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: Write a section on numbers and counting Note: Focus on describing the number base system and how any compounds are formed. Tip: Describe how cardinal and ordinal forms differ (if they do). Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Document the work you’ve done on numbers by writing a section on numbers and counting. In the section, be…
Goal: Create examples with ordinal numbers Note: Use ordinal numbers in a variety of contexts and different positions. Tip: Ordinal forms may also be pronoun forms. Work focus: Create/Make/List Spend your time today creating examples with ordinal numbers. Make sure you use the ordinal numbers in a variety of noun phrase structures (e.g. with modifiers…
Goal: Create ordinal number forms Note: You may need to create a lexical source for an ordinal-related affix. Tip: Position may determine if a number is ordinal or cardinal. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s goal is to create ordinal number forms, which may mean creating an affix (or word) that occurs with cardinal number forms to…
Goal: Plan a strategy for ordinal numbers Note: Some more common forms may be unique or based on other roots (e.g. “one/first”). Tip: Many forms can be regular and predictable (e.g. “ten/tenth”). Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Use today to plan out a strategy for your ordinal numbers, such as “first” and “fourth.” You may choose to…
Goal: Create examples of numbers in context Note: Showcase how cardinal numbers work when they appear in clauses. Tip: Create a variety of situations to highlight their use. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s goal is to create examples that incorporate your cardinal numbers in context to showcase their features and use, both when they occur alongside…
Goal: Create compound cardinal numbers Note: Once you develop a pattern, it can extend to even larger numbers. Tip: Some languages use “and” in these forms. Work focus: Create/Make/List Beyond basic roots of cardinal numbers, you can combine forms to create larger numbers, such as the compound “three-ten” to mean “13” or “four-tens” to mean…
Goal: Create basic cardinal numbers Note: Focus on creating basic roots only, saving compound forms for tomorrow. Tip: Some numbers may evolve from nouns (e.g. “hand” for “five”). Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s goal is to create the basic cardinal numbers you need for your counting system. Focus on only the basic roots for now, the…
Goal: Make a plan for numbers in NPs Note: Focus on the ordering of Num-N and potential pronominal forms. Tip: List what numbers you will need for cardinal forms. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Organize your notes on numbers and the ways they interact with nouns. As you make a plan, be sure to indicate how you…
Goal: Explore options for counting nouns Note: Consider ways they may be inflected when occurring with numbers. Tip: Nouns can occur in their singular forms with numbers. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Numbers can work differently from other words in language—so much so that they are not easily categorizable as one lexical category or another. In some…
Goal: Explore options for number bases Note: The goal is to identify what numbers you will need for counting. Tip: You may opt to have a less specific counting system. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Today’s goal shifts the focus to numbers in your conlang. Spend today exploring options for number bases. Some options you might consider…
