[Public Library] Tangled words

[Kyreen]

119 Vhalar 718


The snow was beginning to pile up at the edges of the roads, Ky saw as she headed to the library, glad of the layers of bright wool and leather keeping her warm. Inside the library was warmer and drier than anything outside, and there were books to read, which was an advantage on her home. Well, new books anyway. She owned a couple of recipe books, but she had read them end to end many times. They didn't hold the same attraction.

Once inside, she browsed the shelves, glad to see the unsteady ones appeared to have been repaired. One rescue was enough! Enough warmth seeped in that she unfastened her leather coat and let it fall open, revealing the yellow shirt and green trousers underneath. One book on anatomy caught her eye and she leafed through it, studying the diagrams more than the old-fashioned language. She stopped on a spread of pages that showed how the bodies of animals compared with humans. Each diagram showed both a human and the animal being compared, with joint lines running from a single name to the bodyparts on both being described. She learned that a horse's hooves corresponded to her own fingernails and toenails. Only bigger, she commented dryly under her breath, wriggling her toes in her boots. Like humans, horses only had one stomach. Cows on the other hand had four, and rechewed and swallowed their food between stomachs. They also had split hooves where horses had a solid one. Interestingly, humans had a bone where the tail should be, even if nothing hung out behind. She eyed the long bones on bats where fingers had become wings instead, and the extended hand bones of a dog's "legs". Backbones at least remained much the same no matter the animal, but snakes had open ribs (and used them to move) whereas human ones were solidly connected. She grinned to herself, seeing all the different ways that creatures had adapted to move. Then real movement caught at the corner of her eye, and she looked up.

[Rei'sari]

Ari'sora sighed in contentment as she entered the library. It was quite possibly her favorite place in all the world. As she headed over to the area where the books were kept and began browsing through the shelves, she noticed that the book shelves all seemed to have been repaired. This was a great relief to her, as she remembered what had happened earlier in the season. It didn't take her long to find a few books that interested her, so she brought them over to a table, and began to read.

A linguist is a person that studies linguistics. This is different from a polyglot, who is a person who knows several languages, though the latter is often a linguist as well. There can be many reasons for studying linguistics. Teachers need an understanding of the subject if they are to teach it to their students. People who love languages often study the subject to be better able to understand the languages that they love. Some people would go as far as to say that an understanding of linguistics makes it easier to learn new languages.

There are three main aspects in linguistics. These aspects are syntax, phonetics, and semantics. Syntax is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language; specifically word order and punctuation. Every language has these rules, and it can be said that they underpin the life of the language itself. These rules are extremely slow to change.

Phonetics is the study of the human ability to make and hear sounds which use the vocal organs of speech, especially for producing oral language. A person who studies phonetics is called a phonetician. A similar field of study to phonetics is phonology, which is the study of how languages treat the sounds that are produced as language. Phonology deals with phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit in the sound system of a language.

And finally, semantics is the study of relationships between words and how we construct meaning. Essentially it is the meaning and interpretation of words, signs, and sentence structure.

After the first chapter, the book quickly became too confusing for Ari'sora to follow, so she set it aside for a book on a different subject entirely. She had been meaning to learn some more about agriculture for some time now. Knowing more about the subject could only be of help to her since she worked on the farm in Beacon as part of what she did to contribute to the village. But if anything, this book was harder for her to follow than the first book she had picked up. The only thing that she really understood was that agriculture was a business because farmers sold their surplus goods, or traded them in exchange for things that their own farms couldn't provide. after the introduction, the book began discussing things that were clearly geared towards someone who knew more than she did on the subject.

Ari'sora felt the need to stretch her legs, so she decided to get up and walk for a bit. Perhaps she would find dome more interesting books to read. With that thought in mind, she started to head back to the shelves. But as she approached the shelves, a somewhat familiar face caught her attention and distracted her from her quest for more books.

"Ky?" she asked cautiously.

Ari'sora hoped that she was right in her thought as to who this was, and that she wasn't bothering a complete stranger. She remembered that Ky knew about as much Scalveen as she knew of Common...which was very little. So she chose her next words carefully in the hopes that she would be understood.

"I am good to see you. I wanted to thank you more for helping me before."

