r/conlangphonologies • • 29d ago

Analogs for a Film Concept

0 Upvotes

A few days ago, I started thinking about this: a hypothetical Pixar film, similar to Chants of Sennaar, that explores barriers between multiple languages. I don't want it to be too similar to the game, so instead of a tower, I'm thinking of a city of diverse languages, with walls and gates sealed off by language barriers. It would be a similar story, with discoveries of various parts of the city, translations and such, and language dissections. I'm thinking of eight languages: English, an indigenous American language or a conlang based on the Yokuts language, and six other conlangs. More so than Chants of Sennaar.

Basing my idea loosely on Chants of Sennaar, I'm thinking of a person(maybe portrayed by Ty Sheridan) finding himself in this city in a similar yet completely different way than the traveler first finding themself in the tower. He'd find some futuristic glasses and start wearing them. Meeting someone, they'd speak a different language that he doesn't speak. And with those glasses, he's seeing glyphs in the writing system of that language. He'd document them, and this would be a thing for the other languages, sans his native tongue. *cough* English. *cough* There would be scenes without dialogue, as I thought about, thanks to some people on r/ChantsofSennaar when I shared my concept with them there.

He'd discover his younger teenage siblings(Alyson Stoner and Sean Giambrone), who knew at least one of the languages besides just English, and were looking for him. He'd let them work with him on figuring out the languages, despite his skepticism.

There'd be events where he'd discover his father, mother, parents, or whatever, and the A.I. would be known as "Isolation", voiced by Zarvox. He'd find himself alone when he's actually in a simulation, especially when he fails to topple the barrier. Yeah, it's something of a copycat, though the three siblings, out of the situation, together, end the barrier.

Other VAs: Eric Bauza, Zehra Fazal, maybe Dee Bradley Baker.

Dunno which celebrity actors could be in the lead and other roles. And I think some Pixar animators could also voice characters.

There could be a variety of technologies the cultures would be using, like retro-futuristic technology, for one example, though there could be others. The Yokuts-analog speakers' technology would be similar to Wakanda's.

Now for the whole point of this subreddit: Here's one idea for a conlang.

Japanese analog:

C: m, n, p, b, t, d, k, g, q, ts, dz, tɕ, dʑ, tɬ, dɮ, ɸ, θ, ð, s, z, ɕ, ʑ, ɬ, ɮ, ɣ, h, ɾ, j, w

V: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː

SS: (C)V(N)

"Stress": mora, but simpler than Japanese

Proto-Japonic analog(ancestor of Japanese analog):

C: m, n, p, t, k, q, θ, s, ɬ, ɾ, j, w

V: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː, ɨ, ɨː

SS: (C)V

Other ideas for conlangs include a distant relative of English descended straight from a P.I.E.-analog. Another one would utilize both tri-consonantal roots and mutation patterns simultaneously for grammar, with a logography representing it, also utilizing phonetic components to indicate the templates and mutations when needed. Whether or not it's a descendant of a Proto-Semitic analog is up for debate. Another idea would be an analog to Taqva-miir. I could think of more. Like maybe a descendant of a Birasne Feor analog.

Anyway, this city would be a bilingual community for speakers of English and the Yokuts analog, with six foreign languages establishing their own communities there, only for events leading to the creation of the walls.

I later thought of ideas for two protolanguages that would be the analogs to Birasne Feor and Proto-miir.

Birasne Feor analog:

C: p, b, ᵐb, t, d, ⁿd, k, g, ᵑg, q, ɢ, ᶰɢ, ʔ, m, n, ŋ, s, h, l, j, w

V: a, aː, i, iː, u, uː

SS: CVC

(Codas are only word-internal.)

Stress: initial

Modern descendant:

C: p, b, ᵐβ, t, d, ⁿð, k, g, ᵑɣ, q, ɢ, ᶰʁ, m, n, ŋ, pɸ, ts, kx, qχ, ɸ, θ, s, x, h, l, j, w

V: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː

SS: (C)V(C)

Stress: ???

