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  • Subject: covenant language
Subject: covenant language
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why can grunts speak normal english and elites speak gibberish/backwards english? and what are the chances that of all the possible languages in the univers the covenant speak english?

  • 07.20.2007 6:52 AM PDT

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humans evolved from grunts

  • 07.20.2007 8:04 AM PDT
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thats a creepy thought. i just cant imagine when hitler dies all the germans running away yelling "they got elite, run!"

  • 07.20.2007 8:17 AM PDT

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Maybe Grunts are too stupid to speak the "Secret Backward English Covenant Elite Language"

Or Chief had version 1.0 translater in Halo1 which worked only for Grunts and in Halo2 he got update. But even Arbiter didnt understand Hunter or Jackal Language in Halo2. Also why did Flood laugh in Halo2

  • 07.20.2007 9:58 AM PDT
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and maybe leetspeak is derived from the elite language, which is why iit makes no sense!

  • 07.20.2007 12:08 PM PDT

So that's why I run around screaming "CAN'T... RUN... WITH.. THING... ON.. BACK!"

  • 07.20.2007 1:24 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Mythic Member

You think it got what it takes to be..?.


God forbid you send me one of those I was checking for cool gamers and saw you messages too, I will scream to the top of my lungs and smash this damn screen/BlackBerry to pieces! You've been warned -_-

Translator..

  • 07.20.2007 1:54 PM PDT
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it cant be a translator cuz at the end of halo 2 sarge understands the arbiter and at the end of halo 1 sarge still understands the elite and the elite understands sarge.

  • 07.20.2007 1:58 PM PDT

sketchy

In the books (prolly the first one, im not gonna look up the page) when the covenant first engage human ships, they radio them and speak english, but it sounds alien and freaky. so the elites Can speak it if they really really want, but they were prolly just being snooty in H1 and language was translated for you/they were actually speaking in H2.

  • 07.20.2007 3:50 PM PDT

I am responsible for dividing the Covenant. I shall end this war.

well the grunt theory is possible. When one person dies, everyone else goes into a panic. And backwards the elite would be this:

Elite: wort wort wort

Backwards: trow trow trow

stupid

  • 07.20.2007 7:12 PM PDT
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"Wort Wort Wort" isnt actually what theyre saying.
Actually, they are saying "Og og og" but with a sort of accent. WHich, of course, is "Go Go Go". If you play it backwards, and raise the pitch slightly, its actually Johnson's voice.

  • 07.20.2007 7:16 PM PDT
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so the elites learned english off backwards versions of johnson's voice?

  • 07.20.2007 7:34 PM PDT
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Posted by: Teh Demon
so the elites learned english off backwards versions of johnson's voice?


That's what Johnson says in one of the levels! (T&R, I think)

"GO!GO!GO!"

And omage if I ever saw one.

  • 07.20.2007 11:38 PM PDT

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Serious theory 1:
Remember, Monitors speak english. Maybe Forerunners spoke english (atleast before they turned into super race who build Halos) and humans really are some sort of Forerunner relative. Then Covenant would have learned English during their exploration journeys or even they might be Forerunner relatives.

Theory 2:
Inside Covenant (Prophet, Elites, Brutes and Grunts) could have monitored human communication and learned it to have advantage and decided its easier ot better than some Covenant language so they use it, but Elites decided to use secret backward english against us until they allied us.

Theory 3:
Its a game made to be understandable. Humans must be understandable, Enemy leaders (Prophet, Brute, Elite) must be understandable, important story charachters like Guilty Spark and Gravemind must be understandable and Grunts are just fun Marine replacement. Flood is mindless enemy, Drones and Jackals feel more like enemies when we dont understand and Hunters feel mystical.

Does it really matter, any of my theories would well explain this, even if we never get to know the truth.

[Edited on 07.21.2007 4:13 AM PDT]

  • 07.21.2007 4:11 AM PDT
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To play or not to play....