Off Topic

Desired Knowledges

Agriculture: farmers sell their surplus goods, or trade them in exchange for things they need
Linguistics: Syntax is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language; specifically word order and punctuation.
Linguistics: Every language has rules of syntax. They are the rules which underpin the life of the language, and as such, are extremely slow to change.
Linguistics: Phonetics is the study of the human ability to make and hear sounds which use the vocal organs of speech, especially for producing oral language.
Linguistics: A phoneme is the smallest unit in the sound system of a language.
Linguistics: Someone who studies phonetics is called a phonetician.
Linguistics: Phonology is the study of how languages treat the sounds that are produced as language
Linguistics: Semantics is the study of relationships between words and how we construct meaning. Essentially it is the meaning and interpretation of words, signs, and sentence structure.
Linguistics: a linguist is a person who studies linguistics
Linguistics: a polyglot is a person who knows several languages
Linguistics: a polyglot can also be a linguist, but that isn't always the case
Linguistics: there can be many reasons for studying linguistics; teachers need an understanding of the subject if they are to teach it to their students, people who love languages often study the subject to be better able to understand the languages that they love, etc.
Linguistics: an understanding of linguistics makes it easier to learn new languages

Ari'sora: has plenty of experience ignoring hunger, pain, and exhaustion when necessary
Ari'sora: the hunger for knowledge outweighs the hunger for food

Kyreen: likes cake

Location: Scalvoris University

Location: Scholar's Nook
Scholar's Nook: is in Scalvoris Town
Scholar's Nook: Scholars from the university
Scholar's Nook: is better than the library because it has books and cake

[Kyreen]

The grin on Ky's face froze in place for just a breath as she took in the young winged woman approaching her, and her mind frantically tried to rattle through all the unpleasant possibilities that might result. Then Ari'sora spoke and Ky felt some of her tension drain out of her as she deciphered the greeting and thanks. Her mouth relaxed into a true smile.

"I am glad to see you," she responded, slowly and carefully using much the same phrase in the hope that Ari'sora would understand. "How is your shoulder?" She touched her own shoulder in reference and raised questioning eyebrows. She didn't think the book she was reading had included Avriel in its diagrams. It seemed to be focused on humans and animals, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing down at it anyway to check. There were birds and there were humans, but no human-shaped people with wings. That was probably a completely different set of bones.

She looked up again, kicking herself mentally for being rude. "I am glad the shelf did not scare you out of the Library completely," she said. "Are you looking for a particular thing or just to learn?" She repeated that last in Scalveen as best she could - which was no doubt badly, but she remembered that Scalveen was to Ari'sora as Common was to Ky, and hoped that she was understandable. Had Ari'sora been looking for her for a language lesson? She'd been at least half joking when she suggested it as a distraction, but she wouldn't say no to any learning, no matter how it came.

[Rei'sari]

"Glad." Ari'sora repeated to herself a few times, wanting to make sure that she remembered the word.

"Glad, not good."

She smiled at Ky warmly. When the other girl asked her about her shoulder, she paused to search for the right words to say.

"Shoulder better. Wing better too. You help much."

It took Ari'sora a few bits to figure out what Ky's next words meant, and she frowned in frustration at not being able to figure them out faster. But when she did realize what Ky was saying, she grinned, and shook her head.

"Never scare of Library. Library best place ever. Books special. Books friends." she explained.

Ky's next words were in Scalveen. Ari'sora appreciated the other girl's effort, but the words spoken in Scalveen were nearly as difficult for her to decipher as the ones in Common had been. It was for a different reason, but the result was the same. Once Ari'sora had gotten the gist of what Ky was asking, she tried to figure out how to respond.

"Library good. Library is...friend. Warm. Safe. Good."

How to explain that she could happily spend all trial every trial in the library just being in the presence of the books that it contained, and to be among the people who shared her interest in books, and the desire to learn from them?

"Learn better. Want...no. I want learn everything."

Ari'sora hesitated.

"Not math. Math hard. Boring. Everything else. Stories. Facts. All good. Especially languages. More languages know means more books can read."

And how could having more books to read ever be bad? Ari'sora considered Ky carefully for a few trills.

"You said we trade languages. No...not trade. Teach. Can do now?" she asked hopefully.

