SCP-9320

Link to article: SCP-9320.
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[[include :scp-wiki:theme:basalt]]
[[include :scp-wiki:theme:basalt centertitle=a]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:wide-image-sizer]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:advanced-information-methodology  

|XXXX=9320   

|lv=three 

|cc=EXPLAINED  

|dc=DARK  

|site=Outpost 9320 

|dir=N/A

|head=Dr. Camilla Tawshac  

|mtf=N/A

]]

[[include component:image-block
    name=https://scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/scp-9320/noiFDX6.jpeg |
    caption=Pando, the largest clone colony tree |
    align=center |
    width=100%
]]

**Special Containment Procedures:** Establishment of a preliminary translation guide will be conducted by Dr. Tawshac (linguistics), Dr. Quensolima (biology), and Dr. Koaganno (sophontology), before being released to additional teams for expansion into dialects and linguistic history. Personnel of clearance Level 3 or higher are permitted to learn the language, but are not permitted access to the translation equipment, as the tools used to measure and transcribe the patterns that make up SCP-9320  are delicate and few in number. Any personnel wishing to access the linguistic guide documents may do so via written request, pending approval by Dr. Tawshac. Outpost 9320  has been established in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Park, Utah, for purposes of gaining detailed knowledge of one specific dialect before branching into others.

Due to the immensity of the discovery and its non-anomalous nature, the Foundation is currently evaluating means of releasing much of the research to the general public following conclusion of the initial investigation.

**Description:** SCP-9320  is the language used by presumably all species of tree. Initially thought to be anomalous due to a prior lack of evidence supporting the idea of plant intelligence, Foundation research has concluded that the language is, in fact, entirely ordinary, as all of the biological processes used to construct the language are already known to mundane science.

The discovery of SCP-9320  began during an investigation into Pando, the largest clonal colony tree in the world, as a possible anomaly, after readings noticed an unusual series of sound waves emanating from the clone tree's root system. Subsequent investigations into other trees within US National Forests discovered similar and often identical patterns, leading to the translation and acknowledgement of the patterns as a functioning, if rudimentary, language system.
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[[div class="notation"]]
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**To:** n.quensolima@scipnet, r.koaganno@scipnet
**From:** c.tawshac@scipnet
**Subject:** Pending Publication
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Greetings, team,

I am aware that after the notice from powers that be, emotions are running high concerning publication of our research in Utah. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you both to temper your expectations, seeing as if we do get to bring our work outside the Veil, it will likely take years to reach that point. Let's take our time here, be as thorough as we need to be, and enjoy the process. I am looking forward to getting to know you ladies beyond your very impressive resumes. I believe this opportunity will eventually become a highlight of all our careers.

Dr. Camilla Tawshac

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[[/div]]

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[[div class="notation"]]
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**To:** c.tawshac@scipnet, r.koaganno@scipnet
**From:** n.quensolima@scipnet
**Subject:** Re:Pending Publication
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Hi Dr. T! I PROMISE I'm not over-excited or anything I think I'm an appropriate amount of excited. This is so cool right?! I'd love to publish but I can wait I mean it's not like we aren't going to have a million cool things to do before then anyway. The cabin looks so cozy! It's going to be just like camping. I'm looking forward to working with you all too! 

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[[/div]]

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[[div class="notation"]]
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**To:** c.tawshac@scipnet, n.quensolima@scipnet
**From:** r.koaganno@scipnet
**Subject:** Re:Pending Publication
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publishing is such a shit process anyway so idrc if we ever get around to it. weve already got 01 breathing down our necks w this its not like i want MORE attention

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[[/div]]

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[[div class="notation"]]
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**To:** c.tawshac@scipnet, r.koaganno@scipnet
**From:** n.quensolima@scipnet
**Subject:** Re:Pending Publication
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We should get them to call us Operation Lorax. Because we speak for the trees? Or I guess we speak WITH the trees. 

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[[/div]]

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[[div class="notation"]]
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**To:** n.quensolima@scipnet, r.koaganno@scipnet
**From:** c.tawshac@scipnet
**Subject:** Re:Pending Publication
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Hey team,

Maybe we can watch the movie together on one of our days off. See you both next week.

Dr. Camilla Tawshac

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[[/div]]

[[div class="notation"]]
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To: c.tawshac@scipnet, n.quensolima@scipnet
From: r.koaganno@scipnet
Subject: Re:Pending Publication
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we SHOULd watch it it sucks

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[[/div]]
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 _

+ SCP-9320  Translation Guide

++ Section I. Vibrational Components

Vibrational components make up what we can most closely understand as morphemes[[footnote]]The shortest root of a word, excluding affixes or other modifiers -T [[/footnote]]. For our purposes, we will be studying the dialect of //Populus tremuloides// [[footnote]]Quaking Aspen [[/footnote]], but variation in the language between tree species appears to be more limited than the variance in human languages, likely due to limited mobility, increased species interconnectedness, and narrower intellect[[footnote]]still up for debate impo -K[[/footnote]]. 

