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A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Thuum.org

A community for the dragon language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Theories and Studies on Dovah Speech and Anatomy

 1 

PoliteDock15881
April 17, 2015

Welcome to the thread, If you have any theories please do post them here.

We also do in game studies of the dovah anatomy and flight.

by PoliteDock15881
April 17, 2015

Welcome to the thread, If you have any theories please do post them here.

We also do in game studies of the dovah anatomy and flight.


PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015

Whilst I was in the wilderness near windhelm I made a new discovery about the dovah and their intriguing speech/ flight relation. 

I discovered the speech corrilation between flight and behavioral patterns are also a Dovah's target coordination. In a Dovah's speech i found they try to describe their next target to themselves, however due to them well... being a dragon. We can hear whom or what they will attack next if in battle.

by PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015

Whilst I was in the wilderness near windhelm I made a new discovery about the dovah and their intriguing speech/ flight relation. 

I discovered the speech corrilation between flight and behavioral patterns are also a Dovah's target coordination. In a Dovah's speech i found they try to describe their next target to themselves, however due to them well... being a dragon. We can hear whom or what they will attack next if in battle.


Frinmulaar
April 20, 2015

These are really, really interesting questions and I mean it. I'll tackle the speech production first, since that's where I have some knowledge.

Dragons are, of course, pretty massive compared to humans, and that should affect their voices the most. Why? Because the natural frequency of a string halves as its length doubles. The vocal cords of a typical human male are roughly 2 cm long and vibrate at about 150 hertz.

Based on a picture of Paarthurnax and a male dragonborn, I guesstimated Paarthurnax's neck diameter to be 1.1 meters. If a human throat was scaled to that size, the vocal cords within would be just over 20 cm in length, and vibrate at... right about 20 hertz. That is under the lower limit of the human ear. In fact, it's down there in dubstep drum territory.

But according to a quick check with Melodyne, good old Paarthy's average pitch is none other than the humanly 150 hertz. What's interesting is his spectrum: the frequencies under 1 kHz, as well as from 2 to 4 kHz, appear tremendously loud. Translated from physicsish, he sounds like a hissy old man with a thunderous bass boost.

I'd like to drag yet another helpless factlet into the speculation. When a dragonborn shouts "yol toor shul", they make a single blast of fire. But when a dragon uses the same words, the result is a brief but continuous stream.

Strapping these ruminations together, I'd argue a dragon's vocal tract resembles that of a small whale. It consists of a single larynx, a couple centimeters in size, followed by a rather small oral cavity with a highly mobile tongue. In addition, the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass, and forms the breath attacks into tight cones as well.

Unless it's magickal, of course. And yes, I've been reading xkcd What Ifs lately.

by Frinmulaar
April 20, 2015

These are really, really interesting questions and I mean it. I'll tackle the speech production first, since that's where I have some knowledge.

Dragons are, of course, pretty massive compared to humans, and that should affect their voices the most. Why? Because the natural frequency of a string halves as its length doubles. The vocal cords of a typical human male are roughly 2 cm long and vibrate at about 150 hertz.

Based on a picture of Paarthurnax and a male dragonborn, I guesstimated Paarthurnax's neck diameter to be 1.1 meters. If a human throat was scaled to that size, the vocal cords within would be just over 20 cm in length, and vibrate at... right about 20 hertz. That is under the lower limit of the human ear. In fact, it's down there in dubstep drum territory.

But according to a quick check with Melodyne, good old Paarthy's average pitch is none other than the humanly 150 hertz. What's interesting is his spectrum: the frequencies under 1 kHz, as well as from 2 to 4 kHz, appear tremendously loud. Translated from physicsish, he sounds like a hissy old man with a thunderous bass boost.

I'd like to drag yet another helpless factlet into the speculation. When a dragonborn shouts "yol toor shul", they make a single blast of fire. But when a dragon uses the same words, the result is a brief but continuous stream.

Strapping these ruminations together, I'd argue a dragon's vocal tract resembles that of a small whale. It consists of a single larynx, a couple centimeters in size, followed by a rather small oral cavity with a highly mobile tongue. In addition, the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass, and forms the breath attacks into tight cones as well.

Unless it's magickal, of course. And yes, I've been reading xkcd What Ifs lately.


PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015
Interesting point... If you also see the correlation of flight to speech id like to hear more
by PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015
Interesting point... If you also see the correlation of flight to speech id like to hear more

PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015
Also if you wish to join me in my studies
by PoliteDock15881
April 20, 2015
Also if you wish to join me in my studies

Frinmulaar
April 21, 2015

Flight to speech relation? Sounds interesting, even if a bit trivial. I'll gladly do some research on that. Can you give me some examples of your findings?

by Frinmulaar
April 21, 2015

Flight to speech relation? Sounds interesting, even if a bit trivial. I'll gladly do some research on that. Can you give me some examples of your findings?


PoliteDock15881
April 21, 2015

Of course... You see... when a blood dragon takes flight, it speaks before taking off in a low growl

And in the air it speaks to show its flight patterns and strategy of attack

by PoliteDock15881
April 21, 2015

Of course... You see... when a blood dragon takes flight, it speaks before taking off in a low growl

And in the air it speaks to show its flight patterns and strategy of attack


Loniizrath
April 21, 2015
Freymulaar

These are really, really interesting questions and I mean it. I'll tackle the speech production first, since that's where I have some knowledge.

