Post by NightShadedBlood on Aug 8, 2019 17:09:23 GMT -8
Language
Image drawn by Night
Wilaks aren't humans even though they are rather smart and cunning as a whole species. Their culture has developed to be something quite different than what humans would say. In fact, they don't know what a human is.
Measurements
Wilaks don't measure anything to exact dot, but they eyeball distances according to these lengths:
1 pawstep = 1 inch or 2.54 centimeters
2 taillengths = 1 foot or 0.3048 meters
1 lum = 1 yard or 0.9144 meters
Lum is short for lumberry tree, which is the smallest tree known in the sectors.
Conversions aren't quite as exact, but if you ever needed them:
13 pawsteps is 1.5 taillengths
3 taillengths is 1 lum
The kits have come up with their own way of measuring things. They refer to different distances at "zigpaws" "zigtails" and of course "zigtrees." Nobody is quite sure where the kits learned this different terminology system, but all wilaks acknowledge that it has been around for a very long time.
Time and Seasons
Seasons have gained different names, usually after what they represent. Universally in all sectors, the seasons are called: Bloom season, Fire season, Color season, and Frost season.
The words "days" and "nights" are replaced by "sunrises" and "moonrises" instead. Different times of day are referred to by the position of the sun or moon such as "midsun" or "falling sun." Wilaks don't say "today" or "last night" but rather "under this sun" and "the moon before this." It's very simple once you grasp it.
Years are called "shadowsuns" which are named for the annual event that marks a wilak's new year. At the beginning of every Bloom season, the sun and sky darken for a few minutes and religious wilaks pray to the god "Lupus" until the sky brightens again. Grand parties are held about the sectors after this.
For smaller units of time, there is no set name. Try to correlate it to timespans of actions such as "heartbeats" or "breaths." Don't overthink it, you don't always need numbers. For times that are a bit longer than that, introduce them as "sometime later" or refer to the position of the sun in the sky.
Common Phrases
Family members can generally be referred to as "kin" and more rarely "family." Mothers and fathers formally become "dame" and "sire" although from kits or in more informal situations, they are just as easily "mom" and "dad."
Wilaks have a tendency to be influenced by where they live. In different sectors, they use different terms. For example, to replace "cool"
Sector 1 wilaks would say "snow" or "chill"
Sector 5 wilaks and Sector 10 wilaks would say "fire" or "wicked"
Sector 4 wilaks would say "awesome" or "cool"
and Sector 7 wilaks and Sector 13 wilaks would say "Killer" or "sick"
Alternatively, "Oh my God"
Sector 1 wilaks would say "Oh my snow"
and sector 10 wilaks would say "Oh my sand"
Religion
Religious wilaks are usually monotheistic and believe in one god. Usually using the pronoun "he", they call him "Lupus," "Lord," or "Lupine." He is widely believed to be in charge of everything, although his presence is seldom recognized.
Slang
The sectors don't always get along. Commoners tend to slide insults at wilaks who are not native to their own lands even though some wilaks are permitted to travel through borders. These outsider insults are specific to cross-sector interactions:
To foreign Sector 1 wilaks "Numb-noses"
To foreign Sector 4 wilaks "Slimy kits"
To foreign Sector 5 wilaks "Evil Weevils"
To foreign Sector 7 wilaks "Tree Rats"
To foreign Sector 10 wilaks "Snakes"
To foreign Sector 13 wilaks "Ram headed"
Of course, there are far more insults to be made. Be creative! Some more common ones are as following:
Sector 5 wilaks to each other "Pests"
To seadweller wilaks "Rubber-necks"
To nomadic wilaks "Roundabouts"
Directed at angry Sector 10 wilaks "Boilers"
Generally towards Sector 5 wilaks "Grass-chewers"
To Sector 1 wilaks "Ice Eaters"