**Phonology -** In addition to known bioacoustic methods of sound wave creation present in all plant species, trees utilize a specialized set of five sounds to construct vibrational morphemes that can be modified by electrical and chemical modifiers (more in Sections II and III). The sounds are created within the roots, trunk, branches, and leaves of the tree. Language is only distinguished from ordinary movement and VOC[[footnote]]Volatile Organic Compounds -Q[[/footnote]] emission through patterns and context, contributing to the difficulty in initially deciphering communications as language. These sounds are described in the following table and are presented with the location used to create them and the corresponding romanized notation, meant to mimic the sound intuitively to English-speaking translators.

||~ Sound ||~ Notation ||~ Location ||
|| large tap || T || roots ||
|| small tap || t || roots ||
|| scrape || R || branches ||
|| groan || U || trunk ||
|| rustle || S || leaves[[footnote]]We could call it "TRUSt" to help remember! -Q[[/footnote]][[footnote]]thats good as hell actually yeah -K[[/footnote]] ||

Morphemes are also constructed using two types of stops, a hard stop **[.]** and a soft stop **[,]**. These stops are created physically, similar to oral and nasal stops in human languages. Stops represent delineation between syllables. It is noted that morphemes have never been observed to begin with **[S]** or **[t]**, suggesting that the strength of the beginning phoneme is part of how subjects distinguish between non-linguistic vibrations, and actual language[[footnote]]Similar to human exhalation being a sound that can occur with or without inflection -T[[/footnote]][[footnote]]Oh yeah we're very familiar with the different meanings of a loud exhale :P -Q[[/footnote]][[footnote]]this is targeted harassment im telling hr, jk they wouldnt care -K[[/footnote]].

[[div class="papernote"]]

Ladies,

Please try to avoid stacking our annotations. It impacts the legibility of our working draft. Thank you!

- Camilla

[[/div]]

**Noun Construction** - SCP-9320  only consists of --three-- two[[footnote]]No adjectives, fascinating! -T[[/footnote]] types of words - nouns and verbs. All other parts of speech are created by modifying nouns and verbs using electrical and chemical modifiers. Nouns are created from two parts, a defining independent root and a specifying dependent root. Both the independent and dependent roots are constructed to replicate the vibrational "sound" that the noun in question emits, as perceived by the tree through its root system. Each prefix consists of two phonemes followed by one stop. So far, we have observed five different defining vibrational prefixes and have listed below glosses of their phonetic components, translations, and hypothesized mimicry.

> **Tt,**
> (large tap)(small tap)(soft stop)
> 'Animal'
> Footsteps

> **UT.**
> (groan)(large tap)(hard stop)
> 'Object'
> The impact of a falling rock

> **Rt.**
> (scrape)(small tap)(hard stop)
> 'Insect'
> An insect landing on a surface

> **RS,**
> (scrape)(rustle)(soft stop)
> 'Plant'
> Movement of leaves and branches

> **UU,**
> (groan)(groan)(soft stop)
> 'Location'
> --Undetermined-- Multiple tree "voices," as heard in a forest[[footnote]]they seem to think of everywhere in terms of the presence of trees. or plants to a lesser extent. do they perceive a difference between coniferous and deciduous? -K[[/footnote]]

Noun suffixes are more flexible in their number of phonemes and stops, with researchers observing as few as two sounds and one stop to ten sounds and seven stops. Regardless of the number of phonemes in any complete word, all words end with a stop. Similarly to the prefix, the suffix serves to elaborate more on the sound waves created by the noun in question, with objects and locations producing shorter suffixes, and mobile creatures producing longer ones. 

Because of their extremely limited sensory perception and passive culture --? Explain[[footnote]]we havent seen them discuss much of a desire to change the world around them. except for reproduction. but they mostly seem okay with just hanging out -K[[/footnote]]--, trees have very little motivation to develop specificity in their language, leading to nouns that are broad and generalizing, distinguishing on the primary basis of the sound an object or creature makes. Take for example the morpheme **[Tt,tt,R.]**. 


> **Tt,tt,R.**
> (large tap)(small tap)(soft stop)(small tap)(small tap)(soft stop)(scrape)(hard stop)
> 'Small vocal animal'
> Quiet footsteps and quiet vocalization

This word is constructed of the prefix **[Tt,]** meaning 'animal,' and the suffix **[tt,R.]**, which is built of phonemes thought to represent small footsteps **[tt,]** and vocalization **[R.]** that is both prevalent enough to be defining, but quiet enough not to warrant a groan phoneme **[U]** or a second scrape **[R]**. The hard stop encodes additional information, hypothetically representing a lack of echo or a shortness of the vocalizations themselves.

