How to Make a Language: The Basics

[@AroundTheCampfire]

You can check out Part 2 (How to Make Complex Conlangs) here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5nEcpiPqaegodE

[@xyre8443]

this is what I've been worrying for like this whole month already, I'm doubting if I will able to create my own fictional language, it seems very hard but I guess I still need to try it

[@AroundTheCampfire]

It depends on your goals! If you just want to add to the worldbuilding a bit I'd definitely recommend trying a naming language like what we talk about in this video. If you want to go even further beyond that we'll have another video on more complex conlangs soon (but you can get a head-start by checking out the resources linked in the video description). My best advice is just to figure out what you want to accomplish, then take it one step at a time. -Adam

[@greenvr943]

I went through four different iterations, the trick is to use one glyph as one word

[@greenvr943]

It’s faster and more fun to design cool symbols, hell I made 36 in one day! so good luck😊

[@greenvr943]

That day being today

[@ettinakitten5047]

You don't need to make a conlang if you don't want to.

[@JayFolipurba]

goddaminit I had to watch this video three times to realize it's not about "what/how to name the language you made", but something called "Naming Languages" I had never heard of.. damn you, English!

[@aykarain]

i remember when i made 0.001% of a fake language, thinking it was the first ever, then realising it was a thing already

[@PlazmaPup1]

Don't say "fake language", say "constructed language"

[@aykarain]

@PlazmaPup1 sorry i just said that cos that was what i called it when i first made it lol

[@PlazmaPup1]

@@aykarain Just remember to be kind to yourself!

[@kevingrundhofer5135]

Excellent timing for this video series. My brother and I are at the point where we need to begin developing our on conlanguages for our collaborative novel. I will be sure to check out the tools you linked!

[@KingTai64]

I'm gonna try and look into the naming of certain states to create a mythical Language for America. Like Tolkien did for England.

[@KohanKilletz]

I think the comedy potential of an American con Lang cannot be overlooked

[@aesop1451]

A mythical language for America should be based on Early Modern English, Early Modern Dutch, and Kanien'kéha (also known as Mohawk). It would be a fictional version of what we might hear in the Northeastern United States. Unfortunately you have to really go out of your way to find material on American Indian languages. Duolingo has Navajo, so you might want to fuse Navajo and Early Modern Spanish. It could be the language of a kingdom around Arizona and New Mexico. The Aztecs had a popular myth that they originally came from a land up north called Aztlan in modern-day Utah. The Aztec language was Nahuatl, which has 1.5 million speakers and means there's a lot of learning material to find.

[@nochsta]

I find you can often cheat a little, just by giving things names that appear similar, or have common elements. Elbrin is the capital city of Elboriah. Lake Targua is located in Targuithnah. The Serbel is the headstream that flows into the lake Serbelheim, around which is the elven kingdom of Serbeloth. The names obviously appear connected, but what they mean, or which was named after the other, I haven’t bothered to decide yet. You can just make it up later, when you need it.

[@woutert114]

Loved the animations in this episode, especially in the beginning when you listed examples of writers using conlangs.

[@nduduzoblose4355]

"No existing language does this" Ithkuil: Am I a joke to you?

[@Lyrya]

Great tips ! Gonna go for naming language, but I'm gonna be lazy for now and took grammar and structure from french x) (And for real I'm in shock with the Languages panel in Campfire, I can't explain how my brain froze and explode at the same time when I figured I could clik on "construct a new world"... This is so perfect... thx for that !)

[@AroundTheCampfire]

I wouldn't say stealing from French is "lazy." It's like beginning with a starter kit and then finding all the ways you can deviate from it. That's how I always built with Legos so I'm pretty sure it works here too. And awesome, I'm glad you're enjoying Languages in Campfire! I've actually been working on some big updates to it that I can't wait to see implemented later this year. I didn't talk about it in the video but the research I did for this series definitely pushed us to take another look at that tool haha. Probably won't be out until late 2022 but I'm excited. :P -Adam

[@Lyrya]

@@AroundTheCampfire I said lazy because in a way I just write something in french and translate into my conlang and I view this as a google translate in some sort, I don' try to explore another type of construction but maybe I'm just overthinking this and it sounds good anyway x) I didn't check the language panel until you upload this video and it inspired me to go take a look, sometimes you find inspiration and news ways in Legos or in research :p

[@what._._._]

Wow. This is super useful. How did you know i needed this? Thank you!