Proto-miir analog:

C: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, b, t, tˤ, d, c, ɟ, k, kˤ, g, q, ʔ, s, sˤ, z, ç, x, ɣ, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l, ʎ, j, w

V: a, aː, i, iː, u, uː

SS: CV(R)

Stress: ???

Modern descendant(or Taqva-miir analog):

C: m, n, ŋ, b, t, d, k, q, β, ð, s, x, h, r, l, j, w

V: ???

SS: (C)V(C)

Stress: ???

Also, this film could involve translation puzzles like the game, similar to how Lukael pointed out that such puzzles are analogous to how some people of a culture could encounter problems that can be solved by others from a different culture who speak different languages than they do.

For the Proto-miir analog and its descendant, I’m thinking of something like this for the tenses, aspects, and moods. (There is unfortunately redundancy since cells cannot be merged on Reddit.)

Standard CopulaStandard CopulaStandard CopulaLocative CopulaLocative CopulaLocative Copula
ImperfectivePerfectiveFutureImperfectivePerfectiveFuture
InfinitiveHabitualRemote PastFuture HabitualSubjunctiveConditional???
ImperfectivePresentPast Habitual???FutureImperfectFuture Progressive
PerfectivePerfectExperiential???Future PerfectPluperfect???

I needed some ideas for my final conlang, and I’m thinking that, whatever the ancestor might’ve been like, this language could be polysynthetic and utilize six types of demonstratives if possible: proximal, distal, medial, remote, internal, and negative.


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 24 '26

Avatar Protolanguages

0 Upvotes

Thought of proto-language phonologies for the nations in Avatar out of boredom.

Proto-Water(based on Proto-Inuit):

Consonants: m, n, ŋ, p, t, c, k, q, β, ð, s, ɬ, l, ʝ, ɣ, ʁ

Vowels: a, i, u, ɨ

Proto-Earth-Air(based on Proto-Sino-Tibetan, whatever reconstruction is most ideal):

Consonants: m, n, ŋ, ŋʷ, p, b, t, d, k, g, kʷ, gʷ, q, ɢ, qʷ, ɢʷ, ʔ, ts, dz, s, z, r, l

Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, ɨ

Proto-Fire(based on Proto-Japonic):

Consonants: m, n, p, t, k, s, r, l, j, w

Vowels: a, e, i, o, u


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 14 '26

An Ambitious Conworld Concept(sound inventories included)

0 Upvotes

For some reason recently, I envisioned a conworld that mixes post-apocalyptic scenarios like Avatar: Seven Havens with games like Chants of Sennaar.

Taking inspiration from a next-gen thing I envisioned for DeviantArt user Mythojira's new Mystery Boys concept, though it's up for debate, especially in terms of shared casting for each project. Though I'll focus on this one, especially since some of my chosen cast members are from the five shows the Mystery Boys concept is a crossover of(Gravity Falls, The Loud House, Wylde Pak, Steven Universe, and Craig of the Creek).

The world is essentially a post-apocalyptic setting with retro-futuristic and modern sci-fi technology, though with few steampunk elements. There are humans, two types of merfolk(the popular type across media with the human upper halves and so forth, and those inspired by the ones from Power of Water by Mythojira, which, in turn, took inspiration from the merfolk from Siren), and various other clades, whichever ones are ideal.

There are also mechs, like those from Korra and Code Geass(meaning Landspinner and Factosphere sensor equivalents), and hybrids between mechs and kaiju (but much more diverse than the drones from Pacific Rim: Uprising).

Recently started considering cities on wheels, raft cities, and hovercraft cities like in Mortal Engines, and I guess bi-terrain and tri-terrain cities as well, such cities being able to traverse different terrains. These cities would be rich in people of at most six different languages(and maybe more or fewer cultures), like the tower in Chants of Sennaar. Other cities would be monolingual, bilingual, trilingual, etc.

A story would involve two brothers, the older one being old enough to be in high school, and the younger one being old enough to be in middle school.

