Literate Roleplaying

[catloversjt]

EDIT (3/15/13):
Okay, guys. I probably messed up on this thread. First off, I should NOT have called this 'Literate Roleplaying', as (like most people have said) there is not really anything literate about Wolfspeak, which is what this post is about. Second, I probably made it seem like I want to learn Wolfspeak so that I could use it. If I came across that way, I didn't intend to. Dx My only desire to learn Wolfspeak is so that I may understand what others around me are saying. I believe that it would be useful to know what a Wolfspeaker is saying to you if they decide to roleplay with you. If I am making it seem that I have something against Wolfspeakers, I'm sorry; I do not have anything against them.

 Thanks for all the replies, guys, they are helping very much~

-----------------------------------------

Hiya~

I've seen a ton of different roleplaying types and skills, but the ones that fascinate me are those which use words like 'luminaries'. I, however, cannot understand most of these highly advanced vocabulary (known as Wolfspeak by some), which leads me to the reason for this whole writeup. If any of you know some of these words, and have the time, please share. I would love to understand what highly literate people are saying, at times.

Here are the ones that I think I know:
Optics, Opticals ~ I believe these are other words for eyes.
Auds ~ Ears, maybe?
Frame ~ I am not sure about this one, but I think it might be a wolf/cat's body?
Banner ~ Tail?
Fae ~ Female.
Pillars ~ I think this might be legs?
Maw ~ Mouth or muzzle?
Ivories ~ Teeth?

And... I think that is all that I know. (Well... It is more than I thought I knew xD)  If you can add onto my list, I would be grateful. Thanks! ^^

[brats]

 (Ohai. )I've got to agree with you Mikey, they are rather interesting.I think 'Fae' is ment to be the animal in general. Ivories are teeth, banner is tail, auds are ears, and maw is throat/mouth. Hope that helps~

[catloversjt]

(Ohai. )I've got to agree with you Mikey, they are rather interesting.I think 'Fae' is ment to be the animal in general. Ivories are teeth, banner is tail, auds are ears, and maw is throat/mouth. Hope that helps~

xD Well, hai~

Thanks for the information. Though wolf speak does intrigue me, I do not think I will use it much (It would, in fact, be nice to know what some very 'literate' person is saying if they walk up and start roleplaying with you. It would not be very helpful if you didn't understand what someone was saying... x3) The reason for this, is because (so I have heard/read) many of the wolfspeak words are not really what they are used to be. I suppose that I do not want to get into the habit of using these words, considering that I write stories and do not want to use words that do not mean what I believe they mean. It would still be nice to know what somebody says when they walk up to you and begin to ramble on about 'ivories' and 'luminaries' or 'lanterns', however. xD

[WhiteLightHeart]

You guys might be interested this thread... o-o
http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=32034.0

But, yes, that's wolfspeak you're referring to.
While I love roleplaying with people across all spectrums and styles, I personally cannot stand wolfspeak being used in excess.
I'll give an example of varying styles of literacy, the way I see them:

'Illiterate' (though I don't care for that term, that's kind of the word that is used):
-runs to water and drinks-
*I see it as being used for speed-roleplaying, being written 1st or 3rd perspective, and doesn't use so much detail.
Semi-literate:
-She runs down to the river and laps up some water-
*Similar to illiterate, although it can vary with degrees of detail.
Literate:
Her tail waving high and proud behind her, the russet she-wolf bounded down the bank, her tongue lolling out from a long run as she approached the riverside. Her bright eyes scanned the area as her breathing slowed, and her countenance seemed to reflect the calmness of the river as she leaned down, tilting her head for a moment as she observed her reflection, but brushed it aside with a shake of her pelt, then began to lap up the cool water.
*Just having fun with detail and imagery. xD It often takes a little longer to type up, but I personally choose this over other styles, since it creates a more vivid character and setting, as if writing a novel.

Wolfspeak, however... Using phrases like "The enormous bruja rattled his pith upon the lupe as his pegs stabbed the granite and chlorophyll blades beneath him, and his eso ravaged in his trunk as his maw pried ajar, 'I would like to join you.'"
^Thatcrud.
I've seen stuff like that.
It's hardcore wolfspeak (that's not even the worst of examples), and it's not literate. It's not very artistic, and most of the times these words are used quite incorrectly. In most cases, it looks like people have just thumbed through a thesaurus for the biggest words they could find, and simply tack it into their post. Sure, having a big vocabulary is great, but unless you want to just roleplay by yourself, then it's not worth it.

