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: Start your official dictionary Note: For every proto-form, provide its modern form and definition. Tip: Other info is helpful, too: lexical category, IPA, notes. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share You may have already started working on your dictionary. If that’s the case, today is a good day to double check your work and make sure all…
Goal: Explore Romanization strategies Note: A Romanization strategy is separate from an orthography. Tip: You may choose to stick with IPA (at least for now). Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Romanizing your language means using the Roman alphabet to present the forms of your language. The major reason many conlangers consider a Romanization strategy is because it…
Goal: Write a section on phonotactics for modern forms Note: Provide IPA charts to reflect the sounds in the modern forms. Tip: Update this info every time you tweak your sound changes. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share In yesterday’s prompt, I provided this basic template you might follow for documenting your language’s sound information. Today’s prompt expands…
Day 36, February 5 Goal: Write a section on phonotactics for modern forms Note: Provide IPA charts to reflect the sounds in the modern forms. Tip: Update this info every time you tweak your sound changes. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Day 37, February 6 Goal: Explore Romanization strategies Note: A Romanization strategy is separate from an…
Goal: Solidify your list of ordered sound changes Note: Document these sound changes and keep them with your sound inventory notes. Tip: Using a tool like Lexurgy can help you quickly test sound changes on future forms. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Today’s focus is a culmination of the last two weeks of work you’ve put into…
Goal: Try compounding forms and test again Note: Sometimes sound changes are most noticeable in compound and affixed forms. Tip: These are not actual compounds yet—they are just for testing purposes. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try This is the last prompt I’ll give you for testing sound changes. (At least, for now it will be. Goodness knows…
Goal: Create five more animate nouns to test sound changes Note: If you want to create more forms, keep a running list of potential proto-forms not yet assigned to meanings. Tip: Really focus on creating forms that introduce sounds in new positions to test your sound changes. Work focus: Create/Make/List Now that you have selected…
Goal: Test your sound changes as a package Note: Sound changes affect language in an orderly fashion. Tip: Solidifying the order now will save you from headaches later. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Yesterday I mentioned that you should select an order for your sound changes because, when sound changes apply to languages, they apply in a…
Goal: Organize notes and select sound changes Note: There is no “correct” number of sound changes you need to select for your language. Tip: You can always return to your sound changes later and add to them as you expand the language. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share Whatever day it happens to be when you reach this…
Goal: Explore stress-sensitive sound changes Note: Sound changes do not have to affect every syllable equally. Tip: Unstressed syllables are more prone to reduction and deletion sound changes. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Today is the last day reserved for exploring types of sound changes before you are tasked with selecting, ordering, and testing the sound changes…