She hadn't expected to see Ky this trial. How could she when she didn't know where Ky lived, or how often she went to the library...or really anything about her other than the fact that she was a baker, and that she was kind enough to help a stranger in need? But now that they were both here, Ari'sora very much wanted that language lesson that Ky had promised.

[Kyreen]

Ky gathered that Ari'sora was healed, and waited patiently as the other young woman frowned and puzzled her way though Ky's words. When she answered at last, it was Ky's turn to puzzle out the meaning of the disjointed words. She thought it was that the Library was a safe place, a place to learn and read and learn more. It seemed as if they were kindred spirits - books had often and often been Ky's refuge. She smiled wryly at the first time she had visited the Library. Someone had asked her what books she wanted to read and she had blurted out "All of them".

"I want to learn everything too," she said, eagerness brightening her face and lighting up her eyes. She closed the book she had been reading and her hand caressed the leather cover before she drew it back. Ari'sora had added something about math, but Ky wasn't sure she had understood it right. Math was so important to baking - from scaling recipes up and down to getting the proportions right. How could something that made cakes turn out light and fluffy instead of soggy heaviness be boring?

She put that aside for another time, perhaps when they could talk better in one or other shared language. Learning that first would make other learning easier. "Can do," she echoed, and drew over another chair for Ari'sora. "Trade is right. I teach Common, you teach Scalveen. We trade languages. Where would you like to start? I say in Common, you say back in Scalveen, we both learn?"

[Rei'sari]

Ari'sora smiled happily as she took the chair that Ky offered her. If she had understood the other girl correctly, it seemed as though Ky enjoyed learning new things as much as she did. Perhaps they could continue to learn new things together, and share ideas even after they were finished with their language trade? Maybe...just maybe they could even be friends? It would be nice to have another friend.

When Ky suggested a means of teaching the other words in their language, Ari'sora nodded. It certainly sounded as if it might work, at least. Things like grammar, and word tense could come later; after they had built up enough of a vocabulary between to make learning such things possible.

"Xanthea too." she offered.

"I know..."

Ari'sora wasn't sure of what the words for "a little" were in Common, so she held up her right hand, and used her fingers to indicate a very small amount.

"If you want?" she offered again.

Ari'sora looked around. Nouns were probably the best place to start when it came to building up a shared vocabulary. And there were a lot of things she could see around them. It was a place to start, at least. After a few trills, she spotted the perfect thing to start with.

"What this?" she asked with a smile as she pointed to the book on the table.

After Ky had had a chance to answer, Ari'sora pronounced the word she had learned carefully several times. She wanted to memorize it, and repetition would help with that. But she also wanted to make certain that she was saying it right. If she made a mistake now, she trusted Ky to point it out to her. When she had the new word down, she repeated it first in Scalveen, then in Xanthea. As she did so, she told Ky which was which language. Then it was time to begin again.

"What this?" she asked as she pointed to the table.

Ari'sora had a feeling that "What this?" was going to be a common phrase throughout the lesson.

[Kyreen]

Ky held up a hand when Ari'sora offered another language as two. "One at a time, please," she said slowly so that her words should be easy to make out. "If I learn more than one language at once, I get them tangled up." She twisted her fingers together in illustration. "Scalveen now, Xanthea? later?" She knew how badly her mind took to languages, and while she appreciated the offer, now wasn't the time to start a whole new language.

She made the same gesture pinching a tiny amount of air between finger and thumb and said, "A little. You know a little." She smiled at Ari'sora as the young winged woman sat opposite her. The smile brightened her broad, plain face and brought a gleam to her brown eyes. In the same way, she absently corrected "What this?" to "What is this?" figuring that if they were going to repeat the same phrase that often, they might as well do it right.

"Book," she said reaching out to touch it with a finger. When it was repeated back to her, she listened, frowning in concentration, and did her best to repeat the new word, alternating it with the Common word to try and fix it in her mind. Then it was table, and chair, and shelf, and floor. If they ran out of easy objects, Ky would start in on body parts, indicting part with her hand or finger.

Her focus was deep enough that she was only vaguely aware of the hard chair that she sat on, or the hunger beginning to gnaw gently at her insides.