But, if you do use these words, use them in moderation, where they fit. Ex.) "The great timber wolf bounded across the windswept, grassy field, his golden eyes brightening like lanterns in the sunlight, his tail waving behind him like a joyous banner of silver fur with each stride of his powerful legs."
Moderation is key. ._. It's understandable to your readers, and yes, they do add a nice flair. But without moderation, it takes away from their significance, and simply makes you look like your post was a hacked-up dictionary put together with some glitter-glue and considered a masterpiece.

I know I come across as opinionated, and I'm sorry if I stepped on some paws with my rant, here, but I simply can't stand seeing people who use gross amounts of wolfspeak. So much so, that native speakers of our language can't understand the usage of their terminology. It's not artistic, it's not pretty, and if an actual book were written in that garb, no one would read it. It's an excuse to call oneself literate, while still lacking basic descriptive abilities, or simply making themselves seem like they lack this descriptive prowess by replacing their character's bodyparts with unecessary words.
Stay away from it, floof. O-O
/rantover. XD

[Silvertide]

^That. Wolfspeak is not literate or anything and it doesn't even make sense. The words they use, most often, don't even have anything to do with the body part they are talking about. I looked up 'head' in thesaurus.com and all the wolfspeak words for head seemed to appear instantly!
Honestly, if these people were to actually look up the words they would realize it just isn't the correct term for the body part they are describing. Some of the words actually do fit, while most don't at all. Thesaurus doesn't give you another word to replace the word you are looking up most of the time, just a word similar to it.
Above, Whitey gave an example of using wolfspeak in moderation. Just because you use the word 'lantern', etc, doesn't mean it is wolfspeak. But when you directly call yours eyes 'lanterns', then it becomes wolfspeak. Until then it is just describing words to be like something else. Forgot what they're called.
Luckily, I understand most wolfspeak due to looking things up and being forced to learn it in the past. The wolfspeakers mislead me saying I was illiterate until I knew wolfspeak words. They gave me a link to a site I no longer know how to get to and I had study sessions where I memorized the words and then used them. They would then give me a grade on how well I did. Luckily, I didn't keep the habit of using wolfspeak due to the fact that I strongly disliked it.
Bottom line is, don't be mislead by those people. The link Whitey posted is a very good thread, I've read every reply.

[mossstar1992]

yeah im not the most lit and in RP i tend to forget to put a '.'
but i do use some of the word you mentioned
i do believe luminaries is Eyes tho i use Optics instead.
Auds i think are ears
i think frame is the body O.o
banner is tail.
I think people THINK Fae means female wolf, but i think its a bit odd....
I have never used Pillars and dont know.
I use maw alot and it means Muzzle or mouth as you guessed.
And yeah i think Ivories are teeth.
Instead of blue i sometimes use Cobalt or Teal, maybe Cyan.
not green but Emrald
not head but Cranium e.e idk why
thats all i can think of at this time...will report back if i think of more.

[catsanddogsandbirds]

You guys might be interested this thread... o-o
http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=32034.0

But, yes, that's wolfspeak you're referring to.
While I love roleplaying with people across all spectrums and styles, I personally cannot stand wolfspeak being used in excess.
I'll give an example of varying styles of literacy, the way I see them:

'Illiterate' (though I don't care for that term, that's kind of the word that is used):
-runs to water and drinks-
*I see it as being used for speed-roleplaying, being written 1st or 3rd perspective, and doesn't use so much detail.
Semi-literate:
-She runs down to the river and laps up some water-
*Similar to illiterate, although it can vary with degrees of detail.
Literate:
Her tail waving high and proud behind her, the russet she-wolf bounded down the bank, her tongue lolling out from a long run as she approached the riverside. Her bright eyes scanned the area as her breathing slowed, and her countenance seemed to reflect the calmness of the river as she leaned down, tilting her head for a moment as she observed her reflection, but brushed it aside with a shake of her pelt, then began to lap up the cool water.
*Just having fun with detail and imagery. xD It often takes a little longer to type up, but I personally choose this over other styles, since it creates a more vivid character and setting, as if writing a novel.

Wolfspeak, however... Using phrases like "The enormous bruja rattled his pith upon the lupe as his pegs stabbed the granite and chlorophyll blades beneath him, and his eso ravaged in his trunk as his maw pried ajar, 'I would like to join you.'"
^Thatcrud.
I've seen stuff like that.
It's hardcore wolfspeak (that's not even the worst of examples), and it's not literate. It's not very artistic, and most of the times these words are used quite incorrectly. In most cases, it looks like people have just thumbed through a thesaurus for the biggest words they could find, and simply tack it into their post. Sure, having a big vocabulary is great, but unless you want to just roleplay by yourself, then it's not worth it.

