Hello! What kind of process was it like to turn Cheunh into a font? I’m a conlanger, and I have a language with a script I made, and for ease of use I want to turn it into a font, but am having trouble finding good resources. Can you share the process/what resources you used? For example, these are the symbols I’m working with—
Thank you so much!
im so sorry this is going to be extremely unhelpful but . gonna be completely honest i just kinda fucked around with shapes until i liked the vibe ASDFGHJKL
i’m no conlang guy at all and just wanted something like aurebesh that was a pure font i could slap on top of the abc’s for my artwork
i know i took inspo from warframe’s orokin font but other than that. pure vibes . you can also make pictures with it which is neat
anyways here are some of my early sketchy bits for ppl who are interested! vvvv
sorry i couldn’t be of more help but i rly do like how yours is coming along!!
i haven’t really been “Into Star Wars™️” since ahsoka series very rudely beat me up behind a wendy’s and took my lunch money but i do try touching up my fics from time to time … still have intention to finish them just not a lot of energy these days 😞
If you ever do end up making one I'd love to see it! I could list the consonants I have too if you wanted to see them. Love your idea for the voiceless n. I was wondering what you thought about a chiss space sprachbund? I was thinking about the other languages we know are spoken around or in chiss space like taarja, tybroic and minninsiat and thought it would be cool if they had areal features. Tybroic might be part of the same language family as Cheunh, would you prefer it in the same family or not? For taarja we know Thalias describes it as "angular" which my brain interpreted as "guttural" so maybe it has /x χ ʁ ɣ/ and Cheunh doesn't? Minninsiat from the name alone makes me think of an Algonquin language so I guess it's in a different family from Cheunh. 1 of 2 part
hi!! first off thanks for these asks hehe, it gives my brain something to chew on
i. phonemic inventory chart – i’ll absolutely post it when i make one!! i’d love to see yours too but i’m nervous about seeing other people’s before i post mine because i don’t want it to look like i’ve copied things lol
ii. sprachbund – yessss ok so taarja and minnisiat are trade languages and i’m sure they, like sy bisti, have also been influenced somewhat by cheunh so i wouldn’t be surprised if they share some features! as for tybroic, since all we know is that it’s “an ancient chiss language” i think you could go either way re: it being in the same family as cheunh and both options are really cool. i LOVE the idea of all the different families having historic languages which are distantly related to each other and i think it’s absolutely feasible that a blend of those might have given rise to cheunh itself! on the other hand it would be super interesting if cheunh WAS one of the families’ historic languages, probably the most societally powerful family, and just passed down more or less unchanged until it became the foremost chiss language. that said, i’m sure there are populations of chiss very far removed from csilla who don’t speak cheunh at all so that’s also cool to think about 👀
re: taarja being “angular”! i think that’s a fun descriptor even though – or maybe because – it seems arbitrary and subjective, for example you interpreted it as “guttural” while my first reaction was to think of voiceless stops – but voiceless stops occur ALL THE TIME in chiss names so i don’t think my idea is what thalias meant lol!! i like your idea of guttural phonemes in taarja!
iii. sy bisti parent languages – ok so it’s implied in the 2017-2019 thrawn books that sy bisti and basic are not mutually intelligible, so i don’t think basic really had a hand in its creation. my guess is that apart from cheunh, it has contributions from one of more languages that are specific to a smallish area in wild space (it’s commonly used on lysatra so maybe it originated on or around there)!
iv. areal features again – phonemic aspirated consonants were definitely a feature of cheunh in legends and i’d love to see that brought back into canon because it’s super cool!! and yes, wouldn’t it be neat if cheunh had three distinct vowel lengths, like coatlan mixe? as for clicks, clicks my BELOVED, i think it would be really interesting if there was one click phoneme that had different placement allophones/variation depending on either surrounding sounds or geographical region!! i had a vso order in mind for cheunh that i thought was fun but i gotta remember what it was LOL. it would be really neat if it was a comparatively unusual one that was then shared by trade languages in the region!
v. apostrophe in cheunh orthography my BELOVED – tz said in Alliances that it represents a glottal stop (even if he doesn’t pronounce it himself lmaooo) so that’s absolutely what i go with! my one variation on that is that i’m convinced there are dialects of cheunh where the glottal stop is replaced by a click just because i think that’s very very cool 😊
vi. vowel system – oh boy i don’t have them all figured out yet but in addition to the /aieou/, here is a list of some of the less standard vowels i’ve assigned to various chiss names: æ, œ, ɘ, ʊ, y!
