https://www.academia.edu/120017765
Standard PIE *H2albho- ‘white’ does not explain all data. H. alpa- ‘cloud’ does not have h- < *H2- and G. alōphós ‘white’, alpho-prósōpos ‘white-faced’, alphós ‘dull-white leprosy’ show variation between what looks like *H2albho- and *alH3bho- (1). If Arm. aławni ‘dove’ & alawun-k’ / alawsun-k’ ‘the Pleiades’ are added (2), *alH2bho- might also be needed. These oddities can not be unrelated.
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It seems all these outcomes can be united by H-metathesis. If *H2albho- > *alH2bho-, as needed for alaw- in Arm., it would also solve H. alpa- not having h-. Since *H2- did not begin the word, there would be no reason for it to become h-. Knowing if *-lHb- > -lb- was regular is impossible by itself (and H moved by metathesis might not have even become syllabic anyway). G. alōphós would then need to be explained instead of expected **alaphós. However, since optional rounding by P seems to exist for other syllabic C’s in both G. and Arm. (*plH1u- ‘many’ > Skt. purú-, G. polús, Arm. yolov ‘many (people)’; *wlkWo-s ‘wolf’ > *wlokWo-s > *wlukWo-s > G. lúkos; Odusseús / Olutteus / Ōlixēs see (Whalen 2024h) for more), it seems likely that the same *H2albho- > *alH2bho- needed above also took place in G., then *alH2bho- > *alH3bho- (showing that H2 = x, H3 = xW or similar), or a similar assimilation of V (*alxǝpho- / *alǝxpho- > *alxopho- / *aloxpho-) after *x > *ǝx, etc.
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The large number of oddities in many words that can be explained by H-metathesis supports its existence. Without it, an individual explanation for every word would be needed. Kloekhorst even rejects H. alpa- ‘cloud’ from ‘white’ because of lack of h- and that, “semantically it is [difficult] as well… alpa- is predominantly associated with rain and thunder, and therefore an oriinal meaning ‘whiteness’ is unlikely’. This is a ridiculous statement. The etymological origin of a word has nothing to do with what later people say about it. The H. word is also not attested in a book of poetry about how pretty the white clouds are; if it were, would that “prove” white > cloud instead? He also does not connect H. alpant- with *Halp- ‘small’ either. Since it is used of a sick child and a kind of cheese, ‘white / pale’ would cover both. It’s also possible they’re 2 words that came to be written the same (-ant- is a common ending), but if one from *Halp-, -pp- would be expected.
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A similar metathesis might be able to explain *wlp-(e)Hk^o- vs. *aloHp-eHk^- :
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? > *aloHp-eHk^- ‘fox’ > G. alṓpēx / alōpós, Arm. ałuēs
*wlp-(e)Hk^o- > Li. vilpišỹs ‘wildcat’, L. vulpēs ‘fox’
*wlep-ano- > H. ulippana- ‘wolf’, *welp-an(a:)- > Alb. dhelpën ‘fox’
*lewp-eHk(^)o- > Skt. lopāśá- / lopāka-, etc.
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Based on cognates, alṓpēx should come from a word starting with *wlep- or *lewp-. Practically, it makes sense that *w has become a vowel. Due to *-wp- / *-up- losing *w / *u in many G. (including *kW > p, and other IE for only old *p) words (3). These are not regular, but most variants are obviously from the same source. That all oddities exist for *w/u next to *P makes any other conclusion unlikely. Logically, *lewp- > alōp- would include some change to *w. This would require intermediate *eu > *öü (like Arm. *eu > oy), then optional *öüp > *ȫp, then regular *öü > *eu in Greek, hiding the change.
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As for a-, it’s possible that G. & Arm. optionally added V- before l- (Arm. ołork -i- ‘smooth / polished’, lerk -i- ‘smooth / hairless’; *slibro- > OE slipor ‘slippery’, G. (o)librós), since Arm. seemed to change *r- > ar- / er-. If not, since G. alṓpēx vs. Li. vilpišỹs shows that the weak cases had syllabic *-H1-. If H1 = x^, a word with strong *welpex^k^o- vs. weak *wlpx^k^o- would exist. So many C’s in a row seems ripe for metathesis. In Greek, this would become *welpex^k^o- > *lewpex^k^o- > *lōpex^k^o-, but weak *lupx^k^o-. If the change of *-xph- > *-xWph- above was real, *x^ might also assimilate next to P, but since also next to *k^ (both pal. velars), it might only partly assimilate to plain *x = H2. Thus, if any analogy took place in the paradigm, H-metathesis would once again allow *lupx^k^o- > *lupxk^o- > *xlupk^o- > *alupk^o-, causing *lōpex^k^o- > *alōpex^k^o-. Evidence of a form without analogical a- might come from cognates with *l > th (compare Cretan thápta, Polyrrhenian látta ‘fly’, probably << G. dáptēs ‘eater / bloodsucker (of gnats)’) :
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G. alṓpēx ‘fox’, dia. thámix
Pontic G. thṓpekas \ thépekas >> Arm. t’epek, MArm. t’ep’ēk \ t’obek ‘jackal’
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Of course, *a- > 0- is also possible.
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If *w had already become *v, a labial fricative dissimilating next to labial stop for *lew- > alṓpēx and *davfnā > dáphnē, etc., would work. However, if *eu > *öü was shared with Arm., G. might also share K > K^ next to ü (4). Since G. later merged K and K^, this would later be hidden. However, some G. words do show *k^ > *t^ / *s^ > t(h) / s (5), and a stage with *uk > *ük^ might also explain other oddities. Since I’ve also said (Whalen 2024d) that G. ḗlek- could come from *leuk-, I would combine these to make *uP and *üK^ have the same optional loss of *wü :
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*leukeH1- ‘be bright’ > L. lūcēre ‘shine’
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*leukH1tro- > *leukathro- > L. lūcubrum ‘dawn / twilight’, *leük^x^tron > *levk^etron > *lēk^etron > G. ḗlektron ‘amber / electrum’, ēléktōr ‘shining’
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If the cluster *-kHtr- was especially likely to cause H-metathesis, instead (similar to alṓpēx), *leük^x^tron > *x^leük^tron > *elḗktron > ḗlektron. As evidence of this origin, and the stage *eu > *öü, consider how it would also unite :
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*leük^x^tron > *löükhtron > *lökhthüron > G. loggoúrion / luggoúrion ‘amber’, log(k)oúrion ‘glass’
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Two words for ‘amber’ that resemble each other and have no known origin should be considered together. Instead of these variants being seen as a problem, the need to unite them narrows down which words could produce both. Adding them together and finding an origin that must explain all of them allows greater certainty about the sound changes involved (all seen in other words). These might be Macedonian forms, or from a similar dialect. This would allow *kH > kh to produce Mac. *kh > g. For this, and against regularity, there seem to be doublets of CH > Ch / CV, like :
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plékō ‘plait’, *plok-Hmo- > plókamos / plokhmós ‘braid’
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*terH1-tro- ‘gnawing / scraping / boring / cuttin’ > téretron ‘borer / gimlet’, térthron ‘*point > summit / tip’
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*smoH3g- ‘heavy / burden / difficult’ > *smogh- > Li. smagùs ‘heavy’, *smog(h)- > G. mógos / mókhthos ‘work / toil / hardship / distress’, (s)mogerós ‘suffering hardship’
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This would even apply to optional *Cs > Ch and *CsC > ChC(h) as part of Greek *s > *x > h, showing that it could merge with *H > *x or similar (Whalen 2024i) :
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*seps- > *heph- > Arm. ep’em, G. hépsō ‘boil’, *sepsto- > hephthós
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*deps- > dépsō ‘work/knead with the hands until soft’, dépsa ‘tanned skin’, dípsa ‘thirst’, *dipstero- > diphthérā ‘leather / prepared hide (for writing)’
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G. háptō ‘fasten / grasp’
*H2aps- > G. hápsos ‘joint’, TA āpsā ‘(minor) limbs’, Skt. ápsas- ‘front side’, H. happeššar- ‘limb / part of body’
*H2aps- > G. haphḗ ‘(sense of) touch / grip’, Arm. *hap’ \ ap’ ‘palm of hand / handful’ (h- in *haph-haph- > hap’ap’em ‘kidnap’)
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*ek^s-tos > G. ektós / ekhthós ‘outside of / without / except / external / strange / vulgar’
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*ek^s-tero- ‘outsider / stranger’ > *ekhstro- > G. ekhthrós ‘enemy’
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G. adaxáō \ odáxō ‘feel pain/irritation / (mid) scratch oneself’, adakheî ‘it itches’
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Skt. pyúkṣṇa- ‘covering for a bow’, G. *pyukslo-? > ptú(s)khloi ‘shoes’, ptúx \ ptukhḗ ‘layer / plate / fold’
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*sH2usko- ‘dry’ > Skt. śúṣka-, Av. huška-; *sxauks-mo- > *xaukx-mo- > G. aukhmós ‘aridity / dryness’
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The change *sk > *ks / *khs also seems to apply to :
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*ksenwo- ‘guest’ > Att. xénos, skheno-
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*sikW- > Av. hiku- ‘dry’, *iskW- > G. iskhás ‘dried fig’, iskhaléos ‘dried’, iskhnós ‘dry / withered’
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G. phoxós \ phoûskos ‘sharp / pointed / with a pointed head’.
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*ek^s-ato- ‘furthest out’ > G> éskhatos ‘farthest / last / highest / lowest / etc.’
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But others show *s > *h > 0 in places where *s > s is expected, and without *hC > Ch :
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*prsto- ‘in front / projection’ > pastás / parastás / partás ‘porch in front of a house’
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*g^hrzd(h)- > *khristh- > krīthḗ, Alb. drithë ‘grain’, L. hordeum ‘barley’
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Notes
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(1) Long ō < *H also in *kolH3no- > Li. kálnas ‘mountain’, G. kolōnós ‘hill’. This is not regular, as in *kolH3mon- > L. columen > culmen ‘top / ridge of house’, G. kolophṓn ‘summit’ (with m > mh > bh by H, Whalen 2024c). The optional long vowels show that *H3 was optionally pronounced xWǝ / ǝxW > xWo / oxW > o / ō, etc. (Whalen 2024a, b), like *H2ma- > G. āmáō / amáō ‘reap / cut / mow down (in battle)’. This is seen in other IE (*H > i / ī in Skt.: *pelH1- ‘fill / much / many’, *pelH1nos- = *pelǝx^nos- > *parihnas- > Skt. párīṇas- ‘abundance’).
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(2) Martirosyan doubts this, but his quote, “J̌ahukyan (1963a: 86; cf. 1987: 270, with some reservation) connects the word to aɫawni ‘dove’ deriving both from *aləu- ‘white, shiny’ and comparing also *albho-” is certainly the only good option (if they are related at all), and considering the appearance of -ō- vs. -0- in Greek, the oddout comes he sees as evidence against are evidence for it (and a close relationship betweeen G. and Arm., one of his claims to begin with).
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(3) *-wp- (Whalen 2024e) :
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G. thalúptō / thálpō ‘warm up / heat’, thalukrós ‘hot/glowing’, Mac. Thaûlos ‘Ares’
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*kaput ‘head’ > Skt. kaput-, L. caput, ON höfuð
*kauput ‘head’ > Go. haubiþ, OE héafod, E. head
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*kap- > G. kápēlos ‘local shopkeeper / tavern-keeper’
*kaup- > L. caupō(n-) ‘petty tradesman / huckster / tavern-keeper’
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*lowbho- ‘bark’ > Alb. labë, R. lub
*lo:bho- > Li. luõbas
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*newbh-s > Latin nūbs / nūbēs ‘cloud’
*ne:bhs >> Skt. nā́bh-, nā́bhas ‘clouds’
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? > *davxnā / *davfnā > Greek dáphnē / daukhnā- ‘laurel’
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*twerb- / *turb- > ON þorp ‘village’, E. -thorp
*trewb- > *treb- > OIr treb ‘dwelling’
*trewb- > *tre:b- > O. trííbum ‘building’
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*dhrewb- > ON drjúpa, dropi, OE dryppan, dropa, E. drip, drop, G. thrúptō ‘break into pieces’
*dhreb- > Skt. drapsá- ‘drop of liquid’
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(4) Examples of *uK > *uK^ in Arm. (Whalen 2024f) :
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*leuk- > Arm. loys, Latin lūx ‘light’, gen. lūcis
*yugo-m > E. yoke, L. iugum, G. zugón, Skt. yugá-m, Arm. luc
*x^euk- > Arm. usanim ‘become accustomed to’, Skt. uc- ‘be accustomed to/take pleasure in’, okas- ‘pleasure’
*dughxter-? > Av. dugǝdar-, Arm. dustr, E. daughter
*bheug- > Skt. bhoj- ‘enjoy’, bhóga-, Arm. -boyc ‘food’, bucanem ‘feed’
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*K(W)u > *K^u :
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*tranku(r)- > Li. trankùs ‘jolting/rough’, ON þröngr ‘narrow’, Arm. t`anjr ‘tight’
*presgWu-? G. présbus ‘old man’, Cr. preigus, Arm. erēc` ‘elder’
*azgWolxo-? > G. ásbolos / asbólē ‘soot’, *ask^ülxo- > Arm. acuł / acux ‘soot/coal’
*melgWulo- > *mergWulo- > Alb. mje(r)gulë OR *melgWulo- > *megWulo- > Alb. mje(r)gulë (dissimilation)
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It’s likely the stage *eu > *öü also optionally caused palatalization (or there was analogy from 0-grade with Ku > K^ü):
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*(s)kewdh- > OE hýdan, E, hide, G. keúthō ‘covehide’, Arm. suzem ‘immerse’
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(5) For optional K^ > T^ in G. (Whalen 2024g) :
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*bhak^- > G. phakós ‘lentil’, phásēlos ‘bean’, Alb. bathë ‘broadbean’
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*dheH1k(^)o- > Skt. dhāká- ‘container’, G. thḗkē ‘box/chest/grave/tomb’, thēsaurós ‘treasure/store-room/safe/casket/cavern/subterranean dungeon’
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*(s)k^ewdh- > OE hýdan, E, hide, G. keúthō ‘cover / hide’, Arm. suzem ‘immerse / plunge’
*(s)k^ewdho- > G. teûthos ‘squid’
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*g^en(H1)os- > L. genus, G. génos, pl. genéā, Cr. zenia, Ms. zenaides
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*woik^- >> G. oikeús ‘inmate / menial servant’, Cr. woizeus, more in (Viredaz 2003)
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*dhg^ho:m? > G. gê / gâ, Cyp. za- ‘earth’
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*meg^H2two-? > mégethos ‘size’; *mg^H2two-? ‘great’ > G. agathós, Cyp. azatho- ‘good’
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agállō ‘glorify/exalt / pay honor to a god’, ágalma, Cyp. azalma ‘glory/delight/honor / pleasing gift / statue (in honor of gods)’
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*H2ak^ro- > ákron ‘peak’, ásaron ‘hazelwort / wild ginger / wild spikenard (a plant used for spice)’
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*H2aig^ro- = *xaig^ro- ‘flashing / swift’ > *xaiz^ro- > G. aisárōn / aisálōn ‘merlin (hawk)’
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*wik^wo- > *wiswo- > wiswos, Att. ísos ‘equal/same/even’, Skt. víśva-, Av. vīspa- ‘whole/every/all’
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*k^ek^- / *kik^- / etc. > Li. kìškis ‘hare’, šeškas, Skt. śaśá- ‘hare/rabbit’, káśa- ‘weasel’.
*kik^id- > *ikk^id- > *ikt^id- > G. íktis / iktís ‘marten’, ktídeos ‘of marten(-skin)’
(most *k^ > k, *kk^ preserved it so as not to become *kk )
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*k^H2ap-? > G. sápithos ‘sacrifice’, Skt. śapátha-s ‘oath’, Rom. solax (?)
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skúllō ‘tear’, pl. skûla ‘spoils (of war) / booty/plundeprey’, sū́lē ‘ right of seizure/reprisal’
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with *sk^ > th (compare dual outcomes of *sk^ (and *k^r > sr \ wr ) in Arm. ):
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*H2arisk^oH > ararískō ‘fit / join together’,
*H2arisk^mos > arithmós ‘number’
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Also, alternation of -ikos / -isos / -ithos and -ak(h)os / -asos is possible, but most examples are uncertain or of unknown etymology (and any oddity in an ending is usually explained as from just another ending).
​
​
Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon
https://www.academia.edu/345121
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Martirosyan, Hrach (2009) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon
https://www.academia.edu/46614724
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Whalen, Sean (2024a) Laryngeals, H-Metathesis, H-Aspiration vs. H-Fricatization, and H-Hardening in Indo-Iranian, Greek, and Other Indo-European
https://www.academia.edu/114276820
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Whalen, Sean (2024b) Laryngeals and Metathesis in Greek as a Part of Widespread Indo-European Changes
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Whalen, Sean (2024c) Indo-European Alternation of *m : *bh by *H (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/114332797
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Whalen, Sean (2024d) Environmental Causes of Greek *Ē > Ā, *H1 / *0 > E / Ē, *H / *0 > E / A / O / 0; Cretan Tā́n, Tálōn
https://www.academia.edu/114056439
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Whalen, Sean (2024e) Indo-European *w > 0 / *W, *wP > *_P / *P / *CP (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/116360502
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Whalen, Sean (2024f) Reclassification of North Picene (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/116163380
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Whalen, Sean (2024g) Greek Dialects; Fricatives and Affricates; Nasalization and Devoicing (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/117863418
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Whalen, Sean (2024h) Dark of Moon: Etymology of Odysseus and Lukábās (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/119846820
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Whalen, Sean (2024i) Cretan Elements in Linear B, Part Five: Are labúrinthos and da-pu2-ri-to-jo Related? (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/114792712
​