But, if you do use these words, use them in moderation, where they fit. Ex.) "The great timber wolf bounded across the windswept, grassy field, his golden eyes brightening like lanterns in the sunlight, his tail waving behind him like a joyous banner of silver fur with each stride of his powerful legs."
Moderation is key. ._. It's understandable to your readers, and yes, they do add a nice flair. But without moderation, it takes away from their significance, and simply makes you look like your post was a hacked-up dictionary put together with some glitter-glue and considered a masterpiece.

I know I come across as opinionated, and I'm sorry if I stepped on some paws with my rant, here, but I simply can't stand seeing people who use gross amounts of wolfspeak. So much so, that native speakers of our language can't understand the usage of their terminology. It's not artistic, it's not pretty, and if an actual book were written in that garb, no one would read it. It's an excuse to call oneself literate, while still lacking basic descriptive abilities, or simply making themselves seem like they lack this descriptive prowess by replacing their character's bodyparts with unecessary words.
Stay away from it, floof. O-O
/rantover. XD

^That. Wolfspeak is not literate or anything and it doesn't even make sense. The words they use, most often, don't even have anything to do with the body part they are talking about. I looked up 'head' in thesaurus.com and all the wolfspeak words for head seemed to appear instantly!
Honestly, if these people were to actually look up the words they would realize it just isn't the correct term for the body part they are describing. Some of the words actually do fit, while most don't at all. Thesaurus doesn't give you another word to replace the word you are looking up most of the time, just a word similar to it.
Above, Whitey gave an example of using wolfspeak in moderation. Just because you use the word 'lantern', etc, doesn't mean it is wolfspeak. But when you directly call yours eyes 'lanterns', then it becomes wolfspeak. Until then it is just describing words to be like something else. Forgot what they're called.
Luckily, I understand most wolfspeak due to looking things up and being forced to learn it in the past. The wolfspeakers mislead me saying I was illiterate until I knew wolfspeak words. They gave me a link to a site I no longer know how to get to and I had study sessions where I memorized the words and then used them. They would then give me a grade on how well I did. Luckily, I didn't keep the habit of using wolfspeak due to the fact that I strongly disliked it.
Bottom line is, don't be mislead by those people. The link Whitey posted is a very good thread, I've read every reply.

 ^ Those.

 You want to stay understandable and not sound a little ridiculous? Use the English language. Wolfspeak is just...incorrect.

[Nemena]

I'm sorry, but-...

i do believe luminaries is Eyes tho i use Optics instead. Luminaries aren't eyes. Optics is a branch of physics. Eyes mean eyes. There's no easily understood substitute for 'eyes', unless going into needless anatomical terminology.
Auds i think are ears Auds aren't ears. Auds is an entirely made-up word. 'Ears' means 'ears'.
i think frame is the body O.o Frame can be a figurative word for body! Form, stature and such work, too.
banner is tail. A banner is a stick with a piece of material attached to it. A tail is a tail.
I think people THINK Fae means female wolf, but i think its a bit odd.... A fae is an explosive device, as far as I'm aware.
I have never used Pillars and dont know. Pillars are huge, stone columns. Legs are legs!
I use maw alot and it means Muzzle or mouth as you guessed. Maw-... Can mean mouth! It's passable,
And yeah i think Ivories are teeth. Ivories aren't teeth. Teeth aren't made of ivory! Fangs is a much better word if 'teeth' is too heinous to use.
Instead of blue i sometimes use Cobalt or Teal, maybe Cyan. Blue works fine, though none of these are incorrect!
not green but Emrald
not head but Cranium e.e idk why A cranium is a section of the skull; it's not synonymous with head. Use 'head'. Seriously.

Pick up the nearest book you have, preferably fiction. Look at the words the author uses. You will NEVER see 'orbs', 'banners' and other incorrect terms the Wolfspeakers have torn from a thesaurus. The most successful fiction authors write so that everyone in their target audience can understand them, even if only on a basic level. They'll aptly refer to 'eyes' as 'eyes', 'ears' as 'ears', 'head' as 'head' unless delving into the depths of figurative writing. There's simply no need to replace these words with more complicated ones; it does absolutely nothing to improve your roleplaying ability. If anything, it only limits your roleplay in that you can only interact with fellow Wolfspeakers-- I've never seen any of these terms (except orbs) used in any other roleplays. And I've been roleplaying for 10 years!

It's also an extremely cumbersome manner of roleplay; the words are so jarring! Some claim it's a poetic form of roleplay, wheras it does the exact opposite; it makes your text read like a scientific tome more than an enjoyable slice of interaction.

"She deftly sauntered towards the river, ears flattened and tail twitching; she's seen him."
A few longer words-- but anyone with a basic grasp of english can understand. It flows; it's fluid and easily read! More detail can potentially be added, to.


