I started the Lhaesine Dictionary Project exactly three years ago today. This is the 690th post to the blog. Given my multitude of revisions as I figure the rules and the look of this fantasy language, that works out to be about 450 made-up words in Lhaesine, and that's a considerable number of words.
Although this conlang language project is important to me, starting today I'm going to scale back my frequency of updates to this blog. I've considered cutting back for some time. There are other things in my life I need to get doing. I'll still be adding words here in Lhaesine, just not as often. All of you who have stopped by over the past three years, from throughout the world, thank you for visiting my eccentric project. There will be more words to come.
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Showing posts with label comments. Show all posts
01 September 2008
05 May 2008
Lhaesine spelling and pronunciation
Given the spelling of a Lhaesine word, you should be able to pronounce it. Unlike English, Lhaesine has rules that it should follow consistently.
Last month I posted an English sentence spelled using my Lhaesine pronunciation rules - last month's posting. This was an interesting exercise for me as a conlanger; it made me think some things through. So I'm continuing on with same the text. This is the second sentence of chapter one of the book She by H. Rider Haggard.
English:
So it is with the scene that I am about to describe; it rises so clearly before my mind at this moment as though it happened yesterday.
English using Lhaesine spelling rules:
Soa it iz with thu sene that Iy am ubaot tou duscribe; it riizez soa cleirley bifor miy miind at this moamunt as thoa it happunud yesturday.
Last month I posted an English sentence spelled using my Lhaesine pronunciation rules - last month's posting. This was an interesting exercise for me as a conlanger; it made me think some things through. So I'm continuing on with same the text. This is the second sentence of chapter one of the book She by H. Rider Haggard.
English:
So it is with the scene that I am about to describe; it rises so clearly before my mind at this moment as though it happened yesterday.
English using Lhaesine spelling rules:
Soa it iz with thu sene that Iy am ubaot tou duscribe; it riizez soa cleirley bifor miy miind at this moamunt as thoa it happunud yesturday.
01 April 2008
Lhaesine spelling and pronunciation
Given the spelling of a Lhaesine word, you should be able to pronounce it. Unlike English, Lhaesine has rules that it should follow consistently.
Below is a sentence in English and how I (an American) might spell that same sentence using my Lhaesine spelling rules.
English:
There are some events of which each circumstance and surrounding detail seem to be graven on the memory in such fashion that we cannot forget them.
English using Lhaesine spelling rules:
Ther aer som eiventz of wich eche surhcumstans and surhraonding deitale seme tou bey graivun on thu memorey in such fashun that wey cannot forhget them.
This sentence starts chapter one of the book She by H. Rider Haggard which was first published in 1887.
Below is a sentence in English and how I (an American) might spell that same sentence using my Lhaesine spelling rules.
English:
There are some events of which each circumstance and surrounding detail seem to be graven on the memory in such fashion that we cannot forget them.
English using Lhaesine spelling rules:
Ther aer som eiventz of wich eche surhcumstans and surhraonding deitale seme tou bey graivun on thu memorey in such fashun that wey cannot forhget them.
This sentence starts chapter one of the book She by H. Rider Haggard which was first published in 1887.
01 September 2007
Lhaesine dictionary project marks two years
Back in September 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit faraway New Orleans, I decided to do something creative but admittedly frivolous -- to create words.
For years, I had been fooling with guidelines for spelling words phonetically, so that if you could spell a word you could pronounce it, and visa versa. This was never intended to be a way to standardize English spelling; this was always a framework for a fantasy language.
So two years ago I started to build words in this fantasy language, I began practicing J.R.R. Tolkien's not-so-secret vice. I thought that I knew enough to define a language, but I merely had a starting point. I hadn't truly considered the various consonant combinations, let alone the complexities of grammar.
With Lhaesine, I'm attempting to rename the world with words that resonate with me. The look of the word is every bit as important as the pronunciation. To say that I'm seeking the true names of things sounds really weird, but that's sort of what I'm trying to do. If a word doesn't feel right, I revise it or redo it, which may help to explain my numerous changes.
This month will be adding some new words to Lhaesine once again, as well as doing more revisions. I'm still crafting Lhaesine.
For years, I had been fooling with guidelines for spelling words phonetically, so that if you could spell a word you could pronounce it, and visa versa. This was never intended to be a way to standardize English spelling; this was always a framework for a fantasy language.
So two years ago I started to build words in this fantasy language, I began practicing J.R.R. Tolkien's not-so-secret vice. I thought that I knew enough to define a language, but I merely had a starting point. I hadn't truly considered the various consonant combinations, let alone the complexities of grammar.