Long Post Alert >>> #tbtSijui nliona wapi Habida bashing Arbantone artists saying they are yet to release original hits. Lmao kumbe alirusha mawe police station. Some Gen Z Arbantone artist akaulizwa kwa interview what he has to say about that, akasema hajawai mskia before that day. That reminded me back in 2010 when I had an incident that involved that msanii. Those are the times when either you had an ideos phone to download Mp3s illegally on waptrick or you had to go a cyber café to listen to your favorite songs on YouTube. Niko sure Gen Z have no idea tulikua tunauziwa mp3 cds at 100 bob na saa hio ni ile pocket money ulisave after closing school (ukipatia beste yake airudishe ikiwa ata na scratch moja unaskia kumnyonga ukijua ulisacrifice kutokula ngumu pale canteen ya shule a whole term). Halafu saa hio cybercafé ilikua 1 bob per minute na load speed ni like 2 kbs, so ndio hio song iload on YouTube unapata 15 minutes zimeshaisha na saa hio uko na budget ya like 30 minutes juu mfuko uko na 50 bob. Unataka ubaki na mbao na ushapiga budget 10 bob ni ya kubuy zile sms 1000 on Saf za kutext your old high school gfs sweet nothings pale jioni and the other 10 bob ilikua ni ya emergency just in case your 1000 sms’s ziishe kabla 12 midnight and hamjamaliza telling each sweet nothings.So back to Habida. She had a hit back then with Nameless. ‘Sunshine’. Hio time nlikua tu nimemaliza high school the previous year and ata sisi tulikua tunaexperience FOMO and you had to keep up with the latest mostly either through Facebook or YouTube. Twitter ndio ilikua imeanza, ilikua ya cool kids hio time and a lot of us opened accounts out of curiosity. Mimi sijui how I discovered the Urbandictionary website and they had a chat room on their site. They used to be called Meebo chatrooms. All you needed was to come up with a username and join the chat. No email or password. There were people from all over the world. But not a lot of people knew about it so you would find like 20 or so people just chatting about random things. So, one day they are sharing YouTube links of songs they are currently listening to. Cool kids wa kina America and kina Australia and UK are sharing some music and names I’ve never heard about. They are sharing music from bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse sijui kina Black Sabbath and the guys from US are arguing that American bands are better than bands from Europe. The guys from Europe are saying US bands are overrated and way too commercial. Mimi pale noob niko clueless. Hio time nlikua tu najua kina Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Daughtry and Nickelback as the only rock musicians I know. So, they are asking me nichangie debate. Acha nimention ati I like Daughtry. Makosa. They started laughing and started roasting me. Eti Daughtry is a favorite band for suburban housewives going through a midlife crisis. Alafu ongeza clever insults za walami, saa hio zinanipita at that time sarcasm and satire ilikua concept tu nimesoma pale literature high school kwa kina River Between and An Enemy of the People. Then isitoshe my typing speed was very slow because well ata kama tulisoma basic computer skills in form 1 and 2, I could not compare to kids who have had Personal Computers kutoka wakiwa watoi. So, they are typing over 100 messages in a span of 5 minutes. Kabla I reply to one message it takes me like 5 minutes. So, one guy is telling me that his grandmother can type faster than and she is actually like 96 years old. But I was not having any of it nliamua kukaa ngumu. I had to show them us African brothers don’t fall fall (kuguagua in French). I sent a YouTube link of hio ngoma ya Habida kwa chat. After clicking on the link and viewing the video wakasema eti nobody wants to listen to my Jamaican songs with low quality videos of people singing kwa giza.Nakwambia mimi I surrendered arms and told akina Dedan Kimathi I had done my best as a millennial freedom fighter to defend and fight for Kenya (Apparently also known as Jamaica). Some Philipino guy who was in the chat group after kuona vile nimepelekwa mbio private messaged and told me hadi ametense kuchangia hio discussion. We said several Hail Mary’s alafu nikamuuliza kama anajua Yna and Angelo wa The Promise. Akasema ata hajawai waskia. Saa hio huku hakuna mtu hangelala Monday na Tuesday ndio awatch KBC. Kulikua hadi na calendars and those wallpapers za kina actors and actresses wa the Promise in peoples homes. Nikashindwa kwani hao watu wa The Promise walikua wametolewa Philipines ya wapi. Anyway nlimpatia number ya Mpesa just in case apatane nao awagotee na awaambie watume kakitu because we were big fans of them huku Kenya. Kenyans out there abroad how has your experience been out there? Have you experienced culture shock? What are the good, bad and the ugly?Anyway the whole ordeal made me realize just how much there is a huge gap and disparity among people. What you think you know is just a little fraction of what is out there. Your reality is different from someone else’s. different generations, cultures, communities and so many other things continue to divide us.

