The Secret Language of FeralHeart

[avarigriffin]

[Thexy]

I used to use the wolf terms on wet-paint, I believe it originated there. I stay away from them now, and use the basic words. Very well written, and I totally agree with you. Most "literate" roleplays now are just gibberish to me.

[RavenShai]

Well thought out "rant", I have to say, and very well put. No need to worry on this, many within the FH community usually loathe the ones who use this "language", as you put it, for the very same reasons as you do.

Actually, referring it as The Secret Language of FeralHeart isn't 100% accurate. What you're talking about is more commonly known as Wolfspeak, which generated from WolfQuest mostly. It was there most wolf RPs took place and when FH came out, a lot of the packs and members there migrated here and along with them the language they had invented. I believe the reason why these words were used in the first place was because the chat filter in WQ was, basically, horrid. You couldn't even say "she" or "he". So, everyone had to use different words to form a proper sentence and understand one another. By then, though, it became popular and many more have started using Wolfspeak and making pack sites through Wetpaint and continuing it from there, before eventually coming here. So though a good many in FH use it, a lot of us dislike it as well.

Though I suppose it isn't necessarily Wolfspeak anymore since it's not only wolf characters using them nowadays haha.

[Nemena]

Lovely and well-written rant; I do agree with every word! This topic might interest you, too!

At least, if it's any consolation, the people who use such language are generally ignored outside their circle of friends and groups; it's rare to see one instigating roleplay with a stranger- especially since the chances of them being understood is marginal.  The chances of them being published writers is even smaller; every publishing company I've encountered would flat-out decline them, no questions asked. I've never seen any works of fiction that use such complex language; they'd lack an audience entirely, especially since no one would understand their writing.

The only thing that irritates me most is that they use extensive words incorrectly. I've a broad vocabulary myself and a degree-  and even I struggle to work out what they've written! Luckily, it's easily avoided, and the 'Wolfspeakers' generally leave (often with an insult- they react terribly to criticism) when you state you're incapable of understanding their roleplay. I genuinely hope one of their teachers sets them straight! Imagine if they wrote an essay... Even so, they're usually teenagers with thesaurus.com open on another window. One of my braver friends (a published poet!) tends to quiz them on the words they use; they often state the wrong definition entirely in response.

There are brilliant roleplays in FeralHeart, though! Some of the groups I've joined ban such language. Luckily, this game has a marvellous block feature- once someone's on it, you never have to deal with that particular person again. Mine's filled with many-a-Wolfspeaker, for my own sanity! Ficho Tunnel's now a tolerable roleplaying area; the worst offenders I've seen when passing by are all safely blocked and hidden from view.

(Disclaimer: I'm completely fine with the fact that everyone has their own roleplaying style. As long as they do what they enjoy, I'm happy for them- even if it's something I personally dislike. )

TL;DR: Woflspeakers are 'illiterate', even in the world of FH. At least, to me.

[Silvertide]

Nemena, I could barely understand what that picture is talking about. I haven't encountered someone like that yet. :'D
Anyways, I completely agree with your rant. I was actually laughing at the irony in various points of the rant while I was reading it. When I was in this wetpaint pack, I had been RPing for months and months, and then I said something about me being literate and the entire group was like. "Uhh, you're not literate." And I was like. "D:" I was so freaking confused. I thought I had been literate all that time. So they gave me this link to this page on a site, FULL of 'wolfspeak' and their definitions. They made me study it and use the words more regularly. So it turns out I was more or so the literate one and they were the messed up ones using awkward vocabularly. >.>
I can't stand 'wolfspeak.'
I see people on FH use it all the time, and it makes them seem more literate but I can barely understand what they are trying to say. XP I prefer more story-like RPing if you understand what I mean.

