Language in the Splatoon series

From Inkipedia, the Splatoon wiki
Conjecture
This article or section involves something that has not been specifically named.
The name(s) presented could be conjectural.
Reason: Script names except for the Alterna script

Inkling,[1] also referred to as squid language,[2] is the language in which Inklings in the Splatoon series communicate. While individual letters, words, and the occasional phrase are often similar to real-life languages, Inkling as a whole has been confirmed by Splatoon developers to be not very consistent.[3] Despite this lack of consistecy, it has been discovered that there are several written scripts which are decipherable.

Inkling is also sometimes referred to by fans as "Inklish", which is a portmanteau of the words "English" and "Inkling".

Appearance

Across the games, numerous fictitious scripts used in the game's world can be found, ranging from unique glyphs to ones resembling human scripts like Japanese, Arabic and Cyrillic.

Scripts

What we call a script is a consistent set of characters that is used in a sufficient number of places throughout the game, as opposed to characters that are not used recurrently which are not considered a script. This is often the case with company logos for example, where the letters appear to be unique to the logo design and don't show up anywhere else.

When characters do appear consistently enough to be considered a script, it has been discovered that many of those are decipherable. Scripts that are decipherable have each fictitious letter correspond to the letters of the Latin alphabet; this is referred to as "deciphered" when talking about occurrences of these scripts in the game.

However, this is not the only way in which the developers apply the scripts to in-world text. Another method used is to forgo the actual meaning of the script and pick characters based on how closely they resemble Latin letters (or occasionally, Japanese script). This method is referred to as "mimicking".

Example of a script being used to mimic a word

An example would be the cover artwork of Turquoise October from Splatoon. In this case, the square script at the bottom is used in a way to mimic the band's name, even though this is not the actual meaning of the letters based on the deciphered version of the script. The twenty-fourth Sunken Scroll from Splatoon 2 is an example of the same script being used in a way that can be deciphered, which does not resemble what the text would look like in the Latin alphabet. With few exceptions, any situation in which fictitious letters seem to resemble an English word most likely does not reflect the true meaning of the script, and should not be used as a basis for deciphering work.

There are also situations in which scripts are used neither to mimic, nor in its deciphered order, but in a scrambled manner. In these situations, characters are rotated, flipped, or even slightly altered to display gibberish text. In text where characters are rotated, flipped, or altered in ways that should not exist going off of the cipher, this text can be considered meaningless.

Lastly, the glyphs that resemble characters from other human languages, such as Chinese or Arabic, are not known to have a proper decipherable form.

Focusing on the usage of the deciphered versions of the scripts, there are also different languages in which the scripts may be written. While most of the time the developers write in English, there are also frequent occurrences where the scripts are used to write romanized Japanese.

Readable texts from known scripts

Bold script

This script resembles the typeface primarily used in Splatoon for dialogue. It appears in all three games and is widely used on clothes and weapons. The bold script is most commonly used to mimic words or to write gibberish, which is why it was assumed to be indecipherable for many years. Examples of this script can be seen on the Splatfest Tee, where it is always used to mimic the text for the Splatfest team's name. This script is unique for having both an uppercase and lowercase form. Which symbol corresponds to v in lowercase bold script is currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
TOKI MEKI BOMB☆RUSH The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when Callie performs Bomb Rush Blush. Refers to the Japanese name of the song, トキメキ☆ボムラッシュ Tokimeki☆Bomu Rasshu.
IM NURANEB, Aori Hotaru The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when they perform Now or Never!. Misspells the Japanese name of the song, イマ・ヌラネバー！ Ima Nuranebā!. "Aori" is Callie's Japanese name while "Hotaru" is Marie's Japanese name.
the FOOD TRUCK handbook From Sunken Scroll 4 in Splatoon 2. The remaining bold script as well as the serif and halfmoon script writings on here are gibberish.
Open! Wakamono no tyushin Haikara Square no Iccacha ga grand open! This is romanized Japanese, and it translates to English as "The Shoal's having a grand opening at the heart of youth culture, Inkopolis Square!" From Sunken Scroll 10 in Splatoon 2.
newsardh ineirpori Aori kita, Shinsouya IKAnisite!?, _aininki kyuugyounouwa_an! Top right caption has misspellings, but means "Callie came to New Sardine Airport".
ANEMO Produce, tyotto mezurashi Gear Shop The logo for the SplatNet gear shop run by Annie. "Anemo" is Annie's name in the Japanese version of Splatoon. "Tyotto mezurashi" means "a little rare."
WONDER, Noback to Enamel no Kiseki no Colaboration! Gomusozai ga Ashi no kou wo Kasashiku hold Zenpo Sole to Koho Sole wo Ogoto ni Kakoi ga Hashiwatashi In the pink speech bubble on the top right. From Sunken Scroll 9 found in Octo Canyon.
GAS, OPEN A sign present in Scorch Gorge.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG YOU SUCK Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the green and pink shirt on the right of the image.
File:Jelfonzo shirt concept art.JPG Hime, tentacles Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the bonus "Comic-style" shirts. "Hime" is Pearl's name in Japan, "tentacles" is the name of Off the Hook in Japan.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG SQUID, SNIPER From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. The "Squid" text is on a badge for being fluent in the Inkling language. The "Sniper" text is on a badge from a secret shooting event.
File:Squid sisters autograph.PNG iwilldomybest ikayoroshiku, saitamasuprarena letsgo The Squid Sisters' autographs from Shiokalive at Cho Party 2016, pulled from The Art of Splatoon 2. Ika, yoroshiku is the Squid Sisters' catchphrase in Japanese. Saitama Super Arena is the venue that hosted Niconico Cho Party.
File:Cuttlefish Idol.jpg pop pop pop, hakkisyon!, Bye bye Text on the unnamed idol duo's album, possibly their songs.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG DINAMIC RECORD INCE, mukashikan, shinkai daisuki band The text on the top right record is likely a misspelling of "DYNAMIC RECORD INC." The bottom left design's text, "mukashikan", means "long-ago time period." The bottom right design's text, "shinkai daisuki band," translates as something to the effect of "band that loves the deep sea." From designs on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in the Octo Expansion, specifically the bottom left design. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
RFDAY Likely derived from a mispelling of "birthday" as "birfday." The first word on the Eel-Cake Hat mimics the "happy" in "happy birthday."
AORI SHISSOU, KANOJO NO YUKUEHA Aori is Callie's Japanese name. "AORI SHISSOU" means "Callie is missing," and "KANOJO NO YUKUEHA"　means "what will become of her?"
File:FRESH FRUIT.png fresh fruit Sign seen in MakoMart on top of a fruit stall. The characters are upside down.
OK, waterproof Stickers seen on the decorated crates in Octo Canyon.
File:S3 scroll05.png (bottom left of right page) omae nande konn na todf roni, (left page bottom 2 panels) tak..., tak ga Seen in Sunken Scroll 5, the first sentence is romanized Japanese, loosely translating to "Why are you in the middle of nowhere!?", with a typo which should say "todironi". The other page also has a typo of "tako", which when translated, says "Octopus..." and "The octopus".
ikas candy drop CANDY DROP Text seen on the orange candy-drop can and blue candy-drop can locker decorations.
File:Apple boxes hagglefish.PNG APPLE Boxes seen in Hagglefish Market.
DANGER On tape in Scorch Gorge.
glss metl Papr On trash bins seen in Splatsville.

