Improving The Languages

Heya! Looks like you're itching to help us on the language front! This page will tell you how to get involved, advice for participating, and any other pertinent info. Remember to read this entire page before participating.

General Advice

  1. Be civil and kind. No sense exploding just because we're not going with your preference. The point of collaborating instead of going solo is to create something the DF-playing community as a group can get behind.
  2. Try to listen to and potentially acknowledge everyone. People who feel ignored tend to run afoul of number 1 above.
  3. If and when the discussion extends to other languages, try to be different from what's been established in the other conlangs. Or perhaps have some commonalities. The point is to take all the languages we're focusing on in consideration. Fortunately, we're only working on Dwarven for now, so this rule shouldn't be too big a concern.

Skillsets

Here's some more tuned advice, depending on what you know. Be sure to read all the sections that apply to you!

Formal Education / Extensive Knowledge in Linguistics

Congratulations on deciding to help some of use less-knowledgable folks in getting our linguistic acts straight. Please remember these points as you help out:

  • Not everyone has all the knowledge you do. Avoid derogatory or patronizing language when discussing various topics.
  • If we've got it all wrong about the linguistic topic at hand, it'd help and educate everyone if you would (nicely!) correct us.
  • Claiming extensive knowledge or your accreditations specifically to sway people your way will likely be perceived as arrogance. Not that you can't tell us how accomplished you are, but try to do it separately from any discussions you currently hold a known opinion in.

Formal Education / Extensive Knowledge in Relatable Fields (Sociology, etc.)

If you've got a lot of knowledge concerning how languages changed, their motivations, etc., it might just help us make smarter choices about the language!

  • Especially with non-human civilizations, potential motivators for language change could well differ from humans. Don't be surprised or offended if your historical justification is not immediately accepted.
  • That said, at least some of us would appreciate some precedent in the history of language evolution for our choices.
  • Also don't be surprised if some potential motivators would rely on having more than one developed conlang (which is currently not the case), and thus are not immediately heeded. This would be things like "since goblins are hated by the other races, their grammar is wildly different from the other races, who have morphed their languages closer to each other thanks to frequent trade markets".

Dabbling Linguist / Conlanger

If you've got anywhere from a passing interest in linguistics to formally studying it right now, it's entirely possible we can learn as much from you as you can from us!

  • You are hopefully already aware you don't know everything about linguistics. So if someone suggest to you that a better grasp on some linguistic topic would improve your current ideas, chances are it would help.
  • Take this as an opportunity to gain insight on various aspects of linguistics.
  • Interested in conlanging, but haven't yet started? Use this as an opportunity to clear the hurdle of creating a language for the first time. It's most likely easier when you don't have to handle everything about the language.
  • Unfamiliar with the current topic of discussion? Ask someone, and they'll likely explain it to you. They might even go so far as to create a page for the topic on this wiki, if it does not yet exist.

Not Linguist, but Multilingual

Even if you're not very interested in linguistics, but you'd still like to offer some input on the language, your input would be appreciated.

  • Don't worry about being looked down upon for not having a grasp of linguistics. There's no excuse for anyone to treat you that way if they do.
  • You would do well to get a quick primer on what the current topic of discussion is (word order, head marking, etc.). There should be a page on the wiki to help you with some basic info. If there isn't, ask someone on the forum to kindly create a page here.
  • Use your multilingual skills! What are the differences between the languages you know? Which way do you like better? Or do you wish that the language in discussion goes differently on a certain topic from any of the languages you know? Let us know!
  • If you're technically but not proficiently multilingual (e.g. my native language is English and I also know French and Spanish, but only a little bit of each), check out the below section on monolingual people as well.

Neither Linguist nor Multilingual, but Still Interested

Only know one language, but you'd still like to affect the language in discussion in some way? Here's some ways you can still help:

  • QUICK! What do you absolutely hate about your native language? Maybe tell us you don't want that in the language we're discussing, or perhaps you'd like to torture users of the conlang with the pain you go through?
  • This might be a bit harder, but what do you absolutely love about your native language? Tell us if you want it in, or if you'd like to see how the language works without it?

How to Help

First, you will need to go over to the forums (this link), and sign up if you haven't already. That's where the discussions happen (not on this wiki). Once that's done, go to the discussion thread that applies to the language you are interested in.

Dwarven

The Discussion Thread: Dwarven Linguistics: Community Project

A previous thread that contains some useful existing information, which we'll likely get some inspiration from, is The Edification of a Dwarven Language

Other Languages (Elvish, Human, Goblin)

It's most certainly a good idea if you would refrain from attempting to start discussions on other languages at this time. The "all DF languages eventually" aspect of this wiki is just set up as a way of ensuring this wiki some greater usefulness in the far future. Please do not tax the resources of those working on the Dwarven language at this point, since the project has barely started.

Do not hijack the Dwarven thread to inquire about other languages. Instead the best measure may be to use this page's "discuss" page. When the Dwarven language is advanced enough and we feel it was enough of a success, we may start work on a new language.

Moral: Only Dwarven, at least for now.

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