Namek Language

DaemonCorps · Post by **DaemonCorps** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:17 pm

I know that the Namek race has a language of their own, which has been mentioned in both the anime and manga versions of DragonBall and DragonBall Z. Did Toriyama actually make up a new language or did he just make up some random symbols at the last second? I'm thinking that he must have made an actual language, since he uses it in a manga a few times.

Panda · Post by **Panda** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:46 pm

I can't imagine the Namek's knowing any Earth languages (besides English/Japanese...) so chances point to a fake language being used. I don't think I've ever seen this episode and I haven't read that portion of the manga so a 3rd opinion would help.

Nekoni · Post by **Nekoni** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:01 pm

I wouldn't imagine he actually sat down and tried to make a language that made any sense. Afterall, once you've actually tried that, you can understand how difficult it is; and want to end up bragging and providing dictionaries and all sorts...

Tolkien is well known for having created an entire language (elven) that made sense. Klingon from star-terk has an entire language.. if you do such a thing it becomes very famous, and is very hard. Sooo... given the fact we haven't seen any more namekian, recieved no dictionary, and AT's not famous for it I'd have to guess those were random symbols with words made up for the anime afterwards.

Post by **desirecampbell** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:08 pm

Mmmmmm... Klingon.... *drool*

Anyway, I doubt Toriyama made a working language like Tolkien did. If anyone wants to post some scans of the symbols and the appropriate EN and JP translations we could try and work out what the symbols mean - if anything.

I'm up for a chalange

HP · Post by HP » Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:14 pm

desirecampbell wrote:Mmmmmm... Klingon.... *drool*

What the heck is that, man?!

DaemonCorps · Post by **DaemonCorps** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:53 pm

desirecampbell wrote:If anyone wants to post some scans of the symbols and the appropriate EN and JP translations we could try and work out what the symbols mean - if anything.

I'm up for a chalange

Well, I don't have a scanner (

), but I'm pretty sure I found all of the places in the manga where the actual language is seen:

- DB Vol. 16 p. 9, 10, 11, 12 (American Edition)
- DBZ Vol. 5 p. 61, 167 (American Edition)
- DBZ Vol. 9 p. 56 (along with the pronounciations underneath the letters!), 62, 68, 73 (American Edition)
- DBZ Vol. 11 p. 161 (American Edition)
- DB Vol. 42 p. 195 (Japanese Edition)

Well, if you have any of these volumes as well as a scanner, then please put them up to help those who need visual proof!

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:30 pm

desirecampbell wrote: Mmmmmm... Klingon.... *drool*

WHOA!

:::Inner trekkie is awoken:::

Leotaku · Post by **Leotaku** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:00 am

desirecampbell wrote:If anyone wants to post some scans of the symbols and the appropriate EN and JP translations we could try and work out what the symbols mean - if anything.

I'm up for a chalange

Alchemist Ed wrote:Although this image is flipped, it's the best I can do. I don't have anything to flip it, but I bet you could easily do that. I hope you like it, Leotaku.

That's from when I was asking for pictures of the language to draw for one of my pictures.

Post by **desirecampbell** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:12 pm

Leotaku wrote: snip image

Sweet

I'm wondering if it would be better to use the Japanese, assuming there's anything to decode at all, it'll probably just be symbols for the JP characters.

Ooooo I'm so excited

El_Diablo · Post by **El_Diablo** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:50 pm

Reminds me slightly of Korean Hangul.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:51 pm

I have the episode of Dragonball on DVD that contains the conversation that is depticted on the manga page that is up in this thread. From what I was able to grasp just watching the episode itself, the "Namekian" symbols that were used to represent names ("Piccolo" and "Kami") were consistent throughout the whole conversation. I believe also that some of the verbs within sentences (like "kill") were consistent with their symbols throughout the conversation. I haven't a clue about pronouns, direct objects, indirect objects, etc. So, some of it is consistent but that's not hard to do being that only a few words out of the entire language were used. It's making an ENTIRE language that's difficult.

I can't seem to find any right now, but back in the day there were webpages with a novelty-type dedication to learning the portions of the Namek language that was shown throughout Dragonball and Dragonball Z.

