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Making conlangs from sample texts

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:55 pm
by WarpedWartWars
I.e., one person gives a sample text, and others make conlangs where that text (or a small variation thereof) is an actual proper sample text.

First sample text:

Ẑoðeŕ vinuŕ decjun driac fyrbet gendyr gestiŕ
Ŕinac fyndri denzoc fȳrben
Ŕenyndr getȳr, devrynden, dicað dezut denduŕ
Zendric dvendiŕ dezun


Some info: this is a verse of a song about dragons.

Phonology:
p,t,k,b,d,g,f,v,s,z,ð,y,u,a,i,o,n,m,j are all the same as IPA
ŝ and ẑ are postalveolar fricatives
þ is unvoiced dental fricative
e is [ɛ]
r and ŕ are [ɾ] and [r], respectively
macron is long; e.g., ȳ is [yː]
c is [x], x is [ʀ]

(also the main reason I used that romanization is because it's easy for me to use, as I use the compose key functionality in Ubuntu)

Re: Making conlangs from sample texts

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:01 pm
by bradrn
Very interesting challenge! I’d do it if I weren’t focussing on the reconstruction relay for my conlanging at the moment. But I’d be interested to see what anyone else can come up with.

Re: Making conlangs from sample texts

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2023 3:25 am
by keenir
WarpedWartWars wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:55 pm I.e., one person gives a sample text, and others make conlangs where that text (or a small variation thereof) is an actual proper sample text.
Okay, if i understand the instructions, here is mine...if i misunderstand, i apologize.


Ẑoðeŕ vinuŕ decjun driac fyrbet gendyr gestiŕ
Ẑo-ðeŕ vinuŕ decjun driac fyrbet ge-ndyr ge-stiŕ
zo.θer vi.nur deχ.jun dɾi.aχ fyɾ.bet gend.yɾ ge.stir

...psychompomp lead/guide.{FUT} study LOC.here.show opening-dragon opening.all/everything
Psychompomp or (a) future guide or (an) observer or (a) revelatory dragon
......yes, "study" can also be used, in the script for the act of watching or observing something.

Ŕinac fyndri denzoc fȳrben
Ŕi-nac fy-ndri denzoc fȳ-r.ben
ri.naχ fynd.ɾi den.zoχ fyɾ.ben

Read LOC.here.must humans.read LOC.here.burns.
Humans must read and be read the fires written ///////////


NOTE: there is unquestionably disagreement among practitioners as to what was meant here; the only known copy of the Elongate Text, which has a longer and more formal version of this verse, has damage to the second half of this line. More of the Elongate Text can be found in the final line of the verse.

Ŕenyndr getȳr, devrynden, dicað dezut denduŕ
Ŕe-nyndr ge-tȳr, dev-rynden, di-cað de-zut den-nduŕ
re.nyndɾ ge.ty:ɾ ,dev.ɾynd.en , di.χaθ de.zut dend.ur

big.works opening-spiral, gathering/assembling words.ink humans.do
. -u- in the <nd>V<r> is considered a simple verb: doing, to do, engaging in.

Great things unfold, they say/said, and all agree (as follows)


NOTE: the ge- prefix is used whether one is opening a sheep, a letter, a present, or playing 20 Questions.
.....and yes, "words.ink" is considered in-universe to be a synonym for "agreement".

Zendric dvendiŕ dezun
Zen-ndric dve-ndiŕ de-ezun

LOC.towards-must stone-dragon LOC.towards-FUT
.......when not abbreviated, the final line tends to be Zen-Ndric 'Eþ.þedr Ndve-ndiþ-Ndiŕ Dezun

[ zend.riχ ʔeθ.θedr nd.vend.iθnd. de.zun]

LOC.towards-must NEG.death stone-PL-dragon LOC.towards.FUT
...more loosely as "The heavens expand futurewards as obstacles perish."

...the shortened version is understood to mean the same.

NOTE: while Ndve-ndiþ-Ndiŕ began as a phrase describing a traditional action - that of dragons gathering and piling stones - it over time became used more as a single word to an action...specifically a noble deed. In such phrases as this final one, the stone began to indicate that the action was being done towards the other obstacle in the phrase: death.

additional notes:
. <zendric> was originally, i have decided, <zen>-<ndric> ...while the romanization has reduced it to one <n>, the native glyphs still place an [n] between the vowel and the <ndric>

. <zen> and <ezun> are the same glyph in the native script, simply reversed - the reversal is in-universe rationalized as being because of the [e] moving to the opposite side of the [z]. A few have suggested that it is because <ezun> is now *prefixed* by a [d] instead of being followed by a [d] or an [nd]

. the -<un> of both <dezun> and <decjun> marks for the future tense...pragmatically, for "into the future."


.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Sample Text:

ʔar shib birat tobayi ʔari ʔib?
Shab ʔahatanira ʔashash rib!
Shibirit ʔat ʔara?
Doqa!


Phonology:

ʔ q r t h b d n
y i a o (and possibly ʔ also as a vowel if you like)
sh = ʃ


any takers?

Re: Making conlangs from sample texts

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2023 10:47 pm
by WarpedWartWars
keenir wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 3:25 am Okay, if i understand the instructions, here is mine...if i misunderstand, i apologize.
You understood them fine.
keenir wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 3:25 am <clip>
Interesting take on it.