Hi all, this sub has been so helpful! I am hoping you can help me find a perfect bag.
I travel for work once or twice a month, mostly to California from Seattle - sometimes DC sometimes Denver. Most trips are 2-4 days.
I’ve been using a Cotopaxi Alpa 35l for the past 7 years or so and while I have really appreciated being able to onebag, it actually is feeling too big and bulky for the travel I’m doing regularly. I’m a light packer and I don’t need all the room for a short trip - and I‘ve been having to bring a separate laptop/day bag.
So, what I’m dreaming about is something a bit smaller that I can use as my travel bag and then transition to my briefcase/day bag when I get to my hotel. Ideally, would actually be convertible to a messenger bag/briefcase style to carry my laptop and notes to meetings - but it could also be a professional looking backpack.
I work in environmental advocacy so professional doesn’t have to be too professional, outdoorsy is ok.
Tyia 🙏🏼

Hello 👋🏻
I would like to hear what helped (or is helping) the most when it came to the mouth pain, slimy phlegm, and sore mouth that comes with radiation to the H&N area.
My dad is in so much pain, and he keeps saying that nothing is helping him more than 5 to 10 min max.
So far we have: . Humidifier in the room . Magic Mouth wash . Salt & Bicarbonate Soda water to rinse . Water infused with frankincense resine . A mouthwash I found at the pharmacy called "KIN Care" . Dexamethasone . Mycosat.
Please share your experiences.
For external skincare, we went a natural route, and so far he is showing no symptoms directly on the skin apart from some redness.
. MEEBO Scar cream . Seasame Oil . Castor Oil . Wheat Germ Oil
EDIT: I want to add that I purchased a portable phlegm suction unit - and it has been life changing for him. In other discussions, someone mentioned that they were able to borrow one from their hospital. Please please please consider this.

I, 37f, work full time for peanuts. I have two kids who I would love to do everything with but my income hardly pays the bills. We are on food assistance that has been canceled due to an error. I'm waiting for my lights to get turned off because I haven't been able to pay my eletric bill.
My ex, 37m, said he would buy a house with me a help me with the payment. He lied about so many things. He lied about this and had no money. I asked if he was able to help with the mortgage payments too. He said yes and of course I took him at his word. He be came emotionally abusive, sending me into rolling panic attacks, and screamed at me in front of my children about not fucking him enough. My kids are scared of him. I kicked him out. He only support3d me when it benefited him. I got I into a terrible car accidnet and lost my sight for six months. The first day out of the hospital I asked him to help. He said sure but when the mor ing came and things needed to get done he was still in bed. Blind in one eye and blood pooling in my eye socket, I got up to get my kids ready for school. Only to be met with him yelling from the bed room "if I knew this was gunna be how it is I could have gone to work instead." He would tell me so often that I was not giving him enough, seeing him enough, fucking him enough, making him feel special enough... I was just not enough. Inadequate.
My ex husband thought I was an object. The kids father. Wanted to mr alpa male but didn't back up any of his alpa male bullshit. He left me alone with two kids to raise so he could go chase all his dreams. And I never saw him. I was mowing the lawn with a 1.5 yr old and 8 months pregnant because he was too tired to do anything. He also told me he couldn't do work and family at the same time. That's why he is an ex. The kids didn't even realize we were getting a divorce because they never saw him and he was never around. I was unimportant.
My family talks shit about me behind me back and I know they do. I've walks into them whispering about me. I'm not dumb. I'm just a gossip. Not actually part of the family. When I try and talk out problems civilly, I'm being dramatic. They hang up on me. Ignore me. Unimportant.
Flash foward to today, sick with God knows what. Maybe the flu? Maybe covid? I have tried before to reach out to people for help and I've been ignored, told I'm being dramatic. Well... now here I am, in terrible debt, can't pay my utilities and my children keep asking me why don't I do this that and the other thing with them. How can I tell that I don't have money for it? That our eletric might go out? I've had to boil water on the stove so they could bathe...
I'm so alone. I'm so depressed and I have no one who cares. The people who say they do show me they don't want me around. They show me how I dont matter. The cries for help ignored over and over. I just stopped talking to anyone. Cause I'm not enough but I'm too much. So what am I?
I'm just broken and have little will left to keep going because all the faith i have in people and the optimisim i show is never met. It's only met with nastiness and abuse.
I'm so tired. Humanity I guess is just not as kind as I thought.

