Universal
With the Tech language I wanted to group all symbols humans use in communication into a unified language concept. With various symbol groups being different layers within this unified language. Form the simplicity of binary, though spoken languages, right up to the complexities of virtual reality direct mind links. With each layer linking to the next. I also wanted to include some Asian concepts into the language and include organised pictograms, but also have the various levels of pictograms, with the more complex versions being mathematical rendered symbols that can be used to construct sounds and have meaning is each maths spline (i.e. image of spline = maths formula, which can be converted - but very complex to do and needs the Implant technology to augment human ability). In effect it's a look at how language could adapt if we had implant technology, which lead to direct mind links (why describe in words a concepts when you can transmits a full 3D virtual reality to show the concept, and in this virtual reality the object become part of the standard language via visual symbolism etc.)
Place holder
The 'Philhammer' version of the Adeptus Mechanicus' verbal language layer is based of the Greek language (Hellenic). As in: Anglicised Greek is used as a place holder for the Adeptus Mechanicus instead of Anglicised Latin as used for the Imperium. A place holder is merely real language used to represent another fantasy language. In the 'reality' of the game universe the actual language is totally different. Anglicised Latin is used to represent High Gothic, because in Imperial culture High Gothic occupies a similar place as Latin in our modern world; Latin is used in medicine and science and religious ceremony. Therefore, even though High Gothic is in 'reality' nothing like Latin (how could it be is 38,000 years in the future!), Latin is used to represent it, because in engenders a similar feeling in us and it would in out counterparts thousands of years in the future.
I chose Greek for the Adeptus Mechanicus, mainly because of the 'Magos' is a Greek word and the fact that machine and technology is seen as magic by many in 40K, and the root of the word machine is related to the roots of the word magic. Magos is a magic user. In our world this sounds like a wizard, but to the Adeptus Mechanicus, 'machine' is the same as 'magic', or rather magic is nothing but a machine and technology. So to the Adeptus Mechanicus 'magic user' is merely 'machine user'. In the universe of 40K, true magic users are Psykers, and the Adeptus Mechanicus refer to them as psionics (not magic).
Two Cultures
It makes an interesting dynamic to have these two massive cultures of the Adeptus Mechanicus (Greek) and the rest of the Imperial Institutions (Roman) interact and have basic misunderstandings in their respective viewpoints (misunderstanding may not be completely by accident!)
Hellenic
"A version of the language in which technical rituals and ancient works are recorded. This developed during the Dark Age of Technology." "It derives from the common tongue of the time, an assimilation of English, European and Pacific languages which developed over many centuries in the American/Pacific region."
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - 1987 page: 267
Notes/ Overview: The Cult is open source within and proprietary out. All technology is the intellectual property of the Adeptus Mechanicus (for official Imperial recognition) and the cult holds the rights. All technology produced within the Imperium requires an official Adeptus Mechanicus licence.
![](https://philhammer.com/wp-content/uploads/06-04-p00_tech-lang-red-magnus.gif)
This is Magnus the Red rendered as 'Red Magnus' in phonetic Japanese. Although not a perfect example of High Gothic, it illustrates the principle that is it not a language like ours, and that many of the 'letters' do not in and of themselves define a specific letter but a sound. High Gothic is like Latin rendered in phonetic Japanese, except the language has a few thousands years of extra evolution to it. Many of the evolved Latin word roots are condensed into characters, and this is combined with traditional characters (Aside from a Linguist, if you were a Japanese Medical student you would have best chance of understanding High Gothic)
First order
In first order principles: all data is at it's base is a chaos 'self ordering system' of generated patterns (right down to the atomic vibration level). These patterns evolve though interaction with each other to produce 'elevated patterns' with combine to form 'systems' and then progressively higher order systems. These systems are all part of the grand design. All of the 'tech-language' that humans use is a subset of the grand design, but the true tech language includes all patterns and data, and this is stored in the universe. To the Akolouthos Mekhane the universe is the 'great storage system' all that has been, and self regulating system born of chaos. It is the task of the lower order systems to produce higher order systems, to become 'elevated' (often mistaken for 'enlightened').
