The Ancient Alphabet (I got it!)

[Selmak]

It makes a little more sense than before.

[sgeureka]

Here is a pic of the stairs from Hide and Seek... I noticed some unknown letters:
http://homepage.mac.com/selmak/pics/weir.jpg

They must have filmed that before "Rising" (the letters on that one step are upside down again, oh and on another one, too).

Those are the stairs of the "normal" stairwell, as you can read "WORLDS" in the top line.

[Selmak]

Good pic, although a little blurred

The Ancient characters can be made out clearly... Some of them are not in our Alphabet as of yet... we are still missing Q,X,Z.

[Anubis]

Yeah, the alphabet is clear, good pic also!

[Selmak]

They must have filmed that before "Rising" (the letters on that one step are upside down again, oh and on another one, too).

Those are the stairs of the "normal" stairwell, as you can read "WORLDS" in the top line.

There are some strange characters on the third line down close to Weir... and another strange one over her shoulder... they don't look like upside down versions of our current Alphabet.

[insomniac8400]

This seems to make the most since if you just read it bottom stair first all the way to the top. It will probably flow better once all the words are deciphered and we find out when and where sentences begin and end.
13 come in peace as we go in peace and you will be welcome on our (e...) evermore.
12 down their lives to protect the weak and the just. Let this be (o...) to those
11 from tyranny may seek shelter under our roof and (knatou...) will lay
10 inhabitants of this world, and all we may ever know, we always strive to
09 Of our people. Travellers with open hearts will always be welcome. Refugees
08 our neighbours and to act with integrity as ambassadors in peace time
07 whole again that you are among us, and we celebrate you being here again.
06 As we leave for distant worlds, we pledge to respect the lands of
07 whole again that you are among us, and we celebrate you being here again.
05 to those returning. You Y have been gone too long and your
04 Absence has weighed heavily on our souls. We are
03 visiting our home for the first time. (W)elcome again
02 A hearty welcome to those of other worlds.
01 We hold these as the truth

[dannyh]

I think the translation chart got burried somewhere in this mass number of posts, as I couldnt find it, do you mind reposting it?

[sgeureka]

There are some strange characters on the third line down close to Weir... and another strange one over her shoulder... they don't look like upside down versions of our current Alphabet.

But they are.

First line (not upside down): WORLDS (from line 02: ...OF OTHER WORLDS)
Second line (upside down): ITINGOURH (from line 03: VISITING OUR HOME ...)
Third line (upside down): EHASWEIG (from line 04: ABSENCE HAS WEIGHED...)
Fourth line (upside down): ...GYOUYH (from line 05: ... RETURNING YOU Y HAVE...)

[sgeureka]

I think the translation chart got burried somewhere in this mass number of posts, as I couldnt find it, do you mind reposting it?

I will always have the most up-to-date chart in my first post in this thread.

Shortcut to the chart (at the moment): http://forum.gateworld.net/attachmen...tachmentid=239

[dannyh]

I will always have the most up-to-date chart in my first post in this thread.

Shortcut to the chart (at the moment): http://forum.gateworld.net/attachmen...tachmentid=239

Thank ya kindly

[Selmak]

***The Ultimate Ancient Alphabet Post***

NOTE: The Ancient Alphabet only works for Ancient writings found in Atlantis (and even there, not always). It doesn't work for Ancient writings found in SG-1 ("Torment of Tantalus", "Window Of Opportunity", "Fifth Race", "Chimera", "Heroes", "Lost City"... etc.). It is possible that they are older dialects of Ancient since it seems they have the same style but are different.

Ancient letters are found everywhere in Atlantis (stairs, puddle jumpers, computer consoles, door openers). Ancient numbers are found on Atlantis consoles.

**The Ancient Alphabet originally deciphered by sgeureka**
NOTE: We are missing the letters Q,X,Z.

Ancient Alphabet And Number Chart by Markey2:


Observed Ancient grammar rules:
1) There are no spaces.
2) There are no capital or lower case letters.
3) There is no punctuation.

