Given that Equestria is relatively peaceful, there may not have been many opportunities for language drift even with the odd disaster cropping up.

@Seraphem: good point, Celestia might have stabilized the language and reduced the drift.

edited 27th Nov '12 1:41:03 PM by AceOfScarabs

Figure 1: Applejack. Applejack has never noticed in all these episodes that Diamond and Silver aren't Applebloom's friends. Considering they make absolutely no effort to hide their bullying, that implies a staggering degree of obliviousness.

@Sereg I still think it's easier to assume that there was next to no linguistic drift, especially considering that your theory assigns Cadance powers far outside her purview, regardless of her relative level of power. Nightmare Moon knew the language just fine within minutes of escaping.

The most recent episode has been the first time AJ has even been around for any of the bullying. How could she have known?

edited 27th Nov '12 1:44:10 PM by PerpetualLurker

On whether Babs' parents knew about her bullying, I think it's pretty obvious that they must. Why else would they send her to Ponyville and how else would AJ know?

Despite the belief that static records (such as the one Celestia would have provided and the one that modern recordings do now) would slow language shift, it's been demonstrated that it actually speeds it up. Then again, a living beloved ruler probably has better success at stabalising language.

EDIT: @Perpetual Lurker: Cadance brings ponies togather and promotes love and understanding.

I'd say it's well within her portfolio.

Also, Nightmare Moon knew the language but Luna didn't. I believe that Nightmare Moon was able to watch the planet and pick things up. Luna doesn't remember.

edited 27th Nov '12 1:47:43 PM by Sereg

The only time DT might have slipped up was when she talked bad about Granny Smith in class in front of everypony present. She seems to time her snipes when AJ and Big Mac aren't around for the most part.

A ruler emeritus would probably prevent language drift, lol, since they're still around.

We'd have to run a simulation to truly know, as our static records aren't an immortal emperor/empress.

Ahoy again. I was so tried I had to have a nap.

And that made me miss an awesome language discussion dag nab it.

I know I prevented language drift in a virtual city I raised for a thousand years, lol.

@Sereg: It really depends on how you headcanon it. I'd personally go with "linguistic drift is slow that it doesn't create much of a problem". As far as Luna goes, we know the ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE is out of date, but that might be because Celestia intentionally phased it out to make herself more approachable. Everyday language might have been pretty similar. Luna's issue was less knowing how to communicate because of a language shift, and more learning how to be approachable. Her main problem was that she couldn't get over the assumption that as princess she's supposed to be loud and dramatic.

That and I don't think Cadance's powers have nearly as many applications as you do. Then again, in general I think your headcanon makes the alicorns way more powerful than mine does.

edited 27th Nov '12 1:52:30 PM by JapaneseTeeth

Anyways... My thoughts on pony language, whenever we see something written in English its not really in English, it just is for the benefit of the audience. I do like the whole dual/triple script language thing, though. Maybe if they ever make an MMO they'll let you go around talking in Unicornian or Crystalnese like in World of Warcraft.

@Applelight: It's kind of still going on, though I'll have to sleep soon myself.

Luna was probably clinging to the old ways of speaking as a safety blanket IMO. Probably subconsciously.

I like to imagine Earth Pony Script romanises nicely into English or a Latin-based equivalent.

True. In my defense, beofre that episode would any of have believed that Cadance could shield? Or slice a horn off? And then let's get into Luna creating life among all the other craziness that she and Celestia pull which has nothing obviously linking to their portfilios beyond the loosest connections.

edited 27th Nov '12 1:59:30 PM by Sereg

@Sereg The shield wasn't a physical one like Shining Armor's, it was one that projected the exact same type of energy the Crystal Heart does, which repels Sombra. Blasting pure love energy throughout the Empire makes sense given her known powers. As for Celestia, she's had thousands of years to learn all of that stuff, while Cadance is isn't that much older than Twilight.

Show of hands, who wants this?

It'd be funny, I guess.

At least he isn't jelly that pony comics outsell the likes of Spiderman.

and if by "creating life" you mean the spiders, we don't know they were really alive, or simply animated by magic to appear alive briefly.

Point. Still an expansion of her powers though.

Now, I'd disagree about Cadance's age, but headcanon and all that.

I do admit that I'm somewhat shocked at how ridiculously old some people think she is though. It's Lunaverse canon that Cadance is 1000.

Titanomarchy says that she's Discord's daughter and as old as love itself.

In the Pony POV Series how you age her depends on how you want to count. But alicorns are weird in that series and all of them are technically older than the universe.

EDIT:Eh, technically possible. Still more than just "night powers".

edited 27th Nov '12 2:15:49 PM by Sereg

They still looked like cartoon spiders, so Luna might have been animating all of them.

Alright, onto reading chapter 32 of Fallout Equestria. So far this chapter actually seems kind of endearing, even if I roll my eyes at a few items in the "why Velvet and Calamity have decided to hook up" conversation.

edited 27th Nov '12 2:16:12 PM by Pannic

well..the one chapter I'm still kind f wanting to see you tackle is 37. the rest..yeah I've given up.

To me it kinda reads like a Let's Play log of a total conversion of Fallout :V