Re: backwards conlanging

On Sat, 25 Nov 2000, Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> Query:
>
> I've read several conlang sites that suggest starting with an
> ancestor-language and then deriving conlangs from the ancestor-conlang.
>
> This is a good idea.  The problem (for me) is that I started developing
> Chevraqis before I'd read about this (or it had penetrated, anyway).
> Since then I've been struggling with the ancestor-conlang trying to get
> the thing to come out so I don't shriek in disgust whenever I look at it.
>
> Can you work backward from a single conlang to develop an ancestor-lang?
> I figure I could do that with what I have, reverse-engineer the ancestor,
> adn then resume "normal" conlang production by creating stuff in the
> ancestor and evolving it to the current language.
>
[snipped]

I'm in that position with Kelen. It helps to have dialects and lots of
variation. That way, if something in the original language doesn't
actually follow the derivation from the parent language, you can say that
it was borrowed into the main language from a sister dialect or
something. I've never actually created proto-Kelen, but I know vaguely
what the root structure was and what some of the old grammar was.

Another thing that is helpful is to make up a completely unrelated language
and then borrow words from it, changing the phonology and maybe adding some of
your morphology to the words to make them sound right.

HTH,
Sylvia
--
Sylvia Sotomayor
sylvia1@ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~sylvia1/
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