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
File:Splatfest Team Water Slide Shirt Text.jpg WATER SLIDE, CAT, DOG Nearly all Splatfest Tees have readable words. A few examples are listed here. For more images of Splatfest Tees, see Splatfest team tees from Splatoon and Splatfest team tees from Splatoon 2.
TOWER RECORDS HICOLOR Billboard present in Inkopolis Square.
60% OFF A MakoMart ad shown on a screen in Inkopolis Square.
File:Splatoon Sunken Scroll cover.png COQUIS A parody of Croquis brand sketchbooks. From the cover of the Sunken Scroll scrapbook in Splatoon.
HPPY The first word on the Eel-Cake Hat mimics the "happy" in "happy birthday" the second word doesn't as clearly mimic the word "BIRTHDAY", and instead translates to "RFDAY"
File:Bomb Rush Blush Splat Bomb.jpegFile:Bomb Rush Blush Suction Bomb.jpeg AORI Mimicry of Callie's Japanese name, Aori. Seen on the bombs tossed in Tide Goes Out (mission).

Square script

Appearing throughout the Splatoon series, this script is widely used for various applications, e.g. on weapons, clothes, Sunken Scrolls, and buildings, and it is often used for large bodies of text such as in the descriptions of Museum d'Alfonsino and Shellendorf Institute. There are numerous additional symbols associated with the square script that do not appear in its deciphered form. The Sunken Scrolls reveal it is also the text used in Inkling social media, and it is also used in Octarian weapon blueprints. It is also present throughout the Deepsea Metro. This wide application suggests it may be a language understood by several species. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: L and V, G and W, D and X, F and Y, and H and Z.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
www.seaocolors.com Located at the bottom of the poster. The remaining square script text is gibberish.
NICOCHOKAIGINICO Merchandise for Shiokalive at Chokaigi 2016.
File:S2 Band Squid Sisters.jpg
 SHIOKARAZ AORI TO HOTARU

NY SHIHO FUJI

On the bottom left of the Squid Sisters' Splatoon 2 album art. Shiokaraz is a romanization of their Japanese name. Aori to Hotaru translates to "Callie and Marie" (Aori and Hotaru are their Japanese names, respectively). Shiho Fuji is in reference to Shiho Fujii, the composer behind the songs of the Squid Sisters.
See images for meaning. The entirety of Sunken Scroll 24 is in odd, but readable, English. See images for more details.
RENRAKU Near the bottom-left on the left poster. Renraku is Japanese for "contact", though it is unknown what this may have to do with the image.
FLIGHT IKA AIRLINES, PASSENGER MIURA, SEAT, DEPARTURE "Miura" is Flow's name in Japanese. From Sunken Scroll 7 in Splatoon 2.
#morning coffe #bed #lazy ledgs #capuccino, #avocado toast #fresh #california #ika moyou #eff, #travel #love #foever #sunlight #girl friend Hashtags are listed from left to right, misspellings are left as is. The tag ika moyou means "squid design", referring to the squid-shaped egg yolk. From Sunken Scroll 12 in Splatoon 2.
File:Squid Beatz 2 title.jpg HOGEGAMES "HOGE" is a word used as a placeholder in computer programming, like "foobar."
TAKOOCTORING From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the side and at the first word at the bottom of the image. Appears to be a combination of "Tako", the Japanese word for "octopus", and "Octoling". The rest of the square script at the bottom appears to be gibberish.
File:GATI poster inkopolis square.PNG BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS, GATI, AKATEAM VS MIDORI, SATURDAY FEBURARY 15 7PM A poster found in Inkopolis Square. "GATI" seems to be an odd romanization of gachi, referring to the Japanese name for Ranked Battle, ガチマッチ Gachi Matchi. Aka means "red" and midori means green. "February" is misspelled on the poster. The remaining text is gibberish.
POWERFUL BODY! From HaikaraWalker (page 227). Description of a horticultural medicine seen attached to tree trunks in the Octo Expansion.
KINIKURA NO SHAKE SUGOI METYA KINPIKA Translates from Japanese into English as "Golden Egg Salmonid, incredibly golden and shiny." Goldie concept art from The Art of Splatoon 2.
CAL LIE, DJ OCTAVIO, SAMURAI "Callie" is written on the Octo Samurai's jacket front, "DJ Octavio" on the back and "Samurai" on his Octocycle. In The Art of Splatoon 2, it was mentioned he is a big fan of Callie.
File:Spawn point s2 models resource.png RESPAWN Branding on Splatoon 2's spawn point.
BANKARA STREET SD The green street name sign alludes to Splatsville's name in Japanese ("Bankara"').
KIMI IRO NI SOMETE The Japanese name of the song Ink Me Up.
File:Mothership Model.png SALMONBIA Text found on the side of the Mothership, possibly related to the Salmonid army as a whole. This same text is written on the frying pans held by lesser Salmonids.
File:Off the Hook Intro.jpg HIGHCOLORTV The small text on the top left corner of the in-game screen. Highcolor City is the Japanese name of Inkopolis. This same text is also present in the bottom left corner of Off the Hook's television during their broadcast, albeit only when there are no other images being shown on the screen.
NO

GONIN NO IKA GA ORINASU COOL NA MO, SORE HA ARU-AA-I NATU NO HIN JUINO DAKIN-OTO DATTA. DAI

GAKUSEI -- -ATTA IKATARO

U JUA SA R-UR- NO SASSHUKU NI.

