Decorative image of a chalkboard with the daily prompt written on it, in front of mousey students
Conlang Year, Day 235 prompt

Goal: Decide whether to allow noun clauses as subjects

Note: Even if languages allow this structure, it might be dispreferred by speakers.

Tip: An example is “That they gave North Pole the zip code HOH OHO is hilarious.”

Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try


If your language allows embedded finite clauses to function in nominal positions, consider if you want to extend that functionality to include the subject position. For instance, in “That they gave the North Pole the zip code HOH OHO is hilarious,” the subject of the sentence is the subordinate finite clause “that they gave the North Pole the zip code HOH OHO.”

Not all languages allow that—even if they allow noun clauses in other positions. Furthermore, even if a language allows it, that doesn’t mean it is frequently used, preferred by speakers (e.g. you may find the example awkwardly worded!), or able to work with any verb. 

If you already know you’re not going to allow this structure, spend today creating more vocabulary or example sentences for fun! If you do want to consider allowing it, spend your time putting together possible example structures to see what fits best with your language thus far.