Now that all three volumes of the encyclopedia are released, I thought it might be nice to have a big list of all the NPC's ages. I haven't included every character, because the encyclopedia gets into some really obscure characters and including them all would probably break the text limit on posts. There's also a number of characters whose ages simply aren't given. I've included what descriptions the encyclopedia has, but if you think major a character is missing, it's probably because their age just isn't touched on. Still, if you want to know a certain character's age, just let me know and I'll try to find it.
This will be mostly spoiler free, but there are obviously names of characters and zones from later expansions if that kind of thing is a problem for you.
I have also included below some interesting trivia I found while preparing this list. If there's anything interesting about the characters that you know and want to share, please do!
A quick note before we begin, the official word on time progressing in this game is that it doesn't. Events exist in a sort of Simpsons-esque time bubble, where, for example, no matter how many annual Calamity remembrance ceremonies we attend, the Calamity will always be five years ago. Thus, the ages listed here are the characters' ages both at the beginning of ARR and the end of EW.
Scions of the Seventh Dawn
Louisoux Leveilleur – Died at the age of 72, 5 years ago.
Minfilia Warde – 27
Y’shtola Rhul – The hands of time are ever stopped on twenty and three.
Thancred Waters – 32
Papalymo Totolymo – 42
Yda Hext – 25
Urianger Augurelt – 29
Alphinaud Leveilleur – 16
Alisaie Leveilleur – 16
Tataru Taru – 21
Krile Baldesion – 22
Arenvald Lentinus - 19
F’lhaminn Qesh – 37
Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn - 29
Hoary Boulder – 25
Coultenet Daliebaure – 26
Ocher Boulder – 22
Aenor Cockburne – 28
Garlond Ironworks:
Cid Garlond – 34
Biggs – 25
Wedge – 22
Jessie Jaye – 30
La Noscea:
Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn – 42
Eynzahr Slafyrsyn – 58
R’ashaht Rhiki – 27
Reyner Hansred – 38
Baderon Tenfingers – 48
Hyllfyr Faezmoensyn – 70
Sciard Spence – 26
Carvallain De Grogagne – 34
Rhoswen Leach – 36
Riol Forrest – 37
Gridania:
Kan-E-Senna – 28
Swethryk Brookstone – 42
Vorsaile Heulox – 33
Raya-O-Senna – 21
A-Ruhn-Senna – 18
Mother Miounne – 36
O-App-Pesi – 36
Buscarron Stacks – 48
Laurentius Daye – 28
Gerolt Blackthorn - 51
Thanalan:
Nanamo Ul Namo – 21
Raubahn Aldynn – 44
Pipin Tarupin – 25
Swift Ryder – 28
Momodi Modi – 44
Papashan Nonoshan – 64
Lolorito Nanarito – 64
Teledji Adeledji – 55
Wilred Glasse – 18
Yuyuhase Luluhase – 45
Mor Dhona:
Rowena – A lady never tells.
Slafborn Rhotweitzsyn – 45
G’raha Tia – 24
Rammbroes Zasertylsyn – 50
Koh Rabntah - 28
Ardashir Balyk - 17
Ishgard:
Archbishop Thordan – 74
Aymeric de Borel – 32
Estinien Wyrmblood – 32
Lucia – 28
Edmont de Fortemps – 59
Haurchenfant Greystone – 28
Artoriel de Fortemps – 30
Emmanellain de Fortemps – 26
Honoroit Banlardois – 14
Ysayle Dangoulain – 24
Francel de Haillenarte – 22
Hilda Ware – 21
Charlemend de Durendaire – 59
Idyllshire:
Midnight Dew – 29
Slowfix Cointoss – 41
Zhloe Aliapoh – 21
Khloe Aliapoh – 13
Matoya – Woe betide any who ask.
Garlean Empire:
Varis zos Galvus – 46
Zenos yae Galvus – 26
Nael van Darnus – 38
Gaius Van Baelsar – 56
Nero tol Scaeva – 34
Livia sas Junius – 26
Rhitahyn sas Arvina – 49
Regula van Hydrus – 44
Grynewaht pyr Arvina – 20
Asahi sas Brutus – 27
Maxima quo Priscus – 34
Valens Van Varro – 56
Noah Van Gabranth – 48
Menenius Sas Lanatus – 55
Lyon Rem Helsos – Near 70
Licina Bas Corculum – 18
Quintus Van Cinna – 60
Jullus Pyr Norbanus – 21
Nerva Yae Galvus - 44
Ala Mhigo:
Ilberd Feare – 44
Conrad Kemp – 70
Meffrid Noward – 38
M’naago Rahz – 22
Fordola rem Lupis – 19
M’rahz Nunh - 50
Ruby Sea:
Soroban – 32
Rasho Mastbreaker – 37
Tansui the Foxed – 38
Kurenai Shisui – 21
Doma:
Hien Rijin – 24 or 25
Yugiri Mistwalker – 26
Yotsuyu goe Brutus – 32
Hozan Nagae – 38
Higiri Oshiga – 23
Isse Shibunuri – 19
Azami Shibunuri – 12
Hakuro Gunji – 33
Kozakura Gyoji – 25
Azim Steppe:
Cirina of the Mol – 21
Magnai of the Oronir – 27
Sadu of the Dotharl – 27
Crystarium:
Ryne – 17
Lyna – 33
Katliss Horhand - 39
Moren Morkirk – 31
Bragi – 34
Chessamile Lakirk – 62
Szem Djrnmai – 48
Glynard of the Ninth House of Pinehome - 56
Eulmore:
Vauthry – 29
Ranjit – 88
Chai-Nuzz Mewlah – 40
Dulia-Chai Mewlah – 40
Kai-Shirr Olkoh – 17
The Jongleurs – 18
Mowen Freepurse - 41
Gaia – 17
Amh Araeng:
Ghen Gen – 39
Ghun Gun – 19
Tesleen Stoneplowe – 18
Halric of the Gold House of Aldermere – 9
Magnus – 39
Il Mheg:
Feo Ul – Newly blossomed
Aenc Thon – Old as the flick of a disappearing tail
Seto – At least 140
Beq Lugg – Approx. 250
Rak’tika:
Runar – 30
Valan – 19
Quinfort – 18
Almet – 87
Uimet – 85
Cymet – 83
The Tempest:
Tolshs Aath – 63
Paushs – Ooan – 18
Grenoldt Freethane - 51
Bozja:
Bajsaljen Ulgasch – 54
Marsak Apella – 42
Misija Votyasch – 29
Mikoto Jinba – 24
Sharlayan:
Fourchenault Leveilleur – 40
Ameliance Leveilleur – 40
Montichaigne Mongrignois – 74
Erenville – 25
Ojika Tsunjika – 21
Dickon Denman – 38
Kokkol Dankkol - 43
Thavnair:
Ahewann Bin Alzadaal – 50
Varshahn – 12
Matsya – 22
Nahbdeen Bin Pashe - 34
Mehryde Bihn Shinan – 40
Warriors of Darkness:
Arbert – Unknown, became an adventurer at 18
Blanhaerz – 40
Lamimi – Unknown
Naillebert – 29
J’rhoomale - 27
Hildibrand Quests:
Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville – 23, biologically 18
Nashu Mhakaracca – 21
Briardien de Manseauguel – 26
Ellie Ryse – 24
Godbert Manderville – 56
Julyan Manderville – Perpetually young.
Cyr Blyme – 20
Wolf Burglar – 23
Shigure Moribito – 28
Class Quests:
Mylla Swordsong – 27
Wrynzoen Saelsmyndsyn – 35
E-Sumi-Yan – At least 230
Sylphie Webb – 14
Hamon Holyfist – 60 and has been for 10 years.
Ywain Deepwell - 36
Jacke Swallow – 27
Luciane Corne – 33
Cocobuki Lolobuki – 23
Thubyrgiem Guldweitzwyn – 29
Disciples of the Hand Quests:
Beatin Mainrocquat - 30
Brithael Spade – 30
H’naaza Esi – 38
Serendipity – 19
Geva Storke – 29
Redolent Rose – 27
Severian Lyctor – 32
Lyngsath Doesfalksyn – 42
Disciples of the Land Quests:
Adalberta Sterne – 28
Fufucha Fucha – 44
Wawalago Momolago – 65
Job Quests:
Jenlyns Aesc – 29
Solkzagyl Keltnaglsyn – 54
Widargelt Beake – 26
H’raha Tia – 56
Curious Gorge – 23
Broken Mountain – 28
Dorgono of the Qerel – 18
Ser Alberic Bale – 44
Heustiene de Vimaroix – 23
Jehantel Fointeaume – 68
Guydelot Thildonnet – 22
Oboro Torioi – 24
Karasu Kanshi – 24
Yuki Yatsurugi - 17
A-Towa-Cant – 198 (Deceased)
Eschiva Keyes – 23
Qururuka Tataruka – 132
Lalai Lai – 24
Tristan Lowe – 27
Ymhitra Rhul – 26
Alka Zolka – 20
Surito Carito – 1,605
Fray Myste – 25
Sidurgu Orl – 26
Stephanivien de Haillenarte – 30
Rostnsthal – 55
Leveva Byrde – 16
Jannequinard de Durendaire – 32
Sevestre Albright – 38
Musosai – 78
Momozigo Mumuzigo – 27
Makoto Obinata – 25
Kongo Miyama – 38
Ugetsu Tachikake – 31
Shiden Unryu – 35
X’rhun Tia – 42
Arya Gastaurknan – 18
Lambard Calowise – 40
Radovan Slobasch – 45
Sophie – 20
Vitus Quo Messalla – 52
Ranaa Mhigo – 17
Nashmeria – 37
Drusilla Varus – 52
Lalah Jinjahl – 22
Guildivain Sailmet – 38
Shadowbringers Role Quests:
Granson Ketchthane – 28
Lue-Reeq Chalah – 18
Cerigg Morpurse – 25
Taynor Lakplowe – 10
Giott – 22
Iola Waldhand – 18
Thiuna – 24
Bethric of the Second House of Pinehome – 36
Qeshi-Rae Kaapoh – 30
Frithrik – 26
Endwalker Role Quests:
Rurusha Rusha – 74
Boric Azora – 40
Namono Tayamono – 29
Jude Rose – 19
Jeromere Marette – 20
Debroye – 21
Galveroche Larille – 55
Hinageshi Wright – 29
Tankin Banjo – 35
T’laqa Tia – 31
Qin Aliapoh - 26
A Realm Reborn Tribes:
Hamujj Gah – 48
Sezul Totoloc – 41
Gi Gu – 19
Clutchfather Novv – 39
Heavensward Tribes:
Vath Deftarm – 1, counting from when he broke free of the Overmind.
Vath Storyteller – 12
Moghan – He forgot
Linu Vali – “Lake sun rising in the eastern sky, my life has but only begun.”
Lonu Vanu – As old as “the sun shining brightly in the sky.”
Stormblood Tribes:
Kabuto Ironshell – 26
Alpa – 17
J’olhmyn Abah – 23
M’zhet Tia – 25
Gyoshin – 23
Seigetsu the Enlightened – 27
Gyorei – 20 or so
Shadowbringers Tribes:
Ronit – 15
Ozogg – 20
Chaqurl Qhotl – 3
Qitarl Natl – 14
Endwalker Tribes:
Trna – 21
Ogul Khatayin – 18
Y'shtola:
So Y’shtola’s age is a little complicated and I wanted to break down what we know. The above quote is what’s said in the encyclopedia, but as you can see her younger sister is 26. So she’s older than that, but how old? Well, she appears in a 1.0 flashback to 15 years before the present day with her adult model and Archon tattoos. The twins at 16 are too young to be Archons, so Y’shtola was at least 17 and thus 32 now. She also comments she was Alphinaud’s age when the Sharlayan colony was abandoned 16 years ago, so 32 again. Assuming she was speaking generally and not literally gives us a few years of wiggle room, so our best guess for her age is 32 to 34/35.
Trivia:
Minfilia’s real name is Ascilla. Minfilia is a name she took to hide from the Garleans after they learned her father was a spy for the Ala Mhigan Resistance.
Despite having Midlander models, Minfilia and Yda are both officially Highlanders.
Thancred is a native of Limsa Lominsa, adopted by Sharlayans after he was caught picking Louisoux’s pockets.
Y’shtola’s fiction that her age is 23 might be explained by a Sharlayan self-help book the player can find titled Forever Twenty Summers. It tells the reader to act like they are perpetually the age they first opened the book, with 23 being an age picked as an example.
F’lhaminn has a Seeker of the Sun name, but a Keeper of the Moon model.
Biggs and Wedge are aliases, taken to protect their loved ones still in the Empire after the two of them defected.
Merlwyb’s non-ruling passion is fine wines and she particularly enjoys Lohmani reds.
Baderon’s surname “Tenfingers” is a reference to his skill in completing a career as a mercenary without losing any of his digits.
The heir of the Ishgardian noble House Durendaire was lost at sea after being captured by the Kraken’s Arms pirate crew. Not coincidentally, the current captain of the Kraken’s Arms is a man of Ishgardian descent.
E-Sumi-Yan is the oldest Padjal in Gridania. It’s not clear if this wording should be taken as a sign there are other Padjal outside of Gridania.
Nanamo was named Sultana at age 5 and met Raubahn at age 9.
Rowena never tells anyone her last name, possibly because it’s still “Blackthorn” from when she married Gerolt.
Rammbroes was a founding member of the Circle of Knowing, the precursor group to the Scions founded by Louisoux.
Aymeric tried to show Lucia the joys of cooking by teaching her his dodo omelet recipe, but she was unimpressed.
“Wyrmblood” is a sobriquet, Estinien’s true surname is Varlineau.
The Nael van Darnus we encounter in-game who’s age is listed above is actually his sister Eula, who adopted his identity after the real Nael was slain in battle.
“Arvina” is the equivalent of “Smith” for imperial Roegadyn. There is no family connection between Rhitahlyn sas Arvina and Gyrnewaht pyr Arvina.
Gosetsu’s age is not given but we know he had a daughter when the Garleans invaded, giving us a bare minimum age of 43.
Vauthry began ruling at the age of nine.
Ranjit’s martial prowess even with his advanced age is attributed to rigorous training, but it’s speculated he is descended from a race with greater longevity than Humes.
Children of Eulmore’s bonded citizens are considered wards of the state and conscripted into the city’s army. The jongleurs are two such conscripts.
Mikoto is the youngest Raen Au Ra to become an Archon at 24. The youngest Archon we know of is Thancred (and likely Y’shtola) at 17.
Fourchenault is said to be Louisoux’s “eldest son,” implying that he has at least one brother. Similarly, Zenos is Varis’ “firstborn,” implying he has or had siblings.
Qin Aliapoh is the sister of the Idyllshire Aliapohs and sends them some of her earnings to help with the orphanage.
Nashu started following Hildibrand when he investigated a crime she was falsely accused of and found the real culprit.
Rostnsthal (Rusty Steel) was once named Sthalmann (Steel Man) and was a big enough figure in Limsa Lominsa that he could make a bid for being Admiral. However, that bid was backed by the Ascians and after being defeated by Y’shtola, Sthalmann was disgraced and changed his name out of shame.