Atlantis staircase translation: (In some scenes the letters on the stairs appear to be upside down... but are later corrected.)
01 WE HOLD THESE AS THE TRUTH
02 A HEARTY WELCOME TO THOSE OF OTHER WORLDS
03 VISITING OUR HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME (W)ELCOME AGAIN
04 ABSENCE HAS WEIGHED HEAVILY ON OUR SOULS WE ARE
05 TO THOSE RETURNING YOU Y HAVE BEEN GONE TOO LONG AND YOUR
06 AS WE LEAVE FOR DISTANT WORLDS WE PLEDGE TO RESPECT THE LANDS OF
07 WHOLE AGAIN THAT YOU ARE AMONG US AND WE CELEBRATE YOU BEING HERE AGAIN
08 OUR NEIGHBOURS AND TO ACT WITH INTEGRITY AS AMBASSADORS IN PEACE TIME
09 OF OUR PEOPLE TRAVELLERS WITH OPEN HEARTS WILL ALWAYS BE WELCOME REFUGEES
10 INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD AND ALL WE MAY EVER KNOW WE WILL ALWAYS STRIVE TO
11 FROM TYRANNY MAY SEEK SHELTER UNDER OUR ROOF AND (?NAT) OUR PEOPLE WILL LAY
12 DOWN THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT THE WEAK AND THE JUST LET THIS BE OUR PLEDGE TO THOSE
13 COME IN PEACE AS WE GO IN PEACE AND YOU WILL BE WELCOME ON OUR SITES FOREVERMORE

Puddle Jumper console translation:
PROTOCOLS MUST BE SET BEFORE LAUNCH
ATTEMPT GATE REENTRY

There is also a lever in the back portion on the Puddle Jumper that opens that back hatch that says EJECT.

*Here's the comparison of all the fonts to date*

To install the fonts:
for Windows: unzip the file to C:\Windows\Fonts\.
for Mac OS X "Panther": unzip the file and double click it, then click install.

Chevron_nine's Font: Times New Ancient


VirtualCLD's Font: Ancient Virtual


WurdBendur's Font: Anquietas


WurdBendur's Font: Ancient Hand

[TheDude]

I played around with re-arranging the lines, and this is the ordering that seems to make the most sense.

1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 7, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 10, 13.

Here is the re-arranged text (from a previous post):
01 WE HOLD THESE AS THE TRUTH
02 A HEARTY WELCOME TO THOSE OF OTHER WORLDS
03 VISITING OUR HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME (W)ELCOME AGAIN
05 TO THOSE RETURNING YOU Y HAVE BEEN GONE TOO LONG AND YOUR
04 ABSENCE HAS WEIGHED HEAVILY ON OUR SOULS WE ARE
07 WHOLE AGAIN THAT YOU ARE AMONG US AND WE CELEBRATE YOU BEING HERE AGAIN
06 AS WE LEAVE FOR DISTANT WORLDS WE PLEDGE TO RESPECT THE LANDS OF
08 OUR NEIGHBOURS AND TO ACT WITH INTEGRITY AS AMBASSADORS IN PEACE TIME
09 OF OUR PEOPLE TRAVELLERS WITH OPEN HEARTS WILL ALWAYS BE WELCOME REFUGEES
11 FROM TYRANNY MAY SEEK SHELTER UNDER OUR ROOF AND (KNATOU...) WILL LAY
12 DOWN THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT THE WEAK AND THE JUST LET THIS BE (O...) TO THOSE
10 INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD AND ALL WE MAY EVER KNOW WE WILL ALWAYS STRIVE TO
13 COME IN PEACE AS WE GO IN PEACE AND YOU WILL BE WELCOME ON OUR (E...) EVERMORE

And here is my version with lowercase letters and punctuation added where I guessed that they should go:

"We hold these as the truth:

A hearty welcome to those of other worlds visiting out home for the first time.
Welcome again to those returning: you have been gone too long, and your
absence has weighed heavily on our souls. We are whole again (now) that
you are among us, and we celebrate you being here again.

As we leave for distant worlds, we pledge to respect the lands of our neighbors,
and to act with integrity as ambassadors in peace-time of our people. Travellers
with open hearts will always be welcome, refugees from tyranny may seek shelter
under our roof, and (knatou...) will lay down their lives to protect the weak and the just.

Let this be (o...) to those inhabitants of this world, and all we may ever know: we will
always strive to come in peace as we go in peace, and you will be welcome on our
(e..) evermore."

Now, we just need to figure out those last few remaining words! Woot!

[Praxus]

What makes you think the Ancients still based their alphabet off of the latin alphabet?

[Selmak]

What are you talking about? It's just coded english... and we deciphered most of the stairs so it works. In the show spoken Ancient is based on Latin. Obviously written Ancient is based on English... the characters are just different.

[sgeureka]

I played around with re-arranging the lines, and this is the ordering that seems to make the most sense.

1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 7, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 10, 13.
<snip>

Wow, that's great. Makes very much sense.