Low order (symbolism)
Zero state (concept of zero)
Binary static state (positive and negative)
Base Rhythm, Binary code. Introduces the concept of time (the switch)
Pattern recognition within rhythm due to grouping
Symbolism (singular concept) short hand symbol of pattern group and associated concept
Symbolism sting (language) multiple symbols with assigned meaning to describe complex concepts introduce of concept fragments
Symbolism string with tone (spoken word) Phonetics (introduces 'flavour' cultural cues) multiple concurrent strings inc. maths.
Symbolism schematic/ diagram (network) multi divergent string interlinked (electronic or engineering drawings), component symbols
Node network with weighting, as phonetics/ song but for networks. Multiple interlaced strings. Also net weight maps.
Node network 3D schematic with weighting. of conceptual intelligence.
Note: Ad-Mec can write in freeform spider diagrams to encapsulate arguments and thought processes as a regular written medium (not seen as a diagram as such, as the diagram is linked concepts, the Ad-Mec is strings and can be very complex)
Medium order (direct - linked to low order)
Analogue projection
Analogue recording
Digital recording >> Digital links to binary, analogue should be higher order? more complex? difficult. digital work because of net
Digital projection
Artificial (net) synthetic generation capture
Artificial (net) synthetic generation render (includes human speech articulating thought as a sub-set)
Could include wave form synthetic pattern (phonetic carrier/ sound font)
CPU layer mask 3D. Actual process of component.
High order (concept)
Ghod state (Infinity)
The first base concept is the Ghod-State, a time before the big bang that created the universe. It is a state that logically must have existed before the big bang when time began. The Ghod-State is therefore timeless and infinite. The core understanding for the Ghod-State is that it is infinite, and the concept of infinity underlines all concepts thereafter.
The concept of 'nothing'. To give is a symbol crates a something. True Nothing is nothing and has no symbol (even a zero is a somthing, denoting an adsence of a value, rather than true nothing with no one to see the 'nothing', as in complete non-existance).
The 'symbol' for the Ghod-State does not exist in our reality as the Ghod-State logically exists outside our reality. As a concept the Ghod-State allows reality to be, and in language it's 'representation' is the blank piece of paper.
To the cult the Ghod-State is considered 'holy' and no symbol exists to define Ghod as Ghod is the universe and everything in it. Ghod's symbol is existence!
Piont state
A single point of creation came into being. A point has no dimensions. Infinitely small, yet from this all will be, a 'fractal seed of creation'. The start point of all that will be.
Boundry and the plane
A point, although infinitely small, is still a point and the point has bounds and those bounds have a circumference, and the shortest circumference around a point is a circle.
Diameter
The concept of distance from one side of the circle boundry to the opposite side (diameter) gives the next higher order concept of the 'line'.
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Symbol: Circle with biseting line.
The concept of distance from one side of the circle boundry to the opposite side (diameter) gives the next higher order concept of the 'line'.
Thus, regardless of size, and relatively speaking, the distance across the boundary circle (the diameter) is greater than the point. The relative caveat is needed to isolate it from size. This concept is the next order higher.
Thus the circle is said to be one order higher than the point. Each progressive concept is an order higher and is relative to the lower orders.
Notes: The symbol is used as a power switch symbol in tech gear.
Infinite line and Lines (Spatial reality)
The line created by the concept of the diameter, logically gives rise to a new concept. By definition a line created within the infinity will be infinite, and extend beyond the boundary. An infinite line is a single dimension. As the infinate line is derived from the diameter of a circle, and a circle diameter can be orientated an infinate number of ways, this means there are infinate lines crossing the circle.
Infinite lines (the 's' is important!) that bisect a circle gives rise to a [true] plane. This means we have a whole 'plane' but made up of only lines! This is not 2D as we know it in out modern world, this is the cult's version of a 1D plane (a concept that is at first quite baffling).
Vectors: All these lines, each with their own oriention relative to another line, are refeered to as 'vector lines'. A vecotr line is; a line with a direction relative to another line. Therefore the minimum number for lines need to make this concept work is 'two'. One line is a line, but two lines are both lines and vector lines.