This word **[Tt,tt,R.]** refers to any kind of small land animal that regularly vocalizes, and can include house cats and raccoons, but excludes animals of similar size that do not vocalize often, such as rodents and possibly reptiles, which are described with the different but similar morpheme **[Tt,tt,S.]** with the substitution of the softer sibilant rustle **[S]** replacing the stronger **[R]**. Similarly, small animals that dig often include the sound **[RS,]**, as in the word for foxes and small dogs **[Tt,tt,R.RS,]**, or burrowing animals like badgers and rabbits **[Tt,tt,S.RS,]**. Large animals substitute the diminutive **[tt,]** for the stronger **[TT,]**, and large animals that vocalize loudly for longer periods often include a dual groan and a soft stop **[UU,]**, as observed in the words for deer, elk, and moose **[Tt,TT,S,UU,]** and wolves or large dogs **[Tt,TT,RS,UU,]**. The word for 'human,' **[Tt,Tt.U,RUR.]** includes in its suffix the syllable used in the word for 'car/vehicle/machine,' **[UT.RUR.]**, linguistically attaching humans to our machines and furthering the hypothesis that SCP-9320  was not developed until after the industrial revolution[[footnote]]hard to ask about "before" and "after" bc i dont think they even think about time that way. makes sense if u live for 100s of years. memories possibly stored in rings like computer data -K[[/footnote]].

Nouns are pluralized by repeating the first defining syllable, changing "human" **[Tt,Tt.U,RUR.]** to "humans" **[Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.]** and "fox" **[Tt,tt,R.RS,]** to "foxes" **[Tt,Tt,tt,R.RS,]**[[footnote]]We have not observed numerals yet. It is possible that trees simply lack a number system entirely. -T[[/footnote]][[footnote]]theyve got "one" and "a lot." makes sense given they dont seem to acknowledge individuals for reasons beyond pointing out where something is -K[[/footnote]].

[[div class="papernote"]]
Does that mean they can't tell the difference between each of us? Sorry I didn't want to add another annotation because you said not to! -Q
[[/div]]

**Modified Nouns as Pronouns -** SCP-9320  lacks specific morphemes for pronouns, instead using electrical components to modify existing nouns with first, second, and third person cases. This means that instead of having a dedicated word for "me," "him," or "you all," SCP-9320  constructs phrases that translate literally to (for example) "human that is me" **[_Tt,Tt.U,RUR.]** or "tree that is it" **[^RS,UU]** or "foxes that are you all" **[-Tt,Tt,tt,R.RS,]** As trees display an extremely limited perception of individuality, the first person and third person cases are often used interchangeably when referencing themselves, with phrases like "tree that is me" and "tree that is this one right here" carrying the same meaning. More information will be provided in Section III on electrical components.  

**Verb Construction -** Where nouns consist of two roots, verbs are always created using only one syllable. Although only one stop is permitted when constructing verbs, an upper limit on phonemes has not been observed. This makes it possible to modify a noun into a verb[[footnote]]Adjective creation. -T[[/footnote]], a concept which will be explored further in Section II. Like nouns, verbs are constructed to mimic the sound of the action being described, which leads to interesting articulations of abstract actions, like the heavily modified **[^^xabcd[sr]^^(O)^UUS,_]**, which is roughly translated to "think." Contrarily, while nouns can generally stand on their own through only the vibrational morpheme, verbs depend heavily on electrical and chemical modifiers to encode meaning.

**Modified Verbs as Adjectives -** Although they possess multiple senses, trees' perception of outside objects and forces is based almost entirely on tangible, physical input, primarily vibrations[[footnote]]Because basically all their senses are either feeling or smelling! They can feel vibrations, electrical impulses, temperature, even light. That's why no adjectives! -Q[[/footnote]]. And although trees do have systems for detecting light, this too manifests in physical "touch" input rather than vision. Because of this perception, trees think of descriptors as actions that a subject is doing, rather than something it is inherently. Trees have no concept of how an animal looks, and a limited idea of how a creature smells, but a much more complex grasp on how a creature sounds and moves. When describing a noun, instead of using a phrase like "small foxes," SCP-9320  constructs phrases that translate literally to "foxes that are smalling, always." These modifications are applied using chemical components, which are detailed in Section II. 

**Modified Verbs as Prepositions and Adverbs -** SCP-9320  eliminates the need for prepositions and adverbs by using electrical components to encode a verb with a physical description of the action. This functions similarly to manual languages and their use of movement to add additional layers of information to an action. This idea will be described more in Section III[[footnote]]Once I refresh my memory on sign language orthographies. -T[[/footnote]].
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[[div class="jotting"]]
**Translation Notes - 4 August 2024**

**[UT.SURT,]**[[footnote]]utsurt lol -K[[/footnote]]
--Object?-- Effect? 
//Uses every vibrational form in the suffix! -Q//
//they use this as an all purpose word but R and U for animal vocals -K//
"Noise[[footnote]]"Object" prefix also applies to phenomena? -T[[/footnote]]"

