(Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here [2010-2020]

A forum for all topics related to constructed languages
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

All4Ɇn wrote: 18 Feb 2018 02:45
Parlox wrote: 18 Feb 2018 02:41 What type of script would work best for my conlang, Abʘa? It has 96 phonemes, 10 vowels and 86 consonants. I would rather not use a logography.
What syllable structure does it have? If it's relatively simple, I think a syllabary could be interesting to use
(C)(C)(C)(C)(V)(C), though anything beyond (C)(C)(V(C) is very rare. CV(C) and CCV are the most common. I might change it to a (C)V(C) order though, i don't think i like the huge syllables that are possible.
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
All4Ɇn
mayan
mayan
Posts: 1765
Joined: 01 Mar 2014 07:19

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by All4Ɇn »

Parlox wrote: 18 Feb 2018 02:49C)(C)(C)(C)(V)(C), though anything beyond (C)(C)(V(C) is very rare. CV(C) and CCV are the most common. I might change it to a (C)V(C) order though, i don't think i like the huge syllables that are possible.
If you change it to (C)V(C) a syllabary would definitely be a great idea for it!
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

All4Ɇn wrote: 18 Feb 2018 03:37 If you change it to (C)V(C) a syllabary would definitely be a great idea for it!
I think i will, thanks! I'm not sure how i'll stay sane while creating over 800 characters.
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
ixals
sinic
sinic
Posts: 446
Joined: 28 Jul 2015 18:43

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by ixals »

Parlox wrote: 18 Feb 2018 03:44
All4Ɇn wrote: 18 Feb 2018 03:37 If you change it to (C)V(C) a syllabary would definitely be a great idea for it!
I think i will, thanks! I'm not sure how i'll stay sane while creating over 800 characters.
Maybe a Hangul-like system could work as well? Every syllable would have its own character but you only need to create 96 pieces that can be combined.
Native: :deu:
Learning: :gbr:, :chn:, :tur:, :fra:

Zhér·dûn a tonal Germanic conlang

old stuff: Цiски | Noattȯč | Tungōnis Vīdīnōs
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

ixals wrote: 18 Feb 2018 03:57 Maybe a Hangul-like system could work as well? Every syllable would have its own character but you only need to create 96 pieces that can be combined.
Yeah i'll do that, but i'll make a syllabary for an older version of the language.
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Pabappa
greek
greek
Posts: 577
Joined: 18 Nov 2017 02:41

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Pabappa »

Wouldn't it need 73,960 characters? Or are the codas more restrictive?

Either that, or the codas can be given standalone consonant signs... but that wouldn't be a true syllabary.

I like the hangul idea.
Kavunupupis, šiŋuputata.
When I see you pointing at me, I know I'm in trouble. (Play)
User avatar
All4Ɇn
mayan
mayan
Posts: 1765
Joined: 01 Mar 2014 07:19

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by All4Ɇn »

Parlox wrote: 18 Feb 2018 04:07
ixals wrote: 18 Feb 2018 03:57 Maybe a Hangul-like system could work as well? Every syllable would have its own character but you only need to create 96 pieces that can be combined.
Yeah i'll do that, but i'll make a syllabary for an older version of the language.

You could also do something similar to Canada's syllabary or ten-ten in Japanese where you wouldn't truly have to create over 800 characters
User avatar
Zekoslav
sinic
sinic
Posts: 340
Joined: 07 Oct 2017 16:54

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Zekoslav »

Ahzoh wrote: 15 Feb 2018 19:24 Suppose my proto-language has agent markers -a and -an and patient markers -eo and -igu:
How easy would it be for just -a and -an to replace -eo and -igu and as such now mark both agent and patient, without undergoing phonological change?
What is the morphosyntactic alignment of your language? I can imagine this happening most easily if the language switches to ergative alignment, the former agent case being reinterpreted as absolutive, which then replaces the former patient case as well - with the ergative case being an innovation.

Most cases of agent and/or patient case replacing one another that I know of happened during the breakdown of the case system - and then, the patient case replaces the agent case more often than the opposite. Anyway, I am extra-careful (maybe too careful) when considering the probability of a diachronic change, and I need to broaden my knowledge of language diversity. You don't need to be constrained by this at all.
Languages:
:hrv: [:D], :bih: :srb: [;)], :eng: [:D], :fra: [:|], :lat: [:(], :deu: [:'(]

A linguistics enthusiast who occasionally frequents the CBB.

- Guide to Slavic accentuation
User avatar
Omzinesý
mongolian
mongolian
Posts: 4079
Joined: 27 Aug 2010 08:17
Location: nowhere [naʊhɪɚ]

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Omzinesý »

I'm making a new lang. Its declensions are below. They are a bit too similar and agglutinative. How to make them more different? Ideas?

