Prompted by a recent comment, we are finally getting started with the second Conlang Diachronics Relay. For those who don't know: This is a follow-up game to the 2006-2007 "Cursed Relay", during which the Edastean language family was created. For a history of the predecessor and associated games, see here. This new game will follow the same concept, using the same conworld setting as a background to create a new language family with new participants.
How it works:
Starting from one protolanguage, participants develop a multi-branched, multi-generational language family, by each deriving a daughterlanguage from someone else's. There will be a (flexible) time limit of approximately two weeks, so the people in line after you don't have to wait too long before they can get to work. There will be several parallel groups so we'll end up with a realistic, broad linguistic family. If there are enough participants, we could run a second relay at the same time, starting from a different protolanguage.
[EDIT: We're indeed starting from two main protolangs - Dewrad's Proto-Western and Zhen Lin's Proto-Peninsular. See relay schedule below.
And of course anyone is welcome to create a daughter of Proto-Núalís-Takuña (PDF) outside of the relay framework.]
At the beginning of each turn, the participants of the next round take a look and decide on the language they want to work from. The decision will be made in discussion in this thread. Eligible languages are those created in the previous turn as well as those from one generation earlier, including languages that were created before this relay (i.e. Proto-Coastal-Western (PDF)). For instance, the people of Team A Group II will be able to choose between Proto-Western, Proto-Coastal-Western, and the two languages to be created by Drydic Guy and WeepingElf.
Alternatives will only have to be found (a) if it has been decided that more descendants of a particular language would be unrealistic, or (b) if all participants of a non-initial round choose the same language.
What you'll have to do:
Nobody's going to ask you to produce a hundred page grammar, certainly. The basics needed for someone to be able to derive an entry from yours are:
- A list of your sound changes
- Lists/tables of the main morphology
- At least enough basic grammar/syntax to translate the sample text
- Your translation of this text, preferrably with an interlinear gloss
- A word list with definitions and, if necessary, morphological information
Of course, any previous experience with diachronic conlanging is helpful, but this is not required in order to sign in. If you have some basic knowledge about how sound changes work, you can do just fine. You should also bring some time - deriving a daughterlanguage within two weeks is quite a bit of work, but it's definitely doable. And last but not least you should bring your creativity and some ambition to produce a realistic conlang
Recommendations:
- You can choose the time depth of your language yourself. A good amount would be 800-1500 years, just enough so that it becomes a different language but keep a strong familiarity (see Latin to Romance).
- Feel free to work out a little con-history to go with your languages if you choose to, or invent substrate-language word lists to borrow words from if you like. Neither of these is required. If you do want to, it might be best to discuss it with the Akana team a little - here, on the AkanaForum, or on [url=irc://irc.sorcery.net/akana]IRC[/url] - to make sure everything fits together well. You can of course also borrow words from each other, provided your languages are roughly contemporary.
- You can post the description of your language at the AkanaWiki or at another place on the internet, as you prefer.
- If you want, you're encouraged to use the AkanaForum to create a work-in-progress thread about your relay project to discuss sound changes, grammar issues, historical setting etc.
- If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Questions regarding game organization are best directed at me or Radius. Questions specific to the protolanguages may be directed at the creators themselves - Dewrad for PW, Zhen Lin for PPI, and TzirTzi for PNT/PCW. Questions regarding the setting can probably be answered by most of the main Akana participants, i.e. the aforementioned plus Legion, Corumayas, and boy #12.
To have fun, and see how it turns out.
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Schedule
Here are the provisional relay groups and their goal dates. If anyone doesn't like the time or language family I've placed him/her in, please tell me.
Team A: Western
Round I (October 18th)
Drydic Guy (from Proto-Western)
WeepingElf (from Proto-Western): Çetázó
TzirTzi (from Proto-Western): Proto-Coastal-Western (PDF)
Round II (November 2nd)
eodrakken (from Proto-Western): Iŋomœ́
Curlyjimsam (from Çetázó): Šetâmol (PDF)
ingolemo (from Çetázó): Óhylvídós
cedh audmanh (from Proto-Western): Tmaśareʔ
Round III (December 4th)
Abi (from Óhylvídós): Ohilí (WIP)
Arzena (from Çetázó): Shtåså
brandrinn (from Iŋomœ́)
kohorik (from Iŋomœ́): Satnímʔa (WIP)
Nortaneous (from Iŋomœ́): Hāňheliubľ
Round IV (December 31st)
caedes (from Çetázó)
PeteTheMadScientist (from Tmaśareʔ)
Tarasoriku (from Tmaśareʔ)
Trailsend
...
Team B: Peninsular
Round I (December 4th)
nebula wind phone (from Proto-Peninsular): Merneha
Vortex (from Proto-Peninsular): Gaadràmarneš
4pq1injbok (from Proto-Peninsular): Kibülʌiṅ
Round II (December 31st)
faiuwle
krinnen
Kuanye
ulan
Round III (January 23rd)
Amuere
Cadeshadow
Jojo
Skomakar'n
YngNghymru
Round IV (February 14th)
thedukeofnuke
...
Names in red are running late.
Entries in gray are not officially part of the relay, but may be selected to derive daughters from.
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Of course, more participants are welcome - if you're interested, please sign up!
There is no deadline for signing up. New people will be accepted for as long as the game is running. If you're interested, simply drop me a PM or place a post in this thread If you have any RL constraints on when you can participate, please say so in your sign-up post so I can adjust the order. Also, please indicate your preference which language family to work with.