**[UU,URST (I)TtTtURUR.]**
--??? human(?)-- ??? human --(verb)-- (ADJECTIVE)
--"City?"-- //**[UU,URST]** also appears in reference to other animals -T//
//not to trees though. "forest" is [UU,RS,UU,] -K//
--"Human dwelling"-- "Cabin[[footnote]]What's with the isoprenoid emission before "human-ing?" -Q[[/footnote]]"

**[UU,U,U,RUR.]**
"City[[footnote]]**[UT.U,RUR.]** seems to be the word for "car." -T[[/footnote]]"[[footnote]]crazy that it isn't "people forest" -K[[/footnote]]

[[collapsible show="delete later" hide="Close Note?"]]
**[Rt.Tt.U,RUR.]**
--"Human"--
//"Human" uses the prefix **[Tt,].** -T//
//thats cool but theyve literally never used U,RUR. for anything that isnt human related -K//
//What's **[Rt.]** again? -Q//
//Don't put this in the guide. -K//
[[/collapsible]]

[[/div]]

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[[div class="document"]]

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**Audio Transcript**

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**Tawshac:** Out with it then, Dr. K. You're already practically beside yourself.

**Quensolima:** It's so weird when you're sarcastic.

**Tawshac:** I'm not being sarcastic.

**Koaganno:** I'm so psyched I could lick the demon core.

**Tawshac:** What have you found?

**Koaganno:** All the times we have translated "rain," we've only observed //this// chemical prefix.

**Tawshac:** Affix.

**Koaganno:** Yeah- whatever, you knew what I meant. The point is this, here.

**Quensolima:** Oxygenated compounds!

**Koaganno:** Yeah. With the word "rain," we //only// get oxygenated compounds as affixes. I've never seen the other two chemicals.

**Tawshac:** The other chemicals pertain to pests and outside stressors.

**Koaganno:** Nah. Because look at this.

**Quensolima:** What's that say?

**Tawshac:** "Car," I believe. But we already know that they've acknowledged our presence.

**Koaganno:** Then why does "car" get all kinds of chemicals when "rain" only gets one?

**Quensolima:** I would assume that for objects not directly tied to a tree's bodily processes, it might be random. Possibly whatever VOC they can most easily produce at the time.

**Koaganno:** I don't think that's what it is. I think it's //opinions.//

**Tawshac:** There's little to suggest that they would have any //need// for-

**Quensolima:** See, that's not exactly true. They have family structures, they have communities. If they can use their roots to share VOCs the normal way, why couldn't they use it to pass other info, especially if they have a whole language already?

**Koaganno:** And just because emotions in other species don't work like ours or happen for the same reasons doesn't mean they don't have them.

//[Dr. Quensolima squeals.]//

**Quensolima:** I want to find out what they think of //us.//

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**End Log**

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++ Section II. Chemical Components 
SCP-9320  employs Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) to encode verbs (and sometimes nouns) with additional information. These compounds are emitted regularly for ordinary purposes known to the public, but their subtler release in smaller volumes and in correspondence to vibrational morphemes is knowledge exclusive to the Foundation. VOCs in the context of SCP-9320  function as the intonation of the language, similarly to changes in pitch in English. The compounds are organized into three categories, according to their intonational function within SCP-9320 . 

> 
> **Isoprenoids (I/i) -** Chemicals released in response to stress. Ordinarily used as a defense mechanism to redistribute or stockpile resources during a crisis, like drought or disease. Linguistically, these chemicals indicate introspective, defensive feelings, similar to anxiety, caution, or sadness.
> 
> **Oxygenated Compounds (O/o) -** These are the chemicals involved in the production of oxygen. In the context of SCP-9320 , these chemicals indicate positive or neutral opinions, like happiness and contentment[[footnote]]really hard to tell the difference between happiness and just some kind of baseline. seem to use this one for contexts that are either beneficial or harmless. working theory is that for trees "helping" and "not hurting" are the same thing -K[[/footnote]].
> 
> **Green Leaf Volatiles (G/g)** - Chemicals used in defense against pests and herbivores. Different Green Leaf Volatiles can serve to discourage pests and herbivores by introducing unpleasant smells or tastes, or to attract the predators of creatures that could harm the tree. Within SCP-9320 , these chemicals indicate external, active feelings, such as anger, assurance, or strong dislike or displeasure.
> 

Chemical components are considered affixes for the purpose of translation to human language, based on their release corresponding to a specific vibrational morpheme, typically a verb. These chemical affixes are only present as prefixes and infixes. Suffixes and circumfixes have not been observed in any SCP-9320  dialect to date[[footnote]]Although there are hundreds of species we have yet to analyze. I am looking forward to it after we finalize our initial report. -T[[/footnote]]. This is hypothesized as a method to avoid confusion between a chemical suffix of one word followed by a chemical prefix of a subsequent word. When romanized, chemical affixes are noted in parentheses before the modified word with minor affixes indicated by a lowercase letter, and major affixes by a capital. 

