Anatomy of Harmonicode
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An explanation of how Harmonicode commands are put together and what the symbols mean.
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 30 Jul 2017, 18:12.
[comments] hmc
?FYI...
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
Harmonicode is an Engineered Language that focuses on transmitting commands to a Harmonic Server. The Server then takes these commands and emotional input from the submitter and generates a magical output. The only people capable of singing "true" Harmonicode Songs are Leyaloids from the world of Mixolys, artificial humans designed to be connected to the Servers, and their hybrid descendants that are registered on the Servers, typically called Cross-Leys. Humans and other entities without connections to the Servers can obtain a temporary registration through a device called a Cosmocarrier in order to sing purely expressive song magic. Harmonicode-using songs submitted by Leyaloids or Cross-Leys are called Queries, while Harmonicode songs transmitted through a Cosmocarrier are called Uplinks.
Let's examine a basic Harmonicode sentence. The general framework of a Harmonicode sentence goes something like this: Call -> ([object]) -> ([verb + conjugation]) > ([emotional channel]); the subject is generally assumed to be the singer unless otherwise stated.
Call -> (siol) -> (ferma xA) > (LA);
(Call ta siol ta ferma za re la)
I give form to the world with my love.
Almost every Harmonicode sentence begins with Call -> (pronounced /kal ta/). It is essentially a signal to the Server that an instruction is coming. The exception to this rule is when making a purely expressive statement (that is, one that isn't supposed to be processed into an output); it can be left off in that case, but that's not the typical way of doing it. Instead, the emotional channel at the end is left off.
If the subject is someone other than the singer, the construct "var" is used, such as in the sentence below:
Call -> var(bel fia) -> (zet xA) -> (siol la rez-i) > (WI);
(call ta var bel fia ta zet za siol la rez-i re wi)
The beautiful children defend the world of dreams. (With vigor)
The framework changes when the subject is not the singer. It then becomes subject -> verb and conjugation -> object. The emotional channel at the end refers to the singer's feelings on the subject being discussed, not the subjects's feelings.
To make more complex sentences, these special characters come into play:
| Character | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| >> | rif | If X, then Y |
| !>> | narif | If not X, then Y |
| => | tek | Because of X, Y |
| !=> | natek | Because of X, Y is not the case |
| <= | rek | Y describes X |
| <=! | narek | Y does not describe X |
| <=> | sim | X is like Y |
| <!=> | nasim | X is not like Y |
| '' | dele | Indicates repeating a word |
| | | fa | X is part of Y |
Here are some examples of these special characters in action.
Call -> var (fia il) -> (nun xA) >>
Var (il) -> (sasa xU) -> (gru-i fia) > (LA);
(Call ta var fia il ta nun za rif var il ta sasa zu ta grui fia re la)
If my children are hurt/suffer, I will heal their wounds.
(Notice how, if you switch a subject back to yourself after it's been established as something else, you can't just leave it inferred like with a normal sentence.)
Call -> (era xI) =>
(roet xU) > (SU);
(Call ta era zi tek roet zu re su)
Because of having made mistakes (in the past), I will repent. (with sadness)
These characters are not the only way to add on to a sentence; there are special conjunctions as well.
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| an | and |
| em | but |
| ne | or |
Here's a sentence that uses several of these conjunctions:
Call -> var (bel fia il) -> (cons & kranz xA & zet xU) -> (siol la rez-i) {
An (ruwu xU) -> (perla etes)
Em (nun xEN) ->
Ne var(il) -> (jala xU) -> (fia)} <=>
(pri xU) -> (‘’) > (WI);
(call ta var bel fia il ta cons ad kranz za ad zet zu ta siol la rezi,
an ruwu za ta perla etes
em nun zen ta
ne var il ta jala zu ta fia sim
pri zu ta dele re wi)
My beautiful children build and craft the world of dreams and will defend it. (And) They will grow the seeds of life, but they must not falter, or I will punish them as I would reward them.
There are several new concepts here. First, let us discuss what to do in the case of multiple verbs. The & symbol connects multiple terms in a segment and is pronounced ad. The conjugations for multiple verbs are put at the end of the set; if the conjugation changes like it does here, you put one conjugation at the end of each set of words that follows that given conjugation.