SANKA SHITEITA --KODE AR

U JUITORINO OB NO O-KKOGA

SAKANA WO TOTTA SONO SA

A poster found in Inkopolis Square, near Crusty Sean's truck. Dashes are use in place of unreadable symbols. The first sentence translates as something to the effect of "The 5 Inklings are woven with coolness." Readable words after that translate to "that" "summer day" "was" "university student" "participated," and the final line reads "took the fish."
SPORTS CENTER AT HUJITSUBO A poster advertising a sports center. "Hujitsubo" is an alternate romanization of fujitsubo, a part of フジツボスポーツクラブ Fujitsubo Supōtsu Kurabu, the Japanese name for Musselforge Fitness.
BASKET

BALL LEAGUE DA

Advertisement shown on the hanging screen in Goby Arena. The bottom text is difficult to see in the screenshot, but is more clearly visible on the texture.
ROWLY!!! A missing pet poster depicting a nudibranch found in Inkopolis Square.
IHOPE YOU Found on an electrical box in the back of Central Station.
AORI KIKAN YOKATTA Aori is Callie's Japanese name. Translates to "Good to have Callie back."
SOSHINA TOWEL A towel that was available as a My Nintendo Reward. Soshina means "small gift."
PIONEER GOOD On the small black logo on the bottom right of Front Roe's album art.

SOMETHING TEXT
SPLATOON		 On the bottom left of the communication error pop-up and the bottom right of the map rotation, both times next to a barcode. It can also be seen when waiting for a spot to open up when joining a friend, as it uses the same image as the communication error.
OCTAVIO Below the screen on Marina's laptop. Likely related to DJ Octavio.
FUJITUBO.CO Below the logo. "Fujitubo" comes from of fujitsubo, a part of フジツボスポーツクラブ Fujitsubo Supōtsu Kurabu, the Japanese name for Musselforge Fitness. The bottom square script text is gibberish.
ABCDEF.LKJ The "LKJ" are upside down.
GESOO IKAS Text on the cover of the fantasy novel locker decoration. "geso" means "tentacle", and "ika" means "squid".
CARD Sign in Hagglefish Market. It is on a distant building, which makes it very difficult to see. It can be seen much more easily in the wallpaper from Wandercrust.
...JKLMOPQ... The letters on the Splatana Stamper are in alphabetical order. In other images of the Splatana Stamper, it can be seen that the letters start from 'A'.
Load video
Local File
MITTU KATUOB BUSI Lettering seen on one side of the Snipewriter 5H. A slight misspelling of mittsu katsuobushi, meaning "3 bonito flakes".
File:Grizzco fish scale item shop.jpeg gdahul psuhi UMAI SALMON saykaiu VICTORY MINA TOBE HIGH gblkjp Sign above the Grizzco Industries rewards counter in Splatoon 3. The actual words mixed in with gibberish translated to "delicious salmon victory everyone fly high"
KONDO blmn MISOSIRU TABETAIvw Sign by the elevator in the Grizzco Industries building in Splatoon 3. The actual words mixed in with gibberish translated to "this time I want to eat miso soup"
FIRE EXCHANGE Sign seen above a fire extinguisher in the Lobby in Splatoon 3.
File:Apple boxes hagglefish.PNG ma hing an nie FOOD Signage seen around Hagglefish Market.
File:Arribabox.PNG ARRIBA! Text on the logo of chili pepper boxes seen in Splatsville.

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
TURQUOIS OCTOBER Turquoise October album jacket from Splatoon.
File:S2 Band Turquoise October.jpg OCT TOOL Turquoise October album jacket from Splatoon 2. (the Japanese name of Turquoise October is "OCTOTOOL")
%OFF

%OFF

On the right side. The Halfmoon Script is mimicking "30".
消カ器 Text written on what appears to be a fire extinguisher cabinet on Hammerhead Bridge. Appears to read 消火器 shōkaki, which means "fire extinguisher," but with the "ka" written in katakana instead of kanji.
Nintendo

Live

2022

Banner for the Deep Cut Concert at Nintendo Live 2022.

Round script

This script appears throughout the Splatoon series. It is mostly used on buildings, signs and posters. This script is distinct in that its deciphered form resembles Latin script. Despite this, it is still sometimes used to mimic words.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
ON AIR From the studio where Inkopolis News is filmed.
LIVE, niconicochokaici, SHIOKARAZ The "niconicochokaici" is in small text at the top, and alludes to "niconico chokaigi". "LIVE" is at the top part of the poster. "SHIOKARAZ" Refers to the Japanese name of the Squid Sisters.
UFO CATCHER From the arcade machine directly next to where the player can access Squid Beatz 2 in Inkopolis Square. This references the line of Japanese claw machines manufactured by Sega. The text underneath it appears to not be round script but instead seems to be attempting to mimic Japanese.
LI VE, HICOLOR From the official art for Haicalive at Tokaigi 2018. HICOLOR refers to the Japanese name of Inkopolis, Haikara.
IDATEN From the iShipIt logo. Idaten (Skanda) is a bodhisattva known for his fast running. The Japanese name of iShipIt, Ikaten Transport (イカテン急便), is a pun on ika (squid) and Idaten.
GAS Written on the labels of the Suction Bombs. Cut off in the example image.
MARGINAL VISIT Text above the logo of a famous oil company in the Splatoon world. As "marginal visit" does not have any real meaning, it is likely meant to be filler text.
KANI Handwritten on Bisk's shirt. Kani is the Japanese word for crab.
File:Jelfonzo tuesday shirt.JPG F*** YOU The obscene shirt Jelfonzo wears on Tuesdays. It is not censored in-game.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG HELLO Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the white shirt with the gold mouth on it.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG HONORS THE CONTRIBUTION HSQ, OFFICIAL DEALING HSQ, CLASS S CHAMPS HNBA From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. Text listed from the badges shown from top to bottom. "HSQ" Is an abbreviation of Haikara Square, the Japanese name for Inkopolis Square. "HNBA" Refers to Haikara NawaBari Association, with Haikara being the Japanese name for Inkopolis, and nawabari being the Japanese name for Turf War.
OPQRSTU, DEFGHIJKLMN Long strings of text in alphabetical order, with the OPQR line on top and the DEFG line on bottom.
File:Bubble Tape Strawberry Mint and Mystery.png BUBBLE GUM, HACE MINT, ??? The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. The strawberry gum has round script text on it, but it's unidentifiable.
File:Bubble Tape Blossom and Lemon.png ENPERA The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. Enpera means "squid fin," as the fruit shown on the packaging is called a squid-fin lemon in English.
KLMNOPQRABCDEFGHIJ Text on the CDs in Mad Props Station and Stick 'n' Move Station. The text is dummy text, and the Serif Script on the disc means the same thing.
SCALLOP Under the skeletal scallop logo at the bottom left of Front Roe's album art. The same scallop logo appears on signs in Inkopolis Square and is associated with musical equipment.

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
SALE, ANNVESAR A MakoMart ad show on a screen in Inkopolis Square, alluding to an anniversary sale.
SUPER PRICE Picture shown on a screen hanging from the ceiling of MakoMart.
STAY FRESH Picture shown on a screen hanging from the ceiling of MakoMart.
Mr. SHRUG Text on the Mister Shrug Tee. The symbol used to represent "Mr." is not found in the deciphered form of round script. Following the cipher, the second word would read SNROC.
OCTPUS Logo of a music equipment company in the Splatoon world. while the letters O, T, P, and U match round script's lettering, the C and S do not.
File:Bubble Tape Blossom and Lemon.png BLOSSOM CHERRY The text on containers of Bubble Tape in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. It may also be a misspelling of "passion berry," and it may be a passion fruit on the packaging.
GIFT SHOP Sign seen in the background of Goby Arena.

