The idea is, different languages encode thoughts in somewhat different ways. So, if you were to translate a sentence from English into your conlang, then give back a literal, word for word translation of the result, you would often end up with a different sentence.

So, the idea is you post a sentence in English, translate it into your language, translate it back into English, and the next person translates not the original sentence, but your retranslation of the sentence into their own language. And then translates it back, and so on down the line.

You can swap the word order back to English equivalents, if you wish, but keep the phrasing the same.

Suppose you want to create a number system but the way it sounds is aimed to be alien. How would you go about this?

Disclaimer: This is also a question post.

I’m creating a number system and I thought of making the pronunciations of numbers be notes, tritones, or even different just intonations. Need some advice, suggestions from others.

Anything will be great!

I've been developing and worldbuilding a universe for a graphic novel that I hope to create one day. Currently I have the major beats of the story, main characters, and a lot of worldbuilding aspects (like religion, agriculture, transportation, etc.) finished, but almost everything is unnamed at the moment. I've been really hesitant to start this portion on the project as I know next to nothing about linguistics, but would really like to have a fantasy language to make the world feel more unique and lived in.

I have been following a series of videos on Youtube in order to learn how to build an artlang, and they specified the first step is to pick out what sounds you do and do not want to use. I understand this is a bit of a backward way to do things, but I do have the names of the characters picked out, so I was trying to use the sounds already there. I did my best to transcribe them phonetically, but again I'm an extreme beginner to all this. They are as follows:

Mylah- mˈa͡ɪlə

Kestrel- kˈɛstɹə͡l

Lark- lˈɑː͡ɹk

Iris- ˈa͡ɪɹɪs

Dammon- dˈæmən

Could anyone let me know if I did this right and also help me identify how many unique sounds there are here? I would appreciate it so much! ❤️

Welcome to Word Wednesdays

For this activity you can pick any word you want whether it be a verb, noun, or adjective, and conjugate/inflect in all possible ways*, for tense, case, plurality, perspective, etc.

The purpose of this is to learn about cases and how words are slightly or vastly different under different cases, tenses, or perspectives. In many natural languages verbs or nouns are often changed because of the words around them. In other languages, the reader has to figure out number and perspective based on context. Who knows, maybe you can take inspiration from someone else's conlang!

How does your conlang handle cases? Do you have any unique ones that don't exist in natural languages? What are some irregular verbs or inflections that exist? How did they evolve? Do you think that the cases would hold up or fade away in future evolutions? Do any of your words when inflected have another meaning? What languages inspired you to add these cases?

*If you have way too many conjugations/inflections, you can share the simplest ones or the ones you find the most interesting. If you don't have any conjugation,

Have fun conlanging!

Ironic post, but grounded in truth! I often search up conlang scripts, and I've noticed this phenomenon, do you agree?

1. "Four basic vowel qualities based on nasality, length and tone"
2. "Agglutinative and fusional elements, using affixes to modify verbs and creating nouns from multiple irregularly fused morphemes"
3. "Verbs are conjugated for aspect and mood and given affixes for the number of both subjects and objects"
4. "Base-20 numerical system"

I put down that list on the Grammar Table of the VulgarLang website last night, and it didn't transfer through. Despite writing down the base-20 numerical system, for example, it went ahead with base-10, anyway. So how do I rewrite any of these grammatical features that the website could pick up?

Welcome to the r/conlangs Official Checkpoint. You have been selected for a random check of your language. Please translate one or more of the following phrases and sentences:

"It's about a British man with an extensive fork collection who reviews tinned fish with his dog named King Arthur."

"I am feeling very ill and can not move."

"She ate a sardine-only diet for seventy days."

"The captain of the fishing boat caught a shark!"

"The dinner is a sausage on a bun that has been covered with cream cheese and topped with caramelised onions."

"Stop!"

---

If you have any ideas for interesting phrases or sentences for the next checkpoint, let me know in a DM! This activity will be posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The highest upvoted "Stop!" will be included in the next checkpoint's title!

