The CBB

1. Head-Initial languages. I get that adjectives comes after the noun. Sort off like they do in English pronouns (I want SOMEONE NICE). BUT, what about compound nouns? Because I assumed they worked they same as in English, that is, a SCHOOL BOY is a kind of boy, and not a kind of school. But the mo...

Hi guys. I just want to start by saying that it has been like, seven or eight years since I used this forum so I have very little knowledge of how to use it correctly, but so here I go. But I've been slowly returning to conlanging, and trying to not just create one that looks like my familiar German...

Hi, I am working on a N-adj language but since I don't have any experience with those languages first hand I have come upon a problem. When you want to create a compund noun (let's say wine bottle ) should the modifier still be after the head? I also wanted to name an area in the langauge to Redwood...

I know jäger is a german word but since it is aimed at swedes ans the swedish word is really similer I just didn't mention it. Panzerman is also suppose to be german-ish, "panzer" meaning "tank" (if my school german isn't failing me) and thus Panzerman would be like Tank-man or s...

Not really the right forum, but many of you are very creative wich is something I need right now. I am having problem with coming up with a name for a character. It doesn't have any criteria based on culture but it needs to be: 1) recognizable 2) not to long (I Think four syllables is enought) 3) Ba...

A Little bit of the norm, but do any one know what language this is, becuse I don't but I would like to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhs55HEl-Gc

Hmm, how about......

Endvar?
Ralvar?
Ojivar?
Ecavar?

I had this idea that I really liked, even though it might be unrealistic. I am half-working on a conworld and in it there are a big desert on one of the continent, somewhat smaller than Sahara. Near the middle of the desert I have imaginated there being a small mountain and hills. I thought about wh...

Would be awesome if a people on that conworld developt functioning rocket science and Went out to "space".
Also, were would they get their Sunlight from? Or sun?

How come that sometimes English form relative clauses by using "who" and sometimes "that"? As in: "I saw John who loves dogs" and "I once saw a man that ate 12 apples in a row" Why are there these two ways of doing it? Do they differ? Are there situations wher...

@Stammalor You wouldn't mind clarifying which part of your post was addressed to me? It looks like the bit about why 'shall' is there is, but I think it was Chagen who asked about that. It was a long post and I posted it, checked how it looked, changed a bit and so on. I missed that I put your name...

There's no such thing as "wrong order", as each language has its own way of doing things. Anyway, it doesn't seem strange--however, the "I that" is odd in my autodidact eyes; I'd exepct a lang like yours to say "I shall/want that I eat food". Any reason why "shall...

This thing is one of those things that Aaways intrigues me about languages: SOV and subordinate clauses. So I am working on this language that I decided would be SOV becuse I haven't done one like that Before. And then I come to clauses and modal verbs and all confident just disappears from me. This...

Is it natural to language to have features that only appear on a few phones instead of entire series? For example, is it natural for a langauge to have maybe 7 vowels but only 2 have tone? I mean, several languaes have voiceless and voiced version of all their consonants exept a few, and that is som...

Skógvur I believe I read about i det blåa skåpet somewhere around here before. If i remember correct then the expression came around 19-20th Century shift when people who lived on the country had had their "pottor" in a cabinate in the house, but then porslin began to become common you go...

I intenteded to creeate this thread for people to show of wierd, funny and interesting words and phrases from languages they know. I hope that this will serve to be a inspiration source for when you are conlanging and just to be amusing. There are words and phrases and situations who for a foreigner...

Anyone know how natlangs show cases on titles of things that aren't nouns? For example, take the movie Limitless (which I by the way I really like) and lets say that someone with a L1 with accusative case wants to say: I saw Limitless yesterday, it was really good , how would that person deal with t...

Found an example of the "many a X":

Many a American venturing to speak a foreign language is upset when people respond in English
So....., what, if any, would the difference be between "many Americans" and "many a American" in the example above?

Dug up a few swedish puns It was a warm and sunny day when two swetty thieves where out walking. Eventually one ask his friend: Shall we call the police and ask them to "shadow" us? The verb "shadow" means to follow or to stalk some one in secret, without them knowing, something ...

Xing: I can't say that I ever heard that expression, or at least almost never.
So......
I have meet many a person during my trip is the same as I have meet many persons during my trip ?? Seemes strange, but thanks for the help