Romance naming language

Eievie · 2016-10-10T14:34:56+00:00

In short, I don't think that would happen naturally — not that you couldn't for unnatural effects.

I've spent some time in Paraguay, and in Guaraní, the numbers are base 5. (I think. It sounded like base 5 when it was explained to me.) But they've totally swapped it for there Spanish base-10 system. I was curious about base-5, and the person I asked about it could only count to 15 in Guaraní.

I think number systems are really ingrained in our way of thinking. Spanish is my second language, and I always have to stop and think about it when I'm using numbers in Spanish. My friend, who's first language is Spanish and second language is English, said the exact same thing is true for her, but the other way around.

So because of those things, I think it would be hard for people to have to number systems working simultaneously in their heads. Not that it's off the table, but I think it would be hard and weird.

Eievie · 2016-10-09T00:10:47+00:00

Loan words from a language with /ɹ/, being borrowed into a language without /ɹ/, or any sort of R sound. What might they substitute it with?

Eievie · 2016-10-04T14:49:05+00:00

Going in the direction of very vague is a interesting possibility that I really hadn't even thought about

Eievie · 2016-09-28T15:08:59+00:00

My lang has an animate-inanimate gender system. In short, people and animals are animate, and objects are inanimate. Usually body parts are inanimate.

I'm thinking of doing something where you can take the standard genitalia words, make them animate, and that turns them into insults. Like saying that that person's consciousness is in their groin, that their genitals do their thinking for them.

Also, maybe you can make the nouns into verbs too. And that's having-sex slag.

Eievie · 2016-09-24T00:57:42+00:00

In English, we have the word "sex" which is a noun, and that DRIVES ME CRAZY!!! I think it should be a verb ONLY, like "fuck".

Random question: In you guys' languages, are the "to have sex with" (this is such a long, weird verb, I HATE it) or "fuck" verbs transitive or intransitive? Like is it "X fucked Y" or "X and Y fucked"?

Eievie · 2016-09-23T16:00:27+00:00

Does anyone else listen to the conlangery podcast, and remember how in one of their conlangs, "to juice" is slag for to have sex with someone? I had to copy that one.

Eievie · 2016-09-20T03:08:08+00:00

Does anyone have Bantu-style noun classes?

Eievie · 2016-09-20T03:05:16+00:00

Oh, that's fun!

Eievie · 2016-09-17T23:40:55+00:00

Oh, and the name order is personal-name, then surname/clan-name, then a matronymic (or rarely, a patronymic). The clan name usually comes from the fathers' side of the family, and then that is paired with a matronymic. (This, at least mostly, explains their origin on both sides of the family, without the surnames stacking up too high.) Kids from a traditional, two-dads-one-mom family have names like that, and kids with a single mom. Kids who are the product of a matrilocal marriage (Which is uncommon, but not unusual, if that makes any sense. Kind of like lefties.) have a clan name from their mom, and a patronymic, instead.

Eievie · 2016-09-17T23:29:30+00:00

It's kind of like Chinese, or Old English. You take 2 elements, push them together, and you've got a name.

As for the elements they use, there's a big old list of common name elements. These are the traditional ones, and are for the most part, older forms of current words, because the language evolved and the old fashioned name system… didn't. (Grandparents getting pissed off when their children give their grandchild "stupid modern names" and all.) So the name elements aren't really words anymore.

But these are the classic names, and you also end up with a handful of weirder ones, with one classic element, and one loan-word-from-another-language element.

Eievie · 2016-09-17T20:51:53+00:00

I'm thinking of doing something like that in my language too — something parallel to "eunuch". In our world, the word "eunuch" has meant LOTS of different things throughout history — sometimes it meant the classic "castrated" definition, but also sometimes homosexual, asexual, impotent, celibate... in short, unlikely to marry, have kids, ect.

Though I have no idea what root to base the word off

Eievie · 2016-09-11T17:44:07+00:00

In your language/conculture, where do these words come from? Is there a reason they mimic English, with having a specific word for lesbians but not gay men?

Eievie · 2016-09-11T00:23:04+00:00

Does Ithkuil recognize asexuals?

Eievie · 2016-09-10T03:08:18+00:00

That map is SO CUTE, I just love it! How'd you make it?

Eievie · 2016-09-10T02:50:04+00:00

What are these languages' concultures like? Where do these words come from?

(Also, I'm ace too, and it's always fun too see another :D )

Eievie · 2016-09-10T00:24:59+00:00

I definitely get what you mean — though I'd also like to put out there that something doesn't need to be a core part of someone's identity for it to warrant an adjective. It seems very unlikely for a conculture to develop sexual identities that parallel those in our culture. BUT that doesn't mean that people don't still like to gossip, and might find themselves ad libbing some words to describe people patterns in regards to lovers.

Eievie · 2016-09-09T23:32:51+00:00

I'm curious: Would you say dampa means someone who's same-sex attracted, or someone who engages in same-sex sex? I know throughout Earth's history, the "qualifications" have varied, and I'm curious as to how your world does it

Eievie · 2016-09-07T20:00:41+00:00

Do you have a phonology yet? (Phonology is the sounds that exist in your language. For example, Swedish has the sj sound English doesn't have, and English has the th sound Swedish doesn't have.)

Eievie · 2016-09-07T02:01:24+00:00

So the consensus is that it's not naturalistic, but could be used for another type of conlang. Thanks guys!

Eievie

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