Elemental Air Language in A Strange New World | World Anvil

Elemental Air

Air is transient. The language of Elemental Air reflects this.     The language of air is an intricate and ornate flow expressed in two completely different forms. One is at a distance, using pressure waves, and the other is an intimate dance of flow and intermingled motion between those communicating.   But before we go much further into the language of elemental air, we must first discuss what air even is. Air is the term we use for the element, but it is a misnomer.   The term Air is defined as the arbitrary mix of gases that make up the atmosphere in any location. So when we talk about the air element, are we only describing atmosphere? If so, of what particular mixtures would it consist? Or does the element of air consist of any gases which exhibit the brownian motion of gas (not to be confused with the brownian motion of liquids). No. Air is just a convenient term we use to describe the element because it is the easiest and most common term for us to use. The air element is very particular.   Here is where we get into some interesting territory. Warlocks have discovered that air elementals can only consist of consituents used in the biological processes of living things. In fact, it is even more restrictive. Air Elementals can only consist of the gases emitted by living things. Think about that for a moment and the repurcussions that has on how you view the nature of elementals and their existence in the world.   First, if even a single Jurassic insect or fern or algae breathed some oxygen 200 million years ago and it has been floating about unmolested ever since, that bit of oxygen is still considered elemental air. Second, some gases created through geologic or industrial processes will never be considered elemental air until they are inhaled or otherwise absorbed into some biological mechanism. (This has resulted in some less than ethical warlocks creating poison gas elementals through experimentation with different exotic and alien species.)   So, when the arcane life energy of the planet coalesces into an air elemental, it does so by pulling together gases that already have a connection with, an affinity for, life.

Phonology

The distance form of the Elemental air language consists of pressure waves that would be completely inaudible and undetected by non-speakers. One could technically call this sound, especially since the pressure waves travel at the speed of sound, but no other creature would consider them audible.   The reason they are detectible by speakers of it is the same reason how a tracker can find meaning in a broken twig, or a human can tell the difference between the sussurus of a whisper and that of loose clothing. Likewise, those knowledgeable in the language of elemental air can tell the difference between a breeze, a draught, or a statement in the language.   When speaking at a distance in elemental air, one would not be able to choose the recipient because the pressure wave carries omnidirectionally. A speaker with the ability to control wind, however, can send the pressure waves in a particular direction and thereby ensure a limited and intended receivership. Since air elementals and air warlocks all have this ability, it is a de facto accomplishment.   The pressure waves created for distance communication do not contain much detail or nuance due to the nature of delivery. It is easy for a distance message to get lost in the "noise" of the surrounding environment. Everything from bird's wings flapping to interposing objects to the natural breezes and interactions with moving objects create a significant amount of interference. One thing that does not interfere with elemental air is actual audible noise. That is on a completely different scale. Imagine listening to elemental air would be like sitting in a vehicle and using it to read braille in the road made by speedbumps. The suspension of the vehicle muffles the message a little bit and the jerking motions of the driver also interfere, but the radio in the vehicle would not make any difference no matter how loud it played. Both the vibrations of the vehicle and the vibrations of the music are vibrations but they are on such different scales as to not be confused for each other. So it is with elemental air. The distance form of it consists of puffs and pulses, staccato rhythms, vacuum stillness and even barometric changes for the expression of emotion.

Morphology

The distance form of elemental air has no suffixes, prefixes or conjugations. It is quite simple and uses separate words to provide relational meaning.
The intimate form of elemental air is rife with nuance. it is perhaps one of the most poetic languages in existence. The slightest movements, motions and pressures convey nuanced intent.

Syntax

Because the distance form of Elemental Air can often be lost in interference, there is a very specific pattern that is always used when speaking it. Any message sent at a distance takes the form a pyramid of syllables. It is always an odd number of lines, with each line expressing a single idea. The first and last lines must have 2 syllables while the next lines must have four and the next six, and so on until it drops back in steps of two again.   For example, the following would be acceptable statements in elemental air (if it were spoken in American):

Hello

and  

Hello
Nice to meet you
Again

  The receiver will be able to count the syllables and know whether the complete message was received.
The intimate form of Elemental Air is just as structured, but infinitely more complex.   All statments in the intimate form of elemental air take the following form:
I was that
Am now this
I will be that.
This highlights the transient nature of air itself.   The above is a bit simplistic, using the verb 'to be.' Any verb can be substituted there and any subject can be used, not just oneself. For example, it could also be:
The sun rose quickly yesterday
The sun rises slowly today
The sun will rise quickly again tomorrow
  The only limitation is that all three use the same root verb and that the verb conjugation can only be simple or progressive past, present and future.   Note in this example the echo of the adverb 'quickly' in the past and future statements is in contrast to the adverb 'slowly' used in the present, leading to an added layer of meaning.   The beauty of the language exists in the poetic use of past and future statements. The past is used to give context to the present while the future can give nuance and intent as only you, dear reader, can imagine. And when one realizes that two air elementals communicate simultaneously, one can imagine the potential for interaction between the past present and future of one speaker with the past present and future of the other(s) to reach deep layers of meaning and sublime levels of emotion. (again, please excuse the use of a language as limited as American in these examples)

Vocabulary

The distant form of Elemental Air has a relatively limited vocabulary when it comes to other spoken languages. It is just too inefficient to rely on for detail and nuance.   The intimate form of elemental air has a near infinite vocabulary. Since it is comprised of the movement and pressure of one body against another, each comprised of compressible gas, the combinations of movements, pressures and flows and the give and take between the speaker and listener create an infinite number of permutations. One could say that the vocabulary of Elemental Air in its intimate form is created and destroyed with each conversation.

Phonetics

There are no sounds in elemental air and when we say this we mean that the pressure waves that make up the distance form of the language do not have a frequency within the auditory range of creatures that speak other languages.
A warlock communicating in Elemental Air is a sight to behold.   When communicating in the intimate form, a Warlock will look like a dancer or martial artist while at the same time huffing and puffing, inhaling and blowing. They use their ability to control air to adjust the flow and pressure all around their bodies as well, but that is invisible unless in a smoke-filled environment.


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