[catsanddogsandbirds]

This is wonderfully written! Wow.
 Anyway, I completely agree with you. Wolfspeak has migrated from wolves to lions, saying things like "The sun-colored lioness opened and closed her optic orbs at the shining crimson substance that seeped out of her muscly appendages." So...they mean that a lion blinked at blood on her leg? But migrating from lions, wolfspeak eventually reached all the far corners of FeralHeart. Dragons, gryphons, birds, faes (is that wolfspeak?), and other creatures created on FeralHeart began using it to describe their eyes, horns, feet, legs, wings, feathers, skin, scales, teeth, and mostly their color. Things like "crimson" really irritate me, since I never even knew what the color meant until I saw someone refer to it as "crimson blood" I had always thought that crimson was blue. Silly me.

 Anywho, nice explaining!

[WhiteLightHeart]

Indeed... Having been roleplaying for years, I've seen my share of wolfspeakers, but never to the extreme that Nemena had seen.
I mean, that's just...
It's not being a writer, it just makes you look like a prententious fluff who likes to seem high and mighty by using words native english speakers have to break out a dictionary for, to even begin to comprehend. I don't mean to be bitter, or anything, but...
Yanno. If you want to be poetic about your roleplay posts, make an art out of it, and make it descriptive, but not so ridiculously blooming that nobody gets what you're trying to convey.

That stoof. xD Floofs be crazy, I guess. While I'm not totally against using a metaphor or two in my writing, that might be classified as 'wolfspeak' (perhaps describing a character's eyes as 'shining, silver orbs that glistened like dewdrops' [or something xD]), moderation and tastefulness is key in my book.

[SummerGlade]

Finally someone with sense. <3
I'm trying to knock anyone who uses Wolfspeak; it's actually a very clever way to avoid the filters on games like Wolf Quest. But, this isn't Wolf Quest, so they should learn to roleplay like actual literate people, not "Wolfspeak literate" people. I hate it when a group says they're literate but then they go around using malapropisms. It's a little scary sometimes.
A few that really get under my skin are cranium and terra. Cranium is not your head, like you stated, and terra is land, not just dirt or soil.
But, I do love it, in a way. I just like how it's... different. I love watching people roleplay like that. It just proves that everyone's not as smart as they like to think they are.
I liked the points you made and I hope this comes to the attention of these Wolfspeakers and they get some knowledge shoved through their thick, proud skulls. ;3

[catsanddogsandbirds]

Finally someone with sense. <3
I'm trying to knock anyone who uses Wolfspeak; it's actually a very clever way to avoid the filters on games like Wolf Quest. But, this isn't Wolf Quest, so they should learn to roleplay like actual literate people, not "Wolfspeak literate" people. I hate it when a group says they're literate but then they go around using malapropisms. It's a little scary sometimes.
A few that really get under my skin are cranium and terra. Cranium is not your head, like you stated, and terra is land, not just dirt or soil.
But, I do love it, in a way. I just like how it's... different. I love watching people roleplay like that. It just proves that everyone's not as smart as they like to think they are.
I liked the points you made and I hope this comes to the attention of these Wolfspeakers and they get some knowledge shoved through their thick, proud skulls. ;3

 You mean thick, proud craniums. :3

[SummerGlade]

Finally someone with sense. <3
I'm trying to knock anyone who uses Wolfspeak; it's actually a very clever way to avoid the filters on games like Wolf Quest. But, this isn't Wolf Quest, so they should learn to roleplay like actual literate people, not "Wolfspeak literate" people. I hate it when a group says they're literate but then they go around using malapropisms. It's a little scary sometimes.
A few that really get under my skin are cranium and terra. Cranium is not your head, like you stated, and terra is land, not just dirt or soil.
But, I do love it, in a way. I just like how it's... different. I love watching people roleplay like that. It just proves that everyone's not as smart as they like to think they are.
I liked the points you made and I hope this comes to the attention of these Wolfspeakers and they get some knowledge shoved through their thick, proud skulls. ;3

 You mean thick, proud craniums. :3

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. x3