With Lhaesine, I'm attempting to rename the world with words that resonate with me. The look of the word is every bit as important as the pronunciation. To say that I'm seeking the true names of things sounds really weird, but that's sort of what I'm trying to do. If a word doesn't feel right, I revise it or redo it, which may help to explain my numerous changes.
This month will be adding some new words to Lhaesine once again, as well as doing more revisions. I'm still crafting Lhaesine.
15 July 2007
Lhaesine dictionary project progress
Currently there are approximately 425 words in Lhaesine. All of them are made-up words. And, yes, there is indeed a dictionary.
Lhaesine-English
English-Lhaesine
My Lhaesine dictionary is a work in progress. It contains some words I plan to revise. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some wrong pronunciations and some words that don't fit in the language, but I hope that I've fixed all my errors in alphabetization.
Over the next month or so, I'll be revisiting and revising various Lhaesine words. The changes will be mostly minor, small tweaks. I'll be removing use of the letter "Q", changing some vowels and diphthongs, and some other things. Probably won't be that many brand new words posted to this blog for a while, but hopefully I'll get this conlang closer to what I think I want.
Lhaesine-English
English-Lhaesine
My Lhaesine dictionary is a work in progress. It contains some words I plan to revise. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some wrong pronunciations and some words that don't fit in the language, but I hope that I've fixed all my errors in alphabetization.
Over the next month or so, I'll be revisiting and revising various Lhaesine words. The changes will be mostly minor, small tweaks. I'll be removing use of the letter "Q", changing some vowels and diphthongs, and some other things. Probably won't be that many brand new words posted to this blog for a while, but hopefully I'll get this conlang closer to what I think I want.
01 April 2007
Lhaesine marks one year and seven months
The Lhaesine Dictionary Project began in September 2005, soon after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I'm not sure of the exact number of words I've created so far, since I frequently go back and change words, but I'd estimate there currently slightly over 400 words in Lhaesine.
I had been posting words to Lhaesine blog every other day, which was becoming a difficult to maintain pace. I've decided to cut down on the frequency of postings to half that, every four days. This comes out to be about 7 posted words month. Hopefully this will free up some time so I get various other things done. Perhaps I might even finalize some decisions on the handling of Lhaesine verbs!
As a sidenote: I also work another conlang which is called Miresua. It's a smaller project, with different rules, which is not in any way related to Lhaesine. Miresua has always been on less frequent schedule. Miresua is a Basque / Finnish conlang. To English speakers, Miresua probably looks more foreign than Lhaesine.
I had been posting words to Lhaesine blog every other day, which was becoming a difficult to maintain pace. I've decided to cut down on the frequency of postings to half that, every four days. This comes out to be about 7 posted words month. Hopefully this will free up some time so I get various other things done. Perhaps I might even finalize some decisions on the handling of Lhaesine verbs!
As a sidenote: I also work another conlang which is called Miresua. It's a smaller project, with different rules, which is not in any way related to Lhaesine. Miresua has always been on less frequent schedule. Miresua is a Basque / Finnish conlang. To English speakers, Miresua probably looks more foreign than Lhaesine.
01 September 2006
Lhaesine marks one year
One year ago today, I started the Lhaesine Dictionary Project to make-up words in my own fantasy language. An eccentric undertaking, I’ll admit.
This blog has been updated daily, and for a stretch of time, even more frequently. This is my 453rd posting. There are considerably less than 452 words in Lhaesine, because I continue to modify and redo words as I refine the rules of my language.
There is a dictionary; Lhaesine-English and English-Lhaesine. But is Lhaesine a useable constructed language or conlang? No, not yet. Language building is not a simple task. Lhaesine is currently severely lacking in verbs, and it’s impossible to make sentences without verbs. I have long-standing ideas of how to handle verbs, though. Doing this project for the past year, I’ve learned a multitude of odd things, including more about grammar than I ever expected.
The Lhaesine Dictionary Project is ongoing. Yet starting today I’m going to step back a little, and post to this blog less often, perhaps every other day. I need to allow myself more time for various other things. New Lhaesine words are still forthcoming!
This blog has been updated daily, and for a stretch of time, even more frequently. This is my 453rd posting. There are considerably less than 452 words in Lhaesine, because I continue to modify and redo words as I refine the rules of my language.
There is a dictionary; Lhaesine-English and English-Lhaesine. But is Lhaesine a useable constructed language or conlang? No, not yet. Language building is not a simple task. Lhaesine is currently severely lacking in verbs, and it’s impossible to make sentences without verbs. I have long-standing ideas of how to handle verbs, though. Doing this project for the past year, I’ve learned a multitude of odd things, including more about grammar than I ever expected.
The Lhaesine Dictionary Project is ongoing. Yet starting today I’m going to step back a little, and post to this blog less often, perhaps every other day. I need to allow myself more time for various other things. New Lhaesine words are still forthcoming!
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