The CBB

This isn't related to a specific conlang, but today my advisor and other faculty gave me the go-ahead to teach a course on typology and constructed languages for undergrads next year. Originally I was supposed to teach something related to my dissertation, but I argued against that for personal reasons and they agreed, at which point one of them suggested conlangs entirely unprompted - I'd have never brought it up myself, since I'm used to it being... somewhat disregarded... by linguists, but it turns out my department is very enthusiastic about it. Apparently we need more fun undergrad courses. I took a very similar course in undergrad, had an absolute blast, and still have some resources from that which I'm hoping to cobble together into a workable structure. I'm very excited!

On an unrelated note, I finally caught up on a podcast to which I contributed a few sentences of a conlang way back when (production was stalled due to COVID) and it was extremely neat to hear someone else speak something I'd made. All-in-all, it's been a good week for conlang-related news. Not so good a week for actually making progress on any conlang-related projects, but c'est la vie.

I did add a bit to Alál's nominal lexicon, playing with some of the derivational affixes related to the handling verbs. There's a 'thick liquid/mush' affix (ḷıı|ḷaı|ḷàı) related to the verb Ḷıŕaı 'hold cupped loosely in the hands' which has led to some fun ones. It's used literally (hmaḷaıs 'wet clay' = 'a gloppy handful of hmasa 'clay'') but also figuratively for disruptive or uncontrollable things (my favorite being haḷaık 'airplane turbulence' = 'a gloppy handful of hák 'sky'').

I kept my appointment with my cardiologist.
He says in the 18 years since the operation on the artery in back of my heart I have had no heart issues and I still don’t.
He also says to pay attention to all my other specialists.
I feel like that’s an accomplishment!

eldin raigmore wrote: ↑07 Apr 2021 23:41 I kept my appointment with my cardiologist.
He says in the 18 years since the operation on the artery in back of my heart I have had no heart issues and I still don’t.
He also says to pay attention to all my other specialists.
I feel like that’s an accomplishment!

Indeed!

Whether yours was open heart or percutaneous, any heart related procedure is no easy task. Congratulations on 18 wonderful years!

kiwikami wrote: ↑07 Apr 2021 23:36 This isn't related to a specific conlang, but today my advisor and other faculty gave me the go-ahead to teach a course on typology and constructed languages for undergrads next year. Originally I was supposed to teach something related to my dissertation, but I argued against that for personal reasons and they agreed, at which point one of them suggested conlangs entirely unprompted - I'd have never brought it up myself, since I'm used to it being... somewhat disregarded... by linguists, but it turns out my department is very enthusiastic about it. Apparently we need more fun undergrad courses. I took a very similar course in undergrad, had an absolute blast, and still have some resources from that which I'm hoping to cobble together into a workable structure. I'm very excited!

Congrats Teaching is always fun and very rewarding.

kiwikami wrote: ↑07 Apr 2021 23:36 This isn't related to a specific conlang, but today my advisor and other faculty gave me the go-ahead to teach a course on typology and constructed languages for undergrads next year. Originally I was supposed to teach something related to my dissertation, but I argued against that for personal reasons and they agreed, at which point one of them suggested conlangs entirely unprompted - I'd have never brought it up myself, since I'm used to it being... somewhat disregarded... by linguists, but it turns out my department is very enthusiastic about it. Apparently we need more fun undergrad courses. I took a very similar course in undergrad, had an absolute blast, and still have some resources from that which I'm hoping to cobble together into a workable structure. I'm very excited!

Lucky you! Teaching about conlanging must be an enjoyable academic profession!

And a shout-out to the art of CONLANGING! <---- Using a Fourth of July flag, since they didn't have a firecracker smiley

(Also, I read an article about how academia expects its professors to be not only professional but also gender-conforming . . . has that been your experience as a transguy?)

kiwikami wrote: ↑07 Apr 2021 23:36 This isn't related to a specific conlang, but today my advisor and other faculty gave me the go-ahead to teach a course on typology and constructed languages for undergrads next year.

Awesome. Can I temporarily attend your university and take your class?

Thanks, all! I am really looking forward to this - I didn't expect the department to even consider a conlang-focused class as a serious possibility, but they're actually very enthusiastic about it, especially since it's a good way to give an overview of typology and how different linguistic subfields fit together. Honestly useful for potential majors, and also just... fun.

