I have spent the last week or so writing my own loosely functional Silurian based off of snippets I've found in other authors fanfiction (specifically lyricwrites from livejournal and greyghost from AO3). This chapter will focus on some of my creation but if you find it dull do not worry - I do not plan on having lesson plans through my fanfiction. If you ARE interested in learning more I have examples of the language on my tumblr an will include links in the end notes.


We missed a weeks' worth of lessons chasing after some bloke who kept settin' fire ta damn near everything he touched – Madame thought he mighta been diffrunt like 'er; but in the end we learned 'e just really really loved fire.

But today we finally got 'round ta learnin' some sounds – 'n boy Madame Vastra weren't jokin'!

Silurian really aint designed fer humans ta learn; at least not easily. Some 'o the sounds she makes I can do, but there are a handful that 'm worried I may never get!

We only worked on consonants today but I reckon it'd be smart ta write down what we covered in me journal; that way if I have ta go 'nother week 'tween lessons I won't be so lost!

Probably best ta start with the sounds 'm familiar with:

We got 'buh' /b/ like in bug 'n 'duh' /d/ like in dog (Madame told me ta write the sounds 'tween slashes so as to tell each sound apart from one'n'other)

/f/ like in for

/g/ like in go

/h/ like in hen

/j/ like in join

/k/ like in king (even tho' we've only got'a queen)

/l/ like in let

/m/ like in mad (or ma'am 'n Madame!)

/n/ like in name

/p/ like in pot

/kw/ like in queen

/r/ like in run (we do an awful lot of this!)

/s/ like in say

/t/ like in tea

/v/ like in Victoria (God bless 'er!)

/w/ like in wise

/ks/ like in exit

/y/ like in yet

/z/ like in zoo

There were some other sounds too, sounds I guess I make all the time but never think 'bout when 'm usin' my letters ta write.

/ch/ like in chew

/jz/ like in beige (this one's a lot 'o fun to say)

/th/ like in think but there's also /th/ like in them – 'n it makes me lips tingle!

/sh/ like in ship

/ng/ like in ring

/ts/ like in tisk – its 'n awful lot like the sound me Ma used ta make 'for she yelled at us

Then there are the strange ones... 'n the ones I can't say.

/s̀/ - it's real similar ta a normal /s/ but 'm supposta put me tongue against me bottom teeth so it's extra noisy.

/zh/ - it kinda sounds like a fuzzy /s/ or like 'zzaah' I can make it but it aint quite right yet

/hl/ - this one sounds like a really hissy L – which I'd never thought I'd hear

/rr/ - is like a rolling sound, 'm pretty sure I've heard folks make it but I sure don't know how

/shtsh/ is like a rattle you'd see a baby playin' with... I think ya need a tongue like Madame's ta make it.

/s̋/ - it's a super high pitched /s/ sound. Madame showed me how ta pull my lips back 'n make a grin (tho it looks like 'm constipated) so that it sounds right. She said it's a warnin' sound to 'er people 'n when used on its own it means 'stop' or 'stay back'. She wants us ta use it during practice from now on so we don't even need ta think about it durin' cases.

Next time Madame Vastra promised ta teach me the vowels 'n then tell me about some basic words 'er people used all the time.

I sure hope there some 'o the ones I can say!


If you want to learn more about my Silurian language then check out my profile for my tumblr Silurian 101 masterpost

this link will update as I find the time to add more (including grammar and sentence structure examples).

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment or a like; suggestions and prompts are always welcome.

Prompts in the works: Madame Vastra experiencing Opium.