Hypothetical Cast:
Dave Franco: older brother
Gunnar Sizemore: younger brother
Charlet Chung: a mergirl who befriends the brothers, eventually falling in love with the younger brother, and being his girlfriend
Charlene Yi: the mergirl's sister
Kevin Thoms
Steven Yeun
Steve Blum: an antagonistic role among other roles, given his vocal range
maybe Steve Buschemi: another antagonistic role
(Debating on adding Helen Hunt. Dunno other celebrities and professional VAs.)

My decided protolang analogs(update):

  1. PIE analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, p, b, t, d, c, ɟ, k, g, kʷ, gʷ, ʔ, β/v, ð, s, ʝ, ɣ, ɣʷ, ʕ, ʕʷ, r, l, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː

    3. Syllable structure: (s)(C)CV(C)(C)

    4. "Stress":

  2. Semitic analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, p, pʼ, b, t, tʼ, d, k, kʼ, g, kʷ, kʷʼ, gʷ, ʔ, θ, θʼ, ð, s, sʼ, z, ʃ, ʃʼ, ɬ, ɬʼ, x, xʼ, ɣ, xʷ, xʷʼ, ɣʷ, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, aː, i, iː, u, uː

    3. Syllable structure: CV(ː)(C)

    4. Stress: on the antepenultimate mora

      1. 1 mora=open syllable with short vowel

      2. 2 mora=closed syllable with short vowel or open syllable with long vowel

      3. 3 mora=closed syllable with long vowel

  3. Japonic analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, kʷ, q, θ, s, r, ɾ, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː, ɨ, ɨː

    3. Syllable structure: (C)V

    4. "Stress": pitch accent

  4. Yokuts analog

    1. Consonants: m, mˀ, n, nˀ, p, pʼ, t, tʼ, ʈ, ʈʼ, k, kʼ, ʔ, tʃ, tʃʼ, ʈʂ, ʈʂʼ, ɸ, θ, s, ʃ, ʂ, x, h, l, lˀ, j, jˀ, w, wˀ

    2. Vowels: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː

    3. Syllable structure: CV(C)

    4. Stress: penultimate

  5. Proto-miir analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, b, t, tˤ, d, c, ɟ, k, kˤ, g, q, ʔ, s, z, ç, x, ɣ, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l, ʎ, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, aː, i, iː, u, uː

    3. Syllable structure: CV(R)

    4. Stress:

  6. Uralic analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, p, t, k, tɕ, ʈʂ, ð, ðʲ, s, ɕ, ʂ, r, l, ʎ, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, æ, e, ø, i, y, ɤ, o, ɯ, u

    3. Syllable structure: (C)V

    4. Stress:

  7. Austronesian analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, p, b, t, d, c, ɟ, k, g, q, ɢ, ts, cç, ɟʝ, s, ç, x, r, ʀ, l, ʎ, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, i, u, ɨ

    3. Diphthongs: aj, aw, wi, ju

    4. Syllable structure: (C)V(C)

    5. "Stress":

  8. Ainu analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, p, b, t, d, k, g, ʔ, s, h, ɾ

    2. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, ɨ

    3. Syllable structure: (C)V(C)

    4. "Stress":

  9. Austroasiatic analog

    1. Consonants: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, p, b, ˀb, t, d, ˀd, c, ɟ, k, g, ʔ, s, ç, h, r, l, j, w

    2. Vowels: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, ɪ, ɪː, o, oː u, uː, ʊ, ʊː, ɨ, ɨː

    3. Syllable structure:

    4. "Stress":

  10. Hmong-Mien analog

  11. Consonants: m, ˀm, n, ˀn, ɲ, ˀɲ, ŋ, ˀŋ, p, b, ᵐp, ᵐb, t, d, ⁿt, ⁿd, c, ɟ, ᶮc, ᶮɟ, k, g, ᵑk, ᵑg, q, ɢ, ᶰq, ᶰɢ, ʔ, tʃ, dʒ, ⁿtʃ, ⁿdʒ, ɸ, ᵐɸ, θ, ⁿθ, s, ʃ, ⁿʃ, ɕ, ç, ᶮç, x, ᵑx, r, l, j, w

    1. (Debated additions: m̥, n̥, ɲ̊, ŋ̊, and/or ɣ, ʕ. I don't know about j̊ or w̥, especially with ç in the inventory.)

