Is 'Xenoforming' or 'Xenoformed' an appropriate term?

[Tentacle Love]

Suppose we encounter an alien world that has been "terraformed" but for an alien civilization, one that has turned a world into an alien ecology, instead of a terran ecology.

Terraforming would be an inappropriate term, as the planet is not being made more like Terra, another term for Earth.

But Xenoformed might not be the appropriate term. It's a more generic term that would in theory refer to any form of life that could exist off of Earth, up to and including space born organisms such as waterbears and other tiny and microbial lifeforms.

I'm thinking there should be a term to show distinction between Xenobiology, which would include all forms of life from space, planets, and moons other than Earth (and humanity descended from Earth), and Specific alien races known to live on other worlds.

It's a common observation that biologists hate the confusion between xenobiology and the studies of specific alien cultures and life. If you haven't had the pleasure, I encourage you to start up a debate with one, they love it!*

But then I had to ask:
Do we even know if Thargoids come from another world? They could be space born lifeforms for all we know, raised in some nebulous cloud. I've heard rumors they like ammonia worlds, but of course those are unfounded.

For a race like the Thargoids, 'Xenoforming' would be too broad. Do we know of any terms the Thargoids used for their home world or homeworlds?


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* - this is a lie.

 

[Loskene]

Since you raise the point about Thargoids (or whomever) possibly not being from a planet like ours, I'd have to likewise throw in the question what if they're not from a universe like ours? Is there a word for what happens when an extradimensional species alters local spacetime to suit their physiology? Come to think of it season 3 of ST: Enterprise should've fielded that one.

 

[shadragon]

Xenoformed would be correct.

You would use the prefix to clarify -formed. "Xeno" from the Greek is xenos, meaning strange and "Terra" is literally earth in Latin.

Edit: you could make a case for re-factos, or remade, but that's a mouth full.

 

[Ouberos]

Would we recognize a world which had been xenoformed though? Perhaps to us it would just look like another hostile alien world.

I often wonder if it would even be possible to "take over" an alien ecology. If you look at the tenacious nature of our worlds ecosystem which has seen many different types of massive life extinctions over its "short" (in galactic terms) lifespan but then has sprung back into a complex, rich biosphere once again It makes me think that "terraforming" or "xenoforming" would be such an uphill struggle it might not be worth it. The one thing about life on Earth is that it just won't lie down and die. I suspect life on other planets will be just as vigorous.

I can't help think that if we set up our homes on Planet X we would spend far too much time trying to stop xenospore moulds hybridizing the rhizome we need to make plants work or not realizing we needed to until the apple tree at the end of th garden starts trying to eat us.

Which makes you think all those Earth like worlds should pay out much more than they do!

 

[Lily from anim.o.v.e]

Terra stands for "land" "earth" (as in not the planet but the thing worms live in)

so unless those aliens make it a gas planet or full water planet, terraforming is still a proper term.

 

[Sapyx]

If future etymologists decided that "xenoforming" was too vague, then perhaps "xenoterraforming" would be more specific. Elite lore books have simply used phrases such as "terraforming to an alien ecosystem" when describing the phenomenon.

I'm thinking there should be a term to show distinction between Xenobiology, which would include all forms of life from space, planets, and moons other than Earth (and humanity descended from Earth), and Specific alien races known to live on other worlds.

It's a common observation that biologists hate the confusion between xenobiology and the studies of specific alien cultures and life. If you haven't had the pleasure, I encourage you to start up a debate with one, they love it!

I have seen other sci-fi franchises use the word "xenology" to describe the study of sentient alien species and cultures, an analogue of the word "anthropology" to describe the study of human cultures.

But then I had to ask:
Do we even know if Thargoids come from another world? They could be space born lifeforms for all we know, raised in some nebulous cloud. I've heard rumors they like ammonia worlds, but of course those are unfounded.

For a race like the Thargoids, 'Xenoforming' would be too broad. Do we know of any terms the Thargoids used for their home world or homeworlds?

As far as I am aware, the basic biology of the Thargoids has not been altered or retconned out of ED, so the old lore books should still be good in this regard.

