How to Conlang for Dummies - Help Requested

[The Rose Dragon]

For a personal project, I have to create a new language that is internally consistent. Is there a book of instructions I can buy somewhere, or someone willing to walk me through basics and help me with any questions I have?

[Dragonrider]

Go to the Language Construction Kit on Zompist.com (http://zompist.com/kit.html). It has some fairly terrifying terminology but for all that it's well-explained and well-laid out, and you can save yourself a great deal of time and effort simply by figuring that sort of thing out. I love it.

It helps also, of course, to know more than one language yourself. I realize this is not a problem for you! But it makes you realize how radically different grammar can be between languages.

[The Rose Dragon]

Yay!

This is sort of confusing for someone whose entire linguistics experience has been in Turkish, but I think subsequent readthroughs should prove easier.

Any other suggestions, anyone?

[Seonor]

Conlanging 101 (http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2009/26c3-3520-en-conlanging_101.html) at the 26C3. Basicly building a (basic) language in 73 minutes. Also Conlang.org (http://conlang.org/) should have everything you need to get started.




Go to the Language Construction Kit on Zompist.com (http://zompist.com/kit.html).


is of course also highly recommended after watching the video.

[Froogleyboy]

I went through a similar experience earlier this year. Hang in there, and you'll have a language sooner then you think

[Maximum Zersk]

Learning about Linguistics and exactly how languages work should help. And of course the links that the others gave.

[The Rose Dragon]

But languages are terrifying. They have all these cultural and psychological connotations that I'm scared of.

[Maximum Zersk]

Then I think I'll have to help you with that.

-Kicks The Rose Dragon into Abyss of Languages-

[The Rose Dragon]

Noooooooooooooo!

But seriously, thinking about how languages naturally develop gives me a headache, because I'm pretty bad at social sciences. And with people in general.

How do I learn how languages actually work, anyway? Or linguistics? Without reading a 700+ page book fully of alien terminology or taking a college course, at least?

[Maximum Zersk]

...Vancouver?

But seriously, it would be pretty hard to learn that way. Wikipedia has some articles about stuff like that, but the way it's written might make it worse.

Really, the only ways to help is to look at the links that the others posted.

[Seonor]

I know I posted this before but just watch this video (http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2009/26c3-3520-en-conlanging_101.html) , then read this (PDF) (http://conlang.org/26c3.pdf). It will take ~2 hours, but thats the fastest way I can think of to get someone startet at conlanging. You wont get most of the finer points but you will understand how and why creating languages works.

Then you are ready for Dragonriders link and to start on your own.

[Froogleyboy]

Thought I'd add, read the articles, even if you don't understand them. They will all start to make sense after a while

[Zovc]

But seriously, thinking about how languages naturally develop gives me a headache, because I'm pretty bad at social sciences. And with people in general.

What practical purposes does having your own language serve a normal person?

Don't take this wrong, but especially for you, since you are apparently antisocial to some extent.

[The Rose Dragon]

Asocial. Not antisocial. Antisocial Personality Disorder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder) has a very distinct definition.

It's a personal project, like I said. It might be a book or a tabletop RPG or something else, I'm not sure yet. I also have OCD, so internal consistency is very important for me, therefore I don't want the languages in the project to be inconsistent.

[Lord Raziere]

beh, for making a language I'd just come up with some easily recognizable pattern then build around that.

for example, the language I'm going to make now: Nygantese

Nygantese is a stilted language, a little awkward to say with rapid speech so one has to say it clearly and haltingly instead, more like taking careful steps in a specific pattern than running to communicate, its capitalization is strange
also, its read upside down.

^valKant noRdukAng !BazNatuLl XiXnikF, jiKnadRang !TOvLavDkri QyBirNkor

[Maximum Zersk]

beh, for making a language I'd just come up with some easily recognizable pattern then build around that.

for example, the language I'm going to make now: Nygantese

Nygantese is a stilted language, a little awkward to say with rapid speech so one has to say it clearly and haltingly instead, more like taking careful steps in a specific pattern than running to communicate, its capitalization is strange
also, its read upside down.

^valKant noRdukAng !BazNatuLl XiXnikF, jiKnadRang !TOvLavDkri QyBirNkor

Ah, but we are talking about making a consistent language that sounds like it was formed naturally. Not just some gibberish that you put together in a few seconds, or a clever cipher that's basically a big puzzle.

[Lord Raziere]

Ah, but we are talking about making a consistent language that sounds like it was formed naturally. Not just some gibberish that you put together in a few seconds, or a clever cipher that's basically a big puzzle.

so? that is too much work, you guys need to relax, stop being so...planned with your creativity, let loose a little, try just ranting and rambling about various ideas you have and trying to fit them together at random, eventually you'll just connect the dots or fit all the pieces together and you'll have a strange wonderful tapestry formed from chaos. :smallcool:

I mean so what if the language sounds natural and consistent? when people
read it, they are just going to see odd words they can't understand taking up words on the page just like if I wrote my Nygantese in, if your gonna create a language, I'd rather have fun with it than try and go Tolkien, there is such a thing as excessive world-building. :smalltongue:

but you probably won't listen to me, so don't worry, I won't bother you no more :smallamused:

[Dragonrider]

What practical purposes does having your own language serve a normal person?

Some of us don't need a reason. :smallbiggrin: Because it's fun. Same reason I read this forum, or write stories.

[Jokasti]

I also have OCDO
Fixed it for you.

[Maximum Zersk]

so? that is too much work, you guys need to relax, stop being so...planned with your creativity, let loose a little, try just ranting and rambling about various ideas you have and trying to fit them together at random, eventually you'll just connect the dots or fit all the pieces together and you'll have a strange wonderful tapestry formed from chaos. :smallcool:

I mean so what if the language sounds natural and consistent? when people
read it, they are just going to see odd words they can't understand taking up words on the page just like if I wrote my Nygantese in, if your gonna create a language, I'd rather have fun with it than try and go Tolkien, there is such a thing as excessive world-building. :smalltongue:

but you probably won't listen to me, so don't worry, I won't bother you no more :smallamused:

BLAH BLAH BLAH NOT LISTENING!!! :smallbiggrin:

But in all seriousness, I can see where you're coming from. It certainly is easier and faster to make up random sounds as you go.

But, as Dragonrider says, some of us do it because it's fun. Really, that's a big reason for a whole bunch of people.