Re: Bat Sounds & Phonology

 > ------------------------------
 >
 > Date:    Sat, 6 Sep 2003 13:38:11 -0700 From:    Stone Gordonssen
 > <stonegordonssen@...> Subject: Re: Bat Sounds & Phonology
 >
 >
 >> I have an idea for a race of creatures that evolved from bats
 >> instead of protosimians and I'd like to give them a realistic
 >> language.  The only problem is, I can't find any real sounds of
 >> bats that haven't been electronically altered!  So, what kinds of
 >> phonemes do you all suppose they might use?  (I'd prefer to keep
 >> this in the human audible range, though, so don't get too crazy!)
 >
 >
 > _Becoming Alien_ and _Being Alien_ by Ben Bova feature a race of
 > aliens with bat-like ancestors. Not much on the language though other
 > than it being holographic.
 >
 > Other than that, I'd suggest looking at the differences between bat
 > mouth & throat structures and human ones (eg. are the trachia and
 > esophagus totally seperate? or are the variably seperate by something
 > akin to the glottis?). I tried to base my incomlete conlangs Trayiss
 > Laafaah [t`Aj1s: LAp/a:h] ]and Lælæ Vÿrmïs [l&l& vyrmis] on
 > serpent and protosimian mouth & throat structures.
 >

You've got my basic idea.  I've heard bats make squeaks and clicks, too,
though I have to admit it never occurred to me to compare them to mice.
  I suppose it's fairly close.

Also, thank you for the suggestions.  I'm not familiar with the Ben Bova
books.  I'll definitely have to check them out!  I wasn't aware of
anyone else doing a bat-derived alien, so I really look forward to
reading these.
And, about the physical structures and different sounds they'd make...
Yeah, I guess that's what I'll have to do.  Of course, I'll have to
learn a lot about phonology along the way, since I know nothing!  At
least that should mean I'll have fewer preconceived notions about how it
will all work.  OTH, I could just go hang out at the zoo where they have
a fairly large bat exhibit, complete with audio hookup.  Though, the
last time I was there, all I heard were the grubby, little children
yelling.  *sigh*

Anyway, thanks for the advice!
Jim
--
"It's better to light one candle
   than to curse the darkness."
-Chinese Proverb and The Motto of the Christophers
                      http://www.christophers.org

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