Sash

[Stormsong]

I just noticed this adn I'm not sure if it has been addressed before but I'm rereading Warbreaker and I noticed that the letter Sash pops up, page 214, Siri tells the God King that this is "the letter sash." The same letter is used in The Way of Kings as a glyph, which implies that the alphabet or something are shared between Warbreaker (forgot the planet's name) and Roshar. Just something I noticed, I'm still pondering the implications but I feel like it's important.

[Senor Feesh]

I thought it was 'Shash' rather than 'sash'. This has been mentioned before, I believe someone asked Brandon about it in an interview.

[Meg]

Indeed
 
 

Posted by Brandon Sanderson on 28 September 2012 - 03:39 AM in Cosmere Theories

'llwvyn', on 26 Sept 2012 - 03:09, said:

Thanks for doing this!

(spoilers obviously)

My question is in regards to the writing system. In Warbreaker, when Siri is teaching Susebron to read, she mentions the letter "shash," which we now know better as a Glyphair from WoK.

so onto the questions:

Are the two writing systems related, or is this a chance coincidence of names?

If they are related, did they stem from the same source? (i.e., do the people of Nalthis and Roshar both descend from a more ancient group of people?)

If I haven't gotten a RAFO yet, did the separation from these other people create the legends of being cast out of the Tranquiline Halls?

There are interesting connections around the cosmere between linguistics and some cultures. Though different groups of humans were created on different planets, the Shards all share a single point of origin. However, the Tranquiline Halls legends are not related to a Nalthis/Roshar connection.

 

source

[Senor Feesh]

Also, just finished a Warbreaker re-read, and realised Denth's sister was named Shashara. I realise it's less relevant, as it's two examples from Nalthis, but still...

[Leuthie]

Possible evidence of Shard created humans? Shared language implies shared origin. All Shareholders came from Yolen. If a Shard creates humans, that Shard would seed their language with the Shardholder's own language. If a Shard goes to an already populated planet with previously developed language, such a seeding would be more difficult.

[Phantom Monstrosity]

The problem with any 'similar untranslated words' theory, is that it's really easy to do stuff like that by accident. For example, 'Ati' is an Aon in Elantris (IIRC, it means 'hope'), but that's been confirmed as just a coincidence.

[Leuthie]

With Ati, you're comparing a name and a word. When fully formed words and ideas are in play, similarities like that can be discarded since we're dealing with a non linguist author creating language systems that all.must be readable by an English speaking audience. Shash as a letter in two unrelated languages is much more difficult to dismiss as coincidence. Their placement in the two stories jumps out as being intentional as well.

[darkanimereal1]

Honestly, I think the shared language goes back to a bigger idea that language, particularly written language, plays a huge role in many of the books. We know that Ati and Leras couldn't read words written in metal, but that Ati could alter words that were written otherwise. We know that writing something down about a spren "defines" it so that it can no longer change. The Aons and other symbols on Sel (such as those used for Dahkor and Forgry) are all powered by written language or "letters"/symbols used to create words. I think written language is going to become a huge theme that connects all of the magic systems, since they all originate from (essentially) the same basic sorce: Adonalsium. I have to look around, but I remember reading an answer by Brandon saying that all of the Shards shared the same language because it was the language they had found where they originated--I'll have to go find it. I also wonder if the Herald's not having any accent would tie into this.

 

Honestly, I think it's a pretty cool idea--it's like having words that can create or manipulate magic, when that's exactly what's happening: written words creating magic on the page. I dunno, it kind of ties into the idea that Galavantes posted about here. I personally read Hoid's words that Galavantes highlights in that thread as him saying that he understands he is a character in a book.