Khemehekis wrote: ↑08 Apr 2021 16:42(Also, I read an article about how academia expects its professors to be not only professional but also gender-conforming . . . has that been your experience as a transguy?)

Since I'm still a grad student, I thankfully don't have to worry too much as I'm not actively job-seeking yet - that said, our department has so far been very accepting and accommodating to our couple of trans students (though one trans professor and I have had some interesting discussions about the power dynamics and social norms involved - notably that they don't have tenure and thus feel subjected to more pressure to conform, leading oddly to them being out to the student body but not to many of the senior faculty). I'm honestly more concerned from an academic/teaching perspective with the fact that, as is not uncommon mid-transition, I look rather young, and am usually assumed to be an undergrad. That'll sort itself out in a couple of years, but in the meantime, it does make it hard to be taken professionally seriously.

eldin raigmore wrote: ↑07 Apr 2021 23:41He says in the 18 years since the operation on the artery in back of my heart I have had no heart issues and I still don’t.

Congrats on the 18 years - that's fantastic!

Something arrived in the mail today.

^You're living my dream

Congratulations

^^I didn't even know the LCS made books. Something to think about when I have enough written in Vrkhazhian

Reyzadren wrote: ↑10 Apr 2021 00:16 Something arrived in the mail today.

Holding it with the hand is awesome rather than just viewing it through a screen. #AchievementUnlocked

Isn't it though!



I'm pleased as punch to see the actual book, and happy that you got it printed!



Who did you print it through?

Reyzadren wrote: ↑10 Apr 2021 00:16 Something arrived in the mail today.

Spoiler:

Yes, I finally bought the essential documentation of my conlang.




Size comparison with uni books. (width & thickness)






Let's look inside.









Holding it with the hand is awesome rather than just viewing it through a screen. #AchievementUnlocked

Congrats! Looks well done!

For Kastixex, I've been working on interrogatives. I have these so far:

huo who
huet what
hues whose
huon to/for whom/what
hui why
huer where
hu how
hueñe when
huanon whence
hueder whither

Replying and also commenting to everyone in general:

@KaiTheHomoSapien & others
Anyone here is more than skilled to complete their own documentation. Your conlang is just waiting for you to come back to it

@Ahzoh & others
I contacted an independent publisher to print a sample copy. I'm not sure if the LCS provides such service, but we know that several conlangers made their own grammar books via other avenues.

Reyzadren wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021 00:27 I contacted an independent publisher to print a sample copy. I'm not sure if the LCS provides such service, but we know that several conlangers made their own grammar books via other avenues.

Which one? I've been using Lulu for years, not because their system was easy to use, but because they had the formats I needed to print in. Now that they no longer have the formats I need and have made their process even more difficult to use, I'm in the market for a new printing service. If you used someone other than Lulu, I'd like to know who, and what your thoughts are on their process.

Reyzadren wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021 00:27 @Ahzoh & others
I contacted an independent publisher to print a sample copy. I'm not sure if the LCS provides such service, but we know that several conlangers made their own grammar books via other avenues.

Oh cuz I saw the Tower of Babel picture on the book and I know that's part of their logo.

I thought about making a book ,but it's very hard to get vertical script support on word n shit, let alone websites =/

elemtilas wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021 04:26Which one? I've been using Lulu for years, not because their system was easy to use, but because they had the formats I needed to print in. Now that they no longer have the formats I need and have made their process even more difficult to use, I'm in the market for a new printing service. If you used someone other than Lulu, I'd like to know who, and what your thoughts are on their process.

Actually, I am still using Lulu for my conlang books as a print on demand service. I don't know any other alternative, so you'll have to ask other conlangers.

Ahzoh wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021 06:18Oh cuz I saw the Tower of Babel picture on the book and I know that's part of their logo.

I thought about making a book ,but it's very hard to get vertical script support on word n shit, let alone websites =/

Yikes, it's 2021 and technology still doesn't easily support vertical scripts. I too sometimes encounter random nonsense when dealing with formatting from a simple font file.

Oh Reyzadren, that looks beautiful! You are so lucky!

Who are the girl and boy on the cover?

kiwikami wrote: ↑08 Apr 2021 21:14

Khemehekis wrote: ↑08 Apr 2021 16:42(Also, I read an article about how academia expects its professors to be not only professional but also gender-conforming . . . has that been your experience as a transguy?)

Since I'm still a grad student, I thankfully don't have to worry too much as I'm not actively job-seeking yet - that said, our department has so far been very accepting and accommodating to our couple of trans students (though one trans professor and I have had some interesting discussions about the power dynamics and social norms involved - notably that they don't have tenure and thus feel subjected to more pressure to conform, leading oddly to them being out to the student body but not to many of the senior faculty). I'm honestly more concerned from an academic/teaching perspective with the fact that, as is not uncommon mid-transition, I look rather young, and am usually assumed to be an undergrad. That'll sort itself out in a couple of years, but in the meantime, it does make it hard to be taken professionally seriously.

Oh yeah, I didn't think about that part, but people do say that transitioning is like going through a second puberty. So you might look about 14, or at least 16, if you're transitioning in your twenties, in addition to the feelings of rapid change? That could be embarrassing. It makes me feel thankful that I, as a cisbi who settled on a cisbi identity when I was 13, do not have to go through that. People do already tell me I look about 20, despite being twice that age. (I take it as a compliment, though.)

I finished up with S through Z on Thursday and got more than 80 new Kankonian words. A sampling:

tekhos: SACD (borrowing from some language of Pluos or Nexon)
inbehushkatelar: single-board computer, SBC (in, one + behush, layer + katel, board + -ar, suffix to indicate a way)
aivenshust: SCOBY (aiven, bacterium + shust, yeast)
zhightubghob: synchronous dynamic random-access memory, SDRAM (borrowed from Achel zhijtubhjhobh: zhij, RAM + tubh, to be dynamic + jhobh, to be synchronous)
tanyof: scofflaw (borrowing from Nyelizaph)
Sheinksvil: Shanksville
Aveghad: Aveghad (suburb of Khoikal where a Ratharian invaders' spacecraft crashed)
paidovwoert: sensei (martial arts instructor), shifu, sifu (borrowing from Povoian)
birbil-kehoyar: slingback (birbil, strap + kehoi, ankle + -ar)
tmiloush: soylent
prokos: starliner (borrowing from some language of Pluos or Nexon)
tastedhelemas: supermom (tasted, career + helemas, mother)
kleidikorai: synopticon (borrowing from some language of Pluos or Nexon)
smaiktuzhaifash: tastemaker (smaik, taste + tuzhaifash, influencer)
lahah: tada
boksos: TMJ, temporomandibular
khopuwan: TNA, threose nucleic acid (borrowing from Shaleyan, based on Khop, a surname from a kind of Shaleyan plant + -uwan, a burger morph for DNA)
fnaznia: treebeard
abdzanzha: to undock (unplug from a docking station) (ab-, prefix for from + dzanzha, docking station, a borrowing from the Javarti dzanja, port, harbor, dock; docking station)
tzwemitz: uric acid
hakazatz: valproic acid
litiliti: vermicelli
hwazinga: wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)
shaktiblahatz (pl. shaktiblatzas): wakey (in military service) (shakti, house, home + blahatz, day)
dwazvid: waterstone
Shindzhyang: Xinjiang (Terran borrowing)
Meihyaim: Meihyaim (city in Dumang)
vetevetevete; vetevetevet: yada yada yada

Reyzadren wrote: ↑14 Apr 2021 23:27

elemtilas wrote: ↑12 Apr 2021 04:26Which one? I've been using Lulu for years, not because their system was easy to use, but because they had the formats I needed to print in. Now that they no longer have the formats I need and have made their process even more difficult to use, I'm in the market for a new printing service. If you used someone other than Lulu, I'd like to know who, and what your thoughts are on their process.

Actually, I am still using Lulu for my conlang books as a print on demand service. I don't know any other alternative, so you'll have to ask other conlangers.

Thanks for the reply!

Khemehekis wrote: ↑15 Apr 2021 04:26 boksos: TMJ, temporomandibular

Is that the word for the joint or the syndrome?

fnaznia: treebeard

Nice!

tzwemitz: uric acid
hakazatz: valproic acid

Does -tz carry the meaning of "acid" or sour in some way?

dwazvid: waterstone

Is this for sharpening, or this an enhydrous stone?