You know what I think is really cool about language (English in this case)? It’s the way you can express “I don’t know” without opening your mouth. All you have to do is hum a low note, a high note, then another lower note. The same goes for yes and no. Does anyone know what this is called?
These are called vocables, a form of non-lexical utterance - that is, wordlike sounds that aren’t strictly words, have flexible meaning depending on context, and reflect the speakers emotional reaction to the context rather than stating something specific. They also include uh-oh! (that’s not good!), uh-huh and mm-hmm (yes), uhn-uhn (no), huh? (what?), huh… (oh, I see…), hmmn… (I wonder… / maybe…), awww! (that’s cute!), aww… (darn it…), um? (excuse me; that doesn’t seem right?), ugh and guh (expressions of alarm, disgust, or sympathy toward somebody else’s displeasure or distress), etc.
Every natural human language has at least a few vocables in it, and filler words like “um” and “erm” are also part of this overall class of utterances. Technically “vocable” itself refers to a wider category of utterances, but these types of sounds are the ones most frequently being referred to, when the word is used.
Sometimes in writing, we have characters use these vocables, so it’s helpful to have this as a reference of how to write them out so they read correctly on the page… and if you are creating a new species/race, their language might have either universal ones or completely unique ones.
i hate my life i’m in a history class full of theatre kids and this week we’re learning about alexander hamilton and
hesitantplutothe theater kids fucking killed her before she could finish making this post
they strike me right between my ribs
Tell me we should be together.
greenmilesI am.
Freezing for a moment, Jules’ lips parted, but nothing but a weak puff of air escaped. “Why do you need a––” She broke off as Ophelia shot her a look, cringing as she moved over to help her. At least there was no dead body in the fridge. Internally, she winced. A joke made in poor taste; she blamed Ophelia for it.
Watching Barton from across the hallway, his eyes practically glued to the screen of his computer, she glanced back to find Ophelia making the same face she made when she had street meat –– and it wasn’t pretty. “What?” Jules asked, instantly alarmed. Her hand almost drifted to the switchblade she kept by her hip, buried in her pockets (she never wore anything without pockets).
“I… May have had a burrito before doing this, and it’s not…. Let’s just say if we don’t haul ass, I’m going to being hauling a lot more than that for a block home, so..”
“Okay, okay, no need for details!” Scrunching up her face in a grimace, Jules bent down to continue pushing. About halfway there she stood suddenly, leaving Ophelia to peer up at her, that same tell-tale look of dread on her face. “Wait––” Breathing out, Jules eyed the mini-fridge. “It’s probably taking us more effort to push it on the ground than it would if we just carried it… Let’s just do that!”
Then, looking over Ophelia, her rumbling stomach, and the lengths they still had to walk to get all the way up to her apartment, she swiftly said, “Yeah, um, never-mind, let’s just keep going before things get ugly.”
God, the things she does for this girl…