Hey all,
I’ve been traveling with my Alpa 35 recently, I’m looking for a small bag that fits in the upper front section with plenty of room that can carry my kindle, backup battery etc. when I sit in my seat and store the back overhead. Basically something to throw the things in I might use during the flight
Any recommendations? Thanks!

https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/news-room/2023-08-24-faa-to-examine-public-charter-loophole-safety
​
Saw this post from ALPA today about the FAA looking into JSX and Skywest charter. What do you guys think would happen? If the FAA closes the loophole would JSX have to become a part 121 carrier?

Add FedEx to the list of major airlines whose pilots have voted to authorize a strike. In a ballot that closed this morning FedEx ALPA reports 97% participation, with 99% voting yes.
Source

Add FedEx to the list of major airlines whose pilots have voted to authorize a strike. In a ballot that closed this morning FedEx ALPA reports 97% participation, with 99% voting yes.
Source

Add FedEx to the list of major airlines whose pilots have voted to authorize a strike. In a ballot that closed this morning FedEx ALPA reports 97% participation, with 99% voting yes.
Source

https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/news-room/2023-05-01-air-canada-pilots-vote-to-merge-with-alpa?fbclid=IwAR3YF0wD1Q8gEO9ooCzWefmFPhDA3paswf3HRTm5nWH8gsS_oQabk1h7rMs&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Cool! Congrats.

So we can have a list about the lawyers who have topics about a specific subject. May mga magagaling kasi mag-explain na lawyer tungkol sa isang topic lalo na pag di mo nagets kung paano i-apply.
Here's mine (not limited to lawyers):

• Atty. Javier Philippine Law Lectures for Students
• Dean Festin Law
• The Hows of Law
• LawStudentPH
• Legally Engineered
• Alpas Pilipinas
• Atty. JMF Vlog
• CD Duka Law
• The Dean
• Lex in Motion
• Darchy Wagas
• Tandaan N'yo Yan!
• Joe-Santos Balagtas Bisquera
• Villasis Law Center
• UNO-Recoletos Law Channel
• Tax Center by Atty. Raegan L. Capuno
• The Lecture Room of Atty. Raymond Batu
• Atty. J&J : Law Made Easy
• Atty. Lydia Bundac
• Fiscal EJ
• Atty. Tam Gonzales
• Atty. Emmanuel E. Murillo
• Fiscal EJ
• Legally Engineered
• Atty. J&J : Law Made Easy
• Atty. Emmanuel E. Murillo
• Batas Pinoy
• Foundation for Economic Freedom
• John Beryl
• ATTY. AMBIN SUAREZ
• GURO, BATAS, AT BAYAN Atty.Risty T Adarayan
• Batas with Atty. Claire Castro
• MELANIO LAZO MAURICIO JR
• Batas mo, Batas ko with Atty. Ronnie R Redila
• Atty Abel

Baka meron ka pang ibang alam na nagpopost ng lecture sa ibang socmed channels?

Background:
I am a 21f from America and this is my third solo trip, but I have traveled with others before my first solo trip. I’m learning Arabic right now, which was the main draw to the area, as well as the food, safety levels, and different activities. I like a destination that has a good mix of food, art, nature, and cities. I’m vegan at home but this was my first time being vegetarian abroad and I had a pretty good experience so I think I will continue doing that when I travel. I’m also autistic, which definitely influences how I travel and how I view things. I like to write a lot, and this is going to be a chunky post.
Budget:
As in my last trip report, I used an app called Trip Coin to track my costs and I can’t recommend it enough.
Transport (excluding airfare): $401 I used a mix of buses, taxis, ubers, and I even hitched a couple rides from strangers for the first time which was exciting. You could definitely do less in this category but my route wasn’t very cost optimal. I also heard that renting a car is a great option in Jordan however, I’m not a confidant driver even in the states
Activities: $402 My hostel in Amman had deals with the local tax drivers for them to drive you to the nearby spots and drop you off. There was no guided element to it. I also threw in some guided tours as well, the ones in Palestine/Israel were through my hostel in Jerusalem and quite expensive but worth it.
Accommodation: $241 I’m very happy with the amount of money I spent on accommodation while I was there. The hostels I stayed in were quite nice and I stayed in 2 nature camps where I had my own room which was a treat.
Food: $250 I’m also quite happy with this number. Food there was so inexpensive compared to the states. I’ll be mentioning my favorites in the body of my trip report.
Souvenirs: I’ll preface this by saying that I have a ton of Arab friends back here that really wanted stuff from Jordan and of course it was Christmas time and I needed presents. You do not need to spend this much on souvenirs but it is what I did. $150 is the number and I also bought some nice stuff for myself as well. The Middle East is a great place to buy some really high-quality perfume oils and jewelry for a good price so those are what I recommend taking home.
Total: $1,444 or $68/day
My Itinerary: I used an app called Tripit to keep track of my plans and my parents and partner were able to see it as well to keep up with me. I was there for a total of three weeks.
6 days in Amman with days trips to the Dead Sea and Jerash
- I stayed in Battuta Hostel specifically because it was the only hostel with a female dorm in the city. Call me a prude but I don’t like the idea of mixed dorms. I loved it though! The breakfast was great and the location was awesome.
- I know it’s basic but definitely go to Hashem’s restaurant for the falafel and hummus. I ate there so often on my trip that they actually put a picture of me on the wall.
- I did an amazing street art tour that I’ll link at the bottom. Show this group some love!
- I am obsessed with all of the juice stands throughout the city. The pomegranate juice was next level good.
- Skip shopping at Rainbow Street entirely, I’m not sure why so many websites and blogs talk about this street when it’s just a bunch of overpriced tourist shops and Western restaurants. The downtown area is where it’s at for good shopping, good food, and good people-watching. North of the Grand Mosque is very touristic and South of it is more lived in where you’ll get better prices.
2 days in Wadi Rum
- I stayed at Wadi Rum Fire Camp which was good, not exceptional but I had a pretty good time.
- Jeep tour was about $50 for the whole day + lunch and it was a great deal in my opinion
- Sunsets here are otherworldly, I was convinced it was a greenscreen
- This was my first time seeing the Milky Way at night so that was super special
- I had a great time here other than my tent not really locking properly which freaked me out as a solo woman.
- It was so cold!!!
3 days in Petra spent Christmas here
- I stayed in Nomads Hostel and had a bit of a rough time due to issues with the staff and my key card. The whole vibe of the place also felt a little performative. The people I met here were great though and they have an awesome rooftop.
- Petra is amazing of course and you’ll find a million other people on the internet talking about it so my only suggestion would be to tag on the Al-Khuthba trail to the main ones. It’s extremely challenging but equally worth it.
- I was originally supposed to spend 2 days in the park but it flooded on the second day so I only did 1 and got to see everything I wanted to see
- The restaurants in Wadi Musa are kind of terrible, I would ask the staff at my hotel for actual good recommendations if I went back
2 days in Dana
- I stayed in Al Nawatef Eco Camp. Great location, great staff, okay food, and wonderful hiking tours
- This place really felt like a hidden gem. The camp wasn’t even half full
- Getting there was a bit of a struggle, I ended up having to hitch a ride with some guys from my hostel to avoid paying a high taxi fee as there are no buses to the village or the surrounding area
- I did a 6hr 15km hike through the canyon with a guide from the camp and a group of people. This was the longest hike I have ever done and I am so proud of myself for making it through, especially with the blisters on my feet from Petra
- Oh my god it was cold at night
1 day in Amman
- I stayed in Battuta again
- Again, I had to hitch a ride because of the bus situation and me being a penny pincher
- I just chilled out here in preparation for crossing the border
4 days in Jerusalem with day trips including a tour of a swath of the West Bank and another to Hebron and spent New Year’s here
- Crossing the border here was a little intense, nothing too serious but I was stressed out about everything. I got to the border from Amman, checked in where the guy gave me an exit slip, held on to my passport to give to the bus driver (which freaked me out), got on a bus where it took 1 hour to cross a distance of about 10 miles because of all the stops and checks, then waited an hour with everyone else for my stuff to be scanned and to be questioned about why I’m there. Then I was let out and directed to a shuttle to take me to Jerusalem. A lot less scary than I anticipated but still quite intense.
- I got very sick in Jerusalem from a sinus infection and being roofied so I didn’t do a lot here like I wanted to
- Walking around the old town was really fun getting lost in the market stalls
- Seeing Al Aqsa mosque from a distance was lovely, there was political stuff happening at the time of my trip so they weren’t letting non-Muslims get too close
- The Western Wall was cool
- I saw the Mt of Olives from a distance as well because of how sick I was
- My tour in Hebron was absolutely amazing. I did a dual narrative tour with an Israeli guide for one part and a Palestinian guide for the other. I would so recommend this tour through Abraham hostel if you’re in the area
- My “Best of the West Bank” tour however was a little underwhelming in comparison. We breezed past 3 important cities and focused a lot on the Christianity aspect of the region which I’m not too interested in.
- I did absolutely nothing for New Years because of how sick I was
- Alma Soup has some of the best soup ever
2 days in Amman
- Stayed in Battuta again
- Got a tattoo of a black iris, the flower of Jordan
- Chilled out
My itinerary really isn’t ideal, I did a lot of backtracking through Amman. I didn’t mind that though, Amman is a great city, definitely one of my favorites now. The taxi from Amman to Wadi Rum was quite a pretty penny though, as there are no direct buses, and it hurt to shell out that much cash for a car ride. I also didn’t have a lot of time in Palestine/Israel because it was a bit of a last-minute decision to go so I had to cram a lot in there which wasn’t great.
What went right:
I got to practice my Arabic a lot which was such a good experience for me. I have noticed a significant uptick in my skills and that feels so rewarding. Also, I hiked the longest that I have ever hiked before and I survived! I’m physically disabled so getting to that point was a really big deal for me. I also got to see Al Aqsa mosque and paint it plein air which has been on my bucket list for a really long time. Finally, I met some of the most amazing people on this trip. It was so funny because I kept running into the same people at different stages of my trip. Never before have I been able to click with so many people that I’ve met on the road which was very rewarding to me as an autist with questionable social skills.
What went wrong:
The biggest thing that went wrong for me on this trip was being roofied in my hostel in Jerusalem. I am fine, I got to my dorm before anyone could do anything to me, but I spent my last night throwing up all of my soup. Then, when I tried to report it to the hostel, the guy at the front desk didn’t believe me. What puts salt in the wound was that they had all these posters in the bathrooms about how the staff is a safe place to report anything like that to. I feel very lucky that I made it out of the situation without being assaulted and I credit it to my gut feeling that something was wrong as soon as I started to melt into the couch at the hostel bar and getting myself tf out of there. On a less serious note, I realized I need to redo my entire backpack system before my next trip because my current backpack caused me a lot of sciatic pain. I’m currently looking at the Cotopaxi Alpa, mainly because it opens like a clamshell and I think that’s nifty.
Final thoughts:
Jordan and Palestine/Israel really blew me away. I certainly will be going back to one or all of the countries at some point to continue my Arabic studies and just to immerse myself in the culture. Everyone was so friendly and I never got catcalled, even in Amman (however, there would be men not thinking I knew Arabic who would whisper ‘sweet nothings’ as I passed by but I don’t really count that as catcalling). Going to Palestine/Israel was so important to me as so much is/has/will be happening there for millennia and even as a child I was deeply invested in the conflict. It feels almost traitorous to begin planning my next adventure because of how much I loved these places. However, there is a SEA trip in the cards soon…
​
Thank you for making it through this huge post! I really love writing these so I put a lot into them.
​
Here is the street art tour group: https://www.undergroundamman.com/

