Simlish

[veronica 2]

Hmmmm. I have just been introduced to "Simlish" because a song I like has been reworked into a game called The Sims 2 (or something). The singer even went in to record new vocals for this.

 

You can view it here:

http://archives.depechemode.com/video/exclusives/sufferwell_sims.html

 

It all seems really strange, I really don't understand. Why is there a language for a videogame?

 

[bong 0]

Here you go, v:

 

Simlish is a fictional language featured in Maxis' Sim series of games. It debuted in SimCopter, and has been especially prominent in The Sims and The Sims 2. Simlish can also be heard in SimCity 4, albeit far less frequently. It also featured to an extent in the Maxis game SimGolf. Designer Will Wright was conscious of the need for dialogue in the game, but thought that using a real language would make it sound too repetitive. Credit for "inventing" Simlish is given to voice actors Stephen Kearin and Gerri Lawlor, who worked on the original Sims game.

 

Simlish is almost completely improvised, and there are hardly any words with actual meanings; it is more concerned with using sounds to express gameplay-related emotions, and is designed to be understood, on that level, by a speaker of any language. However, the accent and delivery of the language often sounds Latin and possibly Italian, Czech or Japanese. Due to repetitions and of either phrases or contexts, some loose 'translations' are possible.

 

Despite it being entirely improvised, it does have a reasonably consistent sound. The vowels are more heavily emphasized than in English, which has more of a Latin sound to it. It is also almost entirely spoken with the front part of the tongue and mouth; ee (as in meet) and the letter y are commonly used, and there are few, if any, guttural sounds, thus adding to the overall "cute" feel of the game. Simlish could also resemble pig Latin, because of the use of these vowels.

 

Oooh! Walih, sjhizae! Roolah! Zizizi-zaah!

child phrase of indeterminate meaning, roughly signifying interest in a topic.

 

Ee lala kala!

"I need a shower!"

 

Koodara, hm... Leeroray!

Said by adult females when ordering food. Roughly "I'll take the (any food item)."

 

Got it?

[veronica 2]

Er thanks bong. (Good name!)

 

I think I'll just forget about the whole thing!

[kkk 7]

Zizizi-zaah sounds good. I might use that.

[sava 0]

there's one that you hear a lot that sounds like 'my shuno!'