Bubble script

Compared to the previously listed scripts, "bubble" is rarely used. It has not yet been used to mimic any words in English or Japanese, and is often used to write complete gibberish and filler text. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: A and R, S and B, C and T, D and U, E and V, F and W, G and X, H and Y, and K and Z.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
SU MISO AE NIGHT The logo seen on the Squid Sisters' trucks when Marie performs Tide Goes Out. Refers to the Japanese name of the song, スミソアエの夜 Sumisoae no Yoru, instead using the English translation of yoru, "night."
LMNOPQ On the bottom-left of Bob Dub's album art.
AVOCADO TOAST Text found on the image in the middle. From Sunken Scroll 12 found in Octo Canyon.
TAKONINARERUKO Tako ni nareru ko means "A kid who could be an octopus." From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the green box on the bottom right of the image.
YAPPARIIKAGASUKI Yappari ika ga suki means "I like squids as always." From a promotional poster for Squid vs. Octopus (2018), appearing in the pink box on the bottom right of the image.
BCDE MNOPQ GHIJK Text on the Orange Cardigan.
File:Jelfonzo shirt concept art.JPG YOU SUCK Shown in concept art of Jelfonzo's shirts in The Art of Splatoon 2. This exact version of this shirt was not used in the final version of the game.
File:Jelfonzo concept art.JPG KISS ME Shown in concept art for Jelfonzo in The Art of Splatoon 2, on the yellow shirt on the right of the image.
SHIATA HAIKA Shown on a poster in Inkopolis Square, on the right side of the image. May be a romanization of "Theater Haika," with "Haika" being short for "Haikara," the Japanese name for Inkopolis.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG IKATO OCHADEMO Possibly supposed to be ika to oc ha demo, with oc short for "octopus," making the meaning "Squid and Octopus demo." From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in the Octo Expansion, specifically the bottom left design. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
SAIGO NO HONYURUI GA RYOMUNE NI CHINZASURU SHIJOU SAIKYO NO SUKAJAN! In the bright teal section to the left, underneath a drawing of the Squid Satin Jacket. Translates to something to the effect of "The last mammal sits on both sides of the chest, this is the strongest Satin jacket in history!" From Sunken Scroll 9 found in Octo Canyon.
JUICY Box seen in Hagglefish Market.

Runic script

"Runic" script appears in various places, notably in some Sunken Scrolls. It is sometimes used in longer bodies of gibberish text. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: C and W, D and U, E and N, I and Y, and O and Z. Which symbol corresponds to x in the runic script is currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
IKASUGRAM The header of the website. Combines the words "Instagram" with ikasu, "fresh." From Sunken Scroll 22.
KANIDER On Bisk's guitar pick. Kani means "crab" in Japanese. From Sunken Scroll 6 in Splatoon 2.
ZOO PLANKTON AKTO ZAKOU The largest text in the middle of the page on the right. Sunken Scroll 14 seems to be written in romanized Japanese. AKTO may be a misspelling of something, ZAKOU means "small fish." What can be made out from the remaining text on the scroll is that it is about research into microorganisms, but unfortunately the text is small and littered with misspellings, making translation extremely difficult.
IKAREKI NISENJUUNANA ETSU ARE TYODAN On the top of the newspaper. It appears to be Japanese. The text is small, so it is difficult to decipher. IKAREKI NISENJUUNANA means "Squid Calendar 2017." From Sunken Scroll 21.
AGAK SEISI Above the signature on the near-middle left, most likely the name of whomever was writing the message. The remaining runic script text is gibberish.
FINAL Logo seen in banners and the hanging screen present in Goby Arena.
HIGH COLOR SHINKA Logo for City of Color, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza. The text matches the Japanese name of the song.
File:Sheldon concept art s2.PNG FISH From concept art for Sheldon in The Art of Splatoon 2. The "FISH" text is on a badge for being fluent in other species' languages, implying that runic script is a writing system used by fish. Evidently, however, the various scripts have not been consistently used with any single species.
TATAKAI, MUKASHI NO MIMI NO NAGAI IKIMONO TO IKA SONO TATAKAI NO YOUSU WO _ MONO DEATA Plaque describing a folding screen exhibited in Skipper Pavilion, with a painting seemingly depicting a battle between a squid and a rabbit (here called an "ancient being with long ears"). One of the words has proven to be too difficult to read and decipher due to the low resolution of the texture.
ANTOKA HONIARARARA

NEOWEUNIO UO UNA

On the bottom left, next to the logos. It appears to be Japanese with gibberish mixed in. From the poster for Haicalive at Tokaigi 2018.
ROCK AND ROLL Text wrapped around the flower pot of the dancing flower locker decoration.
IKAS TAKO Seen on the cover of the fangirl comic, as well as the romance comic and love-and-war comic locker decorations. 'Ika' means squid and 'tako' means octopus.
SUPISUQUKO REKORDS Text written around the rainbow logo on the bottom right of Front Roe's album art. The "REKORDS" text is upside down.
AGEBASAMI SAND

AGEBAGEBASAMI SAND

MAKIAMI ROLE 360

MAKIAMI ROLE 720

BIGMOTHER MOUNTAIN

BIGMOTHER GARRDEN


UENO IATU

MEINSAVE REMON IKADASH APPLE

SUBSAVE BERRY SP CHARGE RUMNE

INK MELLON SP SAVE RATTE

HITO SASH TOMOT


SITANO IATU

SUPESYA APUUS KANZIKI GREAP

SYOTORESUTA MOKA SUBRITE LIME

ZYUNP ORANGE AKUSYON SUTORE BE

SABUAPPU MIZU

Crab-N-Go's menu, listing all foods and drinks using their japanese names, albeit with a few typos and shorthands.

Mimicked

Image Meaning Additional Information
NO MUSIC, NO LIFE. On the sticker near the middle.
N,S Imitating the letters for "North" and "South" on the compass. Located in Wahoo World.

