Qith and other Achaean conlangs

Boosteya

I've seen a good few conlangs (constructed languages, also called invented languages) floating around Achaea. I'm not sure Qith was the first, but it was the first I became aware of back in the day as I played a series of many (mostly Mhaldorian) alts who at this point even I have forgotten.

I'm not sure why these aren't discussed in general in forums, especially since conlangs have been used as an RP device as long as they have. Lord of the Rings had at least three. I mean the books, not the movies.

One may claim that I've put this post in the wrong section, that conlangs are works of art and should therefore be discussed in the Dais of Creation section. One might be correct. After all, 'found poetry' is a thing. I chose to put this here because I see Achaean conlangs as a tool to enhance immersion.

One may also consider Achaean conlangs annoying and/or 'obsolete' since Achaea has language mechanics. If we all agreed with this, then there wouldn't still be people working to develop existing ones further, and no new ones would have sprung up. Not that I've ever met more than a few enthusiasts of any one specific Achaean language. We don't have that many people.

I suspect (but of course can't confirm in any meaningful way) that Achaea has a higher percentage of conlang enthusiasts compared to people in general. That number gets higher if you begin to consider that technically, all computer languages are conlangs - but of course, none of those are specific to Achaea. Yet? As far as I know.

So...

Do you like Achaean conlangs? In general or in specific. Have you ever tried to create or improve one? Have you ever tried to learn one?

Most of the conlangs meant for entertainment (think Dothraki or Klingon) have one specific person (at a time) who is the only person authorised to add vocabulary to a conlang. The lack of a designated person for the various Achaean conlangs can and probably has resulted in quibbles regarding whose word for 'soup' (as an example) is correct in this or that conlang whose original creator is unavailable for clarification.

Since people are likely to keep creating/improving/using conlangs, often for ritual purposes, do you think that Achaea should consider something like sanctioning a few people as 'official' linguists for the various Achaean conlangs?

Should there be a list of Achaean conlangs in forums? I'm pretty sure that I'm a bit familiar with at least one whose primary in-game speakers would disapprove of such open acknowledgement, even out-of-game, of its existence. This is why Qith is the only one I've named, and the only one I will name in this post. I'm pretty sure @Tekla doesn't mind, but I've been wrong before. If admins edit all instances of the name of Tekla's language in this post to some random English word, you'll know why. (I'd like to suggest 'chocolate,' or maybe 'sidewinder.' Both of these words remind me of ways Tekla has improved Achaea in some way.)

Finally, have you got any questions about Achaean conlangs or ideas for one of your own that you're willing to share?

Aralaya

I like the conlangs, specifically Tsol'aa (Which is apparently the same as Tsol'teth which makes no sense to me because after thousands of years of separation there should have been some form of linguistic drift but)
I'd like to see new conlangs, like Atavian (I can totally make the Atavian conlang, call me) and Xorani, I think it would add some flavour.

Cailin

I like the Tsol conlangs, and conlangs in general. I would enjoy learning them like from a language book, but I don't care to try to figure stuff out. I would be a fan of "official linguists" expanding the languages. I also would love a list on the wiki but I don't know if that would be acceptable.

Shirszae

Constructed languages are always interesting. I think the main issue with that kind of thing in Achaea would be what is or not considered canon. Part of why I hate the current language-learning system is because it i such a boring take on what could be a more interesting and rp-able endeavor.

Aodfionn

I've still got an anachaine dictionary laying around but I'll be damned if I'm sharing that again. Not sure if that'd count anyway.

Boosteya

Mhaldor has enough conlangs, but ever since I heard of a real-world conlang (think Esperanto) called solresol, I've been thinking a language consisting of only seven actual words would be appropriate to Mhaldor. I'd start differently than it did; I'd begin with each word having one or more similar meanings: yes/one, no/zero, go/move/begin, change, stop/end/die, and two more I haven't thought of yet.

I wish most conlangs didn't insist on hypens or apostrophes to mark off syllables. Not all Achaean conlangs do it, of course. Still, the purpose is important. All seven words in this conlang would follow a pattern of either vc or cv. All seven would adhere to one pattern or the other. Because it would be for Mhaldor, I'd say that the syllables should be finalised ICly by @Sartan.

