Taalku

Taalku is a fictional language featured in the novel "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi. It is spoken by the nomadic, indigenous people of the Chao Phraya River delta in Thailand. The language serves as a cultural marker, distinguishing the taalku speakers from the dominant Thai population.

The novel provides limited explicit details about the grammar or vocabulary of taalku, but it is presented as an ancient and complex language, deeply intertwined with the natural world and the spiritual beliefs of its speakers. Taalku speakers often use it to communicate with each other in a way that is unintelligible to outsiders, reinforcing their distinct identity and community. The use of taalku also highlights the theme of cultural survival and resistance against encroaching globalized forces within the story's post-apocalyptic setting. Its presence in the narrative underscores the importance of language as a repository of culture, history, and a means of preserving a unique way of life in the face of environmental and social upheaval.