vii. cheunh grammar – this is where i get tripped up a lot of the time, as soon as i try to go past phonology at all 😂 i agree with them having no grammatical gender but i don’t have any bright ideas otherwise yet!!
viii. orthography – ok first off. i will advertise this every chance i get: my friend made a really cool cheunh script for transliterating stuff 1:1 from latin script and i think it looks really cool!! now let me delve into my headcanons and stuff for that. i think there are at least 2 writing systems for cheunh
-in legends, cheunh has an ideographic script, so i’m guessing that that’s probably still the case in new canon
-i think that much like japanese orthography, cheunh orthography also has a separate script for loanwords, which is where i would propose a phonetic alphabet or syllabary for sure
-as for how it looks, i’ve pictured cheunh characters as looking something like the Georgian script! i really like your idea too, the tsalagi syllabary has many characters that definitely have features i imagine written cheunh to have (:
-i have a headcanon that the middle part of chiss names is always 1 ideograph for a word that plays into their “name meaning” (:
ix. csilla – csilla is actually an existing name of hungarian origin! it’s pronounced [ˈt͡ʃillɒ], so that’s how i go about it for the planet name too. i extrapolate from this that the cs digraph in ‘csap’, for example, is also pronounced as [t͡ʃ].
as for ipa transliterations: i’ll write out a few of my favorite sounding ones as i say them myself. for me, i keep the stress and pronunciation the same in core names as they’re said in the full, just like they were taken right out of the full name! (with the exception that the core names don’t have glottal stops) i’ll admit that right now i’m a bit wishy-washy on whether i attach the glottal stop to the end of the preceding syllable or the beginning of the following one. i think both are cool options!
ufsa’mak’ro (samakro) – [ˈʊfsəʔˌmækʔɹo], [səˈmækʔɹo] (or swap ɹ for r)
che’ri – perhaps [ʃeʔ’ri] or [ʃeʔˈʀi], i have so many conflicting ideas for this girl’s name lol
mitth’ali’astov (thalias) – [mɪtθʔˈaliʔˌastov], [t͡θˈaliˌas] (when pronouncing mitth core names i’m guilty of starting them with more of an interdental affricate rather than a pure fricative, even though there’s only one T at the beginning of their core names 😅)
x. parting addition just for fun – i also think it would be super cool to have triplicate consonants as well as geminate. i know neither of these ideas is supported by the cheunh names and words we’ve seen so far, but a guy can dream, right?
thanks so much for letting me ramble about technical stuff!! it got me in the mood to really start gathering my ideas together and actually tightening it all up. it’s really a delight to hear when someone enjoys reading what i put out into the world!
Currently done with all of the Nu!Canon novels, OF & SQ yet to go. I'm excluding all words with super obvious Latin roots (ie Aristocra, Syndic, Patriel), though something might have slipped in.
Hey, Sorry I didn't post this sooner, I'm moving into a new place soon (literally this Friday) and thought it would be a smart idea to pack away my laptop and postpone posting anything to tumblr that wasn't via my phone. I whole heartedly regret it and will most likely end up carrying my laptop during the move so I can keep writing for you lovely thrawn lovers like me. please enjoy this Very late but Very long Chapter
~Warnings/Tags~ | potential violence* | post rebels* | a bit of a slow burn (sorry not sorry)* | very long series* | This chapter contains Thrawns POV | Creepy thrawn | Depictions of someone almost downing!!(its not long but its there so be careful)| cheunh translation at the bottom |
Not Beta'd we die like clones
Since the run in with the thief, it’s been made it abundantly clear to you that whatever it is you saw, you weren’t going to discover what it was. Which to you was honestly kind of a bummer. Searching for monster added a piece of excitement to your life you haven’t had since you were a child.
In the days that followed you resigned yourself to simply sitting by the river like you used to. you went back to scouring the shore for small stones and dipping your feet into the water on the hottest days. The only differences now are that you would occasionally look up into the trees, sometimes they would just be ordinary, other times the leaves would hold those red eyes.
Since you no longer let your curiosity try to discover who those red eyes belonged to, you also decided to let your imagination run wild. You came up with fantastical beasts of soft purple fur, and large scaly lizards with sharp black scales and wild proportions. You would even draw out these beasts into a notebook. You purchased just so you can put your imagination on paper, they felt more real that way.