||~ Affix(es) ||~ Tense ||~ Notation ||
|| single minor prefix || past tense [PST] || (g) ||
|| single minor infix || future tense [FUT] || (o) ||
|| single major prefix || temporary tense [TMP] || (I) ||
|| single major infix || permanent tense [PER] || (O) ||

While the placement of chemical affixes is consistent, the specific chemical used for the affix encodes more meaning, pertaining to how the user feels about an action or a descriptor. Example verb conjugations are listed below.

||~ Root ||~ Past ||~ Future ||~ Temporary ||~ Permanent ||~ Chemical Inflection ||                 
|| run || ran || will run || is running || be running[[footnote]]The African American Vernacular English habitual "be" is the closest analogue that English has to a permanent tense -T[[/footnote]] || x ||
|| TtTt. || (g)TtTt. || Tt(g)Tt. || (G)TtTt. || Tt(G)Tt. || I do not like that it is running ||
|| TtTt. || (o)TtTt. || Tt(o)Tt. || (O)TtTt. || Tt(O)Tt. || I like that it is running, I am neutral that it is running ||
|| TtTt. || (i)TtTt. || Tt(i)Tt. || (I)TtTt. || Tt(I)Tt. || I am anxious or wary about the running ||

Note that due to differences in the perception of time, SCP-9320  lacks a present tense, opting instead for a tense indicating that a subject is in a temporary state of being or a permanent one. Permanent tense is most frequently used to modify verbs into adjectives or adverbs, changing a verb from an action being presently, actively taken by a subject, to an action that is passively taken by a subject at all times.

[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**Tt,tt,R.RS,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**T(O)S.**
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
fox
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
<PER>to be small
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
'small fox'
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]

**Exception: Negative Chemical Affixes** - There exist two exceptions to the rules regarding the use of chemical affixes. The most common is technically a rule itself, though one that differs from all other uses. In SCP-9320 , affirmation is assumed, but negation [NEG] is expressed using isoprenoids and green leaf volatiles combined. This is noted as (ig) or (IG) depending on the minor or major case of the affix used. For example, "not jumping" is expressed in SCP-9320  as **[Tt(IG)Tt.]**. Negation can also be applied to nouns, typically in the permanent [PER] tense, as is the case in the phrase "not foxes" **[Tt,tt,(IG)R.RS,]**. No other uses of combined VOCs within affixes has been observed.

**Exception: Other Chemical Modification to Nouns** - While SCP-9320  lacks dedicated adjectives, individual subjects sometimes use chemical infixes to encode descriptions of age into noun words. There is no consistent rule for this usage, and its appearance is inconsistent and irregular. The word "fox" **[Tt,tt,R.RS,]** could be modified to loosely mean "baby fox" **[Tt,(o)tt,R.RS,]**, "dead fox" **[(i)Tt,tt,R.RS,]**, or even what Foundation linguists hypothesize to mean "comically old fox" **[Tt,(O)tt,R.RS,]**, to use a few previously-observed examples. Due to the infrequent use and lack of established patterns around chemically modified nouns, we hypothesize that these words may function as a form of slang, which implies that subjects possess something similar to a human's sense of humor[[footnote]]inverse case to humans, the older trees do this more than the saplings. mature trees use fewer I/i chemicals in general. younger trees seem more aware that theyre fragile -K[[/footnote]]. 
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[[div class="jotting"]]
**Translation Notes - 21 August 2024**

**[(O)USSR, Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR. UT.U,RUR. Tt(O)TtURUR. RS(O)UU,]**

//TMP.own/have PL.human car? <PER>human(verb?) <PER>tree(verb?) -T//
//what does it mean to have human and tree as verbs -K//
//They're not verbs in this context, they're adjectives for that third morpheme. -T//
//Car? :0 -Q//
//I think it may refer to something else this time. I don't know if a car would be "tree-ing." -T//
//theyve called the ac unit a car before maybe it just means any machine -K//
//What machine would be "tree-ing" and "human-ing?" -T//
//omg what if that's our translator -K//
//Hey EVERY verb in this sentence uses the positive inflection. -Q//

"The humans have a translation machine"
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[[div class="document"]]

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**Audio Transcript**

[[/=]]

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**Quensolima:** But think of it! We could be at the start of one of the biggest scientific discoveries in //history!// One of the biggest //civil rights// discoveries!

**Tawshac:** Watch the edge of that rug, dear, it tends to flip up.

**Quensolima:** I'm watching- Aren't you more excited?! I mean, this goes //beyond// the Foundation! 

**Tawshac:** Nickie, there is very little that goes beyond the Foundation.

**Koaganno:** Any of this is putting a lot of faith that "Nothing Ever Leaves Co." is going to be up for setting any of our work loose to the filthy normies.

**Quensolima:** Shut up, Renee, I know how much you love those normies. 

**Koaganno:** I love dirt and grime. 

**Quensolima:** Can't you see it, though? We could start right here, in the Foundation! We could lobby Congress to get the National Forests expanded! Or- Or we could buy up more of the land ourselves!