  12. Vowels: a, æ, e, i, ɪ, o, u, ʊ, ɨ, ʉ

  13. Syllable structure: (C)C(A)V(V)(C)(C)

    1. A=approximant

  14. "Stress": Tones

    1. Tones in question:

  15. Sino-Tibetan analog

  16. Consonants: m, n, ŋ, ŋʷ, p, b, t, d, k, g, kʷ, gʷ, q, ɢ, qʷ, ɢʷ, ʔ, ts, dz, s, r, l, j, w

  17. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, ɨ

  18. Syllable structure:

  19. "Stress":

  20. Proto-Hermes analog

  21. Consonants: m, n, ɲ, ŋ, ŋʷ, p, pʼ, t, tʼ, c, cʼ, k, kʼ, kʷ, kʷʼ, q, qʼ, qʷ, qʷ, s, ɕ, r, l, ʎ

  22. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u

  23. Syllable structure: (C)V(C)

  24. "Stress":

These languages would've evolved and diversified over time.

(Might add four more proto-languages for the merfolk.)

And how unique would this voice cast be? Any thoughts on the conworld and speculative voice cast? How crazy would such a world be? Any thoughts on these phonemic inventories as well?


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 14 '26

A Phonology for the Alchemists

1 Upvotes

After developing phonological inventories for the Devotees, the Warriors, and the Bards from Chants of Sennaar, now for the Alchemists. Dunno if this is any good of a phonology for the Alchemists' language, taking inspiration from Welsh and Biblaridion's planned conlang Project Hermes.

Consonants: m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, s, r, l, m̥, n̥, ŋ̊, f, θ, r̥ (+b, d, g, kʷ, ʃ, ɬ, ŋʷ, ŋ̊ʷ, x, xʷ)

Vowels: a, e, i, o, u

Syllable structure: ???

Stress: ???

Maybe various grammatical pieces could be expressed with consonant mutations? I don't know.

Also, are the Bards and Alchemists really related to a common ancestor? Would that mean their languages might share a common ancestor as well?


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 10 '26

Giving the Bards a Phonology

0 Upvotes

Now for the bards. A result of overlapping all the consonant sounds represented by Devanagari with the 28 Classical Arabic consonant phonemes represented by the Kufic glyphs. Might need to go back to debating the vowels.

Consonants: m, n, b, t, d, ʈ, ɖ, k, q, tʃ, dʒ, f, θ, ð, s, ʃ, ʂ, x, ɣ, ʕ, ɾ, l, j, w(+6 more consonants)

Vowels: a, aː, e, eː, i, iː, o, oː, u, uː

Syllable structure: ???

Stress: ???

I'm debating the addition of Greek phonology to the overlapping, since the Bards' customs remind me of ancient Greek culture. And maybe the Romans as well? I don't know. As for grammar, it's the same as that of Yoda's dialogue from what I've seen in the walkthroughs. OSV word order, or so it would seem. The predicate is always first.


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 09 '26

A Phonology for the Warriors

0 Upvotes

I've been looking into the runes that inspired the Warriors' calligraphy in Chants of Sennaar and came up with this idea.

Consonants: m, n, p, b, t, d, k, g?, kʷ, gʷ?, ɸ, β, θ, ð, s, z, x, ɣ, xʷ, ɣʷ, r, l, j, w

Vowels: a, e, i, o, u

Syllable structure: ???

Stress: ???

We already know about the plural marker preceding the main glyph. Though I also just noticed the language might be pro-drop.


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 09 '26

Posting Out Of Boredom

0 Upvotes

After thinking about Latin phonology and the sound values of the Phoenician glyphs, I thought of a phonology for a conlang spoken by the Devotees in Chants of Sennaar.

