- Do you have to start every sentence with “Chan”? + Chan, yes, tho. - And end every sentence with… + Chan, tho, tho. 

This is one of my favorite sci-fi linguistic innovations, though. Turn-taking in conversation is a big deal, so it makes total sense to me that a politeness-conscious culture would have developed a language function for clearly demarking the beginning and end of turns. It’s simple and brilliant. Unlike a lot of sci-fi language flourishes, it makes sense. It makes me wonder about other aspects of Chantho’s culture and language. Like, if you’re quoting someone, I bet you would mark the beginning and end of the quote with the author/speaker’s name, embedded within your own.