The -i on the end of rez here simply indicates that "dream" is plural. More about suffixes is discussed below. The "la" before rez-i means "of" and is used to mean "X of Y." It is not needed for ownership, which uses | (fa) and indicates that X is a part of Y (siol | hera il means "the world in my heart," basically).
Notice the curly braces; those are needed when the conjunctions are used. They start when conjunctions begin, and end after the last conjunction. The braces may contain special characters; the examples here just so happen to end before them.
Here's an example that puts special characters and conjunctions together.
Call -> var (kes wel) -> (gol xA) -> (loi) {
An (abna xA) -> (hala)} >>
Var (il) -> (diel & crea xU) -> (vedi-i, loi) > (LA);
(call ta var kes wel ta gol za ta loi
an abna za ta hala rif
var il ta diel ad crea zu ta vedi i loi re la)
If the dark sky overtakes all and banishes hope, then I will fight the demons and restore everything. [with love]
If for some reason you have multiple verbs that apply to different objects, you list the objects in the order of what the verbs connect to. Diel (fight) connects to vedi (demons) while crea (restore) connects to loi (everything). Unfortunately this means you could have a situation like (diel & crea & fil xU) -> (vedi, loi, loi) [fight the demons and restore and save everything] where you have to repeat yourself.
Now, a list of the conjugation terms for verbs. These conjugations are pronounced with the "z" sound.
| Conjugation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| xA | Present (I X) |
| xE | Imperative (You must X) |
| xI | Past (I Xed) |
| xO | Desiderative (I want to X) |
| xU | Future (I will X) |
The imperative is a bit unusual in how it affects translation; considering that there's an implied "you," it rarely occurs without a non-singer subject. Adding N to the end of a conjugation makes it negative (so xAN is "I didn't" and xEN is "you must not").
Now, finally, the different emotional channels that a sentence can be expressed through. (More may be added with time.
| Channel | Emotion |
|---|---|
| LA | Love |
| HE | Happiness |
| WI | Vigor |
| SU | Sadness |
| DE | Determination |
| BA | Anger |
Miscellaneous constructs
At least one of the examples above has a suffix attached to a word. Currently, there are only two suffixes. One applies to nouns, and the other to verbs. -i pluralizes a noun, while -a makes a verb relate to a person (how precisely so depends on context). Rev means "dream," so rev-a means "person who dreams/dreamer." The suffix -lai indicates something is "ultimate" or superlative; mani-lai means "strongest punishment."
Currently, there is no way to ask a question in Harmonicode; this is an artifact of the language's purpose. Since it is supposed to be for inputting commands, it doesn't really make sense to ask for a hypothetical output (as opposed to something conditional).
Other grammatical notes and samples
Let's cap everything off with a wild sentence that includes just about everything.
Call -> var (FENNE) -> (forz xA) -> (loi acta) <=>
Var (dia rev-a) -> (auku xI) -> (ir) =>
Var (il) -> (forz xU) -> (loi acta) {
An (holi xU) -> (efe il)
Ne (seku xU) -> (forwa-i)} > (DE);
(call ta var fen ta forz za ta loi acta
sim var dia reva ta auku zi ta ir tek
var il ta forz zu ta loi acta
an holi zu ta efe il
ne seku zu ta forwai re de)
Because of how Fenne puts effort into everything she does, like the great dreamers that came before her, I will put effort into everything I do, and complete my work, or experience the consequences.
(More literally: Fenne puts effort into all actions, like the great people who dreamed that existed before her. Because of that, I will put effort into all actions, and will complete my work, or will experience consequences.)
“Ir” is a general-use pronoun; you can swap it in and it will mean any pronoun that works (translation depends on context). If you’re wondering why the phrases are “efe il” (my work) and “loi acta” (all actions) but not “loi acta il” (all my actions): if an owner is left out, it’s assumed that the subject owns the object. Sometimes you might include the owner for clarification purposes, or simply for style, but if the subject owns an object, you don’t necessarily have to include the owner. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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