D20 Linguistics

[Malic]

This is a great idea. I would definitely buy it, small or large.

As to what I'd like to see in such a book, well my wish list would be
* An introduction to phonetics, grammar, syntax etc - linguistics textbooks are pretty hard going when there are so many other topics in the world to cover, so a distillation would be great
* Some discussion on how languages change over time, what sort of similarities and differences you would see in related languages. Pidgins may come under this too. Maybe an indication of how fast they change once populations split up?
* Naming conventions
* Some discussion on how the language relates to culture would be nice too, including the use of politeness forms, maybe the writing/medium relationship, anything else which helps tie the culture into a package.
* It would also be nice to have something on the sounds different species might be able to make, or perhaps in the phonetics section the explanation of how the sounds are made could help us work that out ourselves.

That is probably getting a bit unfocused for what you want to do though, I guess.

Actually I would jump at something that addressed any of the topics people have mentioned in this thread, or any subset of my list above, which was easier to digest than a college textbook.

Cheers!

 

[Verequus]

Arbiter of Wyrms:

Are you by chance "Ascarel" on some other forum? The person behind this nick helps me in the constructing of languages for my campaign world, which are supposed to be made OGC, if they are finished. Thus I find your proposal a bit too conspicious to be coincidence.

That said, I still like to see such a product, because linguistics are a complex field (20 pages to cover it? Unbelievable, even with no sample languages.) and a kind of usable primer for the average DM would be a boon. Languages are as defining for a setting like the cultures of the people, which inhabit it - both are even in a certain sense two sides of the coin.

Creating alphabets and some other things are the logical steps after having a language - and I don't know of a website, which details such steps. Actually, I also miss a product or websites, which help to define the culture of races - but that would be easily a series of books in its own right. Is someone here, who would be able to write books to cover this white canvas?

So go for it - I'll definitely buy it!

The final/least important thing are "cool linguistic" thingys. Like Ur languages, Primal tongues, telepathic languages, and so on.

Telepathic languages... I've invented one more or less accidently ("How could the language of god be, before he started the creation?" in a fantasy setting), but it showed me one thing: If you want to make full use of telepathy (like sending feelings, which concern only single 'words' - a kind of equivalent of the tone in the speech), then it isn't probably possible to write it down. We can't even express ourselves in text as much one does through speaking.

But it is still a nice idea. :\

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Nope, sorry Rulemaster, I post as Arbiter of Wyrms wherever I go.

I have come to believe, though, that there is a disproportianately high correlation between gamers and language enthusiasts.

The moral of the story is this: If you're looking for gamers, you could do worse than to check the linguistics and foriegn language departments at your local university. I've always had a hard time getting a group together, but there are at least three avid gamers in my History of the English Language class alone.

 

[Verequus]

Nope, sorry Rulemaster, I post as Arbiter of Wyrms wherever I go.

It could have been - the last email exchange is a bit due, but my partner seems to be busy with his job.

I have come to believe, though, that there is a disproportianately high correlation between gamers and language enthusiasts.

The moral of the story is this: If you're looking for gamers, you could do worse than to check the linguistics and foriegn language departments at your local university. I've always had a hard time getting a group together, but there are at least three avid gamers in my History of the English Language class alone.

I am not as much a linguist, as it may seem - that is the reason, why I have chosen to look for someone far more experienced than me. But if I have to search for a gaming group, I will remember your moral.

 

[Siriak]

I guess for those who answered "Maybe, I'd need to know more," I'd like to know what else you'd like to know.

Well, I voted the "wait for more info" option before I realized that there was already a discussion in progress on you proposal. Stupid newbie error, I guess. Anyway, the topics you listed sound good. I would definately be interested in a pdf or magazine article.

 

[Mark]

The work would almost certainly be free, rather than distributed through a publisher.

Why not both? The Cooperative Dungeon projects are just that...projects developed for free distribution through myself as a PDF publisher. I'd be happy to work with you on such a goal and to make sure it gets a "professional treatment" graphically as a polished product. Drop me an email if interested, please.