Category: Create/Make/List

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: Create five basic intransitive verb proto-forms Note: An intransitive verb typically only has one argument: the subject (or the one doing the verb). Tip: Verbs you might consider creating include “sleep, lie (down), stand, sit, walk, run.” Work focus: Create/Make/List Yesterday you created some initial transitive verbs. Today shifts the focus to creating intransitive…

Goal: Create five basic transitive verb proto-forms Note: A transitive verb typically occurs with an object (what is affected by the verb’s action). Tip: Think about how your speakers move about and interact with their world. Work focus: Create/Make/List So far, the majority of the proto-forms you’ve made have likely been nouns (with the exception…

Goal: Create five proto-forms for fauna Note: Creating roots for fauna means thinking about how your speakers categorize different fauna. Tip: It is often the “pests” we interact with most, such as fleas, ticks, gnats, and mosquitos. Work focus: Create/Make/List The vocabulary creation fun continues! Today’s goal is to create at least five proto-roots for…

Goal: Create five proto-forms for flora Note: This will require you to decide how your speakers categorize the flora in their world. Tip: Not all languages have a generic root for flora types, such as not having a root meaning “tree.” Work focus: Create/Make/List You spent time outlining features of your conworld, including the kinds…

Goal: Create five proto-forms for weather Note: Begin with the most prominent weather phenomena your speakers experience. Tip: For now, you can underspecify how the forms are used (e.g. “rain” could be a noun or verb). Work focus: Create/Make/List The vocabulary creation continues! Today’s prompt asks you to create proto-forms for weather phenomena in your…

Goal: Create proto-forms for terrain features Note: Using information you outlined about the terrain, select at least five to assign words to. Tip: Focus on the most prominent features as you assign these roots. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s focus is on creating at least five proto-forms for terrain features. As you select which features will…

Goal: Create five proto-forms for body terms Note: Creating these forms necessitates finding a way to document them so you can keep a running list. Tip: As you create these initial forms, strive for phonetic variety, both in sounds and syllable structures. Work focus: Create/Make/List A question David and I frequently get asked is how…

Goal: Create nonce forms of varying lengths Note: As you work, decide how stress will be assigned to multisyllabic units. Tip: Make sure you create a variety of permissible syllable structures and word-like units. Work focus: Create/Make/List Today’s focus is to put the syllable structure you selected yesterday to the test by creating nonce forms…

Goal: Describe (or design) native fauna Note: Focus on the wildlife that is native in your speakers’ immediate environment. Tip: As with the flora, you can “prioritize” fauna by focusing on the ones your speakers interact with most. Work focus: Create/Make/List Now that you have selected the types of vegetation that fill your conworld setting,…