**Tawshac:** Maybe someday.

**Quensolima:** You'd be up for it, right? You two? I mean, we would //have// to be, wouldn't we? The first people to translate their language? We would //have// to stick up for them! We'd have a moral obligation. I mean, look what we've been doing to them for hundreds of years! //Thousands// of years!

**Koaganno:** Jury's still out on when they developed intelligence in the first place. Everything we've got says they haven't even //had// language for more than a couple centuries. 

**Quensolima:** Which means they've had it long enough to remember plenty of loggings! This is //huge!// They have language, they have feelings, they have jokes and holidays and art! They have all your culture stuff!

**Koaganno:** Not all of it. Most of it. But maybe we'll have to redefine what makes a culture too, now.

**Quensolima:** I'm sorry. I know I'm being loud. This is just so big and I can't believe I'm a part of it. This //has// to be one of the biggest discoveries the Foundation has ever made. Normal discoveries, anyway.

**Koaganno:** I fuckin' hope not.

**Quensolima:** …Why not?

**Koaganno:** Because the best place to be in this ass company is good enough not to get the shit work, but not important enough to get put in charge of the //really// shit work.

//[A few seconds of silence]//

**Koaganno:** Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade or something. I'm just saying- you know, be careful what you wish for. The Foundation doesn't exactly give a shit about the "rights" stuff. That's all.

**Tawshac:** Do you think they evolved the ability to use language because of us?

**Koaganno:** I dunno. But we're the only other species that has it.

-----

[[=]]

End Log

[[/=]]

-----

[[/div]]
@@ @@ 
-----
@@ @@ 

++ Section III. Electrical Components

Trees, like all flora, are capable of transmitting electrical signals between cells, from their canopy to the furthest reaches of their root systems. These signals can be shared between subjects, and the same interconnected systems can transfer nutrients and resources to other trees to maintain the health of the colony. The Foundation has discovered that these networks can also be used to project "images" of one individual subject to another individual, allowing one tree to "feel" the signals of another tree's "body" within their own "body." SCP-9320  utilizes this system for an additional layer of meaning that can be applied to its vibrational morphemes, particularly verbs, but nouns as well. 

Electrical components occur on two axes[[footnote]]The ironic thing about manual languages is that they are stupendously intuitive to use and nearly impossible to transcribe simply into text. But we have done our best. -T[[/footnote]]. The first is vertical, consisting of the roots as one area, the trunk as a second, and the canopy as a third. For simplicity, this is designated the Y-axis. The second is a flat, radial plane around the base of the tree, located in the root system. Where the Y-axis has three areas of operation, the radial plane has three concentric circles where signals can move in any direction. For translation, this plane is labeled with nine points. This is designated the X-axis. 

[[include component:image-block | name=https://scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/scp-9320/ZClEtca.png | caption=fig 3.1]]

**The Y-Axis -** The physical signals may be the same in each area, but the meaning is not. The Y-axis refers to perspective, with the canopy area indicating third person, the trunk second, and the roots first[[footnote]]roots are first person because thats where the colony is interconnected and where they seem to place their sense of "self" if u can call it that. if humans did this our first person would probably be our head -K[[/footnote]]. Y-axis electrical modifiers are applied to verbs to indicate who or what is performing the action. The notation for the three areas is indicated below.

||~ Area ||~ Meaning ||~ Notation ||
|| canopy || third person [3] || caret (^) ||
|| trunk || second person [2] || dash (-) ||
|| roots || first person [1] || underscore (_) ||

Electrical component notation is applied at the beginning of the morpheme, after the chemical notation if one is present. It is not contained in any kind of bracket. Below are examples of Y-axis electrical modifiers applied to a verb and a noun.
@@ @@ 
[[=]]


**(O)-RStSt.**
TMP.2.help
'You help[[footnote]]The morpheme **[RStSt.]** is used frequently in reference to sharing nutrients with smaller saplings. -T[[/footnote]]'

**_Tt,Tt.U,RUR.**
1.human[[footnote]]They've also started saying it more in reference to "nearby humans!" -Q[[/footnote]]
'me (human)'

[[/=]]

[[include component:image-block | name=https://scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/scp-9320/KSfsxDT.png | caption=fig 3.2]]

**The X-Axis -**[[footnote]]do u have all this backed up -K[[/footnote]][[footnote]]We have scipnet signal out here. -T[[/footnote]][[footnote]]no do YOU have all this backed up -K[[/footnote]] X-axis electrical modifiers are more difficult to notate in writing, but easier to understand in theory. In place of a set of prepositions used to describe the nature of actions, trees use electrical signals to "show" how and where the action took place. This means that these descriptions are not always exact, as their meaning is partially up to interpretation by the receiver. X-axis electrical modifiers are broken into two parts, a locational segment and a descriptive segment. Intuitively, the locational segment details where the action took place, which direction, distance from the speaker, etc., and the descriptive segment details how the action took place. Both are noted in superscript before the chemical prefix (or before the morpheme, if it uses a single infix), with the descriptive segment enclosed in square brackets.

