respectable animals, that theory certainly holds a lot of weight.
Dialect D: Japanese Parseltongue
Features: As it could potentially be surmised, Japanese Parseltongue does not make use of the 'sl' phoneme, which must be substituted by 'sr' instead. The language is also marked by the inclusion of emphasis markers at the very end of a sentence, with some of its typical markers being ne (eliciting the listener to agree with what's spoken, similarly to a question tag in English), i'o (providing a sense of strength and assertiveness when giving new information or commands) and sa. Interestingly enough, given the fact that the marker sa indicates a strong assertion, some believe that it has evolved directly from the original sa word meaning 'yes'.
The most interesting aspect of Japanese Parseltongue is the inclusion of the -ʃet verbal form, which acts as a colligative verbal form for successive actions. For example, if a person has eaten and drunk in a party, their actions would be expressed by the verbal combination giʃet sroʃe. This colligative form has other grammatical uses, including indicating present state (i.e., dorʃet indicates something that is being done or was done, obtained as an implicit simplification of dorʃet aʃe) as well as trends in time and space (i.e., kaʃet iʃe indicates an object that falls in the overall direction of the speaker).
Cultural Aspects: Given the fact that Japan is an insular nation, it is not surprising that many of the snakes that reside in the area would pick traits that somehow matches the overall linguistic thought processes of Parselmouths that live in the area, as their interaction with other 'foreign' snakes would be very limited. This process accounts for all of the aspects seen in Japanese Parseltongue, particularly with regards to phonological formation - as Japanese tends to use a phoneme that resides between L and R when addressing that specific sound. Thus, it is logical that this sound has been interpreted as a variation of the R phoneme, aided by the S fricative.
The same can be said about the structural features detailed above, as the use of emphatic devices are a core part of Japanese. In fact, it's not surprising that this has been so widely received by Japanese Parseltongue, as the use of adverbs that reinforce or negate an idea at the end of the sentence was already present in the standard version of the language. Lastly, the inclusion of a colligative verbal form also seems to be consistent with the theory detailed above - that extended contact with Japanese has altered how snakes perceive the connection between verbs, eliciting the need for a small modification that accounts for their new approach to language.
Dialect E: Adder Parseltongue
Features: Sound changes in Adder Parseltongue include the inclusion of a glottal stop (frequently represented through the use of the ʔ character in written form) as well as the suppression of the postvocalic r phoneme in a phenomenon called 'non-rhoticism'. However, the most notable phenomenon developed by some adder snakes is the inclusion of rhyming slang in their vocabulary, in a phenomenon that some experts have described as "fang slang".
Cultural Aspects: It is theorised that changes in phoneme production are a direct consequence of the adder's physiology, as their slender necks would be less suited to produce the rhotic r effectively (or, at least, that producing this sound may cause strain to the creature's glottis' folds). Conversely, the same mechanism that would disallow the constant production of the postvocalic r may also be linked to an ease in blocking the adder's air passageways, allowing for the substitution of that sound for the glottal stop.
With regards to the inclusion of "fang slang", many believe that this is a direct result that arose from exposure to human culture - most notably, the interaction with the so-called Cockney Rhyme linguistic phenomenon in Great Britain. Certain terms, such as bov gov ('delicious food', meaning 'mouse') and no'is cro'is ('danger sound', meaning 'rattle') are customary in Adder Parseltongue.
Conclusion
All in all, although it is impossible to identify every single Parseltongue dialect as well as their main defining traits, a proper survey into the most usual speech forms can give us very deep insights into the cultural aspects of snakes, as well as how these aspects have impacted their language over the years. Furthermore, such changes indicate something that is even more important - namely, that the interactions between snakes and Parselmouths may run much deeper than most would initially theorise (particularly in light of Parselmouth discrimination and eventual prejudiced associations that painted this group as immoral and corruptible Dark Wizards), and that identifying patterns in how intensely Parseltongue dialects have changed may give us quantitative clues in how closely Parselmouths communicated with snakes - which may, in turn, be used to infer how prejudiced a given society was against such an ability throughout the ages.
Part 2: Parseltongue Musings
Sisisisi daiʃe kura sliʃe ʃe,
Tasi raʃu firna tasi bslod bana akaʃe rine
Ai sisind korna rine oʃe
Tasi nukui kuine.
Ai ro'aʃe, koelʃe aine
Tasi tik aʃe baʃ?
Fasi girou tira vaʃe sine
Ai gan aʃe haʃ?
Tasi ssss giʃa ʃe!
Fasi riʃan natane ʃeslʃa!
Tasi vosld noki snaʃa,
Tasi dai iang harne fasi fasar bonʃe!
Ou aʃen seʃene karʃe natane
Aiou naitira harne eʃeiʃe,
Ai oʃen sliʃe ʃane
Sisisisi daiʃe kura sliʃe.
