Re: backwards conlanging

On Sat, 25 Nov 2000, Sylvia Sotomayor wrote:

> On Sat, 25 Nov 2000, Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> > 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.
Thanks for the hints.  :-)  I've been thinking about dialects, though
it's something I don't want to tackle until I can get *something* done
for the ancestor tongue, which I'm really unhappy with in its current
form.  My problem is that I don't actually know enough historical
linguistics to figure out how languages might change in specific detail.
I guess I'll have to reread my books.

I already have "foreign" words and irregular ones.  A little mystery is
good for the soul.  I'll try what you've suggested when I can get the
other issues sorted out!

YHL