A 'true plane' has an infinate number of vector lines radiating out from the central point. The vector lines are infinate, and along each line is an infinate number of points.All these points give rise to new vector lines. Any space with a single plane can be defined via vector lines and points
The symbol for this is a circle with a line that originates at the centre and continues outwards that breaks the circle. Some times the line has an arrow or crossed end in older text, but usually this is missing (This also is the origins of the gender symbols in Tech).
2D: Is a higher order language concept and requires the next higher order concept to exist, that of the line or section.
Line section
Once the concept of the line can be seen as infinite, yet can have points along the line, then the distance between two points is a section. Once a section is defined relative to us we have the first unit of human measure that can be used as a start point for all measures relative to this. The first unit of human measure is called the 'golden section'.
The actual golden section used throughout human history has varied, originally they were directly relative to our bodies, the last of these types of measure in the modern western world was the foot, inch, yard and mile. In Europe the golden section is the meter, derived from the distance traveled by light in a given time.
The number '1' represents the 'golden section' as a concept regardless of what the current golden section is agreed upon. The '1' in base terms is a vertical line, however there is usually other standard markings to the '1'; a small perpendicular line at the base symbolising the start point, and a half-arrow at the top showing it extends onward but not indefinitely. This symbolises the concept of variability and relative choice (also why it is used to represent 'one' as in a person of being in higher language forms).
As the line section has a beginning and variable end, it is used as a universal power symbol of tech gear.
2D Space: Using the originating point, vector lines, points on a line, and line sections; any space within a 1D [true] plane can be defined relative to the originating point. This space with a 1D [true] plane is an 'area'. Areas are often marked with a cross, two perpendicular [vector] lines from which the area is defined (a piece of paper has four vector lines and a quarter cross in each corner - the four corners are points and can be defined relative to an originating point, most often in human terms this is the eye. Because the originating point is the eye, most humans forget to include it. A piece of paper is thus defined relative to a human; with the eye as the originating point, four vector lines extend from the eye to the four corners of the page which creates four triangle [true] planes, then four section lines between the corners define the 2D plane.).
This is a convention as humans are used to rectangular areas, but the true simplest area with the minimum of components is the triangle. The triangle is the symbol for an area within a plane.
3D Space: Using the above 2D space setup and adding plane rotation and infinite planes, a space between the planes can be defined relative to the originating point. The space between planes is a 'volume'.
Alternate
Used as an on/ off switch symbol.
Binary and symbolism (and Time)
Combining the concepts of the zero and one
The first true language of the Ghod.
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Wave form (energy)
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Symbol - various.
Pattern (variation)
Variation in the vibration of energy, gives rise to variation. Variation gives rise patter and pattern gives rise to [structure]
Pattern recognition within rhythm due to grouping. This give rise to the concept of symbols other than the circle and circle/bseting line (already a variation).
Tech
At it's heart Tech is a 'concept language' that goes beyond mere speech. This is because of the Implants allow direct communication of incredibly complex ideas and concepts, so parts of the language may be beyond the scope of modern day languages.
For example: A 3D file is written in a language, that produces a 3D space model. Not only is the base language part of tech, these special 3D models also become part of the language. In relation to each other, the base language is a lower order than the 3D model language, which in comparison to the base language is considered high order (one create the other).
Even repeatable scripts to create basic shapes and modeling are considered language. Further to this the final models and file collected can be seen as an argument, and the 3D simulation of complex designs like computer chips can be seen as arguments or design concepts of a larger system, say designing a super computer cluster which in turn brings about models and simulations of process and intelligence. Tech goes from the basic letters all the way up to the most complex designs of artificial minds. This all works becuase of the fantastic spead the Tech priests can communicate at in 'cyber space'.
Biology: Even a simple 4 digit code of DNA can be seen as two part letter pairs into a word which is a gene, combined into sentence which is a DNA strand, combined into a paragraph which is chromosome, collected together into a book with is the complete DNA of a life form. Onto this the next layer is the operation of the system, added subsystems (Like Mitochondria DNA) the construction of the proteins is all considered the story of the system, but the worlds are 3d protein molecules (more accurate than written) but the layering takes into account of lower level recording and a model can be written as a basic written word formula, or a data 3d file script.