This Thursday's checkpoint brought to you by u/Lillie_Aethola

Decided to put together something a bit more formalised. Have a look and let me know if anything sparks interest or questions

none of my friends seem to be as interested in languages as i am. so they generally won't understand me when i'm talking about my conlang, and they'll ask things like "wait and you have... pronouns in there?" yes babe

I looked around the subreddit awhile but I wasn't sure if I missed something about the schedule of Speedlang Challenges. Just cuirous if there was a schedule and if anyone would be down to host one.

I'm sort of itching for something to kick me in the butt and finally force me to "finish" a language.

Star worship became a central element of the Tathela religion, particularly from the Classical period onwards, when the influence of Khana Mapita Rhi and other philosophers and poets turned it into the primary focus of the religion for the cultural and political elites.

Roughly 200 years later, renovation works in the imperial palace unearthed forgotten underground chambers where the palace elites performed mystery rites, carving ritual chants and formulas onto votive tablets, which they then buried beneath these chambers.

This discovery, and the subsequent publishing of these hymns and chants, prompted many poets of the time to initiate a fascinating game of pretense. Modern authors produced collections of works in the style and language of the Classical carvings, dressing them up in the mystique of being "newly found" works, purportedly discovered by the authors themselves or by "trustworthy" sources.

A great master who delved into this style was Mila Thia In, a minor imperial officer, great poet, and fervent devotee of the astral religion. In this post, I will show three of these purported fragments "discovered" by Mila, which she then used as the basis for a hymn to the 17 foremost stars, a work widely considered one of her most important and beautiful.

Before presenting the texts themselves, I want to point out some aspects of the language used here. It is Classical Tathela, which differs from the Tathela of Mila’s time in two main respects:

• The Great Verb Shift: By Mila’s lifetime, the Great Verb Shift was already underway. It transformed the closed verb class of Classical Tathela into an open class by promoting verbal adjuncts into verbs and relegating the original roughly 40 verbs to subject-role indicators attached to the subject of the sentence.
• Phonology: The phonology of the language had shifted noticeably. Being only 200 years removed from the Classical period, it was easy for Mila to reproduce the language faithfully, though to a native Classical speaker, some of her word choices might have seemed non-standard to Classical speakers.

Hymn to Mes̞ɹ̝̊an

mes̞ɹ̝̊an, my blood drawn to your sap,

my essence is called.

My heart faints, my eyes close, my breath stills.

My blood is fire, my mind is charcoal, my soul is ore.

My legs are the fine sands and my speech is the waters.

Formless, shapeless, full of voids I ascend to you 

Incomplete I was, without completion I am

In your domain I am your subject

In your abode I am your host

In your essence I am myself

>
mes̞ɹ̝̊an, akal̪ˠe-ne     makrasta-n     ʎ̥˔enente  
star.name, blood.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>I.PL)  sap-POSS.I/II.2.SG>II.PL)  towards.I.PL>II.PL.dist

kartaskeʎ̥˔i-te-xe   mai-ke-l̪ˠe-na  paninte    
essence-POSS(I/II.1.SG>III.SG)-OBJ.    displace.smth-PRES.-PROG.-MIDDLE      attract/call

k͡xinatre-ne         ame-l̪ˠe-ʎi     poɹ̝̊an        t̪θonkan-te   kli-re   imkaɹ̝̊an  kore-ne    ʀ̥in-ʎi  al̪ˠokirse 
heart.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>I.PL)  fall-PROG-PRES weaken  eye.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>IV.PL) go-PRES  shut breath.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>I.PL) become-PRES stopped

>akal̪ˠe-ne       s̞t̪e     krol̪ˠu                     usanθi-n         s̞t̪e         kranst̪θa            akol̪ˠu-te  s̞t̪e   marsi 
blood.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>I.PL)  be  fire     mind.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>I.SG)  be  charcoal soul.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>IV.SG)  be ore