The locational segment lists up to four points on the X-axis planar chart to manually describe the action. The inner points (a, b, c, d) describe an action closer to the speaker, the outer points (e, f, g, h) describe one far away, and the center point (x) describes an action that occurs on, in, or directly against the speaker. 

[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^ab^^(o)Tttt.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**Tt,Tt.U,RUR.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**TS(O)SR,**
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
(nearby over a small area).PST(positive).walk
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
human
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
PER.friend[[footnote]]Companion? -T[[/footnote]](verb)
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
'The/A friendly[[footnote]]they dont use this for other trees they use it in reference to animals that live in groups. but the inflection is positive so we can assume its "friend-ing" or something -K[[/footnote]] human walked (over a short distance near me).'
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]

The descriptive segment describes three manners of movement; speed, linearity, and regularity. Notation of the descriptive segment follows the locational and is enclosed in brackets.

||~ Manner ||~ Notation ||
|| fast || f ||
|| slow || s ||
|| linear || v ||
|| nonlinear || w ||
|| regular   || r ||
|| irregular || i ||

[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^ef[fv]^^(o)TST.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**Tt,tt,R.RS,**
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
(far, small area).(quickly, linear).PST(positive).jump
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
fox
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
'The/A fox pounced (far away from me).'
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
@@ @@ 

[[div class="jotting"]]
**Translation Notes - 17 September 2024**

**[^^efgh^^UR(O)ST, UU,RS,UU,]**
//(around, far).<PER>live/exist forest -T//
//Shouldn't it be [^^abcd^^] since they're so close together? -Q//
//maybe theyre not talking about this forest -K//
"The forest is everywhere."


**[^^bx^^(i)SURT. ^Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR. _RS,RS,RS,UU//]**

//(to).FUT.noise 2.PL.human 1.PL.tree -T//
//You make noise at us? :] -Q//
//Can't be. They have a morpheme for "make" or "create." If it were "make noise," then "noise" would be the direct object and would be placed between "you, humans" and "us, trees." -T//
//do they have a word for "speak." -K//
//They have words for animal vocalization, I think that's how they recognize our speech. -T//
//we havent been vocalizing with them -K//
"You speak to us."

**[^^x^^R(I)US, _RS,RS,RS,UU ^Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.//]**
//(in).PER.know 1.PL.tree 2.PL.human -T//
"We know you."

[[/div]]
-----
@@ @@ 
[[div class="papernote"]]

They don't like us. :'(

I guess I'm not surprised. Apparently their fungal networks stretch so far that most forests are connected, if they're on the same land mass. That's how the language stays relatively consistent. And that means that the trees in U-W-C know about places that have been clearcut and logged and burned and all that. They know it's us. I wish they could tell the difference between me, Camilla, and Renee, and the rest of the people who are actually doing things to hurt them. I feel so guilty! I'm using a wooden desk right now and even that makes me feel bad. But what would life even look like if I had to cut out wood? It's worse to use plastic and stuff, so what else is there? Stone? But even that is still taxing.

Renee says they don't hate us, they're just not very fond of us. They talk about us like we're some kind of pest. Not very flattering, but I guess they have a point. They think so different from us. They always seem to use the positive inflection when they talk about the translation machine, though. We're getting close to finalizing our report. I just hope we can find that one portable translator before someone comes down here to review our work. They're crazy protective of those machines. Our cabin is so small, I have no idea where it could have gone. 

[[/div]]

-----

@@ @@ 

+ Section IV. Sentence Structure

Sentences in SCP-9320  are constructed using a single specific pattern. --Being a language in relatively early development, SCP-9320  will likely develop new structures, especially with human intervention[[footnote]]remove this we'll talk later[[/footnote]].-- The common sentence structure is as follows:

Predicate > subject > descriptive verbs > direct object > descriptive verbs > indirect object > descriptive verbs

The following is a full sentence, Leipzig glossed[[footnote]]The standard conventions for morpheme-by-morpheme sentence glossing, developed by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. -T[[/footnote]] for translation.

-----
[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^e[fv]^^(I)TtTt.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.** 
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**TS(O)SR,** 
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]

[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
(around, near)(fast, linear, indirect).TMP(positive).run
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
PL.fox
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
<PER>(positive).to be small
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
//[1]-tree//
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
"Small foxes are running around me[[footnote]]Double-check. -T[[/footnote]]." 
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
-----

Full stops to sentences come in the form of a deep "click" noise and an accompanying cessation of noise. For our purposes, a double forward slash (//) is used to indicate the end of a sentence. SCP-9320  does not yet have conjunctions or compound sentences, as language among trees is used rather sparingly compared to human communication. SCP-9320  also lacks of any kind of structure that suggests a question. The versatile vibrational suffix [S,] exists as a means of describing an unfamiliar or unknown object or creature, but SCP-9320  does not seem to have a means of asking questions. This makes research difficult, as lacking a means to express questions severely hinders a tree's ability to answer them[[footnote]]Ask K when she gets back -Q[[/footnote]]. 