//NOTICE: wave form script requires are 'speech synthesiser' implant, this allows the decoding of symbols based on waveforms//
Symbols: There are many symbols combined into the language, unlike the simple 26 characters of the english alphabet, it is more akin to chinese character components, where each stroke within a chinese character can be considered a 'component' (spline curve) that has an associated math formula to it's construction relating to pronunciation*. These spline curves can be combined into simple word component characters (similar to english letters) and the characters combined into syllables. The syllables are then used to construct words, using logic argument similar to Greek.
*The allows for the imprinting of phonetics into the word (similar in concepts to dictionary phonetic code but very complex), also mood (thought space) or arguments (math like symbols). It is interesting but the symbols acutely tell you how the fit together, the rules of maths are encoded into the language. The phonetic component is associated with encoded 'sound fonts', which are the basis of synthesised speech and describe how to say the word but also the sound font shows allows you to hear the word.
Underpinnings: this makes the logogramic syllabes a layer above as they have to be explained in machine code. At the basic level the core machine code is binary, a simple positive and negative written + and -.
The language is a ground up concept, from core 0, to yes/ no (+/-) (comnined +/0/-) binary to base 4, 8, 16, 32 etc.
Becuase the lanuage is based from maths is it repeatable and 100% duplicatable.
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A conscious mind is required to recognise the higher levels. The Cult recognises that various systems are better as different things, for example a computer using silicon chips based on transistors are excellent at processing binary information at incredible speed and reproducing digital information flawlessly. However, the human mind is better at interpreting the high level languages consisting of several thousand characters and images, and considering concept and making decisions, but not so good at handling raw digital data. A computer, if complex enough can simulate, but that is the problem it is a simulation, based on the response of a human decision making process, if a machine encounters something entirely new it is lost, whereas a human can always make a decision and 'guess'. The biggest problem for the machine is that is has to try and model the warp side events of the human and that is very difficult, because sometime input data is via the warp side not the materium - which really messes up simulations of the human psyche.
//A Psyker based 'machine' mind made in border space (similar to a warp engine design but used differently) is very good as predicition of events and cause and effect, at creating effects and distoring reality, but not so good at human intereaction and remaining 'lawful'.//
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There are various layers to the language, with each layer becoming increasing complex. The most complex layer component etches as are assembled into 'runes'. The distinction is made between other elements and runes because runes are considered 'magike'. They are are used to inscribe the mind of the proto machine god, often referred to as the 'key' of technology, the core runes are therefore 'Key Runes'.
Runes
Built up from component etches into a 'Runes', which form the basics of tech designs of the 'stone men' sentience. A rune inscribed into media in the right order will create functioning sentience.
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Runes are described with match spline models built into the character to describe a function. So a transistor gate symbol is a 3d spline model of the gate with material information embedded into the symbol. It like a complete 3d blueprint.
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To imagine how this works think of the masks used in modern chip photolithography, each mask is a 'rune of sentence' and combine into a 'sentence' of many masks overlaid onto each other a functioning chip is created.
However where silicon chips can have 20 or 30 masks, 3D crystal based Optoelectronic chips can have thousands, sometimes millions of masks. Full runes stacks (laid out in square blocks in full 3D) are incredibly complex, and often a stylised short hand version is used (a low level of language) written out in 2d strings, also various component parts symbolise concepts in design and function, where the function of the unit is symbolised in the rune. Also, in some cases the catelogue number is used instead ot the rune, to create number strings.
Full rune stacks are only written to mask layers. Old masks are considered 'holy'.
The language is in some ways a biological rendering of machine concepts, where schematic symbols describe human logic.
Higher up the runes used to calculated 3D synaptic firing patterning in Bio-photonics chips are similar to 3D models. Here each rune describe a network rather than the synapse, where the synapse in rendered in codes similar to DNA.
Unspoken: Runes are not a spoken language but a concept language, pass from mind to mind via the elecrograft implants.
Runic Shorthand (cipher): A corresponding language below direct rune scribing used to symbolise a Rune (engineering drawings). These are Runic symbols, not the Runes themselves.
