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Can you imagine creating a new language for a drama? The TV series "Border Water Past" starring Guo Qilin and Wu Zhenyu is currently on the air. What arouses the curiosity of the audience is where the mysterious scene in the play comes from? It is actually the land of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, which is transformed into Sanbianpo in the play - a fantasy border town.

In addition to the curiosity about the "Sanbianpo" region, the most frequently used line in the drama - "Vasali" has also become popular. Reporters learned that "Vasali" comes from the new language systematically created for the fictional world "Sanbianpo" in "Bianshui Past" - Bomo language, which means "good luck and good fortune" and is the language used by the locals of "Sanbianpo" when they meet and say goodbye. "Bomo language" is also the first new language systematically created for a drama in China.

When the locals of "Sanbianpo" meet or say goodbye, they will greet each other with "Vasali" (good luck).

"The Past by the Edge" fictionalizes a complex exotic world - Sanbianpo, where the rookie worker Shen Xing (played by Guo Qilin) ​​accidentally stranded here meets the mysterious boss Uncle Cai (played by Wu Zhenyu) who wanders among various forces, thus starting an adventure full of dangers. A return guided by a glimmer of kindness is staged in the struggle between staying and escaping.

"This drama is really well-made. In order to show the exotic texture as much as possible, the crew specially asked someone to invent a language." Creating a brand new language for a drama has aroused the amazement of netizens. It is reported that the Bomo language has 17 initials, 7 finals, and 4 tones. It was created by Yan Wenkan, a native of Yunnan, over a period of more than 100 days. Yan Wenkan, a language expert who is included in the translation group of the TV series cast and crew, has been engaged in teaching and translation for 10 years and is currently engaged in cultural research. This experience made him realize the broad applicability of linguistics. "Next, I plan to focus my research on the methodology of scientific creation of language." Yan Wenkan said.

Creating a new language systematically is a huge and complex task. Previously, domestic audiences had only seen it in Hollywood blockbusters such as Avatar, Dune and The Lord of the Rings. According to Lao Suan, the director of The Waterside, the Bomo language is not made up, but a new language system created based on linguistic principles, and even a Bomo script was created specifically for it.

As the "Father of Bomo Language", Yan Wenkan is proficient in seven languages ​​and has studied the structure, evolution and usage of languages. According to Yan Wenkan, creating a new language means building a complete language system from scratch, including pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar rules and other aspects. It not only requires a lot of time and energy for research and design, but also ensures that the internal logic and external expressiveness of the language are in an ideal state.

In the process of creating the Bomo language, not only the authenticity of the language was considered, but also the difficulty of learning for the actors. In the design of initials and finals, Yan Wenkan selected sounds that are easy for native Chinese speakers to pronounce, including 17 initials and 7 finals. In terms of tones, Bomo language has designed 4 tones, which are similar to Mandarin. Actors only need to master one tone to speak Bomo language with a regional accent.

In order to help the actors quickly learn the "Bomo language", Yan Wenkan produced special language courses and learning materials. According to him, the actors worked very hard. They not only learned the pronunciation and grammar of Bomo language, but also deeply understood the cultural connotations behind the language. During the filming, Yan Wenkan had teaching interactions with the actors every day, correcting and giving feedback on the actors' pronunciation.

(Source: Ziniu News Author: Zhang Nan)