Con-languages

Faolmor · Jul 2, 2008

Hi - hope this is the right place to try out this thread.

Following on from the Fantasy Terms thread http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107551 , I thought it might be fun to have a thread where those of us who have created languages for our stories could post phrases for others to read/learn/have fun with.

To start the balling rolling, here's how you greet someone formally in Bleddish (one of the languages in my book):

Nak heen bi Mata ce Phel Mahouin. Io logoto tubu ‘n che ankiat.

(Essentially: Greetings in the name of Phel Mahouin (their god). I am honoured to meet you.)

Looking forward to reading some more!

maxmordon · Jul 2, 2008

Posted this a while ago:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93429

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 2, 2008

Faolmor said:
Hi - hope this is the right place to try out this thread.

Following on from the Fantasy Terms thread http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107551 , I thought it might be fun to have a thread where those of us who have created languages for our stories could post phrases for others to read/learn/have fun with.

To start the balling rolling, here's how you greet someone formally in Bleddish (one of the languages in my book):

Nak heen bi Mata ce Phel Mahouin. Io logoto tubu ‘n che ankiat.

(Essentially: Greetings in the name of Phel Mahouin (their god). I am honoured to meet you.)

Looking forward to reading some more!

There seems to be a suspicious one-to-one word correspondence here... is this a cipher or just a coincidence? Also, are we following English phonology rules?

Max-a very interesting thread. It would be fascinating to see how a people with no lips or tongue could speak, although the phonetics would be extremely complicated in the sense that you'd practically need a new system of transcription.

Anyway, I'll try to round up some phrases from my conlangs.

maxmordon · Jul 2, 2008

That's why is mostly based on different pronouncitations of vowels along with several consonants who can be pronounce it without neither of them, and I has said, the structure is a bit similar to Japanese (or so someone has pointed out)

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 2, 2008

maxmordon said:
That's why is mostly based on different pronouncitations of vowels along with several consonants who can be pronounce it without neither of them, and I has said, the structure is a bit similar to Japanese (or so someone has pointed out)

Okay. Do you mean syllable structure, though, or phonologically?

maxmordon · Jul 2, 2008

the grammar structure. How are the sentences are made and the wide use of prefix and suffix

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 2, 2008

maxmordon said:
the grammar structure. How are the sentences are made and the wide use of prefix and suffix

Okay, what about particles?

maxmordon · Jul 2, 2008

Not sure, I don't know much about Japanese. It was just a comment one of my friends made

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 2, 2008

maxmordon said:
Not sure, I don't know much about Japanese. It was just a comment one of my friends made

Phooey...

maxmordon · Jul 2, 2008

I don't want to read too much of a language neither, being affraid I may take too much of such language (you already saw, for example, there is no one-to-one correspondance with neither English or Spanish)

Shweta · Jul 2, 2008

Faolmor said:
Nak heen bi Mata ce Phel Mahouin. Io logoto tubu ‘n che ankiat.

I had the same trouble with this Liosse mentioned.

In addition, though, I think this would very quickly become:

Nakeen Matce Phelmin. Gotunchankiat.
Or something like that.

Consider "Goodbye" -- God be with you.
Or dutch als'tublieft -- als het u blieft.

Common phrases get smooshed. A lot. Greetings especially.

Faolmor · Jul 2, 2008

Shweta said:
I had the same trouble with this Liosse mentioned.

In addition, though, I think this would very quickly become:

Nakeen Matce Phelmin. Gotunchankiat.
Or something like that.

Consider "Goodbye" -- God be with you.
Or dutch als'tublieft -- als het u blieft.

Common phrases get smooshed. A lot. Greetings especially.

Sorry - I gave the English translation. Not the literal, word for word - it is not a word-for-word substitution. I'm a linguist, so have a relatively firm idea of what I'm doing!

Interesting link to the other posts, though, Maxmordon. Thanks for that

Shweta · Jul 2, 2008

Faolmor said:
Sorry - I gave the English translation. Not the literal, word for word - it is not a word-for-word substitution. I'm a linguist, so have a relatively firm idea of what I'm doing!

Cool! Can we get the word translations too so we can see structure? I'll dig up some of my conlang too, once I have time and brain to

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 3, 2008

Faolmor said:
Sorry - I gave the English translation. Not the literal, word for word - it is not a word-for-word substitution. I'm a linguist, so have a relatively firm idea of what I'm doing!

Interesting link to the other posts, though, Maxmordon. Thanks for that

So just a coincidence...

I'd love to see the literal, though.

SPMiller · Jul 3, 2008

I'm scared to post examples of any of my conlangs. They'll get shredded by this crowd, no doubt!

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 3, 2008

SPMiller said:
I'm scared to post examples of any of my conlangs. They'll get shredded by this crowd, no doubt!

But that's half the fun! Just go on and post 'em up.

Shweta · Jul 3, 2008

It's only friendly shredding! We offer complimentary sticky tape.

Ardellis · Jul 3, 2008

Oooh! Conlangs!

I love seeing languages other people have made.

Here's a sample of my more developed language, Túfóžan
(hope the diacritics come through OK):

flin óya a món etrin urmobun
Literal translation: "Owns the mother of-you wisdom."
Colloquial translation: "Your mother is wise."

Shweta · Jul 3, 2008

I wonder whether mother-of-you would get lexicalized as one thing?

Ardellis · Jul 3, 2008

Eventually, probably. Especially considering how important mothers are in the culture, which is matrilinial. I'm still putting the basics of the grammar and vocab together. Then I want to push through a few sound changes and other mutations.

Alon · Jul 3, 2008

Only in very vulgar settings. In Hebrew, the standard way of saying "mother of you"/"your mom" is "ima shel-cha" (ch pronounced like in German "Bach"). It gets contracted to "ima sh'cha," but its use corresponds mostly to "yo' mama" in English.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 3, 2008

My best chance of saying something that would make sense would be if I used Itlani, the conlang of Tsiasuk-Pron. But he came on rather strong about his copyright when he sent me the materials.

Give me an hour or two, and I could try something simple in my Sa'nakkan...

Or really butcher a line of my Ilvarii. The literal translation would have to include some detailed glosses and explanations of terms.

Tburger · Jul 3, 2008

SPMiller said:
I'm scared to post examples of any of my conlangs. They'll get shredded by this crowd, no doubt!

I'm with SPM. This is why I use universal translators in all my stories.

Shweta · Jul 3, 2008

Alon said:
Only in very vulgar settings. In Hebrew, the standard way of saying "mother of you"/"your mom" is "ima shel-cha" (ch pronounced like in German "Bach"). It gets contracted to "ima sh'cha," but its use corresponds mostly to "yo' mama" in English.

Hebrew isn't really comparable to natural languages that have been in constant common use for centuries, though, since it's largely reconstructed/revived. I'm thinking of half a dozen languages at least where I know common phrases that get squished a lot in a few centuries.

And yes, that "informality" often starts off marking a low register. But that changes over a few generations.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 3, 2008

Tburger said:
I'm with SPM. This is why I use universal translators in all my stories.

Doesn't everyone?

Do you have a conlang?

Con-languages

My eyes! It burns!

Penúltimo

Penúltimo

Penúltimo

Penúltimo

Penúltimo

Sick and absent

My eyes! It burns!

Sick and absent

Prodigiously Hanged

Sick and absent

tortures make-believe people

Sick and absent

tortures make-believe people

Wahoowa

Sick and absent