Elemental Earth
The slow rumble of grating tectonics, the sharp cracks of fissures becoming and the clatter of falling scree all make up the phonetics of the language of elemental earth. Expressing ideas suffers no haste, while emotions and courtesies are staccato at their most drawn out delivery.
Earth knows that whenever earth meets earth, neither is ever the same again. This concept is at the very heart of their discourse and so the language is very polite and demands courtesy. A typical element of dialogue is to inject a quick crack of the emotion the other invoked in you, followed by the slow rumble and grating of thoughts and ideas, and wrapped up in a crash and scree of courtesy to let the other know their thoughts are now welcome.
The only known speakers of elemental earth are earth elementals and earth warlocks. It is also surmised that the earth spirits of the spirit realm can also speak elemental earth.
Writing System
Elemental earth has no written component as sight is not a sense associated with elemental earth. Despite this, speakers of elemental earth are still able to leave physical messages for each other. This was something introduced by Earth Warlocks and is understood by all other speakers without needing any literacy. Such messages are knots of earth consisting of alternate layers of different density. Each knot expresses a single simple concept and can be "read" by breaking it open. (to simulate such "written" messages, players can use only non-conjugated verbs, present tense only and single syllable words only.)
Phonology
The sounds of elemental earth were created by earth elementals. It consists of sounds that are created 100% by percussion. There are no sounds that require breath, and no motions that require vision or sight.
Earth warlocks who speak it can approximate it at best, but many have adopted the use of rock props to create the necessary sounds.
Morphology
In order to create the sounds of Elemental Earth, elementals will sometimes use the materials around them. But they have found a far more reliable means of communication brought about by their dealings with Warlocks.
A mobile elemental can easily create a chamber in its body not unlike that of a stringed instrument. They then perform their sounds within this reverberation chamber, altering its size and shape to amplify the vibrations and add complexity. So they can drop small pebbles within it, clap or rub the sides together, and other techniques as necessary within it. This reverberation chamber is called a voicebox in certain circles, and the chamber will often include a vent or port very similar to a bass-reflex speaker in order to accomodate the supremely low frequency sounds that comprise a large portion of their vocabulary. While these design elements are set in stone literally, they are not set in stone figuratively. The elementals can alter the size, shape and density of their component parts and the features of their voiceboxes are no exception. They are capable of altering their voiceboxes to produce any sound they need to make.
Syntax
The first thing one says when speaking to another in elemental earth is a greeting that can be roughly translated as "may we have a smooth impact."
Every communication after that begins with an expression of emotion. The first line from the first speaker may omit the emotion statement since it is usually given as a response to what the other speaker has said. But in the face of some meetings and conversations, it is just as appropriate to start with an emotion.
The speaker then proceeds with the expressions of thought and idea.
When the speaker is done expressing the idea, it concludes with a polite invitation to respond that means something akin to "I am at rest now," or "I have settled."
Common Phrases
The common greeting that can be roughly translated as "may we have a smooth impact." This sound is one of a sharp crack of impacting blocks of granite, followed by diminishing aftershocks. The number, duration and attenuation of these aftershocks show the amount of polite deference one gives to the other.
When done speaking, a polite invitation to respond that means something akin to "I am at rest now," or "I have settled." This sound is almost always the same, the sound of scree falling and coming to rest after a landslide.
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