Poul Anderson, World Without Stars
The Azkashi are easy to deal with because they have:
"...no obviously alien semantics." (VII, p. 49)
They have individual names, use comprehensible sign language and both accept and bring gifts. When their gifts include an animal that might poison the Earthmen, Valland accepts this gift by burning it. This response is acceptable to the Azkashi.
Caution remains necessary. Valland appears to claim that he has come from the galaxy. To ya-Kela, this implies that Valland has claimed:
"...to be the emissary of God." (VIII, p. 52)
The Azkashi partially resemble kangaroos.
James Blish, Welcome To Mars (London, 1978)
The dune-cat's resting stance is kangaroo-like and he has an abdominal pouch. Each hand has five fingers and a thumb so he counts in twelves.
Communication is difficult. Neither can pronounce the other's language so they develop a pidgin and some information is exchanged by drawing maps and pictures.
5 comments:
Note that pidgins have strong similarities -- positional grammar, for example. There's been speculation that they resemble the original language.
Before Babel!
Kaor, Paul!
With a race as devout as the Azkashi I can see how they would find it acceptable to devote or sacrifice a gift to God by fire.
Not sure I understand re Blish's dune-cats. If they have four fingers and one thumb per hand that looks like five, not six digits to a hand, like ours. And the human preference has been to count using base ten (twice five digits). I don't see how the dune-cats get to using a base 12 count if they only have ten digits.
Ad astra! Sean
5 fingers + 1 thumb. Mistake corrected.
Kaor, Paul!
I was overthinking it, wondering if the dune-cats had an unusual kind of base count.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment