Things that are too common

[Solarius]

This is This thread's counterpart. What features do you think that conlangs overuse, especially in comparison to natlangs.
My picks:
-Relative Pronouns
-Verbal copulas

[masako]

-Cases.

[arilando]

Synthetic languages.

[masako]

Synthetic languages.

You mean oligosynthetic, right?

[Visinoid]

Simple phonotactics: CVC and the likes. :|

[Ear of the Sphinx]

Phonic languages.

[masako]

Phonic languages.

You don't like sounds in languages?

[Xing]

"Degrees" of comparison.

[Solarius]

"Degrees" of comparison.

[CMunk]

Phonic languages.

You don't like sounds in languages?

He doesn't nescessarily dislike phonic languages, and probably relies on one or more every day.

It's just that 99% of conlangs are phonic, and that can be considered too many if you have the slightest affection for non-phonic languages.

[Systemzwang]

Phonic languages.

You don't like sounds in languages?

He doesn't nescessarily dislike phonic languages, and probably relies on one or more every day.

It's just that 99% of conlangs are phonic, and that can be considered too many if you have the slightest affection for non-phonic languages.

TBH, most conlangs are graphic rather than phonic, with the phonic part a "pious fiction" or whatever. But yeah, more gestural languages would be cool.

[Shrdlu]

Simple phonotactics: CVC and the likes. :|

Thing is, a lot of people can't stay away from over-doing it if they don''t restrict themselves.

[Chagen]

Given the existence of natlangs like Nuxalk, there isn't really a way to overdo syllable structure without looking farcical.

[Shrdlu]

I mean consonant clusters like fl or slr and stuff.

[eldin raigmore]

"Degrees" of comparison.

Hmm? Why is that too common?

[Solarius]

"Degrees" of comparison.

Hmm? Why is that too common?

People do it a lot, even though there are lots of other ways to do comparative constructions.

[eldin raigmore]

"Degrees" of comparison.

Hmm? Why is that too common?

People do it a lot, even though there are lots of other ways to do comparative constructions.

Every language needs to be able to express some idea equivalent to superlative, to comparative, to equative, and to positive. But it doesn't have to be morphology on the modifier (adjective or adverb).

Positive: "(noun) is (adjective)"
Equative: "(noun1) is as (adjective) as (noun2)"
Comparitive: "(noun1) is more (adjective) than (noun2)"
Superlative: "(specific noun) is more (adjective) than any other (generic noun)"

Doesn't WALS.info have a chapter on which languages have what means of creating comparatives?
http://wals.info/chapter/121
http://wals.info/feature/121A
But notice that inflection for degree-of-comparison isn't mentioned.

Do you have examples of what you're talking about?

[Solarius]

"Degrees" of comparison.

Hmm? Why is that too common?

People do it a lot, even though there are lots of other ways to do comparative constructions.

Every language needs to be able to express some idea equivalent to superlative, to comparative, to equative, and to positive. But it doesn't have to be morphology on the modifier (adjective or adverb).

Positive: "(noun) is (adjective)"
Equative: "(noun1) is as (adjective) as (noun2)"
Comparitive: "(noun1) is more (adjective) than (noun2)"
Superlative: "(specific noun) is more (adjective) than any other (generic noun)"

Doesn't WALS.info have a chapter on which languages have what means of creating comparatives?
http://wals.info/chapter/121
http://wals.info/feature/121A
But notice that inflection for degree-of-comparison isn't mentioned.

Do you have examples of what you're talking about?

Well, I've noticed that people who talk about comparative constructions usually seem to have degrees of comparison. The one exception is a thread about this I remember from a while back.

They could always use a verb with the meaning of exceed, or any of the other WALS strategies. I don't see how that could cause a problem.

[Chagen]

They could always use a verb with the meaning of exceed,

I'm almost certain I used this exact method for one of my first ever conlangs.

[Solarius]

They could always use a verb with the meaning of exceed,

I'm almost certain I used this exact method for one of my first ever conlangs.

It's cool when you invent a feature independently when you're a noob, eh?

I once did something similar with case, although it was weirdly conflated with other stuff.
-imeni "one who speaks"
-ini "one who acts"
-eni "One who is spoken to"
-unmarked "one who is acted on"