Kai'us Magnus Iang (Caius Magnusson of Slytherin)
Part 1: Parseltongue Analysis
Introduction
The overlap between culture and language runs quite deep, to the point that the latter cannot be properly interpreted if we were to ignore the former. This phenomenon is true for all sorts of language, including those that were not initially structured by humans - and, as such, Parseltongue is not an exception to that rule. However, even though most humans consider Parseltongue to be monolithic in its form, the truth is that dialects, as well as their respective verbal and grammatical choices, are a natural part of the language as we know today, in spite of the fact that these subtleties are usually not discussed in deeper detail.
Some examples of the former assertion can be seen when comparing the version of Parseltongue spoken when Salazar Slytherin was alive - which differs from modern Parseltongue, showcasing that the language is subject to historical and cultural evolution - as well as the fact that certain snake species, such as whipsnakes, make use of distinctive phonemes (such as the 'hw' combination) in their words.
The present work strives to identify traits that are characteristic to distinctive forms of Parseltongue, as well as any potential cultural reasons why the language has structured itself in that manner.
Dialect A: Whipsnake Parseltongue
Features: Whipsnake Parseltongue is defined by the presence of the characteristic 'hw' phoneme, as detailed above, as well as the softening of the 'ʃ' phoneme. Although Whipsnake Parseltongue is not marked by major vocabulary changes, there are interesting developments in prosody related to grammatical features - most notably, the fact that the subject, object and verb in a given sentence are usually emphasised, whereas the surrounding adjectives and adverbs are spoken in softer tones.
Cultural Aspects: It is believed that, since whipsnakes are not particularly connected to a given geographical region (as species of whipsnakes can be found in all inhabited continents), their spatial dispersion has caused them to adopt Standard Parseltongue with minimal changes when it comes to vocabulary. However, we cannot ignore the concept that whipsnakes present a specific species identity, and that this factor, in turn, may influence how they adapt their sound production.
Simply put, it is theorised that language features that emphasise the whip-like traits of the whipsnake have been passed through generations, making it so that their pronunciation choices serve as a reinforcement of their identity. Most notably, the use of stressed subjects, objects and verbs act like a metaphorical recoiling (which happens before the crucial syntactical feature) and subsequent lashing out (which happens at the core elements of a sentence, during its "offense" analogical component), representing the attack mechanism of this snake species through an analogical speech pattern.
Dialect B: Basilisk Parseltongue
Features: The main aspect of traditional Basilisk Parseltongue is the lack of the ʃe verbal tense, which is replaced by its ʃa form even when relating to past or present non-imperative events. Furthermore, Basilisk Parseltongue also presents a dative flexion for nouns, represented by the addition of the stem -an - for instance, the word nuʃan is used in order to explain that rains falls from the sky.
Cultural Aspects: Latest linguistic analysis seems to indicate a great overlap between Basilisk Parseltongue and Old English, as Basilisks are particularly long-lived creatures that potentially did not need to modify their verbal expression with the change of the eras. Thus, it is not surprising that certain Old English traits, such as the presence of a dative form, have their parallels in Basilisk Parseltongue.
Furthermore, another noteworthy inclusion of Basilisk Parseltongue may be determined by the creature's overall demeanour and self-perception. Modern language theory implies that the use of the ʃa form in all verbal flexions stems from the Basilisk's self-perception as a powerful actor for change; in other words, both past, present and future may be seen as times in which its will has or has not been attained, and as such all verbal tenses can be expressed in light of positive or negative forms of an imperative verb. It is no surprise that this creature, therefore, has a name that etymologically can be interpreted as "King Cobra" - although we cannot determine whether it is its personality that led to its naming, or if its naming and personality were both bestowed by those that have decided to first breed the creature, such as Herpo the Foul.
We must note, however, that Basilisks can, and frequently do, communicate in Standard Parseltongue in the modern era. Theories on why they do so are abundant, but the one regarded as the most valid states that by doing so they are able to keep control over other snakes that are not fluent in Basilisk Parseltongue, ensuring they have a direct channel to command an army of "lesser creatures" according to their personality. Others defend that using Standard Parseltongue ensures the purity of Basilisk Parseltongue, which is to be used only with other Basilisks and those that have obtained the respect of the creature, as a secret code of sorts that is not made readily available for the common populace.
Dialect C: Amazonian Parseltongue
Features: The inclusion of a trilled 'r' phoneme, conventionally written as rr in most transcriptions, is the most noteworthy vocal aspect of Amazonian Parseltongue. Nevertheless, much more important than that is the addition of a nonverbal layer to Amazonian Parseltongue: many adjectives and adverbs are represented by the inclusion of tail gestures, which must necessarily come between the noun and the verbal adjective or adverb. For instance, if one were to explain that the river flowed violently, the use of a gesture adjective (consisting of two quick lashes of the tail to the left) would be employed between the words 'river' and 'flow'.
Cultural Aspects: Many Parseltongue experts defend that the inclusion of gestures in Amazonian Parseltongue is a direct consequence of the sheer number of species located in the area. Given the fact that gestures tend to be somewhat consistent in different human groups - even for those that come from drastically distinctive cultural and linguistic backgrounds - these linguists defend that the same reasoning can be applied to Amazonian Parseltongue, or at least that the language developed from a pidgin that has evolved into a creole.