Dragons are, of course, pretty massive compared to humans, and that should affect their voices the most. Why? Because the natural frequency of a string halves as its length doubles. The vocal cords of a typical human male are roughly 2 cm long and vibrate at about 150 hertz.

Based on a picture of Paarthurnax and a male dragonborn, I guesstimated Paarthurnax's neck diameter to be 1.1 meters. If a human throat was scaled to that size, the vocal cords within would be just over 20 cm in length, and vibrate at... right about 20 hertz. That is under the lower limit of the human ear. In fact, it's down there in dubstep drum territory.

But according to a quick check with Melodyne, good old Paarthy's average pitch is none other than the humanly 150 hertz. What's interesting is his spectrum: the frequencies under 1 kHz, as well as from 2 to 4 kHz, appear tremendously loud. Translated from physicsish, he sounds like a hissy old man with a thunderous bass boost.

I'd like to drag yet another helpless factlet into the speculation. When a dragonborn shouts "yol toor shul", they make a single blast of fire. But when a dragon uses the same words, the result is a brief but continuous stream.

Strapping these ruminations together, I'd argue a dragon's vocal tract resembles that of a small whale. It consists of a single larynx, a couple centimeters in size, followed by a rather small oral cavity with a highly mobile tongue. In addition, the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass, and forms the breath attacks into tight cones as well.

Unless it's magickal, of course. And yes, I've been reading xkcd What Ifs lately.

What if their vocal cords are much thinner than human vocal cords? If you look at the strings on a guitar, the thicker strings make deeper notes, while thinner strings make higher notes. A dragon's vocal chords might be ten times longer than human vocal chords, but maybe they're also ten times thinner.

(Disclaimer: I know nothing about acoustics, so this is a slightly educated guess)

by Loniizrath
April 21, 2015
Freymulaar

These are really, really interesting questions and I mean it. I'll tackle the speech production first, since that's where I have some knowledge.

Dragons are, of course, pretty massive compared to humans, and that should affect their voices the most. Why? Because the natural frequency of a string halves as its length doubles. The vocal cords of a typical human male are roughly 2 cm long and vibrate at about 150 hertz.

Based on a picture of Paarthurnax and a male dragonborn, I guesstimated Paarthurnax's neck diameter to be 1.1 meters. If a human throat was scaled to that size, the vocal cords within would be just over 20 cm in length, and vibrate at... right about 20 hertz. That is under the lower limit of the human ear. In fact, it's down there in dubstep drum territory.

But according to a quick check with Melodyne, good old Paarthy's average pitch is none other than the humanly 150 hertz. What's interesting is his spectrum: the frequencies under 1 kHz, as well as from 2 to 4 kHz, appear tremendously loud. Translated from physicsish, he sounds like a hissy old man with a thunderous bass boost.

I'd like to drag yet another helpless factlet into the speculation. When a dragonborn shouts "yol toor shul", they make a single blast of fire. But when a dragon uses the same words, the result is a brief but continuous stream.

Strapping these ruminations together, I'd argue a dragon's vocal tract resembles that of a small whale. It consists of a single larynx, a couple centimeters in size, followed by a rather small oral cavity with a highly mobile tongue. In addition, the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass, and forms the breath attacks into tight cones as well.

Unless it's magickal, of course. And yes, I've been reading xkcd What Ifs lately.

What if their vocal cords are much thinner than human vocal cords? If you look at the strings on a guitar, the thicker strings make deeper notes, while thinner strings make higher notes. A dragon's vocal chords might be ten times longer than human vocal chords, but maybe they're also ten times thinner.

(Disclaimer: I know nothing about acoustics, so this is a slightly educated guess)


PoliteDock15881
April 22, 2015
Of course, however due to the pure strength of a dovah you also have to take into account how their breathing and motion affects sound
by PoliteDock15881
April 22, 2015
Of course, however due to the pure strength of a dovah you also have to take into account how their breathing and motion affects sound

Phalos Korasaal
June 15, 2015
PoliteDock15881
Of course, however due to the pure strength of a dovah you also have to take into account how their breathing and motion affects sound

Woulden't the creatures vibration be attuned to it's enviroment....erm it's mere existance bends some of the rules. (the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass)-Freymulaar, woulden't this also cause a sort of cavitation*{I could be  wrong} that would cancel say the opposing barometric pressure to allow for the.....-_-*...o.0...0.0 omg... fire and or spark itself to be pulled from the plain of oblivion? hence the focused cone of fire?  oi I shulden't have tested out that Emetic Russula/Imp Stool tincture*Hicup*

by Phalos Korasaal
June 15, 2015
PoliteDock15881
Of course, however due to the pure strength of a dovah you also have to take into account how their breathing and motion affects sound

Woulden't the creatures vibration be attuned to it's enviroment....erm it's mere existance bends some of the rules. (the nasal cavity is a very long and wide tube, which accounts for the enhanced bass)-Freymulaar, woulden't this also cause a sort of cavitation*{I could be  wrong} that would cancel say the opposing barometric pressure to allow for the.....-_-*...o.0...0.0 omg... fire and or spark itself to be pulled from the plain of oblivion? hence the focused cone of fire?  oi I shulden't have tested out that Emetic Russula/Imp Stool tincture*Hicup*

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