Naa ba kay Pag ibig? Dili nang uyab2x, but kanang government institution.
Dont know what it is? The Pag ibig loyalty plus card allows you to enjoy discounts on grocery (pero wala sa cebu), tuition (wala pud sa cebu), hospital bills, fuel, restaurants, and many more. It also double as a cash card where you can received your Pag ibig Multi Purpose Loan (MPL), MP2 dividend (if you dont know this you can read it at phinvest) and others. Furthermore, some (unfortunately not all) institutions consider this as a GIID (Government Issued ID)
If you already have this, here are some of the stores here in Cebu where you use it.

1. Bo's Coffee - 20% discount for min purchase of P500
2. Hi Precision - 5% discount
3. Human Nature - 5% discount and special rate on membership fee
4. Mc Do - 5% discount for min purchase of P200
5. Petron and Petron Gasul - Earn peso points for min purchase of 5 liters. But must register prior
6. Rusty Lopez - 10% discount min purchase P1,000
7. Timezone - P200 peso powercard load for P160 only. P40 pesos discount
8. Pac Safe - 15% discount for min purchase of P3,500 or 5% discount on all other regular items
9. Bigby's - free slice of cake for min purchase of P700
10. Penong's - 3% discount min purchase of P500
11. Rico's Lechon - 5% discount min purchase of P1,000
12. Cebu Appliance Center - 7% discount for cash transactions
13. De Los Reyes Optical - 20% discount on house brand frames, lenses, and other product and free UV coating.
14. My Health Clinic - 20% discount on laboratory, 5% discount on executive check-up, free consultation on primary physician.
15. Opon Medical Diagnostic Corporation - 10% discount on consultation, laboratory and dental services
16. Smile Designs - 10% discount on oral prophylaxis, tooth extraction and tooth filling
17. St. Vincent General Hospital - 8% discount on laboratory, diagnostic, imaging test and room. Except of dialysis and blood bank.
18. UC Med - 8% discount on laboratory, diagnostic, imaging test and room. Except of dialysis and blood bank.
19. Alpa City Suites - 50% discount on room based on publish rate, 20% discount on food and drinks.
20. Eloisa Royal Suites - 20% discount on rooms with breakfast and airport transfer, 10% on cocktails and mocktails.
21. Goldberry Suites and Hotel - 25% on rooms, 5% on food and drinks min purchase of P1,000
22. Hotel Elizabeth - 50% discount on publish rates
23. Montebello Villa Hotel - 30% discount on publish rates, 10% discount on ala carte menu.
24. Sarrosa Hotel - 20% discount on publish rates, 5% discount on ala carte menu
25. Trans Asia Shipping Lines - 10% discount on all regular fares within VisMin

If you know something that i missed out, feel free to msg me so i can update the list.

Pilots are rejecting a 14.5% pay increase for good reason: because they know that real inflation - as opposed to our fake, Soviet-style CPI inflation stats - is more like 17-20%, so they'd be losing ground economically as their purchasing power, and ours, is destroyed by the Fed & the Brandon regime. Essential workers know their value, and we can look forward to a huge wave of labor unrest as those workers demand wages that keep up with inflation.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11378197/United-Airlines-pilots-vote-against-new-contract-offer.html
United Airlines pilots have rejected a new contract offer from the major airline, signaling possible trouble for the holiday travel season, just weeks away.
The Air Line Pilots Association on Tuesday announced that the group had 'overwhelmingly' rejected the tentative contract. The union represents 65,000 pilots across more than three dozen companies in the U.S. and Canada.
According to the organization, 94 percent of the nearly 10,000 pilots employed by United voted to turn down the contract, which offered a nearly 15 percent pay raise.

Hi folks, I just wanted to share some of the upcoming events that we’ll be hosting this month in case anyone is free/interested!
Monday, 19th September (National Holiday) - Casino Night
An exciting evening of betting games for a chance to win some prizes. We will not actually be gambling with money so beginners who just want to try their luck are very welcome!
More info here: https://meetu.ps/e/LpHmq/yVBGz/i
Friday, 23rd September (National Holiday) - Potluck Party
A fun day of cooking and eating. We will have a whole cooking room to ourselves so we can share the food we love and make some new friends.
More info here: https://meetu.ps/e/Lppnz/yVBGz/i
Sunday, 25th September - Board Game Day
A chill day of playing board games. I’ll be bringing a lot of casual, light/party games so again beginners are very welcome!
More info here: https://meetu.ps/e/LrCd9/yVBGz/i
Hope to see you soon!

Fun fact, when I originally wrote the draft for this update, this introduction was about how I wasn't looking forward to the drama. I rewrote it before publishing to GP though because I didn't feel that what I wrote was all that controversial. I didn't want to make it a self fulfilling prophecy, ya know? Well, I wake up today to that Zafang video, several threads here on reddit, and angry comments in my GP article.
Oops.
I feel I say this already in the FAQ, but I'm going to reiterate it here to try to cut off some of the nonsense. I don't hate Ling. Ling is powerful and if you want to roll for her, go right ahead. My argument against it isn't even the same as Zafang's (though I tend to agree with him). For me, this isn't a Ch'alter situation. I don't feel this is a principled scenario where we need to "make a stand" or anything so grand. All I'm trying to do here is inject some nuance so you understand what you're rolling for since I know there will be some people who end up disappointed. I'm not telling you how to play the game so try to dial back the drama, maybe?
Anyway, on to the normal stuff.
This article specifically covers the new units from the Invitation to Wine event. The main guide covering the rest of the game can be found here on Gamepress. The Gamepress version of this update can be found here. Please note that although the reddit version of the main guide still exists, I no longer maintain it to the same extent and it may be out of date. Refer to the Gamepress guide for the most up to date information!

