Naboo Worldbuilding: Languages

naberiie:

@evaceratops, @kaminoanbat and I were talking about language, tech, and undercover missions in our instagram chat yesterday, and of course it turned into Naboo worldbuilding (specifically for From Which Stars):

Monarchs’ formal headdresses cover their ears because hidden commlinks are built into the coverings.

Handmaidens and their male counterparts, valets, have commlink technology woven into the sturdy fabric of their hoods

They can speak to each other and their monarch using this tech without clustering together – very useful for subtle advising and negotiations.

And also gossiping. That’s very important.

If anyone could figure out how to literally weave tech into their fashion, it’d be the Naboo.

All monarchs and their handmaidens/valets/aides are fluent in at least the following:

Standard:

Galactic Basic

GFFA equivalent of Morse code

Cants/cryptolects:

Coded language, which we see used during Sabé and Padmé’s brief exchange in TPM:

“It will be dangerous. For us all.”

<<Should we go to Coruscant with the Jedi?>>

“We are brave, your Highness.”

<<Yes.>>

The ancient Nabooian language, now dead except in noble Houses and taught to handmaidens/valets upon their hiring (inspiration from Nyōbō kotoba)

Nabooian Song language, a pigdin language with purely melodic phonology (inspiration from Moss and other musical languages)

Handmaidens and valets hum under their breath to ‘speak’ with their monarchs in response to situations arising before them without rousing suspicion

@evaceratops said it best:

leave it up to the naboo to come up with a communication system that’s pretty and seems harmless but is also super effective

[…] you wouldn’t think that a bunch of teenage girls from a peaceful planet would be trained as. basically? fucking ASSASSINS. but NOPE.

All of this is based on headacanons that prior to joining the Republic, Naboo was an aesthetically based, medieval warrior people; noble Houses were at each other’s throats for many bloody centuries, all for that coveted role of the planetary ruler. The ornate Naboo aesthetic developed as a sort of diversion/confusion/protection tactic against hidden enemies, and a shield for oneself and one’s allies.

Though the planet is peaceful now, remnants of the planet’s bloody past is everywhere: The exceptionally highly-trained handmaidens and valets; ornate gowns concealing the true identity of the monarchs and to hide a multitude of concealed weapons; blasters in the goddamn throne…

Languages (and their multi-layered use) are an extremely powerful tool in the Naboo’s arsenal.