Serif script

"Serif" script is nicknamed as such for how it resembles letters with serifs on them. Appears in many places, notably on Splatoon 2's Sunken Scrolls. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: F and U, I and X, J and Y, and E, T and Z share one symbol.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
HOTARU'S GOKAKU MAMORI A gōkaku mamori refers to a kind of good luck amulet used to pass exams. Hotaru is Marie's Japanese name. From Sunken Scroll 20.
IKASGRAM, 3 HOURS AGO, FRESH, HIKARI ISIMOTI, IKA KAWAII, IKETERU IKA IKASGRAM combines "Instagram" with ikasu, "fresh." It could also be playing on the word ika, "squid." FRESH seems to replace the follow button. The last three listed meanings are the usernames. Hikari is a common Japanese first name, meaning "light." Ishimoti is the Japanese word for a white croaker. Ika kawaii means "squid cute." Iketeru ika means "Stylish squid." From Sunken Scroll 12 in Splatoon 2.
MEDIUM On Bisk's guitar pick. From Sunken Scroll 6 in Splatoon 2.
ID IIMCO

NIJE/JF/NA JR:JJ:JO

CAM D

On the top and bottom of the photograph. The "JR" may refer to Li'l Judd, as he is Judd's "Junior". From Sunken Scroll 26.
ONA KASIDANA NANI EFKFRO On the bottom, near the photo of Pearl. It appears to be Japanese and some gibberish. "Ona" is similar to onna, meaning "woman" (which may refer to Pearl), and nani is Japanese for "what". From Sunken Scroll 1.
DEBON KAIYOU OWAGA At the top left. From Shellendorf Institute's Japanese name, Debon Kaiyō Hakubutsukan.
O V B

ABCDF HIJK

On the Varsity Baseball LS. The "O" and "B" appear to have missing serifs. The "V B" may stand for "Varsity Baseball".
File:Green Cardigan back.png ABCDEF, DEFGHIJKLMN On the back of the Green Cardigan.
WAKAME NO KIMOCHI, KAISOU In the logo of a gear franchise in the Splatoon world. Translates to "The feeling of wakame, seagrass".
AOWOTA MEMORY Logo for Maritime Memory, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza. Ao means blue, and wota may be an odd romanization of "water."
BOORI BOORI Seen on the sign to the right. The text appears backwards on the sign.
VOGUE The header for the interview with Pearl in Octotune.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG TANOSH This text on the top right design is possibly supposed to be tanoshii, which means "fun" or "pleasant." From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in the Octo Expansion. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
File:Bubble Tape Strawberry Mint and Mystery.png BUBBLE GUM The text on the back of Bubble Tape containers in Slow Ride Station and Wassup 8-Ball Station. The Cherry Blossom and Squidfin Lemon containers also have the same text.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS, 1. ABCDEF, 2. GHIJKL, 3. MNOPQRS, Text on the CDs in Mad Props Station and Stick 'n' Move Station. The text is dummy text, and the Round Script on the disc means the same thing.
SANTA MARIA Seen on the hull of Manta Maria and a wall near the central mast.
NINTENDO LIVE AT TOKYO In the second line of text. The remaining of the serif script text is gibberish. From a promotional poster for the Deep Cut Concert at Nintendo Live 2022.
PARU time, sen nine

ONE goods, game, hoby card, game, TWO goods, hoby, card game

ryuuguu GOODS open

Text seen on the doors of Hotlantis. The words are a mix of English and Japanese, both of which with misspellings.

Halfmoon script

"Halfmoon" script is primarily used in place of a headline. Notably, it appears on the cover of HaikaraWalker. Several letters in this alphabet map to the same symbols: A and H, B and S, D and G, E and M, F and U, I and W, J and X, K and Y, and L and Z. Which symbol corresponds to v in halfmoon script is currently unknown.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
HIKARA The in-game version of HaikaraWalker.
SEAOCOLORS AORI Used as the newspaper's headline. From Sunken Scroll 21.
EIM IK Behind the taped diagram. The text below is small and hard to read, and therefore hard to decipher. However, this entire scroll is likely just gibberish. From Sunken Scroll 23.
TENPO HA ANEMO NO ATAMA NO ATAMA NO NAKA On the gray sticker near the middle-left. Translates from Japanese to "The store is on the top of Annie's head." From Sunken Scroll 9.
BANKARA Reference to Splatsville's name in Japanese. Present only on the Return of the Mammalians trailer, the writing seems to have been removed in newer versions of the map, although the cubic objects still remain.
NOURISHING From HaikaraWalker (page 227). Description of a horticultural medicine seen attached to tree trunks in the Octo Expansion.
THANK YOU FOR IIKA FUNK Text present on the inside of the Squid or Octo series shoe box.
HIGH COLOR Logo for the Calamari Inkantation, which is projected onto the trucks that the Squid Sisters perform concerts on at Inkopolis Plaza.
Kbc Te dAijC

Dai Tk Len_ Ti

On the top-right of Bob Dub's album art. It is most likely intended to be gibberish filler text.
File:Cuttlefish Idol.jpg COIKARS Possibly a combination of "Kouika," golden cuttlefish, and "Gals." This is most likely the name of the cuttlefish group.
File:Sheet record haikara walker.PNG JAZZ ARANGE MIX Text is on the top right image. From a design on the sheet records floating in the background of Cratebuster Station and Matchmaker Station in the Octo Expansion. Image pulled from HaikaraWalker.
INFORMATION Text found above the screens on the base of the pillars present in Splatsville.
MUSIC FOR LIFE Found on an advertisement in Mahi-Mahi Resort.
ROBOIKA On the cover of the sci-fi comic locker decoration. Means 'Robo-squid'.

Mimicked

Image Meaning Additional Information
30 The Square Script is mimicking "%OFF".
FRAGILE The word is repeated many times on the tape, which also has a picture of a broken glass on it.

Deepsea stencil script

This script made its debut in the Octo Expansion and is one of the most frequently used scripts there. The symbols used in order were shown for this script in HaikaraWalker. Despite much of the letter's similarity to the Latin alphabet, truly deciphering this script is not as straightforward as it may seem. This script is seldom used for anything other than bold text meant to be read by the player or for complete gibberish. In those cases where the texts are readable, characters are often swapped and rotated for the sake of mimicry. The only reliable way to "decipher" this script is to find strings of text written Deepsea stencil that were not meant to be noticed by the player, and therefore were typed into place by the designer, rather than signage where the letters were likely carefully picked and chosen to mimic words.

So far, there is one nonsensical string of text that has been found written in Deepsea stencil that fits that description: "WEDDING PORTRAITS RESTRATION DIDITAL PRINTING ID PASSPORT VIDEO TRANSFER FAX COPIES". This string of text is only found written in a small font, and crops up wholly or partially across multiple signs and posters in the Deepsea Metro to fill space. Thus, the "deciphered" form of Deepsea stencil script is solely based on letters found in that string of text.