ʎ̆omta-ne     s̞t̪e             prudra-ni  s̞t̪e-re muni             ɹ̠̊i             sani-te     s̞t̪e                ɹ̠̊una-ni
leg.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>II.PL)  be  sand.PL be-PRES fine  and     speech.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>III.SG) be water.PL

s̞t̪e-re         putro-l̪ˠue-ʀ̥-a                                                 -nuki-l̪ˠue-ʀ̥o                      padra-l̪ˠue
be-PRES form-NEG-and-1st.vowel.of_next_noun         shape-NEG-and               solid.mass -NEGù

l̪ˠu                      ame-ʎ̆ɪ̆                           t̪θaka   t͡ɹ̝̊e-ʎoi
emph.1.SG       move.vertically-PRES.   above  emph.2.SG-loc.obj

uni       s̞t̪e-ru        at̪θane-l̪ˠue         s̞t̪e-re              at̪θan-poki
1.SG.  be-PAST   complete-less     be-PRES      complete-PRIV

rukka-ʎ̥˔a-ka                uni            s̞t̪e-re                                       moxeso-si
star.domain-POSS(2.SG>II.SG)-LOC  1.SG  be-pres                subject-POSS(2.SG>I.SG)

t̪θe-nʎe   uni   s̞t̪e-re   t̪θrano-si
2.SG-assoc.loc. 1.SG   be-PRES  host-POSS(2.SG>I.SG)

kartaskeʎ̥˔i-xe-ka uni s̞t̪e-re       un-on-i
essence-POSS(II.SG>III.SG)-LOC   1SG be-pres  1.SG.-refl-1.SG.

Beyond its context, this text shows a careful use of the "rhyming" technique preferred in Classical times, a style that had faded by Mila’s era in favor of more freeform poetry, to which the next two poems are much more similar.

The scheme is not standard rhyme but an intertwining of assonance and consonance across subsequent lines. It involves the last two syllables of the final word of each line, interrupted in the middle by a "breaking line" that deviates from the scheme. The poem then continues with pure assonance in the second half. This structure was known as ad̪ðaran-kad̪ðoren ("full mouth-partial mouth"), referencing the terms for vowels and consonants introduced by Khana:

• ʎ̥˔enente → paninte → al̪ˠokirse → marsi → ɹ̠̊unani
• (Break) padra-l̪ˠue
• t͡ɹ̝̊eʎoi → at̪θanpoki → moxesosi → unoni

Another detail you may have noticed is the length of the lines. The prevalence of words of similar length creates a monocord tone when read aloud. While this is not a typical characteristic of Classical poetry, this was a deliberate choice by Mila in order to capture the same tone as the ritual chants that strived for this specific, hypnotic, and monotonous rhythm.

Regarding the subject matter, the most characteristic element is the conception of the stars themselves. They are not merely objects in the sky, but are instead viewed as realms that can be visited, structured spaces populated by creatures that act as incarnations of the star's own essence.

Hymn to Pad̪ðanke

pad̪ðanke, seated on you my self I find 

Beautiful,  grand, strong, I feel and are

Knife in hand, blood in my mouth

I kill you and  [...]

>
pad̪ðanke  d̪ðormi   l̪ˠuʀ̥e-θ̠i-l̪ˠue        l̪ˠu pal-ke it̠͡ɹ̠̊˔an partaskeme-n-xe
pad̪ðanke, saddle stay-PRES-PROG     1.SG.emph  see-PRES discover self-POSS(I>I.SG)-obj

armak-o-ʀ̥o                            kiθ̠an-o-ʀ̥o                   ʎ̆an-o
beautiful-I.SG.DEF-and      big/heavy-I.SG.DEF-and   strong-I.SG.DEF

at̪ara      axi       aθu-te                                        akal̪ˠe  axi          asʊ̆te
knife       hold   hand-POSS(I>IV.1.SG)      blood  hold     mouth

uni     kel-θ̠i                k͡xolid̪ðre          t̪θe-ti              ɹ̠̊i       
1.SG break-PRES    mortal.wound    2.SG-obj     and

Here, and in the hyms that follows, we encounter much shorter pieces that terminate in incomplete sentences, constructed with the intention to give the appearance of partially recovered hymns whose continuation was either never found or remains unreadable.