FAQ and Banner Discussion

Q: Should I pull?
A: Most articles you read will say an emphatic yes. They aren't wrong either, but I do not feel nearly as strongly about it. There's some pretty important nuance to this banner and some very strong alternatives on the horizon. It is absolutely fine to blow your bank here, but I think it's worth advising some caution. There's going to be some people who will spend a ton on this banner only to find a minimal amount of personal value and missed opportunity down the road.
So for the sake of discussion, if we assume that Ling is not a must pull (see the next question for more detail on that), then we end up with a fairly average limited banner. Both Lee and Blacknight tend towards being more finesse options that won't appeal to a lot of people, especially when you have upcoming units like Goldenglow and Horn that are more overtly overpowered. Much of the pull value here is based around what you feel Ling's value is, and for me at least, I hesitate to call Ling a "must pull".
​
Q: Why do you not call Ling a "must pull"?
A: To clarify again before I dive in, I am not saying Ling is a bad unit or that you shouldn't pull for her. She is a great unit and a lot of people will be very happy with her. This discussion I'm writing here is more to help you understand what it is exactly you're getting and why I don't think she is a slam-dunk "must pull" like a Surtr or Thorns type unit is.
The thing is that Ling's meta value is really rather unique compared to the other top meta units. No other unit can solo all of the story stages like Ling can. Not Thorns, not Surtr, and not Ch'alter. Not even combined can those three do what Ling can.
But... so what? Certainly Ling's ability to solo 95% of the game is worth noting, but that isn't exactly a niche that is either needed or one that is particularly fun for most people.
To the first point, most of the content Ling can solo was not terribly difficult in the first place. Not to say all of the stages across the game are easy. There have been plenty of examples that are difficult for even established players. Yet Ling doesn't solve anything that a regular team can't already do. She doesn't make it particularly easier, either. It may seem blindingly obvious to say "A full meta team is stronger than Ling and her summons" but to me that just illustrates the issue where Ling does not bring a value that blends with traditional team building that most people enjoy in this game.
Which lends to the second point of fun. Ling's playstyle is rather monotone and eliminates the need to run anything but maybe a few support units. That may sound nice from a purely statistical point of view, but it removes one of the greatest strengths of Arknights (in my opinion) which is its characters. I have a hard enough time fitting my favorites into a team of 12! Playing the game with a single character (as much as I love her character design) just isn't an appealing proposition.
And to add even more fuel to the fire, she is a very easy unit to borrow on Support. Since most of what she does best, she does alone, she doesn't have the same issue of "you can only Support one unit" that can be a problem with other top meta units! (If you think you need Ling to setup trust farms just... don't. Trust me, that is not a good use of resources.)
To be very clear though, Ling is an extremely powerful unit. There will still be many people who find a ton of value in what she brings and will enjoy using her. If you think she looks fun to use, don't let me stop you! Instead this is aimed more at people on the fence about the banner. If you feel like you only planned to pull here because you're 'supposed' to, I would definitely encourage you to save.
To those people, this banner can be actually pretty unappealing. Ling plays a certain way and will eventually collect dust in the back of your roster if that doesn't appeal to you. The other units are also quite good, but hardly can't miss units either (Lee especially). Add on some very appealing banners coming up between Goldenglow and Horn and you get a situation where skipping actually makes sense!
To put it all another way, I think many people expect Ling to be Supporter-Thorns when instead, Ling is a Summoner who makes the rest of your team a few "two Popukars in a trench coat" (albeit, Popukars on heavy steroids).
​
Q: I've heard Summoners are for "Big Brain" players only and that doesn't appeal to me OR I've seen highlight clears of Magallan and Mayer and I find them intimidating. Is Ling still worth using?
A: Yes! Ling is way simpler to use than the traditional Summoners. Although I spent several paragraphs above giving reasons to not pull for Ling, do not use complexity as one of those reasons. Ling is not complex to use. Her dragons are massive 4-block stat-sticks that can easily be replaced and don't need to be cycled like Magallan drones and Mayer Meebos. If you can handle deploying Blaze, you can handle Ling.
​
Q: I'm struggling in IS#2. Is Ling worth pulling specifically for that mode?
A: Yes, though again I'll advise some caution. Ling is very strong in IS, but she is not a "complete" IS solution that some other OPs are. Summoner starts in IS are a strategy as old as the original mode, and Ling brings that to the extreme. However Ling suffers towards the end of a run where stages get more "gimmick-y". She is rather ineffective against all 3 of the bosses, for example. On top of that, most relics do not affect her Summons so those golden runs where all of the RNG falls your way aren't quite as golden either.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Ling is most often used as a starter option. This makes her incredibly easy to borrow on Support for this mode, which makes the costs involved close to completely unnecessary.
That all said, she very much hard-carries the first several floors. This gives you the flexibility to spend all that time building the rest of your team for the end which is very valuable. So if you have a fairly weak team and find yourself struggling to even get going, Ling will absolutely have tremendous value. But more established players will probably find "complete" OPs like the upcoming Goldenglow or Thorns (soon to be in the cert shop) to be more helpful overall.
​
Q: Should I pull for Blacknight if I don't care for either 6★?
A: I would say "maybe, leaning towards yes" which is a rare thing for a 5★, though with some advice specific to this banner. Blacknight is a core component of the current sleep stall pseudo-meta that has arisen. Given how hard it can be to get a 5★ after their initial release (5★ tickets are soooo far behind 6★ tickets, and the 5★ pool is way way bigger) and the higher odds on this banner compared to others, it can be appealing to go for her if you think you will ever make use of that at all. She is still not a must have though and outside of the sleep niche, Beanstalk will usually work just as well.
For this banner in particular, remember we get 24 free pulls. You have quite good odds of getting her in those 24 pulls so if you have no interest in Ling or Lee, I would wait until the final day before ultimately making the decision to pull for Blacknight specifically.
​
Q: Should I build Kroos the Keen Glint?
A: Despite both of her skills being graded, Alter Kroos is a unit that not everyone will find useful since she ultimately fits in similarly to the existing 5★ Marksman Snipers. That is to say, you just don’t need that many of them and Kroos doesn’t bring anything irreplaceable over the others (and the 6★s are way better). However, if your Marksman core is weak you will find Kroos to be tremendously valuable and I’d go as far as to say she is the best of the 5★ options.
More established players won’t get nearly as much use out of her, but she can still be appealing to build. Aside from the nostalgia factor for a launch unit, she does hold some small end game niches still with her Camouflage and high total damage which makes her an excellent unit for buff memes.
​
Q: Where is the update for Shalem and Nine-Colored Deer?
A: I don't usually make specific updates for one off units. Shalem and NCD especially are fairly off meta so there isn't a whole lot to say on either of them. None of their skills will be graded, but I will add normal writeups to their operator pages when I finish the off-meta guide. For now, for Shalem, do his S2 if you did any. For NCD... pick your poison as neither skill stands above the other.
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Q: Looking ahead, any more new thoughts on the new SSS (tower) mode?
A: Last update I wrote a small bit about the topic and I initially said I don't expect any large changes. I still stand by that in general. The mode doesn't have the same impact that the roguelike does so I still do not intend to do an update specifically for the mode. Please do not use the Mastery guides as your sole source of information on the mode since it won’t completely reflect everything you need to know!
That said though, there are some grades that will be adjusted as a result of the mode. I intend to roll them into the Story grades (since it is rewarded content) so in the coming months you'll see some significant story grade boosts to a few skills that were underused before such as Suzuran S2 or Horn S1. But many of the best skills already have good grades (Lappland S2 and Mudrock S2 for example) and likely won't be significantly adjusted.
​

Invitation to Wine

Ling

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S3M3	S+	S+	S++
S2M3	B+	A+	S

For all of the discussion surrounding Ling, she is quite a simple unit as far as Masteries go. Her S3 is far and away her key skill and the one that makes her as powerful as she is. The Higher Form dragons are absolute monsters of stats, and those giant stat sticks are key to her usage. Masteries on the skill go a long way too, giving significant boosts to the already inflated stats (though keep in mind the base stats depend on her level and not skill). Her Summons are quite powerful still at SL 7, but you'll need M3 to truly bring out her potential.
A small aside on the matter of Advanced players. She is a somewhat tricky unit for those sorts as it depends what "Advanced" means to you specifically. For CC specifically she has yet to make a meaningful high risk appearance and is fairly unlikely to in the future given some of the more common risks. However, how hard she carries low-OP clears keeps her Advanced grades up significantly, so adjust the grade here depending on your goals.
Although her S3 is her main skill, it does have limitations which gives good value to her S2. However her S2 plays much more similarly to other Summoners like Magallan so the types of players who will get value out of it are more limited. It is especially important for players looking to use her in the roguelike since melee-only S3 dragons are not good on all stages. Outside of that mode though it tends to be more of a luxury option if you don't consider Ling a waifu-tier unit.
Finally, pass on her S1. It does have some niche value that Ling extremists may find useful from time to time, but a vast majority of the time it is inferior to S3. For most players it is an easy skip.

Lee

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S3M3	A	A+	A+
S2M3	B-	C	C

Lee is a good but fairly clunky unit, made even clunkier by subpar Masteries on his best skill. His S3 is typically the main reason to use him. It's already a quite situational skill, being very abusable in some circumstances but an inconsistent annoyance in others. As his key skill, it is of course worth maximizing for regular use, but the gains on it are fairly poor which suppress the overall grades. In many situations his S3 is used, it would work just as well at SL 7, making him a fairly rare M0 consideration among 6★s, especially surprising since he's still a pretty decent unit!
His S2 is his DPS skill, but that has only limited secondary usage for a unit like Lee. It's the best alternative when his S3 can't be abused, and it does have pretty reasonable damage even without outside help. However his main role is not DPS and he can fit in very awkwardly in scenarios outside of his S3 since it can be difficult to maximize. That relegates his S2 Masteries to just above luxury grades despite some really good gains (especially at M3). It's a great skill if you intend to regularly use him, but can be skipped if he will only be doing part-time work.

Blacknight

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S2M3	S-	S+	A+
S1M3	A	B	A-

Blacknight's main skill is her S2. It is the centerpiece of the pseudo-meta sleep stall strategy that has occasionally arisen. But even outside of that it is a strong skill with a very high uptime stall on a low DP cost unit, even if she is operating alone. She has a ton of value as an early hold unit, especially considering her rarity, and holds her value as the stage progresses. Her M3 Mastery is quite important to that end, though the M1 and M2 are somewhat mediocre alone, so be sure to go all the way with her Masteries.
Her S1 is one of those skills where the value of it depends on how you intend to use Blacknight. Although her S2 is the main reason she is used in the context of the other units, the relative strength of other Vanguards (e.g. Flagpipe) can limit her more "typical" usage. Taken in a vacuum, her S1 has quite a lot of value if you intend to specifically use her over other options. It has better DP generation than her S2 and better general combat capability and sustain of her tapir. It is a strong alternative if you plan to regularly use her, but becomes a luxury consideration if you only want her for her meta value.

Kroos the Keen Glint

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S2M3	A+	B+	A+
S1M3	B	A	A+

Both of Kroos’ skills are good with strong Masteries, and the best option will depend on how you intend to use her. Favor S2 if you are relying on Kroos to be one of your primary Marksman. It has an absolutely massive total damage and some of the strongest Mastery gains in the game. For newer players it will be a tremendous asset, though the lack of an attack modifier ultimately hurts its long term value. That said, it still creeps into the end game on rare occasions as a very receptive buff target, so don’t ignore it either if you’re an Advanced player.
On the other hand, more established players who are looking to raise Kroos for part time use will find better value in her S1. Although the Mastery gains are not nearly as good as S2, the Camouflage retains long term usefulness and the attack multiplier keeps her viable against a wider variety of targets.
​

Mastery Look Ahead

Lots of new units added this time. Some disappointments, but also some surprises!