Because of your little, lets call it an outburst when you first saw the eyes, your parents have been pushing you to do something more with your life. They wanted you to be something, and subtly (sometimes not so subtly) suggest you go back to school or find a job in town like they did.
They were right of course, you weren’t a child, you shouldn’t keep acting like one. But growing up? Walking away from the small adventures and exploration that your childhood had? That just wasn’t something you felt prepared to do.
Slowly as the weeks past your mind drifted farther from the thoughts of the eyes and settled on what your future should be. you got a simple job selling fruit in the market and spent less time at the river. On the toughest of days, you would spend your entire night at the river looking up into the trees letting the fantasies come back bring you that sense of adventure you longed for.
The eyes always seemed to be there on those days…
The End Of Summer
Time moved differently now; it was faster. There was never time for anything, always a job to do, a friend to help. A chill replaced the warm night air and made it harder for you to visit the river. You couldn’t step into the water, the cool temperature no longer bearable. You resigned yourself to sitting on one of the rocks partially in the river so you could still see the bottom of the river and the tops of the trees.
You could see more into the river now; the slight shadows of fish, the movement of other aquatic life. It was nice… until it wasn’t.
That day had been hectic, you didn’t even get out of town until the sun had fully set. So, for the night you decided to wonder your way to river. Quoting your need for a well-deserved break. You sat yourself on your rock and gazed down into the water. Peacefully watching things move that was until you noticed an oddly large shadow. it was the shape of a fish, but much larger than anything you had seen in these waters. Leaning over the edge to get a better look, your hands slipped, and you fell in.
You screamed as your entire body was quickly engulfed by the river.
You were gasping for air, and trying to swim but the current had already pulled you under. You were raced down the river, flailing and grasping at anything. soon, too soon, your vision went dark, and you lost consciousness.
~Thrawn’s POV~
He kept his distance from them, not knowing how they would react to him. He built a small camp not too far from the river, but far enough where no hikers or people visiting the river would see. When they weren’t there, he fished in the river and when they were he watched. As they slowly started to move on with their life he came more often, hoping it was just his imagination. He learned everything he could from a distance, they had a wild imagination, were adventurous and dreaded the way their life was going.
All he wanted to do was whisk them away, save them from their solitude… or perhaps in reality save himself…
He wasn’t at the river the night you fell in. but he heard the scream and knew it had to be you. He had never run so fast in his life. he knew the area well now, and knew where the current would take you. he saw your form, swiftly moving down river. He watched you as he ran, hoping you would be able to bring yourself to the surface so he could grab you. But you are unconscious, when he noticed that all rational thought abandoned him and he jumped in. At first, he swam with the current to get to you, and when he grabbed hold of your waist, he swam as hard as he could to the side. He had to bring you to the surface.
He pulled you up onto the riverbank with his arms hooked under your shoulders. he checked your breathing, you weren’t. he immediately began to try and resuscitate you. Luckily the imperial navy required cpr training. He went until you coughed up what water had managed its way into your lungs.
You only looked up at him for a moment before slipping back into unconsciousness.
He sat beside you, catching his breath. a small smile on his face you were alive. In his mind he then began a mental check list of all he would need to do to keep you safe from now on. He would need to wrap you in something, so you didn’t catch a cold, perhaps even make you something to eat when you recovered. When did you eat last? He asked himself.
He rose to his feet and slipped his arms under your back and knees, carrying you bridal style back to his camp. This was the first time you were close to him. He could see your features, clear under the moon light. Devine creature he thought my csezar run'he'ah.
He would protect you from now on. No more watching from afar. He would be there.
~Reader’s POV~
When you woke, the move was full in the sky. You weren’t fully aware of your surrounding until you sat up. A greyish piece of fabric slid from your shoulders. Taking in what was around you, you noticed a small building, made of nothing but sticks and leaves. Straight ahead of you there was a figure standing over what you could only assume to a campfire. How did you get here?
You thought about what happened earlier in the night, the shadow, the fall, the water…
Did someone save you from the river?
You tried to talk, instead of words, it was a vague croak and a cough. The figure promptly, turn towards you.
You stopped making noise as its eyes focused on you… those red eyes.
You froze up as it, He? They? he came towards you, it was slow movements, as if to not scare you. as he reached you he grabbed hold of the grey fabric, and draped it across your shoulders.
his voice was so melodic as they spoke to you
“we wouldn’t want you to get a cold now, csezar run'he'ah?” his basic was flawless aside from whatever he said at the end.
