I return! Conlang help? [Edited: 2/9]
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 4:05 pm
I doubt anyone will remember me, which is probably a good thing. I was around briefly about 4-ish years ago, but that idea has kind of. . .completely changed, so ignore pretty much anything I said back then!
That said, I'm having issues trying to put together these conlangs - I probably only really need five naming languages, but I'd rather have the basics down if I need to actually turn it into more. The problem is, even after four years, I am still shite at phonetics. xD I have a rough outline of what I think might work, but it's. . .very very plain. I was wondering if anyone on here might be up for helping me out. I really only need two conlangs right now, and three naming language. Tall order, I know, but that's what I get for deciding to write fantasy. I want to make the cultures more distinct, and diving into the conlangs might help me do that. I have characters already, one culture probably more fleshed out than the other, but it is all still a work in progress.
I have a rough outline of the main nation and culture within that nation that are at war, I have kind of. . .placeholder names for the others. I intend to make up a map for it later today or at least by the end of the week. Of course, the thing that is actually stopping me from writing is that I can't draw buildings and I can't imagine the stronghold well enough to describe it - it's driving me mad, honestly. Because I want it to have different bits of a few architectural styles, but I'm not sure how to fit them all together.
The conlangs, however:
C1: Essentially "common", the language of the Sūmké Empire that's basically using the sound inventory of Latin, basically pseudo Latin. Probably won't need much help there.
Consonants:
Plosives: [p] [ b ] [t] [d] [k] [g] [kʷ]
Nasals: [m] [n] [ɲ] ([ŋ])
Trill: [r]
Fricatives: [f] [s] [z] [ʃ] [h]
Affricative: [t͡s] [d͡z] [tʃ]
Lateral fricative: [ɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j] [w]
Lateral approximant: [l]
Vowels:
[a] [ i ] [ɛ] [ u ] [eu̯] [ae̯] [eɪ] [ɔ] [ɪ] [au̯] [ui̯] [ʊ] [oe̯] [o] [ʏ]
Orthography:
<p> [p] <b> [ b ] <t> [t] <d> [d] <c/k/ch> [k] <g> [g] <qu> [kʷ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <gn> [ɲ] <n/g> ([ŋ]) <r> [r] <f> [f] <s> [s] <z/s> [z] <sc> [ʃ] <h> [h] <t> [t͡s] <z/j> [d͡z] <c> [tʃ] <l> [ɬ] <r> [ɹ] <i> [j] <u> [w] <l> [l]
<a> [a] <i> [ i ] <e> [ɛ] <u> [ u ] <eu> [eu̯] <ae> [ae̯] <é> [eɪ] <o> [ɔ] <i> [ɪ] <au> [au̯] <ui> [ui̯] <u> [ʊ] <oe> [oe̯] <o> [o] <y> [ʏ]
p b t d c/k/ch g qu m n gn n/g r f s z/s sc h t z/j c l r i u l
a i e u eu ae é o i au ui u oe o y
Long vowels are denoted by a macron.
