Tag Archives: Conlang

Archive Seasons 11-15, Season 14, Theory and Technique

14.36: Languages and Naming

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Your Hosts: Brandon, Dan, Howard, and Mahtab

How do we come up with names? How do we do it in ways that enhance our worldbuilding? What are the elements that give our invented naming schemes (even the zany ones with lots of syllables and apostrophes) verisimilitude?

In this episode we talk about some of the tricks we’ve used, the pitfalls we’ve avoided, and conlangs in general.

Liner Notes: In Episode 12.51 we discuss Conlangs (“constructed languages”)with Dirk Elzinga.

Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:35 — 13.5MB)

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Give us a naming convention that has nothing to do with family.

Binti, by Nnedi Okorofor

Archive Seasons 11-15, Guest, Live Audience, Season 12, Theory and Technique

12.51: Constructed Languages, with Dirk Elzinga

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Your Hosts: Howard, Mary, Dan, with guest host Beth Meacham

Dirk Elzinga, an associate professor of linguistics, joined us live at LTUE to talk about constructed languages, and how we, as writers, might go about constructing them for our work.

Liner Notes: The big stack of notes from Dirk required its own page. Below are links to specific tools mentioned during the episode.

Credits: This episode was recorded live at LTUE by Dan Dan the Audioman Thompson and mastered beneath a pyramid of stone tablet encyclopedias by Alex Jackson.

 

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:51 — 13.0MB)

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Come up to with a non-combat, non-warfare metaphor to talk about a debate.

Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guin