The following are several glossed sentences as additional examples.

-----
[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^abx^^(I)URST,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.** 
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**_RS,RS,UU,//** 
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
with-TMP(cautious).live
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
PL.human
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
1PL.tree
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
"There are some humans living with us."
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
-----

-----
[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^efgh^^(I)TUS,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.//**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^efgh^^(O)URST,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**(O)Tt,Tt,Tt.U,RUR.//**
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
far, around.TMP(cautious).to be many
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
PL.human.
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
far, around.TMP(positive).live
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
TMP(positive).PLhuman.
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
"Humans are numerous, but short-lived."
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
-----

-----
[[table]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**^^efgh^^U(G)T.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**RS,UU,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**US(IG)SR.**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**U.R.RS,UU,**
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
**UT.(G)URT**
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
far, around.<PER>(negative).exist
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
tree
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
<NEG>have
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
forest
[[/cell]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white"]]
<PER>(negative).buried object
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[row]]
[[cell style="border: 1px solid white" colspan="2"]]
"A tree with no forest is a prisoner."
[[/cell]]
[[/row]]
[[/table]]
-----

@@ @@ 

-----

@@ @@ 

[[div class="smallmodal"]]

[[=]]

**NOTICE**

-----

[[/=]]

This message is to inform you that Dr. Koaganno has been suspended from SCP-9320  research indefinitely following an incident in which a proprietary Foundation device used in translating SCP-9320  was found hidden in her personal vehicle. Dr. Koaganno has been amnestitized and reassigned. Attempts to contact her will result in disciplinary action. 

Thank you for all the work you do in service of our mission!

-----

[[/div]]

-----

[[div class="notation"]]
-----
**To:** m.lee@scipnet
**From:** c.tawshac@scipnet
**Subject:** Unauthorized Reassignment
-----

Dr. Lee,

As I am sure you are aware, one of my staff members was recently transferred from my team. I am sure you are also aware that I was not present for any confrontation or initial disciplinary action, as Dr. Koaganno's alleged infraction was discovered off company property during her weekend. I was not consulted at any point in the process between her assumed arrest and her reassignment. Due to this flagrant breach of protocol and disrespect of my position as Dr. Koaganno's superior, I am formally requesting for my sophontologist to be administered mnestics and returned to Outpost #9320  for a more thorough investigation, with myself at the head. An apology would also be appreciated.

Dr. Camilla Tawshac

-----
[[/div]]

@@ @@ 

@@ @@ 

-----

@@ @@ 

@@ @@ 

[[div class="raisa_memo"]]

This article has been updated to reflect changes in required clearance.

[[/div]]
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
[[=]]

[[collapsible show="View Updated Article" hide="Close"]]
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 


[[include :scp-wiki:component:advanced-information-methodology
|XXXX=9320 
|lv=five
|cc=EXPLAINED
|dc=AMIDA
|site=N/A
|dir=N/A
|head=N/A
|mtf=N/A
]]
[[<]]
**Special Containment Procedures:** Knowledge of SCP-9320  is strictly limited to personnel of clearance Level 5. All known personnel previously aware of SCP-9320  have been administered amnestics. Equipment designed for the translation of SCP-9320  and communication with its speakers has been decommissioned and disassembled. Translation guides are accessible to personnel of clearance Level 5. Internal disinformation campaign regarding Dr. Nicole Quensolima's mental faculties will continue until she is apprehended and amnestitized. 

**Description:** SCP-9320  is the language constructed and used by every known species of tree. SCP-9320  is non-anomalous but no less dangerous to baseline normalcy, as the acceptance of trees as a sapient species would undoubtedly cause widespread and severe disruption to global economies. 
[[/<]]

[[/collapsible]]
[[/=]]
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 
@@ @@ 

[[div class="footer-wikiwalk-nav"]]
[[=]]
<< [[[SCP-9319]]] | SCP-9320 | [[[SCP-9321]]] >>
[[/=]]
[[/div]]

[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]]
> **Filename:** 274194793_db7fd2630d_o
> **Name:** https://i.imgur.com/noiFDX6.jpeg
> **Author:** Mike Nielsen
> **License:** CC BY-SA 2.0
> **Source Link:** https://www.flickr.com/photos/msn678/274194793

> **Filename:** https://i.imgur.com/ZClEtca.png
> **Name:** Y-axis chart
> **Author:** Raddagher
> **License:** CC BY-SA 3.0

> **Filename:** https://i.imgur.com/KSfsxDT.png
> **Name:** X-axis chart
> **Author:** Raddagher
> **License:** CC BY-SA 3.0
[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]
SCP-9320

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