Re: backwards conlanging

On Mon, 27 Nov 2000, Vasiliy Chernov wrote:

> A tip RE sound changes.
>
> Try to think in terms of whole sound systems rather than individual sounds.
>
> For example, consider simplification of some relatively complex vowel
> system (say, 8 vowels opposed only in quality, or 5 long + 5 short
> undergoing the loss of quantitative opposition).
Ah!  <enlightened look>  I wasn't seeing this--I was looking at isolated
examples of changes (the book I have on historical linguistics gives you
scattered examples from diverse languages to illustrate *kinds* of sound
change, like assimilation and haplology and stuff--I really hope I
spelled the latter right!).

I have a stupid boring /i/ /e/ /a/ /o/ /u/ vowel system, with two
diphthongs.  I guess I'll have to figure out something more complicated
that could've simplified down to the 5-vowel system.

> Don't forget that with complex systems symmetry is always important. It's
> kinda synonymous with simplicity: same contrasts work in different parts
> of the system. So, for example, there will be also a tendency to have
[snip]
<wry g>  That's why I'm revising the proto-conlang.  I don't mind a
*little* asymmetry but it was just too ugly.  (More so with the consonants.)

Thanks for the tips!

Also, thanks to *everyone* who has responded on this; I'm learning from
all of you, but don't really have time to answer everyone (plus, I'm
trying to keep from spamming the list with messages, which I think I've
done in the past--sorry!)

YHL