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Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:51 am
by Chuma
Suddenly a whole lot of learners, I see. That's good news. But are you all going to pick the same language? I can see how that might be convenient, but it's a little disappointing for the creators.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:03 am
by Mr. Z
Well, if there are enough learners, we could create two groups, each of 2-3 learners, and each group would learn one conlang. That way, there would be larger groups that know one language, while more than one language would be learned.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:08 am
by The Count
Aiďos wrote:
The Count wrote:16000+ words in alphabetic word list
Sixteen thousand? I'm barely at forty-two...
I created the bulk of Xhaimeran in 1999 - 2001. Plenty of time to flesh out the glossary since then....:)

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:47 am
by Trailsend
:o Whoa! Look what you did, brandrinn! This is awesome!

A question for the learners: what kinds of learning materials do you all prefer? Will you want a reference grammar, classic text-booky lessons, honkin' piles of translated texts...?

Also, @Count: whence the spelling difference between Xhaimeran and Summeran? Is it just an alternate romanization, or are they different things?

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:28 am
by sirdanilot
I can't really say what would immediately grab my interest. I always have something for elaborate phonologies, but I'm willing to look further than that obviously. Then as for a-priori or derived conlangs; it's of course much, much easier to learn a PIE-derived lang, or a germaniclang or romlang, so I could even learn several of those, but I find an a-priori lang more interesting, though it will take more time.

We can make it a one on one project (one person learns one lang), or we can do it in groups of two or three learners per lang. Perhaps the latter would be nicer.

As for learning materials, a reference grammar and word list are essential. However, I think that for the creator it's fun to make some beginner lessons, building up the grammar from the ground up. What we eventually want is 1. being able to translate texts provided by the creator and 2. being able to translate English texts into the conlang and optionally 3. try to pronounce a text in the conlang and record it. As well as carrying out conversations on instant messaging in the conlang with the creator (or your learning buddies), and the farthest would be a conversation on skype. Of course, it doesn't have to go as far as all those, but even just a start with translating some texts would be nice.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:30 am
by sirdanilot
Can all the people with conlangs please post some handy links to where your conlang is, so we can select 2 or 3 conlangs to be learned?

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:55 am
by roninbodhisattva
brandrinn wrote:I like where this is going, but we still need a list of available languages, and so far we only have a few offers. Do you think we should cross-post this in Ephemera, where it might get more attention?
Yeah, maybe. Also, if it happens we should figure out how we're going to do the group. Simply using a thread seems like it would be a little chaotic to me.
We can make it a one on one project (one person learns one lang), or we can do it in groups of two or three learners per lang. Perhaps the latter would be nicer.
I'd prefer the second option, personally, because I think it would be good to have more people to communicate with.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:15 am
by The Count
Trailsend wrote:
Also, @Count: whence the spelling difference between Xhaimeran and Summeran? Is it just an alternate romanization, or are they different things?
Two names for the same language.

Before the time/space distortion that now surrounds Xhaimera was put into place the neighboring realms referred to the Xahimeran language as Summeran (because it suited their tongues better). The Xhaimerans, as conservative as they sometimes may be, now used to having their language called Summeran, have kept that tradition up by naming their language so when talking to foreigners (not that it happens very often nowadays). Between two indigenous speakers it's referred to as Xhaimeran, though.

On this board I've chosen the indigenous variant so that it doesn't get mixed up with Sumerian.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:43 am
by Bedelato
I'd offer Bengedian, but its lexicon is impoverished and, um, "flexible" save for around a hundred or so firmly established words. :(

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:59 am
by roninbodhisattva
Bedelato wrote:I'd offer Bengedian, but its lexicon is impoverished and, um, "flexible" save for around a hundred or so firmly established words. :(
This could be a good opportunity to give you more words!

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:18 am
by *Ceresz
I guess I could be interested in learning some Inyauk :). Or maybe Feayran.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:32 am
by Ossicone
Astraios wrote:I'd learn Inyauk (assuming that it's the one in your sig). I like how it looks.
It is the first part. The second part is Amjati, which is not quite ready to be learnt (but also tons of fun).

Nahnákanailirat.
Átx. Itxnákanaat. Rúnyam nínabiluun txákana.


How silly of my not to show a sample. Here are my Basic Lessons they give you a quick intro Inyauk. There's also a grammar for the more linguistically oriented, I just dont have a recent copy online. I'm also working on re-revising my lexicon to make it more usable for people that are not me. :)

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:45 am
by brandrinn
If we have multiple people learning a/each conlang, I agree that a thread would be a bit chaotic. I like the idea of playing a game where only the conlang could be used. It could be D&D, Mafia, or something like that. We could play in a dedicated channel, then post the result here, with an English description, though maybe not a full transcription. We could even play over Skype and post a recording here.

