Re: Oops, forgot something...

--- Nik Taylor <yonjuuni@...> wrote:
> Marty Rosenberg wrote:
> > First, I have difficulty coming up with words. I
> tried using roots and
> > particles to do so, but then I realized something
> else: I have
> > difficulty coming up with those too. Is there any
> system I should know
> > of that could help me along these lines?
>
> Well, there are some programs that create random
> roots.  I know some
> people here use them.  I prefer to come up with
> roots on my own.
Some of the methods I've used. (BTW: I did my first
conlang when I was 7 years old.  That was 51 years
ago!)

Method 1:

When you need a root grab the closest foreign language
dictionary at random.  (I keep Latin, German, French,
Italian, Sanskrit and Hawaiian close at hand for this
very reason.)  Open the dictionary at random,
preferably to a page that DOES NOT contain the word
your looking to find a root for.  Select a rather
longish word at random from the page and swipe a few
syllables out of the middle of it.  Repeat until you
find the root that feels right.  Works like a charm.

example: Haw: mikanele (missionary) grab "anel" and
run with with.
Latin: segnitia (slowness) grab the "gnit", spin it
around and call it "ting" or maybe "tinag"

Method 2:

Roll dice, collect a long string of base 6 digits,
convert the number to base 26.  There's your root.

631242 (base 6) = 50858 (base 10) = 2,6,23,2 (base 26
A = 0, B = 1, ... Z=25) = CGXC, maybe cogix, ugish,
just adlib from there.

Method 3:

Keep a bag or box of scrabble tiles handy (pickl up a
copule extra sets at the goodwill store for a buck.)
Shake well, grab a few tiles and arrange them randomly
in front of you while waiting for the muse to strike.

Method 4:

Very mathematical:

Find the word in the thesaurus. Write down the page
number TTT.  Find the word in the dictionary.  Write
down the page number DDD.  Multiply TTT * DDD and
convert to base 26.  Pick some of the letters out of
the middle of that mess.

Method 5:

Invent a simple substitution cipher like you'd use for
a simple cryptogram.  Encode your original word.
Stare at the encoded version until you figure out how
to rearrange the letters to make a good root.

As with all the methods, break the rules.  If you draw
ETQM from the Scrabble box and ETLM feels better to
you, go ahead and cheat and replace the Q with the L.

Welcome and good luck.

--gary

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