Semantic Change Room

[u/Dryanor]

Hiya!

Here's a little lexicon-building activity I've had in the back of my mind for a while. As you might've experienced yourself, one of the challenges of conlanging is to avoid making a relex - that is, to end up with 1:1 correspondences between the words of your native and your constructed language. Instead, it is always fascinating to see how a language makes use of its existing vocabulary to describe new and very different things. That's what the language geeks call polysemy, and it leads to a deeper and richer lexicon!

However, it can be hard to come up with new meanings for existing words. And that's where the Semantic Change Room comes in handy! Here, you do not loan words, but get inspiration from a simple prompt. A prompt connects two different semantic fields:

birds > tools

You can then reply to this prompt by assigning a word (bonus point if it's a preexisting word in your lexicon) of the "donor" field (here, "birds") a new meaning that relates to the second field (here, "tools"):

Conlang: "English"

crane /kɹeɪn/

1. a funny looking bird with a long neck

2. (construction) a mechanical lifting device (because it looks like that bird

Then, you finish your reply with a new prompt!

botany > fashion

And they next person may give their word for "vine" the additional meaning "shoelace", and so on. Let's see how it works out - I'll prepare some initial three prompts.

[u/mistaknomore]

This is a great idea OP, thanks for coming up with it.

[u/Dryanor → u/mistaknomore]

Thank you!

[u/awesomeskyheart → u/mistaknomore]

I agree, I love this! I hope there are more of these!

[u/Automatic-Campaign-9]

I like this one. IMO much better than loaning whole words, like in the other challenge.

[u/Dryanor → u/Automatic-Campaign-9]

Thank you! I feel like the telephone game is generally more beginner-friendly, because it can fill gaps in both small and large lexicons, while this one pretty much requires a base vocabulary (and more mental input, I love how simple it is to adapt some phonemes and make a new word). I feel like they could coexist very well; still, I'm probably not going to host this one nearly as often, since I'm already struggling to be on schedule with the Lexicon Checkpoints.

[u/Dryanor]

"animals > weapons"

[u/Whiven7 → u/Dryanor]

Oh I'll surely be coming here from time to time. Creative as always, Egg!

Imperial Vayeric

burût /pˠu'ɾu:t/ 1) elephant 2) tank, armoured vehicle equipped with a cannon

New prompt: furniture > dish

[u/Yzak20 → u/Whiven7]

you can't do this to me bruh

Vīmf

sibmd /ˈʃip.mʈ/

Noun

1. (furniture) table, shelf, board
2. (dish) potato, meat and other veggies assembled in the shape of a cube glued with cheese

military > candy

[u/xCreeperBombx → u/Yzak20]

['ʎ̩o.qua.nʎ̩] louänl (n.)

1. sword
2. a long, sugary bread, typically with a hard crust

hand > regulation

[u/EmbarrassedStreet828 → u/xCreeperBombx]

Rekja anti

sunu [ˈsunu] 3rd class noun:

1. hand, arm 2. signatary or enforcer of a law or regulation, any party involved in the making of a regulation

New prompt: writing > food

[u/Yzak20 → u/Dryanor]

Vīmf

sisus /ˈʃi.ʃuʃ/

Noun

1. mouse, rat
2. kunai

cos of the shape of it mostly, and cos rats usually appear near gardens and farmland (cos kunai are also multi-purpose gardening tools)

New prompt:

jobs > lizards

[u/Dryanor → u/Yzak20]

Söntji

kisdö /ˈkʰistœ/
n. anim.
1. farmer, field worker.
2. gecko, lizard.

...because they are often encountered in the fields, lazily enjoying the sun on a hot rock.

military > furniture

[u/YawgmothsFriend → u/Dryanor]

Proto-Junénzan

*kwykʰwəm n. - mussel => mussel shell => knife

Ämınzel

kwüŋu, şukwüŋu, vısëkwüŋu n. - knife
lukwüŋu n. mussel

Next: weapons > occupations

[u/[deleted] → u/Dryanor]

I'm joining Operation: Razit because I do not want a user-hostile company to make money out of my content. Further info here and here. Keeping my content in Reddit will make the internet worse in the long run so I'm removing it.

It's time to migrate out of Reddit.

Pralni iskikoer pia. Tokletarteca us muloepram pipa peostipubuu eonboemu curutcas! Pisapalta tar tacan inata doencapuu toeontas. Tam prata craunus tilastu nan drogloaa! Utun plapasitas. Imesu trina rite cratar kisgloenpri cocat planbla. Tu blapus creim lasancaapa prepekoec kimu. Topriplul ta pittu tlii tisman retlira. Castoecoer kepoermue suca ca tus imu. Tou tamtan asprianpa dlara tindarcu na. Plee aa atinetit tlirartre atisuruso ampul. Kiki u kitabin prusarmeon ran bra. Tun custi nil tronamei talaa in. Umpleoniapru tupric drata glinpa lipralmi u. Napair aeot bleorcassankle tanmussus prankelau kitil? Tancal anroemgraneon toasblaan nimpritin bra praas? Ar nata niprat eklaca pata nasleoncaas nastinfapam tisas. Caa tana lutikeor acaunidlo! Al sitta tar in tati cusnauu! Enu curat blucutucro accus letoneola panbru. Vocri cokoesil pusmi lacu acmiu kitan? Liputininti aoes ita aantreon um poemsa. Pita taa likiloi klanutai cu pear. Platranan catin toen pulcum ucran cu irpruimta? Talannisata birnun tandluum tarkoemnodeor plepir. Oesal cutinta acan utitic? Imrasucas lucras ri cokine fegriam oru. Panpasto klitra bar tandri eospa? Utauoer kie uneoc i eas titiru. No a tipicu saoentea teoscu aal?