On the other hand, the formative processes for the trilling 'r' phoneme are not as clearly understood; some theorise that influences from Portuguese and Spanish (particularly Amazonic Spanish) made their way into the language given the extensive opportunities the snakes residing in this area had in interacting with human speakers, but that assertion is far from definitely proven. Nevertheless, given the fact that most native Indian traditions do regard snakes as important and respectable animals, that theory certainly holds a lot of weight.
Dialect D: Japanese Parseltongue
Features: As it could potentially be surmised, Japanese Parseltongue does not make use of the 'sl' phoneme, which must be substituted by 'sr' instead. The language is also marked by the inclusion of emphasis markers at the very end of a sentence, with some of its typical markers being ne (eliciting the listener to agree with what's spoken, similarly to a question tag in English), i'o (providing a sense of strength and assertiveness when giving new information or commands) and sa. Interestingly enough, given the fact that the marker sa indicates a strong assertion, some believe that it has evolved directly from the original sa word meaning 'yes'.
The most interesting aspect of Japanese Parseltongue is the inclusion of the -ʃet verbal form, which acts as a colligative verbal form for successive actions. For example, if a person has eaten and drunk in a party, their actions would be expressed by the verbal combination giʃet sroʃe. This colligative form has other grammatical uses, including indicating present state (i.e., dorʃet indicates something that is being done or was done, obtained as an implicit simplification of dorʃet aʃe) as well as trends in time and space (i.e., kaʃet iʃe indicates an object that falls in the overall direction of the speaker).
Cultural Aspects: Given the fact that Japan is an insular nation, it is not surprising that many of the snakes that reside in the area would pick traits that somehow matches the overall linguistic thought processes of Parselmouths that live in the area, as their interaction with other 'foreign' snakes would be very limited. This process accounts for all of the aspects seen in Japanese Parseltongue, particularly with regards to phonological formation - as Japanese tends to use a phoneme that resides between L and R when addressing that specific sound. Thus, it is logical that this sound has been interpreted as a variation of the R phoneme, aided by the S fricative.
The same can be said about the structural features detailed above, as the use of emphatic devices are a core part of Japanese. In fact, it's not surprising that this has been so widely received by Japanese Parseltongue, as the use of adverbs that reinforce or negate an idea at the end of the sentence was already present in the standard version of the language. Lastly, the inclusion of a colligative verbal form also seems to be consistent with the theory detailed above - that extended contact with Japanese has altered how snakes perceive the connection between verbs, eliciting the need for a small modification that accounts for their new approach to language.
Dialect E: Adder Parseltongue
Features: Sound changes in Adder Parseltongue include the inclusion of a glottal stop (frequently represented through the use of the ʔ character in written form) as well as the suppression of the postvocalic r phoneme in a phenomenon called 'non-rhoticism'. However, the most notable phenomenon developed by some adder snakes is the inclusion of rhyming slang in their vocabulary, in a phenomenon that some experts have described as "fang slang".
Cultural Aspects: It is theorised that changes in phoneme production are a direct consequence of the adder's physiology, as their slender necks would be less suited to produce the rhotic r effectively (or, at least, that producing this sound may cause strain to the creature's glottis' folds). Conversely, the same mechanism that would disallow the constant production of the postvocalic r may also be linked to an ease in blocking the adder's air passageways, allowing for the substitution of that sound for the glottal stop.
With regards to the inclusion of "fang slang", many believe that this is a direct result that arose from exposure to human culture - most notably, the interaction with the so-called Cockney Rhyme linguistic phenomenon in Great Britain. Certain terms, such as bov gov ('delicious food', meaning 'mouse') and no'is cro'is ('danger sound', meaning 'rattle') are customary in Adder Parseltongue.
Conclusion
All in all, although it is impossible to identify every single Parseltongue dialect as well as their main defining traits, a proper survey into the most usual speech forms can give us very deep insights into the cultural aspects of snakes, as well as how these aspects have impacted their language over the years. Furthermore, such changes indicate something that is even more important - namely, that the interactions between snakes and Parselmouths may run much deeper than most would initially theorise (particularly in light of Parselmouth discrimination and eventual prejudiced associations that painted this group as immoral and corruptible Dark Wizards), and that identifying patterns in how intensely Parseltongue dialects have changed may give us quantitative clues in how closely Parselmouths communicated with snakes - which may, in turn, be used to infer how prejudiced a given society was against such an ability throughout the ages.
Part 2: Parseltongue Musings
Sisisisi daiʃe kura sliʃe ʃe,
Tasi raʃu firna tasi bslod bana akaʃe rine
Ai sisind korna rine oʃe
Tasi nukui kuine.
Ai ro'aʃe, koelʃe aine
Tasi tik aʃe baʃ?
Fasi girou tira vaʃe sine
Ai gan aʃe haʃ?
Tasi ssss giʃa ʃe!
Fasi riʃan natane ʃeslʃa!
Tasi vosld noki snaʃa,
Tasi dai iang harne fasi fasar bonʃe!
Ou aʃen seʃene karʃe natane
Aiou naitira harne eʃeiʃe,
Ai oʃen sliʃe ʃane
Sisisisi daiʃe kura sliʃe.