"Deciphered"

Image Meaning Additional Information
NOTICE, 24 HO8 VDEO Corruption of "24 HOUR VIDEO".
File:Undersea poster.JPG PRINTING ID PASSPORT VIDEO TRANSFER FAX COPIES This string of text is used as filler on some posters and signage in the Octo Expansion.
NOTICE, 24 HOR VDEO Another corruption of "24 HOUR VIDEO".
STAF ONLY A slight corruption of "Staff Only".

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
WELCOME to DeepSea This sign seems to mimic "Welcome to the Deepsea Metro" with the Deepsea stencil script.
MISSION CLEAR
NUMBER 10008		 Seen in the text surrounding the "TEST PASSED!" sign.
COME ON Text on the multicolored sign.
GAMER The text below is part of the commonly seen filler phrase, and the text on the green sign shows letters D through M in order in round script.

Deepsea block script

This script made its debut in the Octo Expansion, and it appears on posters and advertisements in the Deepsea Metro. The symbols used in order were shown for this script in HaikaraWalker. So far, it seems that this script is solely used to mimic words or to write gibberish.

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
File:Undersea poster.JPG UNDERSEA Poster seen in the Octo Expansion.

Sign script

This script appears primarily on signs throught the Splatoon world, hence the name. It is often used to mimic words or to write nonsense. While the deciphered form has been discovered, it is very seldom used in a meaningful way. A and O map to the same symbol in this alphabet.

Deciphered words

Image Meaning Additional Information
FRIDG Mispelling of fridge, supported by the graphic on the box depicting a refridgerator. Box seen in Splatsville.
PINEPPLE Box seen in Hagglefish Market.
DO NOT CROSS Signage on the floor seen in Hagglefish Market.
FINNS Sign seen in Mahi-Mahi Resort in Splatoon 3.

Mimicked words

Image Image Meaning Additional Information
File:Information-desk-WahooWorld.jpeg INFORATION Located in Wahoo World, attempting to mimic "Information".
INFO Located in Wahoo World.
SELFIE SPOT Sign located on the side of Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe's building.
HOTEL Sign on the side of a building in Inkopolis Square.
TIKETS Ticket booth present near one of the spawns in Shellendorf Institute.
GIFT SHOP Gift shop present near one of the spawns in Shellendorf Institute.

Alterna Script

This script appears exclusively around Alterna in Splatoon 3. It is implied to be a writing system developed by humans, which could explain its close resemblence to Latin script. This is the only script where its name and deciphering was not done by fans, as the complete font in the correct order was extracted directly from the game's files. There, the file name is "SpAlterna-Regular", with "Sp" likely short for "Splatoon" and "Regular" being the font type, we can deduce that this script is called "Alterna".

Deciphered words

Image Meaning Additional Information
ALUTANA TIVE SPECA Writing seen during the final phases of the Hero Mode in Splatoon 3 and on the side of the submarine in Landfill Dreamland. It seems to be based on the Japanese spelling of Alterna "Arutana", with the last word possibly being a misspelling of "Space". "TIVE", if combined with Alterna would result in "Alternative", so this text may be a broken way of spelling "Alternative Space".
File:Alterna Font DJ DJ.png DJ DJ Writing seen on many of the loudspeakers that can be found next to Gold Records around Alterna.
SEVEN TOBE TRERSE (top left) Writing seen on one of the record covers that can be found next to Gold Records around Alterna. "SEVEN" is the only obviously legible part, while "TOBE" could mean "to be". The rest of the cover appears to be gibberish in Alterna Script.
THE MESSIAH OR KOMOREKKO

LONG HIKHTTIS CALL

YESTREDSY DIDN, ES FDSMT

KSLSREX

UNDER MOIUTHY SILKININQIR

MITEUDOAKSA:DJSK

Writing seen on the back of the record cover discussed above. A few words are legible, most notably "The messiah or", "Long [...] call", and "Under". "YESTREDSY" might be a misspelling of "Yesterday".
EXEIT Writing seen next to many of the Kettles in Cozy & Safe Factory. "EXEIT" could be a misspelling of "Exit", labeling the Kettle as such.
OUT ENEGY

ETEW HATO VJAHQI

HAI ENETAGE

DEHETOR

EREKUTORICAT

Found in the Cozy & Safe Factory on the large structures with voltage panels. Some words are either misspeled or are multiple words combined. "Out Energy," unknown, "High Energy/Voltage," "Detector/Generator," and "Electric/Current."

Warning script

"Warning" script is named for its common use on warning and exit signs, commonly alongside the "Slow Your Roll" Mole. Most Warning script text is reused from other unrelated signs, and it doesn't appear to be decipherable, solely being used to mimic words.

Mimicked words

Image Image Meaning Additional Information
EXIT A common sign found across the world of Splatoon, this one is in Moray Towers.

Serif number script

From The Art of Splatoon.

A serif script which consists solely of numbers. However, this might be a part of the "serif" script above.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
no. 9 Octopus graffiti found across Piranha Pit. The "no." appears to be mimicked, however.

According to a real-life Shibuya Tower exhibit on 2018, Piranha Pit is the home to a gang called "No. 9" led by an Inkling who cares for the Zapfish and Octarians while hating Inklings.[4]

2049.85.39.6 From the poster for Haicalive at Tokaigi 2018. On the bottom left. The text doesn't match with the date the concert was held (February 10 2018), so it is likely just filler text.
3 Seen on the back of the Urchins Jersey.
3 In Octo Expansion, Agent 3 wears a cape with a "3" on it.


1, 2, 3 Sweet Valley Tentacles features three numbered gates of each team that open when their respective tentacles are splatted.

Oval number script

From The Art of Splatoon.

Deciphered

Image Meaning Additional Information
201_2307 On a billboard seen in the background of Inkopolis Square.
File:B-ball jersey away back.jpg
File:B-ball jersey home back.jpg		 52 The numbers on the back of B-ball Jersey (Away) and B-ball Jersey (Home). These two are especially blocky.

Mimicked words

Image Meaning Additional Information
89 The weapon icon for N-ZAP '89. The "9" appears to be mimicked instead of using the proper "9" script.

Other examples of readable texts

The following examples show text that is designed to mimic words and does not fall under any of the above-listed scripts.

Image Meaning Additional Information
File:Bankara dam.jpg
 蛮カラダム Seen in The Crater. バンカラダム means Splatsville dam.
キけん Seen in The Crater. きけん ,or 危険 means danger in Japanese.
フうか Seen in The Pursuit of the Precious and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

It means Shiver, or フウカ in Japanese. Written in styled hiragana and katakana.

ウツホ Seen in The Future Stares Back and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

It appeares to be Frye, or ウツホ's name written in katakana. The thrid letter is hard to read.

マんたロ～ Seen in The Obscurest Chiaroscurist and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

Big Man's autograph in Japanese hiragana & katakana in English cursive style.