Names in the language so far: <Talis> [talɪs], <Sūmké> [suːmkeɪ]
C2:
Consonants:
Clicks: [ǂ] [ǀ] [ǀʷ] [ǂʷ]
Plosives: [p] [ɓ] [t] [ɗ] [k] [kʷ] [q] [ʔ]
Nasals: [m] [n]
Fricatives: [s] [z] [ʃ]
Affricative: [t͡s] [tʃ]
Lateral fricative: [tɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j] [w]
Not sure if I'm adding: [r]
Vowels:
[a] [ i ] [ɛ] [ u ] [oʊ̯] [aɪ] [eɪ] [ɔ]
Orthography:
<x> [ǂ] <q> [ǀ] <xh> [ǀʷ] <qh> [ǂʷ] <p> [p] <v/b*> [ɓ] <d*> [ɗ] <t> [t] <c>*/<k> [k] <khu> [kʷ] <k>* [q] <‘> [ʔ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <s> [s] <z> [z] <ṡ> [ʃ] <ts> [t͡s] <tl> [tɬ] <ch> [tʃ] <r> [ɹ] <y> [j] <hu> [w]
a [a] i [ i ] ę [ɛ] u [ u ] o [oʊ̯] ą [aɪ] e [eɪ] ǫ [ɔ]
x q xh qh p v/b d t c*/k khu k* ‘ m n s z ṡ ts tl ch r y hu
a i ę u o ą e ǫ
Allowed consonant clusters:
skhu zy ṡy nt ns sk/sc
Three tones:
Low: à
Neutral: a
High: á
Names in the language so far: <Xo'te> [ǂoʔteɪ]
C3:
Consonants:
Plosives: [p] [ b ] [t] [d] [k] [g] [q] [ɢ]
Nasals: [m] [n] [ɲ] [ŋ]
Trill: [r]
Fricatives: [f] [v] [θ] [ð] [s] [ɕ] [h]
Affricative: [t͡s]
Lateral fricative: [ɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j]
Lateral approximant: [l]
Vowels:
[au] [ou] [aɪ] [ i ] [a] [e] [ʏ] [ u ] [ɞ]
Orthography:
<p> [p] <b> [ b ] <t> [t] <d> [d] <k> [k] <g> [g] <kk> [q] <gh> [ɢ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <nn> [ɲ] <ng> [ŋ] <r> [r] <th> [θ] <ð> [ð] <f> [f] <v> [v] <s> [s] <sh>/<kj> [ɕ] <h> [h] <ç> [t͡s] <lh> [ɬ] <rr> [ɹ] <y> [j] <l> [l]
<á> [au] <ó> [ou] <æ> [aɪ] <i> [ i ] <a> [a] <e> [e] <u> [ʏ] <ú> [ u ] <ý> [ɞ]
p b t d k g kk gh m n nn ng r th ð f v s sh/kj h ç lh rr y j l á ó æ i a e u ú ý
Names in the language so far: <Kjárin> [ɕaurin]
I don't have anything plotted out for the other two yet, since those languages probably won't be featured too much. I imagine a lot of bilabials and labiodentals for one, and lots of liquid consonants and fricatives for the other, though.
My main problem is that I just. . .cannot hear the differences as much as I try. It takes me forever to suss it out - it's easier if I'm given letters or clusters to play with. >.<
That said, any help would be appreciated!
That said, I'm having issues trying to put together these conlangs - I probably only really need five naming languages, but I'd rather have the basics down if I need to actually turn it into more. The problem is, even after four years, I am still shite at phonetics. xD I have a rough outline of what I think might work, but it's. . .very very plain. I was wondering if anyone on here might be up for helping me out. I really only need two conlangs right now, and three naming language. Tall order, I know, but that's what I get for deciding to write fantasy. I want to make the cultures more distinct, and diving into the conlangs might help me do that. I have characters already, one culture probably more fleshed out than the other, but it is all still a work in progress.
I have a rough outline of the main nation and culture within that nation that are at war, I have kind of. . .placeholder names for the others. I intend to make up a map for it later today or at least by the end of the week. Of course, the thing that is actually stopping me from writing is that I can't draw buildings and I can't imagine the stronghold well enough to describe it - it's driving me mad, honestly. Because I want it to have different bits of a few architectural styles, but I'm not sure how to fit them all together.
The conlangs, however:
C1: Essentially "common", the language of the Sūmké Empire that's basically using the sound inventory of Latin, basically pseudo Latin. Probably won't need much help there.
Consonants:
Plosives: [p] [ b ] [t] [d] [k] [g] [kʷ]
Nasals: [m] [n] [ɲ] ([ŋ])
Trill: [r]
Fricatives: [f] [s] [z] [ʃ] [h]
Affricative: [t͡s] [d͡z] [tʃ]
Lateral fricative: [ɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j] [w]
Lateral approximant: [l]
Vowels:
[a] [ i ] [ɛ] [ u ] [eu̯] [ae̯] [eɪ] [ɔ] [ɪ] [au̯] [ui̯] [ʊ] [oe̯] [o] [ʏ]
Orthography:
<p> [p] <b> [ b ] <t> [t] <d> [d] <c/k/ch> [k] <g> [g] <qu> [kʷ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <gn> [ɲ] <n/g> ([ŋ]) <r> [r] <f> [f] <s> [s] <z/s> [z] <sc> [ʃ] <h> [h] <t> [t͡s] <z/j> [d͡z] <c> [tʃ] <l> [ɬ] <r> [ɹ] <i> [j] <u> [w] <l> [l]
<a> [a] <i> [ i ] <e> [ɛ] <u> [ u ] <eu> [eu̯] <ae> [ae̯] <é> [eɪ] <o> [ɔ] <i> [ɪ] <au> [au̯] <ui> [ui̯] <u> [ʊ] <oe> [oe̯] <o> [o] <y> [ʏ]
p b t d c/k/ch g qu m n gn n/g r f s z/s sc h t z/j c l r i u l
a i e u eu ae é o i au ui u oe o y
Long vowels are denoted by a macron.