"She deftly sauntered on alabaster pillars towards the rivulet, auricles flattened against her cranial and obsidian banner twitching; the fae's seen the brujo."
An utter mess. Doesn't flow at all, poorly paced, barely makes any sense to anyone-- even those with a brilliant grasp of english! Words are used entirely incorrectly and no one has any idea what's happening. It just looks complicated; that's the only positive thing. It's entirely open to misinterpretation and doesn't add anything to the roleplay.

Subjectively, a good roleplayer is one with an engaging and interesting character, a basic grasp of grammar, punctuation and consideration for the player behind the character, no matter how 'illiterate' or 'literate' they are. Good roleplayers can respond with a short line-- or a paragraph!  It's not the ability to confuse everyone around you with blatant thesaurus abuse and needlessly complicated words! While everyone can roleplay in the style they prefer, I personally think it's more detrimental than anything.

I'd suggest stomping these bad habits before you use them in school work! Your teachers won't be pleased.

[mossstar1992]

I'm sorry, but-...

i do believe luminaries is Eyes tho i use Optics instead. Luminaries aren't eyes. Optics is a branch of physics. Eyes mean eyes. There's no easily understood substitute for 'eyes', unless going into needless anatomical terminology.
Auds i think are ears Auds aren't ears. Auds is an entirely made-up word. 'Ears' means 'ears'.
i think frame is the body O.o Frame can be a figurative word for body! Form, stature and such work, too.
banner is tail. A banner is a stick with a piece of material attached to it. A tail is a tail.
I think people THINK Fae means female wolf, but i think its a bit odd.... A fae is an explosive device, as far as I'm aware.
I have never used Pillars and dont know. Pillars are huge, stone columns. Legs are legs!
I use maw alot and it means Muzzle or mouth as you guessed. Maw-... Can mean mouth! It's passable,
And yeah i think Ivories are teeth. Ivories aren't teeth. Teeth aren't made of ivory! Fangs is a much better word if 'teeth' is too heinous to use.
Instead of blue i sometimes use Cobalt or Teal, maybe Cyan. Blue works fine, though none of these are incorrect!
not green but Emrald
not head but Cranium e.e idk why A cranium is a section of the skull; it's not synonymous with head. Use 'head'. Seriously.

Pick up the nearest book you have, preferably fiction. Look at the words the author uses. You will NEVER see 'orbs', 'banners' and other incorrect terms the Wolfspeakers have torn from a thesaurus. The most successful fiction authors write so that everyone in their target audience can understand them, even if only on a basic level. They'll aptly refer to 'eyes' as 'eyes', 'ears' as 'ears', 'head' as 'head' unless delving into the depths of figurative writing. There's simply no need to replace these words with more complicated ones; it does absolutely nothing to improve your roleplaying ability. If anything, it only limits your roleplay in that you can only interact with fellow Wolfspeakers-- I've never seen any of these terms (except orbs) used in any other roleplays. And I've been roleplaying for 10 years!

It's also an extremely cumbersome manner of roleplay; the words are so jarring! Some claim it's a poetic form of roleplay, wheras it does the exact opposite; it makes your text read like a scientific tome more than an enjoyable slice of interaction.

"She deftly sauntered towards the river, ears flattened and tail twitching; she's seen him."
A few longer words-- but anyone with a basic grasp of english can understand. It flows; it's fluid and easily read! More detail can potentially be added, to.


"She deftly sauntered on alabaster pillars towards the rivulet, auricles flattened against her cranial and obsidian banner twitching; the fae's seen the brujo."
An utter mess. Doesn't flow at all, poorly paced, barely makes any sense to anyone-- even those with a brilliant grasp of english! Words are used entirely incorrectly and no one has any idea what's happening. It just looks complicated; that's the only positive thing. It's entirely open to misinterpretation and doesn't add anything to the roleplay.

Subjectively, a good roleplayer is one with an engaging and interesting character, a basic grasp of grammar, punctuation and consideration for the player behind the character, no matter how 'illiterate' or 'literate' they are. Good roleplayers can respond with a short line-- or a paragraph!  It's not the ability to confuse everyone around you with blatant thesaurus abuse and needlessly complicated words! While everyone can roleplay in the style they prefer, I personally think it's more detrimental than anything.

I'd suggest stomping these bad habits before you use them in school work! Your teachers won't be pleased.

srry if i angered you just saying some of what i ude, i dont understand them,
i justuse them soi can RP with lit ppl...or ppl who claim to be lit b/c those RP tend to last longer mainly if mapped.

[catsanddogsandbirds]

Roleplays with wolfspeakers usually only last if the roleplay leader is a wolfspeaker. Other than that, it'll fall.