Elites can speak english. Though in Halo CE they were feirce enemies and hated humans with much anger. That is probably why they avoided speaking the language of what they considered to be lesser beings. In Halo 2 things got a bit different and Elites no longer hated humans as much. Plus Bungie made it like that so we could understand the story a bit more.

I prefer the Elites speaking their own language and possibly having sub-titles as it makes them seem more alien.

Also on another note maybe there is a subtle message here. Humans speak English fine which the Monitors seem to accept and still refer to humans as "reclaimers". The Elites speak the same language backwards. This further proof that they have the right idea but they simply apply it wrong. Much the same way they copy Forerunner tech but seldom get it 100% right. Sure it works well but not as well as it could if perfected.

  • 07.21.2007 7:12 AM PDT

I am responsible for dividing the Covenant. I shall end this war.

but the elites sometimes say wobbey, and backwards thats yebbow.

  • 07.21.2007 7:37 AM PDT
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what the hell?

where in the name of god did you get that bright idea you idot!!!!!

  • 07.24.2007 7:13 AM PDT

"No retreat, no surrender, that is Spartan law""

G-Tag:NephillimX
Clan: Killadelphia Killin Krew

haha i don't think he has any idea. My idea was what in the chief's helmet was equipped with a translator after CE so that's the reason we can understand them better. Also, the reason we can understand the grunts more than the elites is cause the grunt have a different vocal tone and thhe elites are like, well rtefer to them like the "highschool Jocks" of the game, where they are bigger and tougher than the grunts but not as big mentally. It would be better with the subtitles though give it more of a real life feel- because when they are talking with each other in groups you would think they would speak their native tongue rather than english that they "learned".

  • 07.24.2007 8:09 AM PDT

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Posted by: NephillimX
haha i don't think he has any idea. My idea was what in the chief's helmet was equipped with a translator after CE so that's the reason we can understand them better. Also, the reason we can understand the grunts more than the elites is cause the grunt have a different vocal tone and thhe elites are like, well rtefer to them like the "highschool Jocks" of the game, where they are bigger and tougher than the grunts but not as big mentally. It would be better with the subtitles though give it more of a real life feel- because when they are talking with each other in groups you would think they would speak their native tongue rather than english that they "learned".


Keyes understood Covenant in HaloCE when in TAR he says he heard Covenant talking about this world, they call it Halo.
Lets just say Covenant thinks english is so cool and easy they want to use it. CoolZ

  • 07.24.2007 8:30 AM PDT
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never mind.

[Edited on 07.25.2007 10:47 AM PDT]

  • 07.25.2007 10:47 AM PDT
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Posted by: Pyr0cide
In the books (prolly the first one, im not gonna look up the page) when the covenant first engage human ships, they radio them and speak english, but it sounds alien and freaky. so the elites Can speak it if they really really want, but they were prolly just being snooty in H1 and language was translated for you/they were actually speaking in H2.

This kid is correct about the language thing.

  • 07.25.2007 10:48 AM PDT
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I read in the Halo 2 LE maunal I think, that grunts were based off of chimps/apes. Humans evoled from apes.. So, they might have a scary relation that we wish we never had.

Plus, Elites are the amartest in the Covenant. Proven in H2 when they wanted to kill the brutes, stop them from activating Halo, so it's pretty smart to speakthe language you know on the battlefield.You could be in a Warthog and try to translate it by thinking their words compared to yours (backwards) but you'll soon die by the Covenant ( Grunts & their grenades).

Elites have their tactics, Hunters are like worms, so I doubt they have a real language rather than a communicating through grunts and sounds. Jackals probally have their own, Grunys just use what they learn.

  • 07.26.2007 4:37 PM PDT
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hey what u said about the humans evolving from apes, what if they evolved from Brutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dude they run like monkies and they attack like them too!! Holy S#*t!!

  • 08.05.2007 8:05 PM PDT