Why does every Khajiit say "this one?"

marshill88

If I am wrong here, please correct me, but every single Khajiit in this game who refers to themselves uses the phrase "this one" without deviance. When studying racial diversity in social studies, you would expect a race of beings to have a wide berth of differences among themselves. There are plenty of evil Khajiit, so you'd think there would be plenty of Khajiit who would also reject the social construct of "this one". It seems inherently inappropriate to look at a Khajiit you have never met and automatically assume "that Khajiit refers to themselves as this one". I would enjoy doing a quest in this game where the protagonist is a Khajiit who doesn't want to accept the "this one" mentality, it would add some great realism to their race. Of course, I have only done like 5% of the total quests in this game so this may already exist making this entire post moot.

This is an exceedingly minor and insignificant post, and I'm bored, but feeling fun enough to post it.

marshill88

By the way, I play a Khajiit as one of my characters, and he has absolutely rejected the borg collective and denounces the 'this one" rule....so there is at least one Khajiit out there who refers to themselves as "I".

xxthir13enxx

WE ARE THE ZERG
YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

Fennwitty

marshill88 wrote: »

I would enjoy doing a quest in this game where the protagonist is a Khajiit who doesn't want to accept the "this one" mentality, it would add some great realism to their race.

They're out there.

tomofhyrule

marshill88 wrote: »

If I am wrong here, please correct me, but every single Khajiit in this game who refers to themselves uses the phrase "this one" without deviance. When studying racial diversity in social studies, you would expect a race of beings to have a wide berth of differences among themselves. There are plenty of evil Khajiit, so you'd think there would be plenty of Khajiit who would also reject the social construct of "this one". It seems inherently inappropriate to look at a Khajiit you have never met and automatically assume "that Khajiit refers to themselves as this one". I would enjoy doing a quest in this game where the protagonist is a Khajiit who doesn't want to accept the "this one" mentality, it would add some great realism to their race. Of course, I have only done like 5% of the total quests in this game so this may already exist making this entire post moot.

This is an exceedingly minor and insignificant post, and I'm bored, but feeling fun enough to post it.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Split-Nose
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Zhasim

Incidentally, Zhasim's pretty interesting because his quest is almost exactly what you're looking for: a Khajiit who didn't grow up with the culture and thus he doesn't really fit in.

"Never met another Khajiit, but I'd like to one day. Ahem. "This one is pleased to meet you." I read they speak different. I practice when I can.
I have a book about Khajiit culture. Fascinating stuff, but my hearth-mother doesn't approve."

Khajiit culture and their language Ta'agra bring this as a manner of speaking, so most Khajiit will use that as their manner of speech. Very similar to how Argonians like to describe their body language ("I erect the spine of gratitude") because subtle body movements are important in Jel.

oldbobdude

This one went to the tavern, that one stayed home.

orion_1981usub17_ESO

In a world of very different cultures, languages and most importantly physiology, it should come to no surprise that Khajit, humans, Mer, and Argonians see the world differently as well as their place in it. Its absolutely incorrect to assume they even think the same and the must learn how other races they interact with think, speak and understand. Why do Kahjit say "this one"? It has to do with a Khajits innate understanding of his race and how they identify with each other in acknowledging the actions or position they are committing to. So it might sound weird to an outside but it gives khajits extra context with each other. If you are in eslwer, you should try to speak as the khajit do, it will be a big help in smoothing any situation.

ectoplasmicninja

Khamira from Elsweyr is another example of a Khajiit who does not speak in third person. Centurion Burri in Reaper's March also uses regular first-person, and you can call her on it.

You speak Tamrielic like an Imperial, Centurion.
Hah! Yes, Burri's mother would be very disappointed. Look, I've been a soldier for too long to care about how I talk. You want the proper cadence, go talk to a moon priest.

Given that "proper cadence" dialogue, it sounds like third person is the literal translation of the Ta'agra that the Khajiit natively speak. They consider it the correct way to construct a sentence. So it is probably similar to our real-world distribution of accents and speech quirks. A Khajiit who did not grow up among other Khajiit, or perhaps one who travels widely and absorbs other cultures, or is highly educated outside of Elsweyr, will be more likely to speak more like the other races and less like their own.

Lord_Wrath

Both Khajit and Argonians are a pain to listen to.

phaneub17_ESO

Like some Canadians are strong with the "Eh" I knew a guy like that, first year I could not understand a thing he said.

zaria

Zaria's favorite is the Khajiit enchantment trader in Hew's bane. He is most used to say "i" but as its lots of Khajiit at Hew's bane he is kind of pushed to use this one but failing.

You can also use your name or Khajiit in place of this one.

Orion_89

marshill88 wrote: »

When studying racial diversity in social studies, you would expect a race of beings to have a wide berth of differences among themselves. There are plenty of evil Khajiit, so you'd think there would be plenty of Khajiit who would also reject the social construct of "this one"

You want them to be diverse, but they just don't want to be diverse.

And you are wrong about lack of different manners of speech, there is a khajiit in the Wrothgar raised by orcs. He speaks like orc and acts like orc, but at the end of his quest he assumes that he better to speak as other khajiits because it will help him to communicate with the real relatives.

Also khajiits don't seem to be that different at all because they were able to unite several kingdoms at one without conquering. And at the other side we have argonians which tribes are pretty strange to each other.

Netheniel

I'll second Zhasim. He even pokes fun at talking like a normal Khajiit, which was pretty funny.

However, if you want some next level stuff, you have to take a bow to Nazdar. If you come across him in your travels, you are in for a treat

Integral1900

In Skyrim there is one of the cat folk talking about their religion and how they like to make them fit in with the local gods, mostly because it amused them. They have a very wry sense of humour and this could simply be a reflection of it.

Also, bear in mind that language changes over time, often quite drastically, what feels normal to us would not feel normal to our ancestors. Go back 500 years and most of us would have a great deal of trouble speaking to our own our own forebears let alone anybody else’s.

Remember that the comma had to be invented so speaking about yourself in the third person is not so very strange, especially when you consider the amount of contradictory habits in the English language 🧐

Besides, it’s cute, and I can’t help but think my own cats use the same parlance inside their heads. They certainly seem to share the same wry sense of humour.