NqiNi RFSOR1 & SPA The sign at Mahi-Mahi Resort. The text loosely resembles "MAHI-MAHI RESORT & SPA", the stage's name in Japanese.
File:Shellendorf Banner.PNG
 Tho Davoh Mujum The banner at Shellendorf Institute. The text loosely resembles "The Devon Museum" which is similar to the stage's name in Japanese, デボン海洋博物館 (Devon Oceanographic Museum).
DJ OCWAS The DJ Octavio version of Splatune cover. The "OCWAS" appears to be a portmanteau of "Octavio" and "Takowasa", as both names are used to refer to him in Japanese.
ABXY The album arts of Chirpy Chips. The logo on both arts loosely resembles "ABXY", their Japanese name.
File:S2 Band DJ Real Sole.jpg NEW yOU An alternate cover of Splatune 2 for New You, a song by DJ Real Sole.
合食禁 The album art of Diss-Pair. The logo loosely resembles 合食禁 gasshokukin, their name in Japanese and a concept of the same name regarding two types of food that should not be eaten together.
CAUTION! A Sunken Scroll with the artwork for an album by Wet Floor. The album artwork features a sticker that parodies the Parental Advisory sticker, with the red letter mimicking the word "caution".
File:Squid Beatz 2 title.jpg Ika Radio 2 Squid Beatz 2's logo resembles the words "Ika Radio 2", translating to "Squid Radio 2".
SMESHI WORLD The logo of Wahoo World seems to spell out "SMESHI WORLD", which is the stage's name in Japanese.
ThREE The sign on the Unnamed Battle Lobby Tower in Splatoon 3. The text after SquidForce's logo text seems to spell "ThREE" in English.
File:Sturgeon shipyard tidy and in order sign.JPG 整理整頓 整理整頓 seiriseiton means "keeping things tidy and in order". This sign can be seen at Sturgeon Shipyard.
じはんき じはんき jihanki means "vending machine". This logo can be seen on vending machines in Splatoon, as well as on the Inkjet and Tenta Missiles in Splatoon 2.
たoil Logo of a famous oil company in the Splatoon world. Combination of たこ tako, "octopus", and "oil".
WeL'NCO Logo of an exercise company in the Splatoon world. "WeL'NCO" might come from "Well and Co", an appropriate name for a company related to exercise.
Fジツボ The logo of Musselforge Fitness. Likely supposed to be フジツボ fujitsubo which connects to the Japanese name of the stage, フジツボスポーツクラブ Fujitsubo Supōtsu Kurabu.
いかうし 伊香牛 Ikaushi, 将軍山, 愛別 The Main text reads いかうし 伊香牛 Ikaushi, which is a station on the JR Hokkaido line. The nearest stations to Ikaushi station are, or was 将軍山 Shōgunzan (currently defunct in real life), which can be seen mimicked on the left, and 愛別 Aibetsu, which can be seen mimicked on the bottom right.

いか, SQUID Some clothing (mostly by SquidForce) features text that mimics the words いか ika, meaning "squid", as well as the word SQUID in English. These are:

たこ, OCTOPUS The Octo Tee and Octo Layered LS feature text that mimics the words たこ tako, meaning "octopus", as well as the word OCTOPUS in English.
Splatoon 2 World Championship The SWC Logo Tee reads in English.
OCTOPUS The Red Cuttlegear LS and Black Cuttlegear LS feature black text below the "8" that mimics the word OCTOPUS in English.

Sqihd
RmArck Lab.
SRL.		 Logo of the the Squid Research Lab seen on banners at the back of lab coats in Splatoon Global Testfire and a sign in Inkopolis Square. The text loosely resembles "Squid Research Lab".

File:S2 Basic tee back.PNG		 イカ, SQUID Some SquidForce clothing features a logo made to resemble イカ ika, meaning "squid", as well as text that mimics the word SQUID in English. These are:

File:Fresh octo tee back.PNG		 タコ, OCTOPUS The Fresh Octo Tee features a logo made to resemble タコ tako, meaning "octopus", as well as text that mimics the word OCTOPUS in English.
クサ, ほのお, ミズ The Splatfest Tee logos for Splatoon 3 Splatfest Grass vs. Fire vs. Water mimic Japanese names for the respective types クサ kusa, ほのお honō, and ミズ mizu. The logos are also in the same style of SquidForce's starting tees: Splatoon 2 and Splatoon designs of the Basic Tee as well as the Tri-Shred Tee in Splatoon 3.
たKOうつぼ, hOTR, たKOWASA Seen on the back of the Deep-Octo Satin Jacket. Takotsubo is part of the Japanese name of Octo Valley and Octo Canyon. "hOTR" is a mispelling of "Hotaru", Marie's Japanese name. Takowasa is DJ Octavio's Japanese name.
蝶鮫造船 A logo associated with Sturgeon Shipyard, seen on the back of the Headlamp Helmet. The text loosely resembles 蝶鮫造船 which is an alternate writing of Sturgeon Shipyard's Japanese name, チョウザメ造船 Chōzame Zōsen.
File:Splatoon Sunken Scroll 24.png FAX The kanji-like symbol on the right side of Sunken Scroll 24 in Splatoon is actually comprised of the letters in the English word "FAX", albeit slightly altered, resized, and rotated.

File:Nintendo sign.jpg

GAME & WATCH,

JERRY KING JR., GAME A,

GAME B, TIME, ALARM, ACL,

CONTROL, NINTENDO, JUMP

A Game & Watch in Ink & Watch Station and Hypercolor Station. The game system and its text are based on the real Donkey Kong Jr. Game & Watch. The "NINTENDO" logo can also be seen in Ancho-V Games and on various objects in the Deepsea Metro.