Lower layers
A separate ' language', is the sub-set of Tech with deals with 'Rune's language'; the language used by the runes themselves, not to be confused with the language that is used to make the runes. An analogy to our world technology would be 'software'. There many layers of Rune's languages, and many versions. They all have one thing in common and that is they use a completely different set of symbols to the Runic shorthand.
It is from Rune's language that the symbols of human language is derived. Unlike our world where CPUs think very differently to humans, the advanced minds of the machine of the dark age used language concepts similar to ours at the higher levels. High Gothic is a higher concept language of Rune's language, used for machine thought. Again it has several levels like most of Tech, Pure High Gothic is considered a mid range conceptualisation language used in sentient thought patterns.
This level of Tech is a mixture of pictograms, logograms, symbols and grapheme combined into a complex language (in some ways similar to phonetic Japanese rendering of western words/ names in concept). For example the symbol of 'power' is a circle and bisecting line, and this can be incorporated into words as a letter or part of a logogram. It is this level and sub-set of tech that is the basis of High Gothic.
Low gothic
This is a further simplification of High Gothic, striping out the more technical symbols and leaving a phonetic symbol alphabet. This is based of level one tech, and many of the 'operating' symbols are identical to the ones used thousands of years ago (no need to change them). In fact a modern day human may recognise the 'on', 'play' or 'stop' button on many a 40K gadget, and recognise the symbols in writing, though pronouncing them would be impossible, but you could learn quickly as you know what eh symbol means.
Tech
In conclusion the amount of 'Tech' most humans use is very small, a subset (low Gothic) of a subset (High Gothic) of subset (Rune's language) of a subset (Rune). Most humans can manage to get by with a few thousand pictograms, Tech is made up of billions of components, arrayed into infinite combinations. This is why Implants are so important to gain a full understanding of Tech.
Communication
Speaking or writing concepts of ideas. designs in full Tech is obviously impossible due to it huge side and the high languages 3D nature. Here the WiFi and P2P ability of implants comes into play, and one disciple can direct transfer their thoughts and visualisations to another disciple. It like shifting a huge 3D file and then viewing it in your imagination. Schematic Files are transferred in 'shorthand' and the base libraries within the disciple's implants can then translate into a full Rune visualization.
This file sharing allows 'arguments' on certain complex subjects such a population management to be run as simulations, where the entire data set is the 'idea' shown with all variables, and can be passed back and forth to be tweaked, and passed to others.
With 'Tech' all disciplines combine into one fluid language. The Cult sees it as all being related and inter-dependant.
Summery
The entire tech language stack can be shown thus;
Text
Low order (symbolism)
Zero state (concept of zero)
Binary static state (positive and negative)
Base Rhythm, Binary code. Introduces the concept of time (the switch)
Pattern recognition within rhythm due to grouping
Symbolism (singular concept) short hand symbol of pattern group and associated concept
Symbolism sting (language) multiple symbols with assigned meaning to describe complex concepts introduce of concept fragments
Symbolism string with tone (spoken word) Phonetics (introduces 'flavour' cultural cues) multiple concurrent strings inc. Math
Symbolism schematic/ diagram (network) multi divergent string interlinked (electronic or engineering drawings), component symbols
Node network with weighting, as phonetics/ song but for networks. Multiple interlaced strings. Also net weight maps.
Node network 3D schematic with weighting. of conceptal intelligence.
Note: Ad-Mec can write in freeform spider diagrams to encapsulate arguments and thought processes as a regular written medium (not seen as a diagram as such, as the diagram is linked concepts, the Ad-Mec is strings and can be very complex)
Medium order (direct - linked to low order)
Analogue projection
Analogue recording
Digital recording >> Digital links to binary, analogue should be higher order? more complex? difficult. digital work because of net
Digital projection
Artificial (net) synthetic generation capture
Artificial (net) synthetic generation render (includes human speech articulating thought as a sub-set)
Could include wave form synthetic pattern (phonetic carrier/ sound font)
CPU layer mask 3D. Actual process of component.
High order (concept)
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