[@anak_kucing101]

I'd like to create a "bridge language" that connects Japanese language to European languages so learners find easier to learn either European languages or Japanese.

[@unholyamountofsugar4940]

honestly got bored this summer, decided I should make my own country and wow I’m getting invested

[@AroundTheCampfire]

Haha! Happens to the best of us. Keep at it 👏

[@KaiMelake-hj9wt]

I don’t got a book or a movie I’m doing this for shits and giggles 💀

[@significantlystrangeboi9929]

Don't y'all love how the abbreviation for international phonetic alphabet is IPA. Y'all should tell your dad about it. He'll know what you mean, with his dog fish head IPA.

[@Nathouuuutheone]

I mistook the video for one about giving names to languages. Took me a moment to realize what you meant by "naming".

[@Allan_Lugia]

So i have my own world. with multiple kingdoms and tripes... I want to make a believable world, but writing 20+ languages as an addition to my world... seems impossible atleast for myself. how should i go about it? 1? 2? or 3? maybe the 5 biggest? as advance conlangs? Or should i just base it on sounds? Also sounds travel and evolve, so where one kind of sound begins 5 may sprout.. How do i make sure these 5... bloomers, if they ever should get elevated to an advance conlang, that they actually follow a fitting evolution?

[@AroundTheCampfire]

Let's look at Europe. There's a bunch of countries there, each with their own histories. Because of that you have a lot of different languages-though many are all based on similar origins (Latin). Over in the Americas, things are a bit different. Despite the many cultures, there's really only a couple of major languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese-if memory serves. It's a vastly different picture due to colonialism. I think there are two answers to your question: (1) you could think about your kingdoms' history. If a few used to be or are vassal states of another more powerful kingdom, then it stands to reason they might have adopted the larger kingdom's language. If only for logistical reasons. If the states are all independant (or if they want to be independant) they'll more or less try to retain any native languages. (2) You could also just do whatever you want. Not every project needs a language-and if you do make one with 20+ that sounds like a chore to follow. I believe in ASOIAF Martin only really shows us Dothraki. He might mention other languages, or hint at them, but if I'm remembering correctly that's the only one he really showed us a lot of. And that persists in the show. If you start throwing around 20+ languages it might be an interesting thing for worldbuilding, but for a story it could make things very difficult to follow.

[@cellularautomaton.]

your best bet is to flesh out a couple language families (think of the romance, siouan, mon-khmer etc families on earth). you'd make a proto-language for each (latin for the romance languages, etc) then some broad notes on how each language differs from the other ones in its family. hope this helps!

[@ChristianDall-p2j]

0:07 “youre probably seen a few example s” or, more acurately, heard!

[@Supreme-dalek-of-all]

My first full sentence is "URATASMUS RUSTIB ARILUM" English: "THE WORLD SPINS ON"

[@willinnewhaven3285]

Upvote sighting of Captain Mal, although I was already upvoting.

[@OnionLord9000]

I'm calling mine Clasvispas, coming from Class Whispers, I'm gonna use this comment as a dictionary, so I'll begin with numbers. (Mostly derived from Thai and Lao, specifically my dialect continuum of it, i will change most of these to IPA later) 1=Nunvg 2=Sot 3=Gam 4=Giere 5=Sahh 6=Bok 7=Syetas 8=Eea 9=Mao 10=Swep 11=Vgswep 12=Sotswep 13=Gamswep 14=Gaswep 15=Sahswep Name for Language in Clasvispas= Sotoungekos Alphabet: Sotanian Script Object: Tikaeus

[@StarlasAiko]

Also, establishing a Swadesh List for the language might be a good step.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Misread this as Swedish list and was confused.

[@StarlasAiko]

@@Ggdivhjkjl 😄

[@OnionLord9000]

Just need this so we can talk without the teachers knowing what we're saying.

[@halli4310]

This video convinced me to learn Klingon

[@ClevisHeadtheFrenchie_editz]

The trick for me is even harder: I want to create a new member of the Germanic language family so I have to stick with only Germanic rules

[@shi_no_kurai_kage]

I have ELVES!

[@Mrwierdvr]

Me and my friend are making a language called spedish, it's a language for sped people💀