Language of the Ancients...

[stmasi]

I'm currently working on quite a cool rpg and was wondering if anyone had access to or knows where to find a "complete" alphabet of the Ancients?

I have several screen shots from different episodes, but not complete.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanx.

[Mio]

Best bet is window of opprotunity, when they are writing stuff on the board.

[SGSlugger]

Spoilers for Lost City Parts 1&2:










Don't forget that the gate symbols are also another alphabet. They show the text in their too.

[Positively Kanyon]

I thought the Ancients language was a derivation of Latin? I'm no writing expert but is the writing of the Ancients shown in "Torment of Tantalus" and "Window Of Opportunity" similar to ancient Latin writing?

[Scruff]

Latin is actually a derivation of Ancient, since the "old ones" came before the Romans.

[Torley]

I find it odd Ernest didn't know what "the torment of Tantalus" was in that episode, since it's assumed that like Daniel Jackson, study of archeology and mythology was his specialty . . .

[Teal'c]

I find it odd Ernest didn't know what "the torment of Tantalus" was in that episode, since it's assumed that like Daniel Jackson, study of archeology and mythology was his specialty . . .
....Ernest is the one who mentioned Tantalus in the episode :P

[Iskandra]

If you go back to watch "Window of Opportunity", the language they're discussing is indeed Latin - I will have to check if you can figure out the alphabet on the blackboard *frantically looks for DVD*

[Anubis]

All that writing on the blackboard got me confused. It looked so simple when Jack was just standing there writing it out, over and over!

[Mr Prophet]

The Latin language derived from that of the Ancients, but the script seems to be quite different. It's possible that there are latin characters in there - latin characters being basically the ones we use in the West today, albeit without the J and the W - but I've not looked close enough to see them.

It's possible that the RPG writers might get hold of the concept art for the ancient script if they ever get around to a Four Races sourcebook.

[Iskandra]

The Latin language derived from that of the Ancients, but the script seems to be quite different. It's possible that there are latin characters in there - latin characters being basically the ones we use in the West today, albeit without the J and the W - but I've not looked close enough to see them.

It's possible that the RPG writers might get hold of the concept art for the ancient script if they ever get around to a Four Races sourcebook.

Whoah - someone here knows the RPG? Geek alert! :D I'm still seeking players....

I *will* get back to watching "Window of Opportunity" to check out the script. The text itself seemed easy enough.

[Mr Prophet]

I don't really know it. I've opted not to buy it since a glance through shows that it disagrees with my personal interpretations on a number of very key points; such as classing an Ashrak, an assassin who explicitly kills on the orders of the System Lords, as a kind of 'renegade' Goa'uld or archaeologists as 'Scientists'.

[Torley]

....Ernest is the one who mentioned Tantalus in the episode :P

Oops, messed that... I wondered why Daniel Jackson didn't know about Tantalus. It's not as common as the King Midas myth, but still!! :)

By the way, don't the writers and such have a private SHOW BIBLE where they keep all this sort of information for continuity's sake and stuff, and they can look it up when in doubt? I'm sure they have their own sourcebooks, but just haven't released them to the public.

[SGSlugger]

The Ancient script looked like "blocky." It doesn't seem to have that many characters.

Mr. Prophet's right - the Latin script is basically the same as Western script, with the exception of the many accented vowels and special characters.

[Teal'c]

Oops, messed that... I wondered why Daniel Jackson didn't know about Tantalus. It's not as common as the King Midas myth, but still!! :)

By the way, don't the writers and such have a private SHOW BIBLE where they keep all this sort of information for continuity's sake and stuff, and they can look it up when in doubt? I'm sure they have their own sourcebooks, but just haven't released them to the public.
... Daniel just didn't mention Tantalus... it didn't exactly have much to do with the episode except that Ernest was comparing himself to Tantalus...

[Iskandra]

Oookay...I spent half an hour right in front of my tv last night , er, morning (3am, to be precise ;)) - the script on the blackboard doesn't match the words AT ALL. After I had found four different variants of what should be the letter <p>, I gave up. Not before checking the whole Latin text, though...I'm clearly too curious for my own good...