HVC-SM,

ファミリーコンピユ™,

スーパーマリオブラザーズ,

SUPER MAROBROS.™,

©1985 Nintendo

A Famicom cartridge in Footloose Station. The cartridge and its text are based on a the real Super Mario Brothers Famicom cartridge. The "NINTENDO" logo can also be seen in Ancho-V Games and on various objects in the Deepsea Metro.
File:Under construction sign sturgeon shipyard.JPG 工事中 A sign in Sturgeon Shipyard. 工事中 kōjichū means "Under construction."
マンタマリア Seen on the hull of Manta Maria (above the serif script) and a wall near the central mast. マンタマリア Manta Maria is the stage's name in most languages.
File:Tide Goes Out 3.jpg OCTA, TACO The fists of DJ Octavio's Octobot King II. The text seems to represent both "Octavio" and "Takowasa", as both names are used to refer to him in Japanese.
仇 Flag seen in Piranha Pit depicting an emblem of an unseen gang called "No. 9".[4] The emblem appears to be a combination of of イカ ("squid") and 九 ("nine").
SALMON Logo for an unnamed earthworks company. This logo appears on Balloons and Power Egg containers in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon, suggesting the company plays a part in Octarian-Salmonid trade.
WEApoN
ブキセット		 Logo seen in promotional renders of Sheldon's Picks weapon boxes, which appears to be a bilingual ambigram of "WEApoN" and ブキセット buki setto (weapon set).
SHIGA The bottom text. The shape in the "O"-like letter is reminiscent to Lake Biwa in Japan. "Shiga" is the name of the prefecture where Lake Biwa is located.
DANGER The word is repeated many times and is written in a cartoonish font.
み Deep Cut's logo consists of a み mi character repeated three times. This can be read as "three mi", or surimi - part of Deep Cut's Japanese name, Surimi Union.
すりみれんごう A logo shown during the Anarchy Splatcast. It mimics すりみれんごう surimi rengō, Deep Cut's full Japanese name written in Hiragana.
すりみ
2069.40.09
BANKALIVE
Nintendo Live at Tokyo		 Poster for the Deep Cut Concert at Nintendo Live 2022. The logo in the top right of the poster mimics すりみ surimi.
The date is written in oval numbers, but does not match the date on which the event is planned (being 2022.10.08).
The text below the event's name and date is written in serif script. All lines other than the largest are gibberish.
Many of the logos displayed along the bottom of the poster are explained elsewhere on this page.
File:Alterna.jpg
 おるたな Seen in Landfill Dreamland.

The hiragana reads "Alterna".

ふうか Seen in The Pursuit of the Precious and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

Shiver, or フウカ in Japanese hiragana. This resembles senjafuda.

ウツホ Seen in The Future Stares Back and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

Frye, or ウツホ in Japanese katakana.

マんタ Seen in The Obscurest Chiaroscurist and nearby areas around the boss kettles.

Big man, or マンタロー in Japanese hiragana and katakana.

Gear and weapon brands

Image Meaning Additional Information
大王イカ The Enperry brand logo loosely resembles 大王イカ daiō-ika, the Japanese name for the giant squid.
Forリマ The Forge brand logo resembles the letters "Forリマ", which is similar to the brand's name in Japanese, フォーリマ Fōrima. It also resembles the French and German name for the brand, "Focus".
GiMN The Splash Mob brand logo resembles the letters "GiMN", which is similar to the brand's name in Japanese, ジモン Jimon. Interestingly, Gimn is a Russian word, meaning "Anthem", "Canticle", "Carol" or "Hymn".
AROME The Tentatek brand logo resembles the letters "AROME", which is the brand's name in Japanese, アロメ Arome.
File:Toni Kensa Logo.png た
t
K		 The Toni Kensa brand logo resembles a hiragana character た (ta) which is an alternate writing of the first two letters of the brand's Japanese name タタキケンサキ Tataki Kensaki. The logo also appears to be a combination of Latin letters "t" and "K", the initials of Toni Kensa in most languages.
EZKO The Zekko brand logo uses the letters "EZKO", which is the brand's name in French, Italian, Spanish, and a shortened form of the Japanese name Ezokko (person from Ezo).
IArOIC The Zink brand logo resembles the letters "IArOIC", which vaguely resembles the brand's name in Japanese, アイロニック Aironikku ("ironic").
KnrI ARMS The "Ammo Knights" weapon brand logo resembles the letters "KnrI ARMS", which vaguely resembles the brand's name in Japanese, Kanburi Arms.

ツカオ電気
ツカオ		 Logos of the "Neo" weapon brand, which seems to be associated with construction and appliances. The first three letters appear to be an anagram of カツオ katsuo, meaning "skipjack tuna" (or "bonito"), while the last two letters (which were removed in the logo used since Splatoon 2) resemble 電気 denki, meaning "electricity".

Spoken language

The spoken language used in Splatoon is indecipherable, while the Inklings' and Octolings' speech consists of gibberish lines edited to have a gargling effect, other characters mostly have the same voice clip, often consisting of only two or three syllables, repeated during dialog. Craig Cuttlefish' voice falls into the latter cetagory, despite him being an Inkling. Certain voice lines vaguely resemble words in real-life spoken languages. Beyond that, there is no deeper meaning to the spoken language.

Song lyrics, regardless of the species they are sung by, consist of gibberish lines. Official lyrics for songs by Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters have been distributed with merchandise, such as albums and piano sheet music. An in-universe interview with Wet Floor also disclosed a couple of lines for the song Inkoming! that incorporate sounds resembling English words. Lyrics for Ebb & Flow (Octo) are also shown to incorporate the word "splatoon", albeit slightly deviated from how it is normally spelt in katakana. In addition, Tentacle to the Metal by Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook has a line sounding like "hey hey, tentacle!" sung by Pearl.

Audio

Octarian language

The Octarians in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon are stated to have a language different to that of the Inklings. Its written form is sometimes represented with square script, but this is not consistent. In its spoken form, Octolings make Inkling-esque sounds, while Octosnipers, Octocommanders and all varieties of Octotrooper make groaning sounds that bear some resemblance to the noises Inklings and Octolings make when they take damage or are splatted.

In Japanese Splatoon media, Inkling language is represented through regular Japanese, while Octarian speech is written entirely in katakana. In Japanese media, a character's dialogue being written with katakana can imply a foreign accent or language of some sort. When Callie is brainwashed, her speech is entirely in katakana, showing that she may be speaking Octarian. Marina occasionally slips into speaking Octarian; detailed in The Art of Splatoon 2. Off the Hook's songs are bilingual, with both Pearl and Marina singing portions in Octarian. They mostly sing in their respective languages, but there are times when Pearl sings with Marina in Octarian, even if her lyrics are still written in hiragana. An Inkling's experience listening to them has been compared to Japanese people listening to English-language songs without an understanding of the language, but an appreciation of the melody.[5]

When using the Octoling amiibo in Splatoon 2, their dialogue is written in broken English, implying that they do not speak the Inkling language natively. However, in Splatoon 3, this is no longer the case, as they now speak perfect English.

Gallery

Names in other languages

Template:Foreignname

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nintendo Jelfonzo - Play Nintendo
  2. ↑ YouTube Splatoon 2 - Live Concert at Nintendo Live 2019 - Nintendo Switch (via closed captioning)
  3. ↑ Mynavi: 「Splatoon(スプラトゥーン)」のイカしたデザインのひみつ(後編) (3) 解読不可能? イカ語のひみつに迫る | マイナビニュース (Splatoon developer interview)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 YouTube The Mysterious Gang Leader of Piranha Pit
  5. ↑ Famitsu: イイダのパートはイカと異なる言語、サーモンランはシャケを鼓舞する変拍子。『スプラトゥーン2』サウンドに迫る、サントラインタビュー (Splatoon 2 composer interview)
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