Mr. Announcer · Post by **Mr. Announcer** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:12 pm

Okay just looking at the manga it appears that each japanese symbol has been replaced by one of those weird squiggly triangle circle things and not consistently unless it's like the same one in sucession, like a laugh. So no, I don't believe he was attempting to invent a language. It was entirely arbitrary.

Chibi Mystic Gohan · Post by **Chibi Mystic Gohan** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:45 am

Well, during the above conversation, Piccolo's written name stays consistent, but when Dende wishes back Piccolo (during the Freeza arc), the aformentioned symbols aren't there, so I doubt there was any language written.

Anyway, in the anime, how did they handle the language (I've seen like 15 episodes of the anime, tops, so I wouldn't know)? Did they speak Japanese and have Namekian symbols displayed on the screen?

DaemonCorps · Post by **DaemonCorps** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:00 am

Chibi Mystic Gohan wrote:Well, during the above conversation, Piccolo's written name stays consistent, but when Dende wishes back Piccolo (during the Freeza arc), the aformentioned symbols aren't there, so I doubt there was any language written.

Anyway, in the anime, how did they handle the language (I've seen like 15 episodes of the anime, tops, so I wouldn't know)? Did they speak Japanese and have Namekian symbols displayed on the screen?

When the language is first introduced in the Piccolo Jr. Saga, the dub has Shen (disguised Kami) and Piccolo (Jr.) talking in their regular voices with high-pitched voices speaking "on top" of them. It also has a green tinge, like whenever they show a Saiyan looking through their scouter, and the Nameck language being typed along the screen whenever they're talking to each other. Now that I think of it, that's probably where Toriyama got the idea for the scouters in the first place

.

Steven Perry · Post by **Steven Perry** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:36 pm

A Namek language? I never knew there was one. All I know is that Nameks drink only water, and shoot eggs out of their mouth. No women. How boring... I'd hate to be a Namek. Their internal organs must be so different to ours... They don't need to digest food, do they? Wait a second... Come to think of it, doesn't Dende at some point say "Let's go grab something to eat!" during his time as guardian of the earth? I can't remember- It was ages ago. Is there any proof that he says it?

Alucard · Post by **Alucard** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:49 pm

Steven Perry wrote:Wait a second... Come to think of it, doesn't Dende at some point say "Let's go grab something to eat!" during his time as guardian of the earth? I can't remember- It was ages ago. Is there any proof that he says it?

That was probably a dub line.

Sho™ · Post by **Sho™** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:01 am

If memory serves, Daizenshuu #7 offers some sort of explanation about Namek-go? I don't know this for sure, due to my sources being somewhat... unreliable. However I'd just like to ask for clarification on this matter? I'm willing to risk my pride on this. :/

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:29 am

There's indeed a bit of explanation in the daizenshuu about the language.

From the French translation, it's a photo so it's kinda hard to read with the flash and such ^^; (it was even more unreadable w/o the flash though)

DaemonCorps · Post by **DaemonCorps** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:47 am

Ash wrote:There's indeed a bit of explanation in the daizenshuu about the language.

(snip image)

From the French translation, it's a photo so it's kinda hard to read with the flash and such ^^; (it was even more unreadable w/o the flash though)

Cool, so at least we know that the language has some actual structure to it. Viz really needs to go and translate those daizenshuu (

).

Does anyone else have any proof?

Mr. Announcer · Post by **Mr. Announcer** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:23 pm

Well that's not really any indication of a language. From what I can see, in the daizenshuu, they merely picked out the symbols that applied to a certain word and translated or made up meanings for things like those little boxes with the slashes that aren't really even seen in the conversation. Like it was said before, the only thing that really stays consistent is Piccolo's name. I mean, I suppose it doesn't matter and it's all in good fun, but just pointing out that there was no logic to it initially and these weren't the author's intentions at the time. Oh and yeah, I take french so I can read what little french is visible. If you also want the original japanese scans of Piccolo and kami's conversation I can provide them.

Kanzenshuu

Namek Language

Namek Language

Who is online