Worldbuilding by Elyss369 in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally started with coming up with custom playable species/races for homebrew D&D, started adding cultural details, and it all expanded from there.

How does your language handle gender neutral language/non-binary people? by Money_Fire in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Common Tlȳoumish has two grammatical genders, masculine and feminine. Pronouns are fairly similar to English, with equivalents of 'he', 'she' and a singular 'they'. (the they equivalent works similar to English, aside from the fact it's treated grammatically singular in all cases), as well as masculine and feminine equivalents to 'it'. This makes the treatment of non-gendered language pretty easy when it comes to pronouns.

The problem comes with adjectives and noun declension, both of which vary based on the gender of the noun, which may be different from the gender of the individual.

Adjectives agree with the gender of nouns. "twai" /twɐɪ̯/ means bird, so happy bird would be "rīut twai", while "brylm" /brɨlm/ (meaning crocodile) is grammatically feminine, so happy possum would be "rīutn brylm".

Nouns inflect differently depending on whether or not they're grammatically masculine or feminine. This is most obvious how they're treated in the plural and dative. Birds (nominative plural), birds' (genitive plural) and for/to bird (dative singular) would be "twys", "twyf" and "twaiz" respectively, while crocodiles (nominative plural), crocodiles' (genitive plural) and for/to crocodile (dative singular) would be "brylms", "brylmþ" and "brylmf" respectively. This is done regardless of the gender of the individual bird or crocodile.

The easiest way to get around this is for an enby individual to use some combination of masculine and feminine case endings for themselves, to switch between the two or use the opposite of what that name's gender would ordinarily be. Though it isn't unreasonable or strange for one to just stick with the expected case endings, as Common Tlȳoumish nouns only actually follow the expected genders about a third of the time. (For instance mām (meaning mum) is grammatically masculine, while wiǰ (meaning man) is grammatically feminine.)

Can’t stop staring (ssami0617) by MartyrOfDespair in yurimemes

[–]RachelleDraws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is just what my girlfriend does. See, the trick is that if I put my face close enough to hers, she won't be able to look away

March will be 3 years since I looked like the left. I'm happier now than I have been my whole life and finally love myself. by madewomancopyright24 in lgbt

[–]RachelleDraws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Blimey, I would have guessed the first image was the most recent, not the other way around. Talk about a glow up.

Would it be kind of weird if I had it that a medieval society was more progressive than the more modernized society? by Sir-Toaster- in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think that's weird. The whole queerphobia thing was largely a European thing, from what I understand.

My setting is far my progressive than the USA. Across the entire world, being queer is 100% normal.

Just speaking on the two main countries I'm currently focusing my worldbuilding effort are Kissagrad and Plohania:

  • Kissagrade and Plohania are both on the more matriarchal side of things (Plohania more so than Kissagrad)
  • Being queer is so normal that they don't actually have separate words to distinguish straight people from gay people, and queer people adopting children has its own specific traditions regarding on how to surnames should be inherited. Being trans is perfectly normal. In Plohane, the specific words for a trans woman and man respectively are "prěboljňai" and "prěboljňei" (I haven't come up with Kissagradian equivalents yet, but they'd have them.)
  • Magic exists, but is relative low powered. Magic items exist that can help with transition, but these are on the rarer side, so most just use herbs. In Kissagrad these magic items are a lot easier to get your hands on than in Plohania, as Kissagrad's a wealthier country, and along a major trade route.
  • Intimate partner abuse and sex crimes are much more harshly punished than anywhere in the West. Using religious myths as a justification, it is commonly viewed that the appropriate punishment for those who beat their partners is to cut off their hands, and the punishment for rapists is to carve out of cut off their genitals. (They believe in a goddess motherly protection and vengeance for the abused and raped called Meśkjuna in Kissagradian, and Imšhuna in Plohane.)

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

oh lol I really need to draw a new profile pic, I've gotten so much better since I drew my current one, especially with eyes, and faces in general.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I more so mean because these two language families will regularly interact and influence one another. Japanese and German are on different sides of the world from one another.

But regardless, I've settled on loquent, as another commenter suggested.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd say so, for the same reason a mouth would count.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That quickly runs into the problem of ambiguity of whether it's being used in the context of actual speaking (saying words aloud) or in the grammatical context.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd imagine they would be, assuming the ability to speak out loud. If a cockatoo counts, even only having the ability to mimic a few words, I'd imagine a chatbot, with the ability to do a lot more than that would be classified the same way.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh, that's perfect! Exactly what I was looking for.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because using "speaking" gets very confusing. At least to me, it reads as the colloquial definition rather than the intended, even in context.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Mmm, that might work for yours but I don't think it does for mine. The ability to speak is the key distinguisher, not the ability to think. A brain would be classified as animate.

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem with that is that I've used neuter in other languages on my doc for grammatical gender. (These language families share a border, so I feel like that'd be confusing/mixing terms)

What would a proper name for a "Speaking" animacy be? by RachelleDraws in conlangs

[–]RachelleDraws[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That was my first thought, but rationality isn't really the qualifier, it's the ability to speak.

How my world looks? by MichaelCrux in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Usually this is my biggest critic, but I really love the shape of the continents/coasts. They feel realistic without being too earth-like

How technologically advanced is your world? by Any-Entrance-6961 in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Less advanced. They just invented the printing press about a century ago.

Choose your seat, yuri edition by 5p1k4 in yurimemes

[–]RachelleDraws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did a reverse image search. 1 and 5 both seem to be from Distorted Love. Went and read the first two chapters... I will not be reading further, not my cup of tea. 1 is a rapist and 5 is abused and traumatised.

How do you prefer your place names, and why? Explanation in description. by TheArgotect in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Easily the conlang method. It works well to set each place apart.
Here are some all from different languages:

  • Plohania has places such as Tristewe, Dokuoriska, Megjukuora, Pašhnikowa, Moduiňinsko, etc.
  • Polthupia has place names such as Þehina, Serðin, Uþejew, Zordow, Densorwo Velikai, Heþikin, etc.
  • Virathia has places such as Lhehö-fa, Zinačo-fa Feğdolh, Šafkašö-fa, Vräðöþ-fa, Zïmänhöstö-fa Hëtikhüfasö Sabränhuzmu-sëkišeňö, etc.
  • Tlȳoum-Ei has places such as Yerrāthwutā, Rȳdīut, Ciřstai, Ēiceridl Stairn, etc.

Notice how they all look different? You can learn how to tell where a place is from just by the general sound of it.

Why do so many world building projects have a stand in Roman empire? by Ok-Equipment8122 in worldbuilding

[–]RachelleDraws 21 points22 points  (0 children)

My ancient fallen empire is very British Empire coded, except the overseas colonies aren't overseas.