I would recommend that if we want a group of people to learn each conlang, we should make the groups 4-6 people, because I suspect a good portion of them will drop out before the finish.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:32 am
by Salmoneus
Well, maybe you could move on to another language next year? [Or ten years from now, when I might have something...]

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:56 am
by Risla
Yeah, I'd totally volunteer South Eresian for a year from now, when I will certainly have decent documentation up online (and vocabulary, which I've realized I have more of than I thought anyway). :P

I'd like to participate in learning a conlang as well, though it has to be one I like.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:01 am
by Chuma
I have a rather boring reference grammar in the shape of a bunch of list and tables. Relatively easy to navigate, I think, but not that great for learning.

I've been thinking of putting up some little illustrated introduction lessons. It could be made a different kind of challenge by being written only in the language, but maybe it's better to make it easier by adding English translations too.

One thing I have which is kind of cool tho: An interactive 3D program. You see a bunch of people and animals and stuff, you type in things like "the little brown dog walks over to the clown and barks" (in the conlang, that is), and you see it happening. The program interprets sentences in the conlang and acts them out on the screen. It needs a little fine-tuning, and it won't be enough to learn a huge vocabulary anyway, but maybe it could be fun as a complement to other things.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:59 am
by Astraios
Ossicone wrote:Here are my Basic Lessons they give you a quick intro Inyauk.
I retract my statement until such time as you upload the lessons onto a website that doesn't send my laptop into a tizzy. :)

Trailsend wrote:A question for the learners: what kinds of learning materials do you all prefer? Will you want a reference grammar, classic text-booky lessons, honkin' piles of translated texts...?
A reference grammar and a dictionary - I need to be able to make real sentences from the beginning, so that I can make plenty of horrible mistakes which you the teacher can correct. I can't learn from textbooky stuff which makes you produce "textbook" sentences like "The dog is boring. I ate the lieutenant. I have two sisters and four bastard children." Etc...

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:41 pm
by Mr. Z
A list of those who said they would like to learn a conlang:

brandrinn
Zoris
roninbodhisattva
Astraios
Mr. Z

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:53 pm
by Ossicone
Astraios wrote: I retract my statement until such time as you upload the lessons onto a website that doesn't send my laptop into a tizzy. :)
Maybe this?

The lessons are kinda textbook-y but I'm the kind person who thinks it's good to get the basics down first. You don't even get to use verbs until lesson 8, I think. But Inyauk is the kind of language where you can say a lot without using verbs.

For example, there are no verbs for this in Inyauk:
The dog is boring. I have two sisters and four bastard children.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:04 pm
by Trailsend
Hey guys, I'm running out the door for a weekend trip where I may or may not have internet--I'll post my available materials as soon as possible, but no later than I return on Monday. Sorry for the delay!

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:29 pm
by brandrinn
I'm amazed that more people haven't signed up their conlang. Are we all really such slackers that we don't have anything finished? It doesn't have to be Esperanto-level, after all. I'd like to pick a language soon, but I feel like many people who could be involved haven't found this thread yet.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:47 pm
by Matt
I'd be up for learning a conlang as well, but I can't devote much time to it until May 10th (when I turn in my last term paper).

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:48 pm
by Lyhoko Leaci
It would be interesting to have Myonian or Zukish or Ancaron here... but I don't have any grammars or lessons or much of anything written up beyond a form that is basically useless... I don't even have an electronic form (or a complete one at least) for the Ancaron dictionary!

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:51 am
by Sevly
I'm in as a learner as well, would be open to both Inyauk and Feayran although I must say that I'm anxious to see materials for Rammy and the other conlangs that don't have any documented materials available yet. Anywhom, from what I can see we have:

(EDIT: LISTS UPDATED AS OF APRIL 29)

Learners (11)
brandrinn
Mr. Z
Astraios
sirdanilot
*Ceresz
Zoris
roninbodhisattva
Matt
Sevly
Simmalti
hadad

Conlangs (5+1)
Feayran · awaiting documents · Astraios, *Ceresz, Sevly
Inyauk · intro lessons · Astraios, *Ceresz, Sevly
Kala · grammar references
Xhaimeran · documents in Swedish · *Ceresz
Rammy · Rammy index
Kemacetan (July)

I'll put out a call to languages I'd like to see: Cathbad's High Eolic and Guitarplayer's Ayeri, though of course it's up to them to participate, but I think they're languages are fairly complete and would be interesting to learn.

Re: I Will Learn Your Conlang

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:58 am
by Simmalti
I'd also like to learn a conlang, although my free time varies greatly from week to week.
I prefer conlangs with minimalist or average-sized phonologies, but it won't really make a difference at the end of the day