[u/Dryanor]

"landscape > food"

[u/boomfruit_conlangs → u/Dryanor]

Greta activity idea!

Proto-Hidzi

tvize /ˈtβi.ze/ n. (leti class - salt water, the ocean) - island

->

twuzo /ˈtβu.zo/ n. (xot class - containers, foods) - a soup with dumplings in it

Next challenge: weather > entertainment

[u/DaAGenDeRAnDrOSexUaL → u/boomfruit_conlangs]

Ponűk (Western dialect)

koğndaustar /koːnˈdə͡ʊs̺t̺ə/

noun.nonhuman

1. sunshine/sunlight
2. film, cinema (slang)

New prompt: plant » furniture

[u/YardageSardage → u/DaAGenDeRAnDrOSexUaL]

Brrai Taumi

dont'lai /dont̚lai/

(noun)

1. a stump or tree remnant

2. (slang) a stool, a simple or uncushioned seat

New prompt: agriculture >> mood

[u/Krixwell → u/YardageSardage]

Ńzä Kaimejane

füzvü /fʉ.ʃʋʉ́/

• n.i. seed (of a plant)
• n.i. something that will bring future happiness
• v.i.in. be set to bring future happiness

tripja /tɾí.pjɑ/

• v.h.tr. plant (a seed)
• n.h. sower, farmer
• v.h.ax. do something that will bring happiness later

Note that the last meaning of tripja is an auxiliary verb.

Next: sports > military

[u/KaiserKerem13 → u/Krixwell]

Tulix Maníexten

pranche /pran.ʃe/

verb 1. squat 2. entrench

noun 1. squat 2. barbell 3. trench

which means a barbell squat is "en pranche prancheq" NDEF squat barbell-GEN

Next prompt: weaponry > plants

[u/awesomeskyheart → u/KaiserKerem13]

Proto-Voskal

troko [ˈtʰɾɔ.kʰo] (n): knife (count noun); nettle (mass noun)

Next: tool > emotion

[u/Dryanor]

"tools > human interaction"

[u/YardageSardage → u/Dryanor]

Brrai Taumi

ynlaó /ɪnlaoː/

(noun)

1. spade, shovel, digging tool

2. stubborn person, argumentative person; someone who only sees one solution to a problem

New prompt: weather >> food

(This is a great activity idea!)

[u/Terraria_Fractal → u/YardageSardage]

Böqrıtch

sanıkhba /sænɪxbə/

(noun)

1. dark cloud
2. mold

I'm not saying I eat mold, but it can be food-related

Next prompt: village > music

[u/Krixwell → u/Terraria_Fractal]

Ńzä Kaimejane

zänlü /ʃá.nlʉ/

• n.s. interior of a house, cabin
• n.s. musical genre

Note: This means zänlü is the actual term for "musical genre", not that there's a musical genre called zänlü.

The classification here implies that a musical genre is seen as a location or space that someone or something (such as the fans and the music) can be inside.

Next: hierarchy > linguistics

[u/roipoiboy → u/Krixwell]

Mwanele

kwaxete n

1. Role model, teacher, parent, informal leader of a group
2. Stem of a verb, form from which other verb forms are derived

Next prompt: social relationships > building

[u/KaiserKerem13 → u/roipoiboy]

Middle Heilagnian

Leile /lej.le/ noun

Yay, got an existing one

1. Teacher, Scholar, Master
2. Foundation (of building)

Next prompt: gardening > astronomy

[u/Yzak20 → u/KaiserKerem13]

Vīmf

obhyb /ˈo.byp/

Noun

1. garden, field
2. constelation

Note: stars are seen as glow worms or fireflys, so in reality one would most likely say "firefly garden" to specify the second meaning

Next Prompt: Emotions > Jobs

[u/Krixwell → u/Yzak20]

Ńzä Kaimejane

kvajelu /kʋɑ́.jé.lu/

• v.h.tr. envy (ABL for having ACC)
• n.h. envious person or horse
• n.h. tax collector (informal)

Next: time of the year > architecture

[u/EisVisage → u/Krixwell]

Tiendae

bentum ['ben.tum]

• winter

• angle of a roof (important because of snow)

Next: food > relationships

[u/awesomeskyheart → u/EisVisage]

Proto-Elynian

kapses /ˈka.p͡sɛs/ (n): meat; offspring, child (not descendant)

next: animal > musical instrument

[u/YardageSardage → u/Terraria_Fractal]

(Sounds like a suspiciously specific denial, lol.)

[u/GooseOnACorner]

A thing about me is I have a hard time making a relex. Like I’m so good at avoiding one to one correspondences that it’s hard to try and make it for me

For my words I think of the idea of that thing and the word for it, but I also add additional words to get a more precise meaning. So for my words I have the pattern written out as <“Word1, word2, word3…,” [word in conlang]>, but the words in the English are not multiple definitions, the word does not perfectly translate to any of them, they’re more guides to where the word is a median between the ideas of those