Conlang Database Website

[CodeMike]

Conlang Database Projet

The databse is now online https://database.conlang.org/search/
and you can directly add conlangs here https://database.conlang.org/add/



What is the Conlang Database?

It is a publicly viewable and searchable online database that lists as many of the world’s conlangs as possible, in one place, with identifying and classifying information.

What is the purpose of this project?

To gather details of as many conlangs as possible in one place
To make the collection searchable in versatile ways
To benefit searchers and the conlangs’ creators by providing such information
To enable copying and use of the data by anyone interested


How will the project physically manifest?


We have a website, which will house the database and enable the entering of new conlang data onto it and its searching by website visitors. Search results will be displayed onscreen and will be manipulable and exportable.

Aren’t there already facilities like this?

Similar but not quite the same.
The closest thing to what this database is intended to be is probably CALS, the Conlang Atlas of Language Structures. This is similarly a database of conlangs, but aiming not so much to collect all it can but rather to record features similar to those reviewed by WALS in natural languages.
There are plenty of other websites or pages of various kinds that also amass details of many conlangs, but don’t aim to collect as many as possible in general and especially searchably and with identifying and classifying information. They include wikis, workshop websites, forums and other discussion media, and linklists.

Where can I find more information on the project’s planning?

Our main public planning document is a Google Doc at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y5Q ... eNZNAI6Ek/
There are also subsidiary documents to that: an updated proposal for database fields and options: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yrq ... AejfmZgH4/
And a ‘Modus Operandi’ document setting out how the database and website will work: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IDh ... wmSFsC66k/

Where can I discuss the project with its members?

We are currently gathered in three specific social media locations:
A Discord channel: https://discord.com/channels/748166870787555448/, invite link: https://discord.gg/J55RyKd (this has the most activity)
A Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2757660151170529
And a Reddit subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ConlangDatabase/

Who will the database benefit?

The ‘conlang-interested’ who want to find details of conlangs they might be interested in. Such people may be conlangers themselves or other people who are interested in learning or studying them. The conlangs they’re seeking might be of a type they’d like to look at, or one they encountered once that they don’t have details for.
Conlangers themselves who would like to spread word of their languages and have more people find them.
People in the media, or other work that might involve passing information on to the public such as education or academic linguistics, who want to find genuine information about conlangs and get some accurate sense of the scale and range of conlanging.

What will you aim to include, and what will you exclude?

The database will aim to include as many conlangs as possible, and will exclude anything which is not a conlang.
‘Conlangs’ includes sketchlangs, jokelangs, conpidgins, abandoned conlangs, versions of other people’s conlangs, and anything else that conlangers recognise as conlangs.
‘Things which are not conlangs’ includes language reform projects, spelling reforms, ciphers, conscripts out of the context of conlangs, ‘pseudo-conlangs’ (the constructed physical form of languages without assigned meaning or internal grammatical structure).
For something to qualify as a conlang, it must be:
linguistic, which means it has to have a relationship between a set of physical forms of expression and a set of meanings, with grammatical relations within the form matching relations between meanings. This excludes symbolic systems which are semiotic but not linguistic, for instance in lacking grammar.
created anew by choice and deliberation. This excludes things that are only morphs or interpretations of existing linguistic forms, e.g. ‘language reform projects’, new spelling systems, language games/toy languages, pure relexes, codes and ciphers.
standing alone as a medium of communication. This excludes things like jargons, cants and argots which are specialised forms of existing languages and which only arise and function within those macro languages.

How will it be possible to search the database?

Searching the database is the major purpose of the whole project. A large part of the basis on which the success of the project can be judged is how versatile and useful the search feature is, and how satisfied searchers are with it.
There will be a main search form, either on its own page or on the homepage, which will enable users to search according to all the different database fields, in any combination.
Each field will have its own typing box. Where appropriate there will be wildcard options, for if the searchers don’t know a full search term or want to catch a range of results. Besides the field-specific boxes there will also be a general keyword search box which will range across all fields.
With regard to what is displayed in results, it will be possible to choose any range of fields, whether they are being searched for or not. Upon the results being displayed it will be possible to search again if the user wants.

How can I contribute to the project?

The two main roles, which will involve the bulk of the work, are reviewers who check submitted conlang data before accepting it and compilers who go out and search for new conlangs to add in specific places.
Besides those there is also the work of the organisers who oversee the whole project. They co-ordinate the reviewing and compiling work, set policy and direction, manage the website and database, and represent the project to the world via publicity and other factors.
We will need some specialist abilities/knowledge. For instance we could do with several members who know how to use WordPress, PHP and MySQL, and people familiar with particular conlang sites, such as forums or wikis, who are prepared to do compiling work there would also be really useful. One notable ability that will come in handy is knowledge of specific languages used in some non-English forums, such as French, Spanish or Polish. In all cases come to our discussion spaces, send us a message or sign up with the volunteer form.

Will the website contain any other features?

It is likely that we will have supplementary pages for various purposes. For example:
To explain conlang or linguistics related terms, or factors involved in the database, website or searching.
To discuss conlang issues like the definition of terms, disagreements about classification, the history of conlanging, etc.
To provide links or reference information to other conlang resources that may be relevant, such as other our information sources, databases, linklists, wikis, forums, creators’ pages, books, etc.

[Ahzoh]

That's good. I at least hope that when I die the more enduring legacies of mine would include my most developed conlang(s).

[Khemehekis]

I know what my obituary is going to say about me: I went down in history for inventing a language with a lexicon size in the sextuple digits.

[Ahzoh]

Hmm, I went to add my language to the database and then I learned that it was already added due to CLCR. Still, mine is more updated.