Geminate stem with /i/

NOM sap
ACC sappi
GEN sapping
INSTR sappil

Geminate stem with /a/
NOM tor
ACC torra
GEN torrang
INSTR torral

Non-geminated stem with /i/
NOM vo:si
ACC vo:si
GEN vo:sing
INSTR vos:il

Non-geminated stem with /a/
NOM me:la
ACC me:la
GEN me:lang
INSTR me:lal
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

I've been working on a 3Cons language, and i have a question. Should i store the derivations of a root in the lexicon or just the root?
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Creyeditor
MVP
MVP
Posts: 5091
Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Creyeditor »

For the sake of the user-experience, please include the derivations [:)]
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 :deu: 2 :eng: 3 :idn: 4 :fra: 4 :esp:
:con: Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
[<3] Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics [<3]
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

Creyeditor wrote: 20 Feb 2018 10:17 For the sake of the user-experience, please include the derivations [:)]
Ok.

Quick question, what are some interesting ways to handle adjectives? I want to get rid of adjectives in Abʘa but i don't have any ideas. I would prefer not to use verbs for this purpose, most of my conlangs already use this method.
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

Sorry for the double post, but i have another question. What could i use to replace prepositions or postpositions besides grammatical case?
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Creyeditor
MVP
MVP
Posts: 5091
Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Creyeditor »

Relational nouns (on the top of, on the inside of, etc. ) and coverbs (entering, etc) come to mind for adpositions.
Properties can also be expressed by nouns in a possessive-like construction (man of greatness = great man, or also greatness of man=great man). Instrumental contruction comes to mind, at least that sounds very matural to my ears (man with greatness, etc.). So far for properties being nouns. If you allow for other parts of speech, you can also derive them from these. Maybe one could use adverbs in a way, something like "man, who does well"="good man"? Doesn't sound to far fetched.
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 :deu: 2 :eng: 3 :idn: 4 :fra: 4 :esp:
:con: Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
[<3] Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics [<3]
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

I really like the genitive and instrumental constructions! Thanks for the suggestions.
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Parlox
greek
greek
Posts: 495
Joined: 10 Feb 2017 20:28
Location: Ehh

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Parlox »

I'm sorry for the double-post, it should be the last time.

What are some interesting ways to express modality? I only know of auxiliary verbs and moods, but surely there must be another method?
Edit: One more thing, are there any languages without conjunctions?
:con: Gândölansch (Gondolan)Feongkrwe (Feongrkean)Tamhanddön (Tamanthon)Θανηλοξαμαψⱶ (Thanelotic)Yônjcerth (Yaponese)Ba̧supan (Basupan)Mùthoķán (Mothaucian) :con:
User avatar
Creyeditor
MVP
MVP
Posts: 5091
Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Creyeditor »

The most interesting thing I know about modality is not expressing it or merging several categories. There are languages with a general deontic suffix, that can mean 'allow' or 'obligation'. You should really read up on different modality categories and how they cooccur. Some language contrast ability vs. allowance vs. possibility, some merge several of these, etc.


My general answer to both of your questions is: verbal affixes. Conjunctions can be expressed as verbal affixes. You just have to make sure you cut up the semantic space a bit different from English. 'and' for example has a number of meanings, why not split them up. There are several ways to express a reason. Why not merge them. Also why not merge temporal and non-temporal conjunctions in a different way?

Another way is always periphrastic constructions, but these might gut a bit clunky (I like you, the reason for this is: you are smart)
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 :deu: 2 :eng: 3 :idn: 4 :fra: 4 :esp:
:con: Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
[<3] Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics [<3]
User avatar
Pabappa
greek
greek
Posts: 577
Joined: 18 Nov 2017 02:41

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Pabappa »

Is there a term for an inflectional paradigm that is a composite of two previously independent paradigms? Like in Latin where the accusative plural from one declension is borrowed into another. Basically the opposite of syncretism .... The idea is to preserve differences that would normally be eroded by sound changes.
Kavunupupis, šiŋuputata.
When I see you pointing at me, I know I'm in trouble. (Play)
User avatar
Pabappa
greek
greek
Posts: 577
Joined: 18 Nov 2017 02:41

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by Pabappa »

Parlox wrote: 21 Feb 2018 05:38
Edit: One more thing, are there any languages without conjunctions?
presumably inuktitut and similarly polysynthetic languages would count, since the conjunction s would need to be inflected as verbs. By the same token, my conlangs ate *almost* free of conjunction s... but I decided to keep "and, if, but , or" as particles .... they could be considered irregular verbs... but I prefer to treat them as a separate part of speech, even though there are only 4 of them. Helps that Poswa/ Pabappa/ etc are verb-final, and conjunction s always appear at the beginning of their clause.
Kavunupupis, šiŋuputata.
When I see you pointing at me, I know I'm in trouble. (Play)
shimobaatar
korean
korean
Posts: 10373
Joined: 12 Jul 2013 23:09
Location: UTC-04:00

Re: (Conlangs) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

Post by shimobaatar »

Pabappa wrote: 21 Feb 2018 17:26 Is there a term for an inflectional paradigm that is a composite of two previously independent paradigms? Like in Latin where the accusative plural from one declension is borrowed into another. Basically the opposite of syncretism .... The idea is to preserve differences that would normally be eroded by sound changes.
Suppletive, maybe? I'm not entirely sure I understand the situation you're describing, but that's what I'd call "an inflectional paradigm that is a composite of two previously independent paradigms".
Locked