“who are you” you croaked, you voice still hadn’t recovered from earlier, so it couldn’t have been long since.
he seemed to ponder that question for a moment before responding
“I am a soldier trying to go home” his voice full of melancholy
You could only respond with a silent “oh”
Before the silence became uncomfortable, he moved back towards the campfire and grabbed a container. He stirred it a bit and then moved to sit beside you. He was practically on top of you as he scooped a small portion into a spork, then offered it to you. Like a parent would offer a baby a spoon full of food.
When you tried to grab the spork, he pulled it away.
“I can feed myself” you pointed out.
He thought on it and then, handed you the container and the spork.
It was hot, so you blew on it before putting it in your mouth. You at first couldn’t tell what you were eating, but all of a sudden, a regretful taste filled your mouth.
You tried to put on a fake smile for the man beside you, he was watching you tentatively. An uncertain look in his eyes.
How long had he been out here? You thought to yourself.
You ate up as much as you could stomach and offered the rest to him. He stood, walked a ways away from the camp and dumped it onto the ground. When he returned, he tossed the container into a woven basket.
“we require rest, can you move?” he asked, his eyes pinning you in place.
“yea I believe so, my place-“ you started to reply but he swiftly cut you off
“move yourself into the shelter while I put the fire out”
He pointed towards the makeshift shelter, and then moved to grab a small container of water.
You were quite tired, so you lifted yourself up and stumbled towards the shelter holding the fabric he had draped around your shoulders. When you looked inside you saw a small bedroll already laid down and a small pile of woven fabrics in the corner. They were mostly dark in colour, except for one tucked under the bedroll, as if to hid it.
You entered the shelter and pulled it out of its hiding spot. It was your picnic blanket, what was he doing with your picnic blanket?
Before you could ask yourself anymore questions, he was entering the shelter. It was small, but larger enough to fit the both of you.
You opened your mouth to ask him why he had it, but he simply ignored you and guided you to lay down on the bedroll. He grabbed the other fabrics you noted earlier and laid them around the rest of the shelter.
He then gently laid right up against you and took the picnic blanket from your hands. Laying it over the two of you. he then curled into you, an arm around your waist, his legs pressed against yours.
“um..” you silently said, very confused about what was going on.
“Yes?”
You didn’t know what to ask first. You’re a stranger why are you cuddling me? Or perhaps Why do you have my picnic blanket? You settled to ask about the blanket, not wanting to insult this guy. Even if it was beyond inappropriate. Maybe his species was different? What was his species?
“how did you get my picnic blanket?” you asked, voice unsteady.
“I found it; I did not know it was yours” he simply stated
“why did you watch me from the trees?”
Silence, maybe he fell asleep?
“I wasn’t watching you; I was looking for civilisation.” A curt and evasive answer.
Your brain at first thought it was a lie, but the more you thought about it the more it made sense. you weren’t going to let him off easy though.
“How can you find civilisation while sitting up in a tree?” you continued.
“you as quite a lot of questions”
“I want to make sure you weren’t watching me”
“I was looking for signs of life, unusual levels of pollution, fishermen, and boats” he responded with reluctance
Well that solved it. But you couldn’t help but ask yourself more questions.
“so… you saved me because you need me to take you to town?”
You felt like you were getting somewhere
“I saved you because you would have died otherwise” his voice was grim now.
“Oh, So you’re a hero then?”
You must have struck a nerve with that one.
“enough questions” he stated blankly “sleep csezar run’he’ah”
“But-“ you didn’t want the conversation to end.
“Enough, Sleep” he said, his voice commanding.
You sighed and wiggled yourself into the most comfortable position you could with this guy pressed into your back.
Some time passed and you drifted off into quiet sleep, questions could wait for tomorrow.
~Thrawns POV~
He had done his best to make you comfortable, he fed you, kept you warm, but you were a curious creature. When he laid you down to sleep, you decided instead to ask questions, mostly about him. He didn’t want to admit who he was… it made him question who he was now.
He wasn’t a grand admiral, the tattered old uniform you clung to in your sleep was a sign of that. He hadn’t been a member of the defence fleet for almost 20 years now. So maybe he wasn’t a soldier… just a man then? No over 30 years of military experience wouldn’t just disappear the moment he no longer had a fleet to control… would it?
Right before he drifted to sleep himself, he whispered behind your ear.
So I know some of the Chiss officers laughed at Eli’s Cheunh pronunciations when he was starting out. But think of the other possibility: Some Chiss find his accent very exotic and attractive. None of them have met a human before.
