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Remember That "DODSING" 'typo'?

Locke

Hegemon
Site Staff
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Location
Redmond, Washington
...it's actually not a typo. It turns out that the proto-Hylian alphabet only has somewhere between 20 and 23 different symbols, even though it translates directly into our 26-symbol alphabet. After seeing a "Gate Oten" repeated several times in Lanayru Mining Facility, it hit me that one symbol may represent one of several letters. Finding a sign that says "Braee" in the shipyard confirmed it. The last two symbols were the same, but the context of the sign clearly depicted braking. Another sign showed one of the previously unknown symbols as 'F'. With all that, this is the current chart as I have it. I haven't finished the game yet, so hopefully I'll find out what that last symbol is (or if anyone has finished, please post it).

ss-hylian-chart.jpg


The following letters have the same symbol:
D and W
E and K
T and P

The following letters have unknown symbols:
J, Q, X, and Z

And there's one symbol in the bottom-left that I haven't seen in any intelligible context yet. I did copy down much of the text on the Gate of Time. It's just random characters, but there aren't any other symbols on it beyond the 20 that we've seen, so I don't think there will be any more - we just need to figure out which other ones are duplicated.

Code:
Back:
...?........
?..?..G.?...
SM.E..H.S...
DC.?.DF.?1?.
MI1E.MNREFG.
RGRE.EHRMDHE
EVLGTAYDFATV
ITBNIGV1HGIG
OUGOMRFCG1MR
DIEDNUDMNMNU
OOAROTNISEOT
ABHSBEYLO1BE
IOYCOTGNYLOT
EYDITEIOSGTE
TCTBMGDE1VAD
BEFMNOATUONO
RDMDVSIGRGMS
AUIOCIYULTOI
R1STHUDHTDHU
EOYFLSTLMCLS
1SFIDE1GIFDE
LUBVMTNOHTM1
OGRGIVDSCAIV
EY........VI

Front:
.....?......
..?..T..M.N.
..AT.G..D.S.
D.HV.H.T?.O1
O.YNOD.EYNYL
ABDVSR.TGOSG
ISCOIGOGIE1V
EDFHUCEODTUO
TUMLSODCAGVG
B1ICEBTSIULT
RESM1MVIYHTD
AOY......LCO
RR........IF

[1 = unknown symbol]
[? = couldn't make it out]

While I'm at it, I might as well note some of the other interesting discoveries I've made. First, the ring around the entry point into the Silent Realms reads "SIREN", repeated around the circle. Siren is the direct romanization for the realm. Even more interesting, I think, is a sign in Lanayru Desert. When you walk up to it, English text appears on-screen saying something to the effect of "This way to Lanayru Mine". But the proto-Hylian reads "Ghost Mine".

When Fi speaks to you, there's proto-Hylian text scrolling and pulsing behind the English text. One line says "SwordSwordSword...".

There are plans for the Sandship inside the construction bay, on which the ship is called "Dogu Ship".

I've translated a few more signs and things, but those are the interesting ones. I'm a little disappointed by how sparse this new language is, compared to OoT 3D with readable signs all over Kakariko Village and Castle Town. There's one that I've been struggling with - inside the Statue of the Goddess there's faded text on the walls around the altar that's difficult to read. It would be easier with a ripped texture...

What interesting text have you found?
 

Heroine of Time

Rest in peace, Paris Caper...
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Location
Whiterun
Gender
Take a guess.
I was starting to wonder if the characters stood for two letters! Good observations. Is there really Hylian behind Fi's speech? I never noticed it. I have to go check that now.

I've also been disappointed by the lack of Hylian... the largest sample I've found of it (besides the random characters on the start-up screen on the Wii menu and the Gate of Time) was in the Lanayru Mining Facility on the wall. I was expecting more samples like like that.
 

Locke

Hegemon
Site Staff
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Location
Redmond, Washington
Remember that 'O' on Zelda's letter to Link?

...it's actually a Z. I should have thought of that as soon as I figured out that T and P were the same. Here's the texture:

f001r-15-demoletter.png


The text on the back of the envelope (which you can't see in-game) says "To Link".

And here's the updated chart:

ss-hylian-chart-3left.jpg
 

Ronin

There you are! You monsters!
Forum Volunteer
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
Alrest
Oho, so this is what you meant by Zelda's letter last night.

Suppose I was around for this "typo" bit. "Dodsing" would have confounded me the most among the majority because I love words, figuring out new meanings and such. Anytime I cross an unfamiliar word my first reaction is to stop and think about a definition applicable for that certain situation; my second is to retrieve a dictionary pronto to see if my guess was correct. I enjoy the challenge therein, as it compels me to think of various ways it can be used.

In any event hand I never would've gotten the meaning of "dodse," and doubt I would even think of switching some letters, coming up with "dowse" somewhere along the line. It's good that we have more studious members of the community though who will burst the bubble of our multitudinous contemplation with their own more accurate hypotheses.
 

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