The functionality of this language would be in compound words. Some, you can spot easily: no-stop (stop also means kill) to mean mercy (I think all the words for values against Mhaldorian ideals should begin with 'no.'), or maybe no-change to mean infinite/always/stasis.

I'm pretty sure this idea will never be used. I can't work on it ICly; I'm playing Ashtani! I bet nobody in Mhaldor wants it. @Daitya's already got her hands full.

If I ever play in Mhaldor again, maybe? Or maybe we'll all have forgotten about it, because there are so many other interesting conlangs already established. Especially Qith.

Halos

I love conlangs, and like discovering what they say about the race/organization that speaks them. They add a lot of depth and show a lot of care in crafting lore and worldbuilding.

Also if we didnt have them characters 100% would use gobs more Latin "obscure ancient language" in their rituals, which can be trite.

Sometimes you can tell when conlangs are heavily based off of real languages, but thats okay because inventing them must be a mammoth job.

Drauko

I speak yellow.

Jiraishin

Halos said:

I love conlangs, and like discovering what they say about the race/organization that speaks them. They add a lot of depth and show a lot of care in crafting lore and worldbuilding.

Also if we didnt have them characters 100% would use gobs more Latin "obscure ancient language" in their rituals, which can be trite.

Sometimes you can tell when conlangs are heavily based off of real languages, but thats okay because inventing them must be a mammoth job.

The Adikoi were the reason I ended up taking 4 semesters of Classical Creek in uni, don't hate.

Klendathu

Drauko said:

I speak yellow.

Thick yellow? #crossthreadpollution

Antonius

Klendathu said:

Drauko said:

I speak yellow.

Thick yellow? #crossthreadpollution

He speaks yellow in a thick Shallam-touched accent.

[Deleted User]

Antonius said:

Klendathu said:

Drauko said:

I speak yellow.

Thick yellow? #crossthreadpollution

He speaks yellow in a thick Shallam-touched accent.

Pretty sure there's a racist joke in there somewhere. I'm not gonna say it but there's definitely one there.

Rackham

I'd like to do more testing, but something I found interesting was tells made in a city language to a non-speaker. Sometimes it's garbage (the racial languages don't really pan out) but what I've got so far points to some real forethought.

Example

I took "thank you" and tried to receive it in several dialects.

In Ashtani it comes back as "Remember known", and in Cyrenian it comes back as "clothes something". 

Would be interesting to see what it would mean for the culture of each language. i can deduce from this, for instance, that Ashtani thank with rememberance, and Cyrenians thank with.....outfits.

Camroth

Antonius said:

Klendathu said:

Drauko said:

I speak yellow.

Thick yellow? #crossthreadpollution

He speaks yellow in a thick Shallam-touched accent.

I speak black and yellow in a thick Shallam-touched voice.

You know what it is.

Rackham

FROM UNDER WATER LIKE

Black and yellow black and yellow.....

Shirszae

I really wish there were more public-available conlangs, so to speak. A few places have some, but they are for the most part private to the org that created them.

It'd be neat and incredibly awesome if people actually tried to build the racial ones (beyond the Tsol ones), but very few races have enough background on them to support that kind of thing..

Boosteya

Ekirin (see Hashan or Cyrene city libraries for vocab scroll, or ask @Ginovianna where another copy might be) is meant to be a dialect of Sireni.

Ramilies

It would be nice to create language books in game...

Kresslack

Would something akin to a thieve's can be considered a colang? I've always like using it in DnD to communicate in a discrete manner (especially when the DM has no idea what it is).

Boosteya

Kresslack said:

Would something akin to a thieves' cant be considered a conlang? I've always liked using it in DnD to communicate in a discrete manner (especially when the DM has no idea what it is).

This is a good question. A language is not the same thing as colloquialisms, slang, etc..However, these things are constructed, just as a conlang is. I'd say it's not the same, but I'd also say it's got value, probably equal value to a conlang, in its own right. (Disagreements welcome on any point; I might be wrong!)

I am also reminded of the game 'password,' in which one must point someone to a specific word without saying one of a group of related words - and watching people use slang to win. In a far later example of the same game, I was given the phrase 'world peace' to communicate password-style to an IRL friend. Having attended a Nichiren Buddhist event with said friend, I used their term for world peace. The game leader didn't expect this tactic. It worked.