Out of the Silent Planet

Ransom is initially terrified of all of Malacandrian creatures, consumed by visions of classical science fiction monsters and boogeymen. He instinctively avoids all unfamiliar creatures until he meets Hyoi, the hross who becomes his first friend on the planet. Ransom is initially empowered to approach Hyoi after hearing the hross speak what is unmistakably language (it is later revealed that Hyoi was communicating with an eldil). Hyoi is able to teach him a few words of the hrossian language within minutes of their meeting, and this moment represents the first crack in the barrier of understanding between Ransom and the hnau of Malacandra. As a linguist, language is fascinating and important to Ransom, and his appreciation of the hrossa’s rationality grows as he learns more of their language.

The hrossian vocabulary highlights the utopian qualities of Malacandra. Ransom often struggles to translate human concepts like war and poverty into hrossian because such words do not exist in the language due to the peaceful lifestyles of the hrossa and their fellow hnau. They do not even have a direct translation for the word evil—“bent” is the closest approximation. Unlike the concept of evil, bentness implies the existence of an essential good that has become distorted.