[Rei'sari]

Ari'sora nodded. That made sense. It would be awfully easy to get confused if you were trying to learn two languages at once, after all. And besides...she should really know more of the language herself before she tried to teach it to anyone else. She did try to memorize the phrase "a little," though. And when Ky corrected her "what this" by teaching her the correct words for "what is this," she smiled at her in thanks.

From her own beginning of things she could see, Ky moved on to body parts. Ari'sora was happy to return the favor with the Scalveen word for each body part that the younger woman named in Common. Her own contribution to that was "wing." After they had exhausted body parts, Ari'sora hesitated. What could they work on next? Maybe colors? But colors could get confusing. If she were to point at something red, and say "red," would Ky be able to guess that she meant the color, and not the item itself? Possibly. But that only seemed like it might work if she had a lot of an item they had already gone over; a red book, and so on.

It took her a few bits to come up with an idea. Strangely enough her idea came from her own feeling of frustration. Her frustration of not being able to think of anything else to name reminded her of Lira's frustration with learning Common Sign. She had helped the young orphan, and in turn had gotten a math lesson out of it from the teacher at Luna's Dream. The thought of math led to the thought of numbers. And that was something they could teach each other fairly easily.

Ari'sora help up a single finger.

"One." she said slowly, and clearly.

If Ky indicated that she wanted her to repeat the word again, she would. In this manner, she slowly ran through the numbers one through ten.

[Kyreen]

Ari'sora nodded at Ky's explanation on languages, and Ky thought with relief that she must have understood it, because the lesson went back to just Scalveen and Common. Ky frowned in fierce concentration as they worked through the list of body parts, with Ari'sora adding wings to the list, of course. The expression drew everything in Ky's broad face towards the centre, distorting her usual plainness into an almost menacing puckering of eyes and mouth. She hunched slightly in her seat, unconciously responding to the ache of hunger in her gut by curling her body very slightly round it.

Once they reached the end of visible body parts, there was a pause of several bits. Ky relaxed out of her frown and discomfort flooded back in now that she had lost her focus. She winced and shifted as discreetly as she could on the chair, seeking a more comfortable position. She hesitated, and looked over at the book she had been reading. Should she open it up and they could do the less visible body parts from the diagrams? Before she could come to a decision on that, Ari'sora came to one of her own and started on numbers instead.

Ky counted along on her own fingers as she went, but when she got to three, her stomach growled loudly. She flushed bright red to the ears and muttered at it, "That wasn't a musical introduction scored for gurgle, shut up." She repeated "Three," more loudly, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I start work very early. We could move to the Scholar's Nook? I think you would like it. It's like the library but better. Books and cake." Last time she had been there, they had been offering hot chocolate and cherry cake, and both sounded good in this weather.

She would lead the way if Ari'sora was interested or try to regain her focus if she wasn't.

[Rei'sari]

As Ari'sora ran through the numbers, she noticed that Ky looked...odd. Her face seemed to transform into a menacing frown, and she hunched over. Ari'sora's voice faltered, growing more and more quiet and hesitant until she fell silent after three. Was the younger woman mad? Was she pushing her too hard? Ari'sora knew that she was prone to allowing the drive to learn more crowd out everything else now that her reading time wasn't isolated to the random times when she had permission.

Should she continue? Or would it be better for her to tell Ky that she had an errand she had to do? It wasn't true, of course, but it would give the other woman an out from the lesson if she wanted it. Ari'sora wavered in indecision until she heard Ky's stomach rumble loudly. She felt like laughing. Ky wasn't mad at her...she was just hungry!

That brought up another question, though. Should they continue the lesson? If Ari'sora was studying on her own, she would simply ignore her hunger until it was convenient for her to deal with it. She had plenty of experience ignoring things like hunger, pain, and exhaustion when necessary. And while it wasn't strictly necessary now, the hunger for knowledge outweighed the hunger for food. But she also knew that she wasn't exactly normal, and that other people might not make the same choices she would.

The decision became obvious when Ky suggested moving to the Scholar's Nook. She hadn't heard of it before, but the place sounded like paradise to her. Books and a sweet treat to tempt the senses while she fed her mind? Ky was right. Books and cake were better than books alone, and she said as much as she happily accepted the offer. Her own stomach rumbled, and her smile turned into a grin. The mention of cake had turned her own thoughts to food, and she realized she was hungry as well.

"Lead the way." she said with a smile.