Names in the language so far: <Talis> [talɪs], <Sūmké> [suːmkeɪ]
C2:
Consonants:
Clicks: [ǂ] [ǀ] [ǀʷ] [ǂʷ]
Plosives: [p] [ɓ] [t] [ɗ] [k] [kʷ] [q] [ʔ]
Nasals: [m] [n]
Fricatives: [s] [z] [ʃ]
Affricative: [t͡s] [tʃ]
Lateral fricative: [tɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j] [w]
Not sure if I'm adding: [r]
Vowels:
[a] [ i ] [ɛ] [ u ] [oʊ̯] [aɪ] [eɪ] [ɔ]
Orthography:
<x> [ǂ] <q> [ǀ] <xh> [ǀʷ] <qh> [ǂʷ] <p> [p] <v/b*> [ɓ] <d*> [ɗ] <t> [t] <c>*/<k> [k] <khu> [kʷ] <k>* [q] <‘> [ʔ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <s> [s] <z> [z] <ṡ> [ʃ] <ts> [t͡s] <tl> [tɬ] <ch> [tʃ] <r> [ɹ] <y> [j] <hu> [w]
a [a] i [ i ] ę [ɛ] u [ u ] o [oʊ̯] ą [aɪ] e [eɪ] ǫ [ɔ]
x q xh qh p v/b d t c*/k khu k* ‘ m n s z ṡ ts tl ch r y hu
a i ę u o ą e ǫ
Allowed consonant clusters:
skhu zy ṡy nt ns sk/sc
Three tones:
Low: à
Neutral: a
High: á
Names in the language so far: <Xo'te> [ǂoʔteɪ]
C3:
Consonants:
Plosives: [p] [ b ] [t] [d] [k] [g] [q] [ɢ]
Nasals: [m] [n] [ɲ] [ŋ]
Trill: [r]
Fricatives: [f] [v] [θ] [ð] [s] [ɕ] [h]
Affricative: [t͡s]
Lateral fricative: [ɬ]
Approximants: [ɹ] [j]
Lateral approximant: [l]
Vowels:
[au] [ou] [aɪ] [ i ] [a] [e] [ʏ] [ u ] [ɞ]
Orthography:
<p> [p] <b> [ b ] <t> [t] <d> [d] <k> [k] <g> [g] <kk> [q] <gh> [ɢ] <m> [m] <n> [n] <nn> [ɲ] <ng> [ŋ] <r> [r] <th> [θ] <ð> [ð] <f> [f] <v> [v] <s> [s] <sh>/<kj> [ɕ] <h> [h] <ç> [t͡s] <lh> [ɬ] <rr> [ɹ] <y> [j] <l> [l]
<á> [au] <ó> [ou] <æ> [aɪ] <i> [ i ] <a> [a] <e> [e] <u> [ʏ] <ú> [ u ] <ý> [ɞ]
p b t d k g kk gh m n nn ng r th ð f v s sh/kj h ç lh rr y j l á ó æ i a e u ú ý
Names in the language so far: <Kjárin> [ɕaurin]
I don't have anything plotted out for the other two yet, since those languages probably won't be featured too much. I imagine a lot of bilabials and labiodentals for one, and lots of liquid consonants and fricatives for the other, though.
My main problem is that I just. . .cannot hear the differences as much as I try. It takes me forever to suss it out - it's easier if I'm given letters or clusters to play with. >.<
That said, any help would be appreciated!