gator crimesThinking about how sign language would work for people who live and work in space, like in Planetes or the Belters in The Expanse. Modern sign language like ASL relies on a lot of emoting and body language, but obviously you don't have that in a space suit, which is a big reason for everyone to know a sign language. So you'd probably wind up with a halfway point between that, and the hand signals that cops and soldiers use.
Signing would be necessary. Electronic comms don't always work. Sometimes you have to communicate visually, especially if there's a lot of different generations of hardware out there. You'd probably have something more focused on exaggerated hand signals and body language, since you probably don't have facial expressions and fine dexterity to rely on, and you'd be doing it at further ranges than conversational sign language as it currently exists.
Of course, it'd probably be a funky, gestalt pidgin, but isn't that usually the way of things?
Cyclone Dusk@Zero_Democracy a total utilitarian sign language rework sounds quite appealing. is there any mathematically based conclusion we could draw on ideal grammatical structure, for instance? there are many constructed languages, but if there were one that were practical enough maybe it could catch on under that basis alone.
I love your metion of the belters. They absolutely WOULD adapt a gestural language like that.
@Cyclone_Dusk The language in the show involves exaggerated gestures as a component. (The scenes where Miller is learning Belter make a point of showing that the gestures are integral to it.) I like that.
@Cyclone_Dusk As for the linguistics, I'm not entirely sure. It'd probably start as constructed, being the providence of military and specific corporate ventures, but would turn into its own organic system beyond that.
@Zero_Democracy Even mathematics itself may not be objective... its ability to predict reality may say more about how we PERCEIVE reality than how reality simply is. Grammar will mold itself to suit human processing. Starting with corporate/military/technical foundations, I can all too easily expect us to adapt it for ease of use thereafter, complimenting how our minds construct concepts.
@Zero_Democracy I also love how expressions we'd perceive as pidgin-like slang have evolved to become genuine honorifics. The owner of my company would probably think I'm being flippant if I called him "bossman" for instance :p
@Zero_Democracy you got me interested in this and i found a fascinating article on it XD https://www.wired.com/2017/04/the-expanse-belter-language/
@Cyclone_Dusk They did a really good job of it.