Horoscope

This page includes additional information and references about the SCC language horoscope, first seen in issue 2 of the SCC Zine.

Method

To identify the lucky languages, we first determine the positions of the brightest star of each zodiac constellation at noon (Pacific Time) on the day of publication of the Zine, then find the substellar point of that star (i.e. the point on the Earth for which the star is at zenith, or directly above). The closest language to each point in WALS is used as the lucky language for a given constellation.

Citations for language facts

Aries (Jamaican Creole): Irvine-Sobers, G. Alison. The acrolect in Jamaica: The architecture of phonological variation. Language Science Press, 2018.
Taurus: Romero-Figueroa, A., & Rybka, K. A. (2023). Warao. In P. Epps & L. Michael (Eds.), Amazonian languages an international handbook. (pp. 1243-1282). De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110432732-015
Gemini (Canarian Spanish): Trujillo, Ramón, & Brent, Jeff (Translator). The Gomeran Whistle: linguistic analysis. Instituto de Linguística Andrés Bello Universidad de la Laguna, 1973.
Cancer (Ouargli): Mettouchi, Amina. “Foundations for a typology of the annexed/absolute state systems in Berber.” STUF-Language Typology and Universals 67.1 (2014): 47-61.
Leo (Komo): Otero, Manuel Alejandro. “Aspects of Ethiopian Komo (morpho) phonology.” Linguistic Discovery 16.2 (2019).
Virgo (Dhivehi): Fritz, Sonja. The Dhivehi language: a descriptive and historical grammar of Maldivian and its dialects I. Heidelberg, 2002.
Libra (Nhanda): Blevins, Juliette. Nhanda: an aboriginal language of Western Australia. University of Hawaii Press, 2001.
Scorpius (Nyungar): Symmons, Charles. “Grammatical introduction to the study of the Aboriginal language of Western Australia.” Perth: The author.(Repr., Perth: The Western Australian Almanac, 1842.)[=“Grammar of the language spoken by the Aborigines of Western Australia”.] (1841).
Sagittarius (Biri): Terrill, Angela. Biri. Lincom Europa, 1998.
Capricorn (Niuean): Tregear, Edward, and Stephenson Percy Smith. Vocabulary and grammar of the Niue dialect of the Polynesian language. J. Mackay, Government Printer, 1907.
Aquarius (Marquesan): Cablitz, Gabriele H. Marquesan: A grammar of space. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006.
Pisces (Nahuatl): Wolfrmuth, Carl., C. S. Mackay (Translator). Nahuatl Grammar of the Townships of Mecayapan and Tatahuicapan de Juárez, Veracruz. Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., 2007.