Conlang Jam

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This jam is now over. It ran from 2019-04-13 16:00:00 to 2019-05-12 16:00:00. View 1 entry

The Conlang Jam is a non-competitive jam where you construct a language from scratch. This includes working with all facets of language, evoking fictional languages like Dothraki, Klingon, Sindarin, Na’vi and many more.

The Rules

What should I make?

You should create an ‘artistic’ constructed language from scratch. This means you are discouraged from creating dialects or off-shoots of real-world languages.
- Sign languages and other non-spoken languages are a-okay!
- The writing of your conlang should be done within the timeframe of the jam, although you may begin planning and brainstorming beforehand.
- That also means you are encouraged to work on an entirely new conlang project.

What should I upload?

Your goal in this jam is to be able to write or read aloud a short (but by no means perfect!) example of your language that you can show other people.
- For a written example, strive for about 10-20 lines of text using your orthography.
- For a spoken example, strive for about a minute’s worth of speech.
- For a signed or non-verbal example, strive for about half a minute’s worth of video.
- In addition to the example, you are encouraged to include your language’s grammar and phonological inventory in your uploads (but only share what you’re comfortable with).

A note on language and culture

Although culture and language are virtually inseparable, your focus for this jam should be mostly on the language part (as strange as that might be). If you have time to flesh out a culture that would use your language, go ahead! But a culture is in no way required for this jam.

Have fun!

Most importantly, have fun, and do it your way!
- Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s important to take breaks, and it’s okay to quit.
The above ‘rules’ are simply guidelines if you want a motivator or some limitations. I’d be happy if you followed them somewhat, but in the end it’s your project. If you know a method that works well for you, do that! Although we do want to hear your example at the end! :)

Questions you might have.

I have never constructed a language before, how do I do that?

Constructing a language is a creative process that makes use of many different disciplines, just like designing, game-development, or programming. But nothing you make during this jam has to be perfect, or even good (my first conlangs were very crappy). I can’t lay out the whole process in a short answer, so to get you started, I have provided some links to different resources you can use for free (+ some books if you get hooked).

Do I have to know a lot about languages or linguistics to be able to create a conlang?

No! You don’t need any prior knowledge to create a conlang, or to partake in this jam. Do you want to create a language? If yes, you can create a conlang. If you’ve ever just been curious as to how Tolkien created his Elvish languages, or have watched Star Trek or Game of Thrones, and thought, “I want to do that too!” – this is the jam for you. There are lots of resources online to help you get started, some of which I will link in the resources section of the jam page. If you are in need of help or feel stuck, feel free to ask me (florencebjork) any questions you might have.

I have trouble recording or writing an example, can I still participate?

Yes! Although that is what I hope most of us will be doing. You are free to do whatever you want in this regard, if you for any reasons (disability or otherwise) have trouble submitting a voice clip or written example. Show us your lexicon! Tell us a joke or a proverb in your language. Share anything you feel comfortable sharing and no more.

What is an artistic conlang?

Artistic conlangs are most often created for fun, or to serve as natural languages for fictional worlds. As mentioned, think of Tolkien’s Elvish languages (like Quenya or Sindarin), Na’vi from Avatar, Klingon from Star Trek or Dothraki or High Valyrian from Game of Thrones. They are often inspired by real-world languages in terms of grammar, phonology and just about every other facet of language.

Is there an online community for this jam?

At the time of writing, we have a community forum for the jam. If this jam gathers enough interest, I may setup a Discord server for this jam as well. I will update the jam page and announce if that happens.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the Conlang Jam community forum!

Resources

Below I have gathered a list of resources and inspiration for constructing a language. Other than these resources, Wikipedia and Youtube are a gold mine for conlangers. But if you don’t know where to start, start here!

How to construct a language:

An introduction to conlanging and guide by Mark Rosenfelder: http://www.zompist.com/kit.html

Bowling Green State University’s guide to conlanging: http://www.fridaynightlinguistics.org/languagecreation/

Guide to conlanging by Pablo David Flores: http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/nyh/how__all.html

Youtuber, Artifexian’s conlanging playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLduA6tsl3gygfiWmGAhhHb4-HAqP6I63l

Language/linguistics resources

Glossary of linguistic terms: https://glossary.sil.org/

Omniglot: Online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages http://omniglot.com/

Glossing rules: https://www.eva.mpg.de/lingua/resources/glossing-rules.php

Conlangery: Conlang Podcast/Blog: http://conlangery.com/

Ethnologue: Language “catalogue”: https://www.ethnologue.com/

Youtuber, Tom Scott’s language playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLDEnHuhD7CTZES3KXFnwm0