Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Substantial postings about constructed languages and constructed worlds in general. Good place to mention your own or evaluate someone else's. Put quick questions in C&C Quickies instead.
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gokupwned5
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Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Post by gokupwned5 »

How would I go about deriving a language using tri-consonantal roots from a language that does not have them? Some that I have seen, such as the Semitic languages, derive from Proto-Afro-Asiatic, which had bi-consonantal roots, but how could this be done with a language that lacks any consonantal roots?

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mèþru
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Re: Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Post by mèþru »

In other such threads, people have recommended reading this
ìtsanso, God In The Mountain, may our names inspire the deepest feelings of fear in urkos and all his ilk, for we have saved another man from his lies! I welcome back to the feast hall kal, who will never gamble again! May the eleven gods bless him!
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Zaarin
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Re: Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Post by Zaarin »

I found this book very helpful.
"But if of ships I now should sing, what ship would come to me,
What ship would bear me ever back across so wide a Sea?”

tiramisu
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Re: Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Post by tiramisu »

gokupwned5 wrote:Some that I have seen, such as the Semitic languages, derive from Proto-Afro-Asiatic, which had bi-consonantal roots
FYI: This is one of those pesky theories that flloats around, sounds nice and interesting, offers an answer to an unknown thing, and is spread around by hobbyists who don't have enough information to reject it, but that few scholars actually accept.

More likely what seems to have happened was:
1) Extreme ablaut after Proto-Afro-Asiatic but before Proto-Semitic, with no traceable details about these intermittent stages
2) Vowel reduction and vocalic epenthesis
3) Extreme leveling**

** Note that this extreme leveling is the half-truth that led to the slightly-fringe theory that the triconsonantal root system was derived from a biconsonantal root system. There were many words that originally had only two consonants, and were later extended into triconsonantal roots (through various methods) to force them to conform to the paradigm. The vast majority of roots do not reflect this phenomenon, and there is no evidence that holds up to scrutiny that suggests that they do.

Two or three years ago, I wrote a series of posts advising someone how triconsonantal natlangs work, and how to make their triconsonantal conlang more realistic. Let's see if I can locate them and link the thread here. I do recall my main suggestions were:
1) model the triconsonantal conlang on a triconsonantal natlang,
2) attempt to adjust it enough to make it unique,
3) create a thread seeking feedback and advice.

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Re: Making a Triconsonantal Root Language

Post by tiramisu »

Not quite as grand as I remembered, but here is the first post I gave with generic advice. Subsequent posts also give advice, but are tailored to advise about a specific conlang.

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