Hymn to Pad̪ðamira

pad̪ðamira the spirit of my soul soars towards you

I have no arms yet you sever them

I have no legs, yet feel your talons in them

I have no skin, but you shred it

I have no mind [...]

>pad̪ðamira        bβartaske-ʎ̥˔a                akol̪ˠu-te                             ame-l̪ˠe-ʎ̆ɪ̆          uθre   ʀ̥etenta       t̪θe 
pad̪ðamira     spirit-POSS(IV>II.SG)   soul.POSS.(I/II.1.SG>IV.SG) move.vertically-PROG-PRES smoke (it expresses soars)   towards.distal.II   2.SG 

uni   θe    apaʎut̪θ-ana  t̪θe    muɺa-ke      kudɹ̝an     arri-to                            kuna
1.SG be  arm-less       2.SG   cut-PRES   separate  3.PL.III-POSS(I>III.PL)  but/yet

uni    θe kater-ana,     kater-eperika          umi-θ̠i                  sapat-aki-xo                   kuna      
1.SG be leg-less         leg-away.PROX      feel-PRES         talon-PL-poss(II>IV.PL)                   but/yet

uni  θe peʎ-ana      t̪θe       kel-θ̠i-le                      kukra           kuna
1.SG be skin-less   2.SG   break-PRES-OBJ.III.PL   shred           but

uni θe usanθ-ana,   
1.SG be mind-less

In this piece, Mila uses the image of the main creature of pad̪ðamira, giant black crow, as the star itself. This leds to a vivid, visceral image of talons penetrating the author's flesh and depicts the other horrific ways the star dismantles her body, essentially shattering the barrier between them.

This is a recurrent motif in Classical and Post-classical star hymns, which can reach even more disturbing levels of detail and torture, peaking in the extreme violence found in Mila’s own Hymn to the Seventeen Foremost Stars.

I hope you have found this post interesting if you have read it up until this point. If you have any questions regarding the poems, in particular their content or language, I would be more than glad to answer them.

I am also planning to compile a more comprehensive document where I delve much deeper into these analyses if there is interest, but I suspect I will end up doing it regardless lol, possibly covering the full breakdown of Mila’s Hymn to the Seventeen Foremost Stars.

Write a short description of your conlang in your conlang. This should help you add vocabulary and test your conlang's grammar. Who knows, maybe you'll get to hear your conlang in action! I'll go first!

Fraŋgesk: Fraŋgesk, Fraŋgewayɦ maweliŋ, la non-lyì non-maambi Randay usan maweliŋos. Iŋgeray das daykas, Tamnatke maylana mandalra mimya daytalanz kun usan xandeoseɦ.

Translation: Fraŋgesk, the language of Fraŋgew, is unlike and unrelated to the other languages of the continent. In spite of these differences, Tamnatke maintains mostly friendly relationships with the other Kingdoms.

IPA: ˈɸɹaŋ.ge̞sk | ɸɹäŋˈɡe̞.waj maˈwe̞.li˦ŋ | la ˈno̞n.lji˩ no̞nˈmaːm.bi ˈɹan.daj ˈu˨.san ma.we̞ˈli.ŋo̞s ‖ i˦ŋˈge̞.ɹaj das ˈdaj.kas | tamˈnat.ke̞ majˈla.na manˈdal.ɹa ˈmi˦m.ja dajˈta.lanz ku˨n ˈu˨.san χanˈde̞o̞se̞ɦ

