Nightie Languages?

Shadow_Dancer · Post by **Shadow_Dancer** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:08 am

Anybody know how many languages Kurt speaks? :laugh

The movie prequel suggests five, including Swedish.

I was wondering if any of you Nightcrawler trivia masters knew. I would assume because the circus traveled all over Europe, he would have a smattering of languages.

The obvious two, probably Romani of some type (his gypsy upbringing) and Latin from being a priest.

Any others anybody can recall?

Thunder Chicken · Post by **Thunder Chicken** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:16 am

And German, don't forget German.

Shadow_Dancer · Post by **Shadow_Dancer** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:20 am

Oh sorry, English and German were what I meant by "the obvious two"

hilowey · Post by **hilowey** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:49 am

French?....well I suppose he knows how to french kiss? If he doesn't I can teach him....

Garble · Post by **Garble** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:20 am

He knows Latin.

gingco · Post by **gingco** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:22 am

:kiss

rockstar · Post by **rockstar** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:40 am

it said in the novel that he spoke german, english, latin, and french.

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:50 am

you would probably have to know a few languages if you were a gypsy, traveling around and stuff.

i dunno why but i find that adorable that Nighty is bilingual.

kurtlover · Post by **kurtlover** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:04 pm

Well i can tell you exactly but he has at least to know the essentials for a few languages, he used to live on a circus and travel a lot, that suggest he might learn a bit.

ces · Post by **ces** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:46 pm

Originally posted by Shadow_Dancer
The movie prequel suggests five, including Swedish.

Swedish?

Haven't seen the movie prequel, but... Swedish--that would bamf! (Anyone who can confirm this? I'd love that.)

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 8:34 pm

It was only mentioned in the prequel. I haven't heard that he knows Swedish from literally any other source. I'd kind of consider the idea suspect. German, obviously. French makes perfect sense, as it's literally right next door. English is prevalent throughout Europe. Latin is the language of the RC Church. But Swedish is a little far away for his group to have had constant contact with, unless he just picked it up from a circus member who was Swedish himself.

I kind of think he might know some Spanish, but that's just me. Spain is also right next door. I tell you, though, with his teeth, he'd sound like a Castillan: they all speak with a slight lisp. I heard from my Spanish teacher that at one point a Spanish king spoke with a lisp, and since the king was God's annointed, everything he said and did HAD to be correct, right? So everyone in court started speaking with a slight lisp. That same instructor told me to never sit in front of a Castillan Spainard in a movie theatre, as I'd go away with a soaking wet back and head.

NightFlight · Post by **NightFlight** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 8:57 pm

What about Romani, the language of the gypsies?

Then, we have
German
English
French
Romani
Latin - not really sure if it should count, because it's a dead language, i.e. nobody speaks it as a native language anymore.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 9:22 pm

Yeah, the only people who really know Latin are Clergy, Doctors, Lawyers, and those in academia (teachers or scientists). I think it's very possible he'd know Romani, but it's also possible he wouldn't. Sadly, all too many kids grow up without a good grasp on the "old tongues", if they aren't spoken around them all the time. Look at what's happening to Gaelic and Navajo.

By the way, niteflite, I LOVE your avatar!

That's the neatest "South Park" Nighty I've ever seen! Did you grab it from somewhere or make it yourself?

NightFlight · Post by **NightFlight** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 9:46 pm

In some of the more sophisticated and urbane areas, yes. But in rural southern Germany, the old ways are probably followed more. His foster mother Margali Szardos was a Fortune Teller (and in the comicverse, a Sorceress) and was probably as traditional as they come.

BTW I found a site Romani.org which is full of information on the Roma people and their history.

Oh yes, since many of you are curious I did make my avatar , but first I created a rough version at http://www.southparkstudios.com and then added those special Nighty features in Photoshop and ImageReady.

BamfChyck · Post by **BamfChyck** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:23 am

Originally posted by Maelstrom
Sadly, all too many kids grow up without a good grasp on the "old tongues", if they aren't spoken around them all the time. Look at what's happening to Gaelic and Navajo.

I can't speak for gaelic at all, but please don't write Navajo off yet.
My brothers and I all attended Anishinabe classes when we were little (in the 70's, when some called it Ojibway), and still have a good grasp of it. I was up on the res in June and had no trouble (although one of the men told me I have an "Oklahoma" accent--probably from my grandpa since I've never been there). I understood it spoken and the people understood me. The classes are even better organized and intensive now. I know little kids who will answer me in it just to be snotty-pants. They are far ahead of where I was at that age.
My brother who has a gift for learning languages spent some time in Arizona learning Navajo and Hopi, and has enough of a grasp to talk to old people and learn the stories. I understand there are serious efforts to teach the children in the southwest, too. A lot of it is done in public schools now.
Ironically, I took five years of German in school and hardly remember a word of it. I think languages work better for me if I learned them young.

BTW--it's not really Navajo. It's Dine.

jogurt · Post by **jogurt** » Wed Aug 06, 2003 8:24 am

Originally posted by Maelstrom
Yeah, the only people who really know Latin are Clergy, Doctors, Lawyers, and those in academia (teachers or scientists). I think it's very possible he'd know Romani, but it's also possible he wouldn't. Sadly, all too many kids grow up without a good grasp on the "old tongues", if they aren't spoken around them all the time. Look at what's happening to Gaelic and Navajo.

