Advanced Language Construction

Introduction -- How to use the book Writing a grammar -- How to outline; some things to put in; worries about whether it's too simple, too complex, or not weird enough; how to write glosses A taste of logic -- Just enough logic for linguists; creating logical languages Logographic writing -- A detailed guide to creating logographs, plus a glimpse at ideographic writing Pidgins and creoles -- Contact languages of several types, with a short sketch of Tok Pisin Life cycles -- How languages arose; language acquisition; bilingualism; long-term cycles; language death Studies in Morphosyntax -- So. Much. Morphosyntax! Latin case; morphosyntactic alignment including ergativity; gender; aspect; valence; modality; Mandarin syntax; polysynthesis; Steven Foley's guide to the NW Caucasian verb Sign language -- The structure of sign languages, with a focus on ASL Putting it all together -- How to make a complicated linguistic landscape as on Almea- along with some things we didn't cover earlier, like slang, borrowing, and triliteral roots Tools -- How to use the two new Javascript apps on zompist.com: the vocabulary generator gen and the revised Sound Change Applier.;Create plausible and realistic languages for role-playing games, fantasy and science fiction, movies or video games, or international communication. The sequel to the Language Construction Kit: learn more about constructed languages and about linguistics: logic, pidgins and creoles, sign languages, the linguistic life cycle, and a meaty step-by-step survey of morphosyntax. Create detailed and plausible languages for RPGs, fantasy and science fiction, movies, or video games ... or just learn more about how languages work with the same accurate yet fun approach as the original LCK. -- back cover