I'm trying to make a language for my book (well languages) and I'm on my first language where I've just finished my alphabet but I'm getting told I should make an Ipa chart after this but I'm so confused on how to make it because I've searched it up and I'm seeing Monophthong and symbols ive never seen before in my life. ​​

So the unnamed tonal conlang I'm working on contrasts open-mid vowels /ɛ, ɔ/ with close-mid vowels /e, o/. These occur in the same positions (because of morphology, most words are supposed to be monosyllabic), so I'm not sure how to represent them in a way that keeps the distinction between the two pairs. I was wondering how you differentiate them in your conlangs with the Latin alphabet. I also haven't decided if tones will be marked with diacritics or tone numbers yet.

Now before you jump to Ithkuil, hear me out. Ithkuil is definitely complex because of the denseness and the range of expression.

I'm thinking more along the lines of just pure complexity even for simple expressions. It can come in the form of crazy agreements, conjugation patterns, convoluted idioms, arcane word orders, or idiosyncratic merges that make it confusing to decipher.

I'm looking for examples of languages where you'd struggle to form basic sentences even when you have all the vocabulary in front of you. I'm open to inspirations from natural languages too, if anyone wants to start a discussion there.

It should almost be like a puzzle, but not so contrived that it's basically just a cypher, or just a huge but boring lookup table of nonsensical combinations. Basically it should feel feasible as a functional human language.

Any thoughts?

I'm making an auxlang that I'm hoping will be as close to concurrently comprehensible to English and Spanish speakers as possible. I don't know how possible this will be, considering that no contact languages have formed already. Still, maybe one would, but first needs some initial construction to get started, kind of like a seed crystal.

In order to optimize this, I want to test monolingual people's recognition of words in context, and then choose candidate words with the best harmonic mean of recognition rates among speakers of the two languages (like an F-score). I'd greatly appreciate any help.

Also, if this interests you, then you can take a look at its LingoCon page. I recommend trying to read the texts and also the articles. Thanks!

https://lingocon.com/lang/spanglish/

Seeing as my previous post wasn't as successful I thought I'd do something more in depth.

I started working on this conlang this year. While it isn't the first language I've made, it is the first I've actually committed to and have not deleted.

This language technically has two names: Sávûkyak and Suvûkyak. These names come from the meaning of "our language", where there is a clusivity distinction in the 1st person plural pronouns. Sá is inclusive (including the 2nd person) and Su is exclusive (excluding the 2nd person). So basically, Sávûkyak is used when speaking to people of the same culture and Suvûkyak is used when speaking to people outside the culture. And using either of the name in the wrong context is considered disrespectful at best, and sacrilege at worst. Thus, I will be using Suvûkyak for the rest of this post. But y'all seem like nice people, so use whichever one you want.

The phonology is quite simple and I have already made a post on that, but to give a general overview: there's 15 consonants and 5 vowels with a length distinction and consonants can only cluster with liquids and approximants. Suvûkyak has fixed stress on the penultimate syllable of every word. The consonants are fairly standard as there are no particularly uncommon phonemes there, the vowels however are a bit different as there is no /o/ but there is /y/.

In terms of grammar, Suvûkyak is highly analytic bordering on isolating. There really isn't much morphology to speak of. Number (singular and plural) is exclusively marked on the articles and tenses and moods are marked by separate particles. There's also no gender, nor case marking not even in the pronouns. Sentences follow an SOV word order and are nearly exclusively head-final. There are also three demonstratives: proximal, medial and distal. And nearly all adjectives are related to verbs and conjugated as such. And as I previously stated the pronouns feature a basic clusivity distinction in the 1st person plural.

Since it's a analytic language, words are quite short (so far all the words are under 4 syllables long), with barely any derivation. The numbers are in base 6.

As I'm still working on this conlang, I can't say more about this project. But I hope you find it interesting!

P.S. for anyone who's wondering, no I have not set up a conworld nor conculture for this project. But maybe one day I'll pull a Tolkien and write some epic fantasy novels for it.