Thranx use a complex language relying on both sounds and gestures .
The gestures  express the emotions and the emphasis of the speaker while sound language provides the meaning.The gestures  are made using the four  arms ( true-hands and foot-hands), sometimes both true-hands and foot-hands are used  at the same time!
To represent thranx speech correctly one must use symbols without a direct translation......
other species have many problems in  proper using of this complex system  and very few  can master it.

• PHONOLOGY
• GRAMMAR
• SIGN LANGUAGE
• THRANX NAMES
• THRANX  DICTIONARY:  A-F
• THRANX  DICTIONARY:  G-O
• THRANX  DICTIONARY:  P-Z

Phonology

This is the study of the sounds made in languages. there are three types of sounds in thranx:

   1)   CLICKS :   ( some consonants ) they are made using  the four mandibles, usually softer sounds are made using only the outer mandibles..

   2)   SIMPLE WHISTLES:  ( some vowels ) whistles and buzz produced by the thranx eight spicles of their b-thorax .
  3)   COMPLEX WHISTLES :  ( some vowels and consonants ) sounds often composed of both  whistles and clicks performed at the same time.

CLICKS  ( adapted to human mouth.)

 c    (one of the harder clicks to copy if you are not a thranx ). Pronounced by faking to bite the tip of your tongue while making the noise by pushing the middle of  tongue against the inner gums on the upper portions of your mouth and the sudden release will make the sound .
g   pronounces as the "G" of "galaxy" is  pronounced in Terranglo and English.
k   pronounced like the dutch "k".
kr  Like the K, but use the back of the tongue and press against the back of the mouth. Should make a scratching sound.
ndz  sound like a "bee buzzing".
q   Push the tongue against the roof base of the teeth (bulge) and form a small cusp and let the lips lose. The sound is made by releasing the tongue and the air trapped between the tongue and roof producing the sound.
t   as in Terranglo and English but pronounced quickly .
tt   a click composed by two quick but distinct " T " . Something like " T-T "
th   sounds  like the " T " in English.
! represents another clicking sound thranx make with their mandibles, a quick sound like " TK ".
!!  a different clicking sound similar to " KT ".
cr  a sound performed rubbing the four mandibles together ( humans can pronounce this as "krrr" ).
tr    another chirp . it's like  "trrr".
d    a sound between " T " and " D " as they are pronounced in English .
p   as "P" in English stopping the airflow entirely and strongly.
 
 

SIMPLE WHISTLES ( adapted to human mouth )

a    .pronounced like  " DUCK " in English.
e    .pronounced like  "A" of " AIR "  in English.
o    as " FORK " in English.
u    as German " Ü "or French  " U " . The lips are rounded .
ee  as in English " BEE ".
oo  as English "FOOL" but aspirated : " HOO".
oi    as English pronounce for " OOEE ".
ui    as English pronounce for " WEE " for example in " WHEEL "..
ei    a closed sound like " EH " in English.
eu    a closed sound like " AW " in English.
w    as English  " WATER ".
v    almost indistinguishable from "W"  to  non-thranx .....
y    as " I " in " BIRD ".
i    as  English  pronounce for " IT " or " PIG ".
ph    it sounds like blowing out a candle.
 
 

COMPLEX WHISTLES ( adapted to human mouth )

ch  similar to  " C "  in many ways but you breathe out on your release.
~ represents a short stridulation like " WRIII " .
j    as  pronounced in French (i.e. " BONJOUR ") or as the " SI " of " VISION  " in English.
  It's a vibration of  almost closed spicles.
l    as English but with a slight hiss.
m    as in English and Terranglo but prolonged " MMM " ( it's a whistle after all ).
n    as in English, but prolonged " NNN "  (if not followed by  a simple whistle).
r   as in French " ROUGE "  an uvular sound ( the thranx spicles vibrate when making this whistle).
s    as English " ROSE ".
sz    as above with a slight hiss.
sh    as in the English word " FISH ".
nx sounds more like " X ", but it's weakened by the " N "pronounced at the same time.
b    you can imitate this using lips only. Fold your lips inside your mouth and release while inhaling This is the opposite breathing action as in the English " B ". Thranx modulate the sound using a brief inhalation..
x  as " KZZ " , an English "K" followed by a buzzing sound .
xh    as above with a slight hiss
z   as " TZ " in English or Terranglo or the sound of  the scissors.
h    as in English.
 

last update   july  2000

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