Conlanging can be overwhelming for even the most experienced conlangers—especially in the beginning stages of a new project when swirling swarms of ideas create a flurry of possibilities. I break the process down into daily prompts for a yearlong experience. One year, one conlang. Join me in making this a Conlang Year!
Goal: Organize your notes and make a list of time words Note: Identify what time-measuring words you will need in your language. Tip: These don’t necessarily have to be nouns—they could be verbs. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Use your brainstorming from yesterday to make a list of words you need to create in your language to…
Goal: Brainstorm options for measuring and marking time Note: Consider how your speakers divide time on a regular basis. Tip: Think about concepts like day, week, month, season, and year. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Brainstorming options for measuring and marking time goes beyond having temporal adverbs like “now” and “then” in your language and asks how…
Goal: Create new sentences to showcase adverbs Note: Demonstrate word order when there are multiple adverbial forms. Tip: Use a variety of verbs with different argument structures. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s goal is to use your newly minted adverbs (or adverb-like forms) in sentences to showcase their form and function in context. Try to use…
Goal: Update your dictionary with adverbs Note: Don’t forget to include any new roots you created to support the process. Tip: Some adverbs may be better documented as subentries within another entry. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Spend your time today going through your dictionary and making sure you’ve entered all the new forms you created while…
Goal: Write a section on adverbs Note: Include spatial, temporal, manner, and degree/discourse adverbs. Tip: Show how they are used and, where needed, how they are formed. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Now that you have done a lot of work on adverbs, it’s time to document their forms. Remember to include information on all the kinds…
Goal: Create degree and discourse adverbs Note: Or create the strategies you will use in lieu of adverbs. Tip: These adverbs may be reduced forms of expressions. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s goal is to create more adverbs! Create a sampling of degree- and discourse-marking adverbs (or create strategies to show how your language might communicate…
Goal: Explore options for adverb modifiers Note: Especially focus on degree- and discourse-marking adverbs. Tip: These forms include concepts like “too, very, just, so, also.” Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Today’s goal extends the focus on creating adverbs in your conlang. Explore options for adverb modifiers, some of which may be basic forms. Specifically, focus on the…
Goal: Create forms of “non-basic” adverbs Note: These forms may be derived, compounded, or periphrastic. Tip: Create enough examples to demonstrate patterns. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s focus is on creating examples of adverb (or adverb-like words) that are not basic. In other words, forms that are derived, compounded, or periphrastic. Create enough forms to demonstrate…
Goal: Create forms for basic adverbs Note: These will most likely be temporal and spatial adverbs. Tip: It’s okay if you only have a handful of forms at this point. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s focus is to create word forms for basic adverbs in your language. As a reminder, the adverbs that are most likely…
Goal: Make a plan for adverbs in your conlang Note: Include ideas for basic roots but also for more complex forms. Tip: You may be strategizing adverb-like elements. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Organize your brainstorming notes from the past few days and make a plan for adverbs in your conlang. Make sure you think about what…
