Category: Organize/Plan/Structure

Goal: Plan the forms you need for personal names Note: It may also be helpful to create a template to reflect your chosen strategy. Tip: Names may include common words, such as Daisy Finder or Big Canoe. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Decide which personal naming strategy (or strategies) you will move forward with and then make…

Goal: Plan the forms you need for creating place names Note: Focus on making a list of what you have/need for now. Tip: Include a list of forms you already have that might be helpful. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Organize your brainstorming notes about place names and make a list of the forms (words, affixes, etc.)…

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: 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…

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: 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: Plan the structure of NPs with multiple modifiers Note: Decide what the order will be when there are multiple modifiers and/or inflections. Tip: A template can help keep phrases ordered and consistent. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Plan out how you are going to handle noun phrase structures that involve multiple modifiers and/or inflections. It’s important…

Goal: Make a plan for your adjectives Note: Decide if non-basic adjectives will come from nouns and/or verbs. Tip: This decision is linked to adjective agreement. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Now that you have brainstormed options, today’s goal is to make a plan for your adjectives—specifically, non-basic adjectives. Regardless of whether your language has adjectives that…

Goal: Review and clean up dictionary entries Note: You may want to include argument structure information in causative entries. Tip: Consider adding an affixed causative to head word forms. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure It’s a housekeeping day! Take some time to clean up your dictionary entries and expand them where needed. If your causative strategy involved…

Goal: Make a plan for a valency-increasing strategy Note: Clearly list any verbs or lexical sources you need for your strategy. Tip: Focus first on one strategy before tackling more. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Now that you have brainstormed ideas for valency-increasing strategies (such as a causative form), use today to make concrete plans for what…