I agree with you both totally Maelstrom
and BamfChyck.
On the one Hand our *civilisised* life brings uns *near* to thje rest of the world otherwise more and more people lost their own cultural identy like dialects or Local languages. But also tales and traditions.
(I dont wanna say any about the dying*platt*-German sublanguage/close to dutch and english/ -what cares me in RL)
The socalled*gypsy* peeps i know are often integrated in our society, so if you dont know them *close* you got often no clue about their *gypsy* orgin. But if you know them Closer you will find a bunch of traditions and beliefs (properly fragments of the languages and so on.
I say *gypsies* because i know sinte and roma. And astonishing but true there is a tendence by the one I know call themselve *gypsies* with proud.
Therew are obviously people around who follow totally old traditions( I saw a gigantic restplace when i was in bavaria and you can met here time to time fortunetellers, but most of them Ipersonally know just like normal other peeps with a flat.
BTw: Dont mess with them because you mess with the whole Family;) but are these friends of yours theyre lifetimefriends and this ISNT a cliche.
:o should say some to the Topic

Oke: German and english Oviously;)
Romani> may parts of(like Denglish)
France the chance is High because its also commun here to lern that in school
Spain the same..
I actually got my daubt that he really traveled really all over Europa and lernend
more than pieces because they dont stay a long time in the countrys. (BUTIm pretty shure he can curse and oder some meal or a beer in most European languages)
Latin: I would count that too because the Catholics stayed long by the tradions to speak and praise in Latin (now its in german) And as Priest (even when he never where a real priest) He need to lern it properly.
Of curse all of this is are just suggestion and came up by his interest/abilitys for languages.

kurtlover · Post by **kurtlover** » Wed Aug 06, 2003 2:15 pm

Originally posted by ces

Swedish? Haven't seen the movie prequel, but... Swedish--that would bamf! (Anyone who can confirm this? I'd love that.)

yup..Stryker tells that on a panel

i knew you would like it..haven't you read it..do it! its an awesome story.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:44 pm

Originally posted by BamfChyck
I can't speak for gaelic at all, but please don't write Navajo off yet.
My brothers and I all attended Anishinabe classes when we were little (in the 70's, when some called it Ojibway), and still have a good grasp of it. I was up on the res in June and had no trouble (although one of the men told me I have an "Oklahoma" accent--probably from my grandpa since I've never been there). I understood it spoken and the people understood me. The classes are even better organized and intensive now. I know little kids who will answer me in it just to be snotty-pants. They are far ahead of where I was at that age.
My brother who has a gift for learning languages spent some time in Arizona learning Navajo and Hopi, and has enough of a grasp to talk to old people and learn the stories. I understand there are serious efforts to teach the children in the southwest, too. A lot of it is done in public schools now.
Ironically, I took five years of German in school and hardly remember a word of it. I think languages work better for me if I learned them young.

BTW--it's not really Navajo. It's Dine.

BamfChyck, I have never been so happy to be proven wrong

. I knew there were some efforts underway to undo all the "tender loving care"

we forced on the tribes when we shoved them all on reservations and ordered them to only speak English, but I didn't know if it was really working or not. What little evidence I had didn't seem to look good. It's wonderful to know that these traditions and languages are being preserved and taught to the next generation. There's nothing worse than losing part of your culture.

And thank you for giving me the correct name for the language, Dine. I'm going to file that away for future reference. I'll probably wind up using it someday. I sneak all sorts of stuff like that into my writing.

I agree; it's a LOT easier to learn a language when you're very young. Your brain is just forming all those pathways for language, and those paths are easy to make. The older they get, and the more established those paths become, the harder it is to learn anything new. Me, I've got a mental block against learning a new language

. I've tried Spanish, French, and even Japanese; nothing stuck.

Moongazer · Post by **Moongazer** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 7:39 am

I was raised on Spanish and English, taught myself Italian. Used to know German, but lost it. Couldn't stick with Latin.

When I lived in Hawaii for some time, I witnessed another splendid example of a culture hanging on a crag. The language is beautiful, the traditions captivating. But it's slowly being stripped away by urbanization and such. It's sad, really. But also good that the Hawaiians are actively working to preserve their land and culture. It's a great thing to see. Very touching. I wish my Taino culture could have lived on like that.

hilowey · Post by **hilowey** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 1:56 pm

I know what you mean, Moongazer. I personally think the world would be alot less complicated if every one spoke one language, though......and I wouldn't have to take spanish:yech

Siona · Post by **Siona** » Tue Aug 12, 2003 6:45 pm

In the X2 book, I read him praying in German, French, and Latin.

~Siona

Harlekein · Post by **Harlekein** » Tue Aug 12, 2003 6:50 pm

He probably also knows a bit of Russian so he could speak to Illyana and such.

Shadow_Dancer · Post by **Shadow_Dancer** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:25 pm

Thanks for all your input eveyone, I've enjoyed reading the discussions, even those that didn't apply to Kurt.

My bro, who owns thousands of comics and is a big X-Man fan, says he recalls an issue where Kurt was speaking in Italian, but he couldn't remember which, so I would consider it suspect.

Moongazer posted
When I lived in Hawaii for some time, I witnessed another splendid example of a culture hanging on a crag. The language is beautiful, the traditions captivating

I love the Hawaiian language, the hula, and the traditions. The language is so lilting. When we got the Lilo and Stitch DVD, I tried to find a translation for the beautiful songs, but was not successful in finding out more than a few words.
Anyone out there speak Hawaiian?

swordwhalewalking · Post by **swordwhalewalking** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 6:06 pm

Question: howtheheck do you say "elf" in German...

(Ok, after glomming around on the Herr-der0ringe filme site, I figured out that "elben" was plural...)

spinifex · Post by **spinifex** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 9:14 pm

'das Elf' - male. e.g. Kurt.
'die Elfe' - female.
'die Elfen' - more than one elf.

Or so http://dict.leo.org/ tells me.

I think I answered this on another thread.

C-ko