Steve E Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 So guess what? You can now use frenemies, staycation, vlogs, and webisodes in your fiction and not feel like a fool. They're words now. Honest. Click here. If you've come across any recently coined words this is the thread for them. -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 I'm totally going to spend my staycation turning into a locavore, watching webisodes, updating my vlog, ignoring my frenemies, and wondering when Spell Check will recognize these new words. Not a Sock Puppet - Jullesey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Probably not until the next update of the System Dictionary, which could be a while, Julorama. Until then there's always the "Learn" button on the Storyist Spelling window. Later, my verbally fashionable one, -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 I have a feeling you'll be good for my nickname collection. The Many Named -Jooli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codemer Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 So guess what? You can now use frenemies, staycation, vlogs, and webisodes in your fiction and not feel like a fool. They're words now. Honest. Click here. If you've come across any recently coined words this is the thread for them. -Thoth. Funny, I've never felafool using any old made up word in my writing. IF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Funny, I've never felafool using any old made up word in my writing. I do. I try to keep my prose "legitimate" by sticking with words that exist, when possible. Sci-Fi is often an exception to the rule. For example, what if you're on another planet? All the animal species would have different names. Of course Star Trek solved this problem by using phrases like "Venusian Wombat" as opposed to "Terran Wombat". And then there are concepts with no single-word equivalent in english. Remember "grok" from Stranger In A Strange Land? Trying to grok Storyist. -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I'm currently faced with the dilemma of trying to name some new species/races in my book and possibly creating languages... so making up words will be necessary. Trying to make them easily readable and convincing is another matter.. and as far as languages .. I want to actually make a legit language, which means I really need a class or a good book or something on how to do this. Any suggestions? But yes, made up words in a non-fantasy/sci-fi setting can probably cause problems, unless your main character makes up their own words alot. Then it could get interesting Rotag'retal - Seluj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I want to actually make a legit language, which means I really need a class or a good book or something on how to do this. Any suggestions? Rotag'retal - Seluj The best example ever of a made-up language is Esperanto. The second best example (IMHO) is Klingon. There's even a Klingon Dictionary, complete with a grammar section. Kah'plah -Thoth (a fine old Klingon name). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astillac Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I'm currently faced with the dilemma of trying to name some new species/races in my book and possibly creating languages... You and me both. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codemer Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I'm currently faced with the dilemma of trying to name some new species/races in my book and possibly creating languages... so making up words will be necessary. Trying to make them easily readable and convincing is another matter.. and as far as languages .. I want to actually make a legit language, which means I really need a class or a good book or something on how to do this. Any suggestions? A new species will probably first be named by its discoverer, even if it already has a name. Just look at the English names for all the countries and cities in the world as an example. Moscow instead of Muskovy. Stuff like that. It buys you time to think about what the species calls itself. As far as creating a whole new language, is this for a screen play? I've never thought it added much to a story to have a bunch of text that I couldn't understand, but maybe that's just me. Alien words are one thing, but a whole language? It might just be overkill. IF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 You're right about having a lot of text that you can't understand being a pain, but I don't plan on doing that except in where you aren't meant to understand much, and even that wouldn't be much. It's just randomly making up words, sentences, and names as you need them doesn't give you a cohesive sounding language or world. Tolkein's elvish doesn't cover vast amounts of text in the book, but it's a cohesive language that you can translate things into. I still debate about it though. As for species being named after the discoverer, yes, but in my particular setting it's a fantasy world and mostly sentient beings, so no one else is naming them as discoveries. Thanks for the suggestions though. Calli, are you in the same situation? Making up Mermish? Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë - Jullese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astillac Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Calli, are you in the same situation? Making up Mermish? Yep. I want to know at least the basic linguistic structure, so it doesn't blend with my other races. EDIT: Jules, this might help. I only took a glance at it, but I think I'll be using it when I get some time to sit down and think about it more. http://www.zompist.com/kit.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Here's something you might find interesting. (Learn from the master.) -Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Calli: Yup I've got that one bookmarked, though I'm not a fan of the way his language looks lol! You might like: http://www.fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue%...nguageDamon.htm http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/nyh/how__all.html I've got those bookmarked to look through too. lol! Thoth... I need to learn how to learn all the technical stuff in there like what /n/ means and what such and such a sound is... >_<!!!! Linguistically inept - Mesa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astillac Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I'm actually thinking about getting my BA in Linguistics. It's an option that interests me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I would love to take a couple of classes on creating language... but I'm not sure there's such a class as I want out there! Someone needs to write a book about creating languages for fiction writing! Anyone know of one? - Jules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thoth... I need to learn how to learn all the technical stuff in there like what /n/ means and what such and such a sound is... Search the Web, Grasshopper, for it is deep and vast. -Obi Wan Thoth. Also click here. Browse before you buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astillac Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Mmm, cognitive science. I'm going to curl up around that phrase and sleep now. Goodnight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Mmm, cognitive science. I'm going to curl up around that phrase and sleep now. Goodnight! Night-night cognitive Callista. - Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hase Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Some years ago I asked a pretty famous writer about that same topic and she said she would try to look into our own long forgotten languages - for humans - probably by adding a little mixing and stirring. For truly alien species I would do it backwards: what are the intersecting points between two species, what concepts are translated there. Using this as a reference mark, go ahead and get the differences between both species written down into a concept of language or other means of transporting information - like smell, gestures and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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