NiktoBarada

"Well, I'm trying to figure out which dialects are most closely related - how the original language split." she replied, "I have plenty of data about how they sound now; in order to resolve which dialect split off first, I need information about how they sounded decades or centuries ago. The older texts are closer to the event. So, yes." "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhkay ...." she replied, not quite sure what to make of this turn of events, but if he wants to help, she wasn't going to turn the offer down ! As they'd say in ancient Equinitic : "narghDI' 'eb Dun net reH tlhap" - 'always take a wonderful opportunity when it appears !'. She didn't know what the second or third thing Coltson planned on getting done could be, but she figured she'd find out in time. "Well, the earliest train back to Manehattan should be leaving Ponyville in about fifteen minutes." she stated, "Caveat Emptor's Discount Emporium is just a short walk from the train station."

"I'm a linguist." Tongue Twister replied, "I study languages. How they are related to each other. How they change over time. How one language splits into many. How two languages can fuse into a new one. I'm currently studying the Qetzalcoatlan languages. There are at least six major dialects in use in the Tenochtitlan Basin. The nomadic tribes are small and isolated, which tends to allow languages to diverge. But they move around and encounter each other quite often, which tends to allow different languages to fuse into a new one. So I'm trying to piece together what the original language was, before it gets too mixed. There is a saying amongst linguists : 'when a language dies, a world ends. When a language is deciphered, a new world opens up.' Look at how much more we learned about the ancient cultures of Pharaoh's Veil once Champonyon deciphered their hieroglyphics ! As for the Prench travel guide, I need it to get my dad out of a tight spot. He's kind of what you'd call a curio merchant. 'Strange and unusual things from strange and unusual places - for reasonable prices !'" she stated with a melodramatic florish, "In one of his ads, he said 'he had (or could get) anything you could ever want.' Most ponies would realize that was just marketing hype, and not take it seriously; unfortunately, a litigious busybody decided to sue him for false advertising ! She wants to take his shop unless dad can get her a first edition 'Hitchhiker's Guide to Equestria' written in Prench ! She says it her original culture, but she's about as Prench as Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan !" She paused for a bit to catch her breath, before realizing something. "Oh, sorry sir ! I've been prattling on, and we don't even know each other's names ! I'm Tongue Twister. I work for the Manehatten Museum of Natural History, mostly."

Tongue Twister nodded when he mentioned Prance - she'd been there a few times over the years for conferences and seminars. The Prench language held a special place in her heart, for it was the language she used to earn her Cutie Mark. She had to agree with that idea, having fallen into the "study so long you forget what day it is" a few times herself. She followed him deeper into the store, to a room with one wall lined with ancient books, "You - actually HAVE something unique on the Tenochtitlan languages ?!" she managed to squeak out in surprise, "I know most rare books start out in private collections, but the odds that any given pony would have any given book are, well, I don't know ! But they must be very long indeed !" And if her mother Shady Dealer was with her, she'd know how long the odds were. To about three decimal places.

"Oh thank the sun, moon and stars !" Tongue Twister exclaimed as she retrieved the seventy bits from her saddlebag, "I thought I'd have to go all the way to Prance to start a search there ! No telling how long that would take." She looked around a bit more before asking Coltson "Has this shop been in the family for generations, or are you just really good at finding obscure books ? I've seen university libraries that don't have such extensive collections as what is here. Although their filing systems aren't quite as cryptic as the one you're using. But, then again, if you're skillful enough with locator magic, one system is as good as any other." She thought for a moment as she carefully placed her purchase in her bag, before continuing "Speaking of finding obscure texts - what do you have concerning the languages of the Tenochtitlan Basin ? I've read nearly all the recent reports, but most of them go back only fifty or so years. There must be something further back, but those are hard to find. I doubt I could afford to purchase any of them, but would I be allowed to read any you had ? Some booksellers are VERY sensitive about their stock."

"So this is Ponyville ..." Tongue Twister mused to herself as she stretched out her legs one at a time after departing the train from Manehattan, "Hopefully the bookstore here will have what I need. I've run through my other sources." She felt the sun warming her storm cloud grey coat as she stretched her wings straight up, then wiggled the feathers to get the blood circulating properly as she walked along the road before whistling a few notes. From her saddlebag, one trained rat ran up her back and took his favorite perch atop her head; his lazier brother merely peeked out. "Okay you two, I know it's been a long trip. I'll make it up to you - later." she stated to them, "But for now, I have some business to conduct. So I need both of you to be on your best behavior - so no leaving my pack ! If you can do it, we'll play in the park." Ace (the white and chocolate brown rat on her head) squeaked in reply, then scampered back into her saddlebag; the cocoa-colored Deuces merely went back to napping. After a few moments, she reached the address she was looking for, and walked in. There were books ! Everywhere ! Five copies (of what looked like first printings) of 'The History of Equestria' - in five different languages on the shelf over there ! Some treatises on mathematics over there ! Philosophical texts from Long Guo over there ! "JACKPOT !" she cheered to herself as she looked for the proprietor. Upon noticing the tall grey stallion in a pinstripe jacket behind the counter, she asked "Would you happen to have a first edition of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to Equestria' written in Prench ?"