The Thargoids come from an ammonia-based ecosystem, rather than a water-based one, and had a biology that seemed to be designed to function best under gravity. No-one has ever figured out exactly where the "Thargoid homeworld" is or was, or even if it was here in this galaxy or they are visitors from another galaxy entirely. But it is almost certain that they came from a planet-bound ammonia-based ecosystem, such as the ones that can be found on the so-called "ammonia worlds" you can find throughout the galaxy. Indeed, one can speculate that, of all the possible alternative-hydrosphere worlds ED could have used (eg. methane), only ammonia has been given a special, separate planet type and appearance. I do not think this is a coincidence - FD intend that ammonia worlds become significant, and Thargoids are the most likely reason for this.

Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, the Thargoids did not "live in witchspace", they merely had far more control over their ships while travelling in witchspace than human ships had - they could stop, change direction, and even "interdict" other ships while there.

"Thargoid" is, of course, the name Humans gave to them. We don't know what name they use for themselves, or even if the concept of a "name" is at all meaningful in Thargoid culture. As far as we know, they never captured a live Thargoid during the last war, so our knowledge of "Thargoid xenology" is basically zero. So in that sense, we're free to use whatever name we wish, until and unless the Thargoids open an embassy and their ambassador requests we use a different word. In past threads, I have used "thargoforming" to describe the hypothetical process of making a world more habitable for Thargoids (run a forum search for that word to find the contexts I used it in) so, if one needed a very specific word for that particular process and that particular alien race, it would be as good a word as any, even if the etymologists will hate it.

 

[dynamicbob]

the guardians we know come from earthlikes so there isnt a direct link between those and the thargoids, they seem to be a long gone race ( or one we havent found yet)

 

[shadragon]

Terra stands for "land" "earth" (as in not the planet but the thing worms live in)

so unless those aliens make it a gas planet or full water planet, terraforming is still a proper term.

Terraform - To transform another planet into one having the characteristics of Earth.

If the "terraform" results in an alien atmosphere or otherwise non-Earth characteristic, it's a "xenoform".

 

[berniboux]

Alternatively, in a stealthy ‘invasion’ by aliens taking human form through hybridization to adapt to Earth’s gravity and atmosphere, xenoforming is less about transforming the ecology than a progressive economic control by a ‘superior’ intelligence.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Cool, a 4.5 year old necro. Good wizardry

 

[EDanaII]

Actually, "bioforming" would probably be the better term.

 

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

Back when tentacles were popular, now...not so much.

 

[Horse372]

Cool, a 4.5 year old necro. Good wizardry

 

[Tetra Trash]

I like <species name>formed, e.g. "Thargoformed"

 

[AsukaZ]

How about 'Thargorized' ?
Also what happens to those people in the escape capsules.

 

[berniboux]

Alternatively, in a stealthy ‘invasion’ by aliens taking human form through hybridization to adapt to Earth’s gravity and atmosphere, xenoforming is less about transforming the ecology than a progressive economic control by a ‘superior’ intelligence.

In the above sense, xenoforming needs a thriving multicultural world / civilization that can be understood and manipulated, with technologies that can be either adapted, accelerated or built upon and a rich biodiversity and natural resources to exploit. Earth has all these qualities.

 

[Stelar 7]

If there are thargoids, the rock needs to be cleansed, then we can properly teraform it.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Suppose we encounter an alien world that has been "terraformed" but for an alien civilization, one that has turned a world into an alien ecology, instead of a terran ecology.

Terraforming would be an inappropriate term, as the planet is not being made more like Terra, another term for Earth.

But Xenoformed might not be the appropriate term. It's a more generic term that would in theory refer to any form of life that could exist off of Earth, up to and including space born organisms such as waterbears and other tiny and microbial lifeforms.

I'm thinking there should be a term to show distinction between Xenobiology, which would include all forms of life from space, planets, and moons other than Earth (and humanity descended from Earth), and Specific alien races known to live on other worlds.

It's a common observation that biologists hate the confusion between xenobiology and the studies of specific alien cultures and life. If you haven't had the pleasure, I encourage you to start up a debate with one, they love it!*

But then I had to ask:
Do we even know if Thargoids come from another world? They could be space born lifeforms for all we know, raised in some nebulous cloud. I've heard rumors they like ammonia worlds, but of course those are unfounded.

For a race like the Thargoids, 'Xenoforming' would be too broad. Do we know of any terms the Thargoids used for their home world or homeworlds?


-----

* - this is a lie.

"Xenoforming" is an active form. Or continuous action.
"Xenoformed" is passive form. Or past and concluded action.