A phonologist (音職人, Oto Shokunin or 音楽家 ,Ongakuka) is a vocation in the Suikoden series. It describes people who can change and manipulate sounds.
Information
Phonologists are craftsmen with special skills related to the study and enriching of people's lives through the use of sound. Different from musicians, phonologists are able to manipulate various sounds by using items called Sound Sets. These were sometimes used in conjunction with a Sound Rune.
It is said that there is a specialized institution for training such phonologists in the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia. Both Connell and Melodye were Sound Rune-bearing phonologists.
One of the characteristics of known phonologists is the wearing of unique hats. Melodye wore a hat in the shape of a musical note, whereas Connell wore a hat with a G clef on it. Such headpieces may be a privilege given only to those recognized as phonologists through training.
Phonologists often worked outdoors. Melodye in particular seemed to refine her sensitivity by listening to the sounds of nature outside.
Etymology and misnomer
Phonology comes from Ancient Greek φωνή, phōnḗ, "voice, sound," and the suffix -logy (which is from Greek λόγος, lógos, "word, speech").
However, phonology is a misnomer for the Suikoden world occupation. In the real world, phonology describes a branch of linguistics which explores what functions sounds fulfil in a given language. The related area of phonetics, on the other hand, investigates how humans form and perceive sounds. Since Suikoden world phonologists seem to be occupied with sounds of any kind, their real life counterpart would be acousticians, which investigate the physical phenomenon of sound in a general sense.
References
- Genso Suikoden Encyclopaedia (ISBN 4-575-16297-3), pages 47, 50
- Genso Suikoden Genso Shinsho Vol.9 (ISBN 4-7753-0088-1), page 54
- Genso Suikoden Kiwami Encyclopedia, page 133