Subject: [OTL]: (Neogeny Arc, Doug/Rahne, Rebecca) Lingua Genetica (PG-13) Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 17:31:28 -0800 From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Neogeny Arc: Lingua Genetica by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Becky and her friends are mine. Everyone else is Marvel's. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: Just sort of a pocket guide to 21st-century mutant kid slang ... at least, as I see it. -------------------------------------------------------- 9/4/2017: ESU Campus, Manhattan Arcology, Greater New York City: 09:02 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- It SEEMS to follow a regular subject-verb pattern ... really, it's more of a group of colloquialisms than an actual sub-language. "Understand a subculture's slang, and you begin to understand the subculture," the Professor always said. And yet, the mutant-only subculture that's absorbed so many mutant kids since 2005 - for good or bad - is so ALIEN to most of us. It's not necessarily wrong, mind you; from what I've observed, it's actually more inclusive, more welcoming and protective than human children's social structures. A community of outsiders, separated from both humans of their own age groups, and from even their parents - mutant or not - as much by viewpoint as by language. Professor of Anthropology, Sociology and Linguistics Douglas Ramsey, Ph.D., at your service. Like I said, we don't need to necessarily fear the "gen-kid" subculture. It's the darker aspects - the genegangs, the rumored human-sacrificing cults - that we need to root out and excise. Sacrificing our children's identity "for the greater good" isn't something I like to think about. Mmmm ... furry hands. "Have ye made any progress ?" she says, in that oh-SO-delicious burr of hers ... "A lot, until you started ... distracting ... me," I tell her, letting Rahne curl into my lap ... ooh, ear-nibble - ! "Douglas. Be serious," she teases, shifting back to her human form and standing beside me. Like she always has - God, how DID I get so lucky ? "This's yuir short list o' phrases ?" "A start," I say, looking over the notes from my interviews and chats with my "test subjects" - most of the upcoming generation of New Mutants were really quite willing to talk to me. (One beneficial side effect of this study is that I've learned just how close we really are to our kids. Sam, Paige, and the others don't have to worry - OUR kids, at least, are OK, just speaking their own language and seeing things their own way. And like any evolving culture, change is part of who they are.) "Let's see," I begin, looking at the main sheet. "The noun structure seems to revolve around the short phrase 'gen' - a neutral term meaning mutant. I've worked out the major nouns that stem off of it on this sheet." It looks something like this: ******************************************************** gen (n.) - "genetic"; mutant. With prefixes: blud-gen: "blood-genetic," a term for a mutant relative of close blood relation to the speaker. fel-gen: "fellow genetic," a standard greeting/friendly term for a friend of the speaker (ex., "Hoya, felgen.") sib-gen: "sibling genetic," denoting a mutant sibling of the speaker; also a term of endearment for such siblings, or other relatives of the same age group who share a close emotional attachment with the speaker (i.e., cousins, uncles/aunts of the same age as the speaker). lil-gen: "little genetic," either A: a term of endearment for a younger mutant sibling/relative/friend of the speaker, or B: a slightly derogatory term when applied to an older mutant relative/acquaintance of the speaker. Describing a subject's powers: tepe-gen: telepath teke-gen: telekinetic vita-gen: healer/biomanipulator pyro-gen: pyrotic/pyrokinetic (pyrotics generate as well as control heat/flame, as opposed to strict pyrokinetics, who often only control heat/flame). cyro-gen: cryotic/cryokinetic rip-gen: "ripslide-genetic," teleporter/spatial manipulator fer-gen: "feral-genetic," a feral mutant OR a faunopathic (animal-specific telepath) mutant flor-gen: floropsionic mutant erg-gen: energy manipulator (catch-all term) lit-gen: photogenerator/photokinetic mag-gen: magnakinetic ceve-gen: chronovariant (includes precognitives and retrocognitives) tech-gen: cyberkinetic son-gen: sonic projector