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: 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…
Goal: Explore sound changes for vowels Note: Vowels are especially prone to shifting as languages evolve. Tip: Focus on ways you want to expand (or shrink) your proto-vowel inventory as you explore these changes. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try I’ve mentioned a sound change that could affect the vowel—namely that sometimes when coda consonants are deleted, a…
Day 29, January 29 Goal: Explore sound changes for vowels Note: Vowels are especially prone to shifting as languages evolve. Tip: Focus on ways you want to expand (or shrink) your proto-vowel inventory as you explore these changes. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Day 30, January 30 Goal: Explore stress-sensitive sound changes Note: Sound changes do not…
Goal: Explore fortifying sound changes Note: Fortification includes changes such as devoicing a voiced sound or turning a glide into a fricative. Tip: Fortifying a sound often makes it more acoustically distinct from its surroundings. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Today is the final day of prompts focusing on consonant sound changes (tomorrow turns the focus to…
Goal: Explore deletion/reduction sound changes Note: A sound can be deleted altogether or reduced (e.g. a stop becoming a flap). Tip: Coda consonants are often prone to deletion or reduction, especially the weak fricatives. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Some sound changes cause sounds to be reduced or deleted altogether (the ultimate reduction, you might say!). Some…