Unit	Type	Comments
A Light Spark in Darkness
Quercus	Gacha	Unlike the other abjurers, Quercus actually has a pretty decent and useful niche in her S2 SP charging. It's still a bit of a gimmick though, and isn't usually worth giving up the team slot for. There's also an interesting question of if it's best to leave her at E1 Level 1 and pass on mastery which will affect her overall priority as well.
Goldenglow	Gacha	Goldenglow is one of the best units ahead of us and the first unit in three years to give legitimate competition to Eyja for the top caster spot. Her S3 remains her primary skill, though I will have to update my secondary suggestion from previous writeups to S2 (from S1). I had suggested her S1 but it just hasn't found the meta niche I thought it would and in most cases, S3 fills that niche just as well. Her S2 however, has found a very strong niche in the game despite some fairly unimpressive gains. It is her go to skill in the new SSS mode and provides more overall damage in other modes if you can afford the wind-up time. Her S1 is still strong, though it will likely end up ungraded or with a low C type grade.
Guiding Ahead
Enforcer	Welfare	How many times can I say stroke in one paragraph? This stroker is a surprisingly interesting stroker. He strokes in a way the other strokers can't since he is able to stroke enemies through his tile, such as if they are being blocked from behind. Even better, his stroke skills don't deal damage, another unique trait among the strokers, further increasing his stroking niche. Like most strokers, he has big masteries upgrades thanks to a stroke force increase at M3. Both of his stroking skills will be good targets, though S2 will be graded higher thanks to its better stroke force. Seriously, who though "Push Stroker" was a good name for this archtype?
Kazemaru	Gacha	One of my personal favorite upcoming units. Her kit plays to the strength of the archetype far better than Bena does, with her S1 being usable right off of respawn and her S2 providing really strong synergy with the whole doll gimmick. Both of her skills are good mastery options, though she’s still a luxury unit overall. I favor S2 here for the more impactful on-demand arts nuke.
Fiametta	Gacha	Her kit is a little bit awkward which will likely prevent her from ever being an end-game CC unit, however she does enough damage to be competent in the story, and is considered a well above average IS#2 unit. That’s largely due to her S2 which gives her a strong burst that’s spammable in fairly common conditions. Her S3 has its places too, though its overall DPS is not as impressive.
Chapter 10 - Shatterpoint
Heidi	Welfare	Heidi's kit will certainly enable some creative things with her block manipulation, and her Inspire effect is shockingly high, being comparable to Skalter's S3. However short uptimes (only 10 seconds on S1) in a tough archtype, as well as not stacking with Skalter, will hold her back from being anything too special. Most players won't get much value from her, but should you want to raise her anyway, stick with S1 which has the stronger mastery gains and more useful niche.
Chestnut	Gacha	Unlike Mulberry and Honeyberry, he's a really poor regular medic, which drastically limits his value. Six months ago on CN time there may have been value in his low rarity elemental healing versus the relatively expensive Berries, but being so far off now, there just isn't any reason to wait. If you are an active player now reading this look-ahead, he is a unit to avoid (and probably will be even for new players). Just raise Honeyberry or Mulberry instead who are worth much more long term despite their costs. Neither skill stands out as a good mastery either, though I would favor S1 since S2 is limiting on one of the more valuable aspects of the archtype.
Rockrock	Gacha	Lost a bit in the hype around Horn, Rockrock actually has some shocking DPS, almost matching Goldenglow's S1 single-target DPS. For a 5* that's pretty incredible. Unfortunately she has a long cycle time thanks to Overdrive, and brings no other utility like GG does which limits her. She'll be a viable option for newer players with weak caster cores, though even then because of the mandatory and free Amiya, even that role is limited. S2 is her stronger skill and a very strong mastery.
Horn	Gacha	I was already high on Horn, but since her release I've come to consider her the single best OP ahead of us. She is very powerful across all of the major game modes which is something rather rare among even the most meta of OPs. She has top tier damage, range, and bulk all in one, and all of her skills will be strong considerations. However, that said, start with S3 with a lower priority for S2. Don't worry about S1 until we get closer to SSS as that mode is where her S1 will really shine.
Stultifera Navis
Lumen	Welfare	Lumen had a lot of hype around him on release which has rightly tempered a bit. He is still a very strong medic though, so it's a good thing he's welfare and we don't have to worry about deciding to pull him or not! Regardless of how you feel about him meta-wise, his S3 is his best skill and will garner the highest Mastery grade with the other skills unlikely to be graded. The windup time can be rough but it provides amazing HPS as well as instantly removing ever dangerous stuns which is both a unique and very powerful niche across many different game modes.
Windflit	Gacha	Another very disappointing and undertuned 5★, and worse, one who butchered one of the more interesting archetypes with incredibly poor numbers and a perplexing restriction (he'd be bad even with no restriction). Even Supporter specific players will find very limited use out of him. That leaves him as a husbando-only promotion, though those players may find use in both skills depending on how you're trying to use him.
Irene	Gacha	Irene is what happens when a Swordmaster is released in year 3 instead of year 1 (like Ch'en). She has very powerful burst damage that can hold up against even tough enemies. Although her damage is not as overtly broken as the top-tier of DPS units which keeps her from being a 'must-pull' sort of unit, the fact she has such strong burst holds a ton of value for all sorts of players (she has make high risk CC appearances, is a very strong starting IS pick, and destroys story mode enemies). There's a good chance that all of her skills get a grade, though give a very strong favor to her S3 which is where her power lies. S1 and S2 are both very good with strong Mastery gains, but have much more niche usage and will lean more towards luxury investments instead of necessities like her S3 is.
Specter the Unchained	Gacha Limited	Initially panned (rightly) on her release, Specter's Alter has gotten one of the best modules in terms of how it improves the unit. Her meta value is still in question, but she at least improves past her 5★ self a bit. It will make grading her quite difficult as a module level 3 is very expensive for a task that can usually still be accomplished by her far cheaper base form. Regardless, her best Mastery is S2 since S3 remains a very subpar damage skill for a 6★ even with mod 3. But S2's priority will depend on if you plan to go for her mod 3. If no, then it's a luxury. If yes, then it's a necessity.
Contingency Contract #9 - Operation Deepness
Erato	CC Welfare	Erato is an "if you have to ask, don't bother" sort of unit. There is potential in her kit, but similar to Kafka, there's no improvement on her primary factor (the sleep) over Mastery. Plus since her sleep is single target, it doesn't fit in well with existing sleep stall cycles. Her S2 may be an option for waifu purposes as it is the better damage skill, but overall her DPS is underwhelming so she's unlikely to be graded at all despite the potential.
Lingering Echoes
Czerny	Welfare	I will confess that I don't really have a good feel for Czerny. He isn't really a unit that inspires a lot of interest and there's been very few highlights of him so far. He can make a decently functional RES tank with his S1 which is a modestly rare niche, though the lower rarity Matterhorn does that role better and already barely sees usage. That leaves his S2, which is a fun skill, but one without particularly impressive numbers. If you wanted an offensive oriented Arts Protector, you'd be better off with Shalem, so Czerny will probably not have any graded skills.
Hibiscus the Purifier	Gacha	I'm quite fond of Hibiscus' design (both aesthetically and as a unit) and she will definitely find usage in various NicheKnights clears. However, as a general unit, the numbers aren't quite there to make her anything too special, although she is the best hybrid dps/healer so far. Both of her skills are options. You will probably want to focus on her S2 which is her more unique skill, though its low total damage and limited targeting gives plenty of room for her S1 to be useful despite being quite a basic skill.
Ebenholz	Gacha	There's been a lot of discussion on if Ebenholz is any good or not. Of course I will give my opinion here, though be warned there is still a lot of on-going discussion on him and my opinion could very well change. That said, I don't have an especially favorable view of Ebenholz, although I don't quite think he is awful either. His elite/boss killing niche is strong enough to be quite useful in Story content, but his kit is designed in a way where he doesn't have an easy way to generate charges once they're spent, and he is only really effective if the elites/bosses come in one at a time. To me, this makes him a unit that makes for nice Youtube highlights, but a difficult one to reliably use as a regular part of the team. If you plan to use him, you'll probably want to do both S2 and S3, though favor S3 if you only did one. S3 is the more important skill for his niche, while his S2 is the better option for general Caster duties (something better done by Goldenglow or Eyja).
Dorothy's Vision
Astgenne	Welfare	As a 5★ that only does straight damage, she will always be limited in a meta context, but Astgenne is a pretty good unit among other 5★ Casters at least. She fixes a lot of the issues Leizi has with shorter cycles and stronger damage which makes her perfectly usable. However she takes a lot of investment between Masteries and Modules, plus lives in that unfortunate gulf of competing with the free, strong, and mandatory Amiya. That makes her a waifu option only, but at least a pretty good one. S2 is by far her better skill as S1 doesn't have enough damage on it to justify its use.
Greyy the Lightning Bearer	Gacha	Greyy grew up pretty nicely with his new alter form. Once a joke at the tail end of the 4★ rarity, he now has a fairly solid niche in his extended range control and solid area damage. Sniper players especially will find him very valuable but unfortunate RNG and 5★ stats will keep him out of the general meta still. His S2 is his best skill by quite a bit, though his S1 will have some small niche value as well with a more consistent slow for its duration.
Dorothy	Gacha	Dorothy is reminiscent of Ling in many ways, but without the baggage of bogging down your team slots. There is a lot of powerful potential with her kit, but like the 5★ trappers, it's a kit that requires a lot of investment, both in resources and in effort. She is certainly not an easy unit to get maximum value out of, so for many she may come across as more of a luxury then her potential would indicate. Like all trappers, her Masteries are valuable (near mandatory) since they reduce the cycle of her traps and all three of her skills have value. Her S3 is probably the best target with its superior damage, though her S1 and S2 both have very appealing niches. She'll be an M9 candidate for some players, though an M0-M3 for others.