met-gen: metamorph Nouns: verit - truth Pipe - fecal matter; an obscenity - also an adjective ("pipe-head") hume - human; mildly derogatory null-head - non-telepath; somewhat derogatory term used by telepaths against non-telepaths mute - mutant; neutral flat - flatscan; derogatory term for humans skinwear - unstable molecule spandex clothing worn by most mutants born after 2005 Verbs: Buzz - to worry over ("My mom's buzzin'.") Scan - to perceive or understand ("You scan it, felgen ?") Vox - to speak, aloud Flonq - to copulate; an obscenity. Adjectives: Frost - kewl, popular. ******************************************************** "That's what I've been able to figure out to date, anyhow," I tell Rahne, stretching - stayed up too late, reviewing the audio-chips. "Hold still," she tells me - blessed fingers, working magic on my shoulders, I am SO lucky ... "I dinnae think these two foul words're common t'this time-nexus," Rahne points out, a little bit of a blush in her voice - she's still the same old Rahne, underneath the sophisticate she became after X-Force broke up back in '06. "Blame Nathan. Being an underground folk hero to a lot of kids tends to draw both the good and bad aspects of a person into the popular culture," I point out - not that Nate's not responsible, but he does have a tendency to lapse into 38th-century curses when things go to pieces. "Still," Rahne replies. "Hey, I'm not here to pass judgment," I say, shrugging. She kisses me, and I have to give that a 9.9, though ... -------------------------------------------------------- Aye, Dougie's right. T'is the same speak we used as lads an' lasses - ev'ry generation has its hidden language. Children the world over, 'specially adolescents an' teens, have their separate language, t'hide their secrets from those adults they cannae trust. What surprises me is how widespread this language is. Doug's survey covered most o' the main arcologies throughout the United States - an' th' similarities 'tween the slang between here an' say, Louisville, or Chicago or Los Angeles, are amazin.' (What, th' pretty little prudish werewolf cannae notice trends ? 'M more'n a pretty face. M' power mostly relies on ultra-senses, an' that's a perceptual basis - helps in me role doin' disaster searches f'r survivors, or sniffin' out criminals or lost people.) At least Doug's managed t'forge another connection 'tween ourselves an' our wee ones. Nae so wee anymore, true, but 'Becca an' her friends were growin' away from us ... Aye, t'is natural at their age. But if we cannae e'en talk on th' same plane, how'll we e'er help them grow away from us, t'stand on their own ? (I still cannae comprehend how this spandex fad has taken off. T'is sinful - nae body shame a'tall, 'mong this generation ...) ~Mum, we're nae savages,~ a voice calls, an' I'm forced t'smile a bit. -------------------------------------------------------- They're a bit worried 'bout me - cannae blame'em, I d'tend t'run w'a bit o'a rough crowd, with Eric Parker-Shade an' the Summers gens. But 'm Rebecca Danielle Ramsey, Heiress t'the Duchy o'Sinclaire ! 'M a full-blooded gen, tepe an' met, an' I'll nae sully me bloodline with such horrors as Metahype or genegangery. (OK, I'm laying it on a LITTLE thick here. I vox English and Scots Gaelic, with the gen-speak thrown in. Linguistics is kind of a natch for me, given my 'rents.) "Hey, felgens," I vox the 'rents - Dad wants the speak, he gets the speak. He smiles - a little balder, a little fatter, how can I tell him ? - and Mum grins in relief. (Hell-O, folks ? Fer-gen and tepe-gen in one package ? Can you scan bad-ass ?) "D'you care if I speak gen-kid ? If it's a bother ..." I suggest - oughta be fair, they let me get away with SO much, gotta give something back. "I'm fascinated by it, Becky," Dad says - he is SUCH a swell pater. And Mum - "Jes' be careful, an' I dinnae care what language ye speak," she says, giving me a hug. Kewl. I'm gonna miss'em - and I can 'path, they're missin' me already. But if I don't get a handle on the met stuff, I might met into a wolf in the middle of Animal Control or somethin'. NOT frost. So, it's off to Xavier's ... Hope it'll be frost. Who scans ? Maybe ... gotta give it a shot, anyhow. -------------------------------------------------------- finis - for now ... --------------------------------------------------------