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Re: backwards conlanging

From:Yoon Ha Lee <yl112@...>
Date:Sunday, November 26, 2000, 19:57
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