Space Opera Fans discussion

Here’s a weird topic. Humans have a LOT of different languages, with the same gesture sometimes meaning completely different things depending on your native culture.

Are there any space opera books where a single alien species has multiple cultures, with the different cultures using distinct languages? Or at least accents (Texan vs Aussie vs Boston, etc).

In C.J. Cherryh's _Chanur_ novels there are several alien races with multiple languages (Manendo'sat, Kif, Stsho, etc.). There is usually a principle language of each race that the other races learn, but others show up in the books when aliens want to have a private or semi-private discussion. There is also a "pidgin" trade language that is used among merchants of many races. In her _Foreigner_ books the Atevi have several different cultures and dialects.

I am sure that other authors must have written the kind of multi-lingual setting that you're talking about, but I cannot bring others to mind just now. It should be the default for most civilizations unless there is a very strong reason otherwise.

My memory of The Pride of Chanur had Manendo'sat, Kif, and Stsho being different races, each with a different language, but I don’t remember the Kif (for example) having multiple Kif languages. That might not have been obvious in Pride though, and I haven’t reread the other books recently.

In my Steamy Alien Space Opera Series (The Assentia Series and Assentia Captives Series,) there are multiple Alien races all with different cultures. They all speak the same language but there's a reason why and it's explained several books into the series!

Teresa wrote: "but I don’t remember the Kif (for example) having multiple Kif..."

There are references in the later books to "Main Kifish" as the language that other races learn. There is also discussion of the dozens of Mahendo'sat tongues, and some Mahendo'sat have side conversations in front of the main characters in one of their other languages in order to pass information in confidence.

Cool! Thanks!