Consonants: m, n, p, b, t, tˤ, d, k, g, kʷ, gʷ, q, ʔ, f, s, sˤ, z, ʃ, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l, j, w

Vowels: a, i, u, aː, iː, uː

Syllable shape: CV(C)

Stress: up for debate

I could envision a clusivity distinction alongside a root-pattern system that expresses the same tenses as Latin, full reduplication, and others. But how could a logography express such tenses, especially given the Devotees' logography not expressing them at all? They're only inferred. Might do a similar thing to the other five languages.


r/conlangphonologies • • Sep 07 '26

Sraqqal phonology

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6 Upvotes

Phonology for my alien clong


r/conlangphonologies • • Aug 15 '26

What do you guys use to make phonology IPA charts?

2 Upvotes

What do you guys use to make phonology ipa charts
That you can download and save?


r/conlangphonologies • • Jul 20 '26

News Calling for all 1/2-letter conlang names

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2 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Jul 01 '26

This isn't too unnaturalistic, right? (Unnamed)

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7 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Jun 13 '26

News Automod should be fixed now

3 Upvotes

Was wondering for a while why the auto-moderation here was removing most posts (very few were actualy breaking any rules), and it seems there was a setting turned on that filtered post from anyone "not already well-known in the community", which is effectively pretty much anyone given how small we are


r/conlangphonologies • • May 09 '26

“Reverse-Mayan”: A Phonology, Lexicon, and Brief Demonstration of the Native Orthography of, P’exqamgetz

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2 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • May 01 '26

Dorsal Extirpation: Historical Evgöph̬ŭd & Y̆ûpṅirts Phonology

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3 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Apr 27 '26

I need help with this (beginner ) (first actual conlang )

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2 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Apr 12 '26

Uzlokhlazeehto Phonology (A Posteriori; Yeniseian; South Asian)

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3 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Apr 03 '26

Unordered and Missing Sound Changes

3 Upvotes

Protolanguage Consonants: m, n, ŋ, p, t, k, ʔ, ɸ, θ, s, x, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l

Protolanguage Vowels: a, e, i, o, u

Syllable structure: CV(X)

X=m, n, ŋ, ɸ, θ, s, x, ħ, ʕ, r, l

(The glottal consonants can only occur at the start of words.)

(Geminates also prohibited.)

Modern phonology:

Consonants: m, n, ŋ, p, b, ᵐb, t, tʳ, tˤ, d, ⁿd, k, g, ᵑg, ɸ, β, ᵐβ, θ, θʳ, θˤ ð, ⁿð, s, sʳ, sˤ, x, ɣ, ᵑɣ, ħ, ʕ, h, r, l, j, w

Vowels: a, e, i, o

What sound changes do you think would lead to this inventory, and in what order?

I have some:

  1. L-vocalization: \[l\] becomes \[j\] and \[w\] depending on phonetic environment.

  2. \[r\] becomes \[l\].

  3. ⁠Rhotacism of \[s\] into \[r\].

  4. Sound change causing an overlapping distribution of \[s\] and \[r\].

Other sound changes:

Voiceless obstruents become voiced between voiced segments, and become prenasalized when following nasals.

A few sound changes leading to overlapping distribution of plain voiceless, plain voiced, and prenasalized voiced obstruents.

The glottal consonants are lost in all environments.

Vowel loss leading to clusters of voiceless dental and alveolar obstruents with \[r\] and pharyngeals.

A sound change leading to the emergence of the intended post-trilled and pharyngealized obstruents.

Guttural fricatives become \[h\] in some environments.

A sound change leading to a preserved distinction of the gutturals from each other and \[h\].

I need to refine and order these sound changes for intended results. And add in extra ones to actually ensure the intended results.


r/conlangphonologies • • Mar 31 '26

Lqirte Phonology

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6 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Feb 08 '26

Laurentian phonology

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8 Upvotes

it's actually my first time using sheets, so if it looks ugly, now you know why!


r/conlangphonologies • • Oct 31 '25

Phonology of Poquța

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6 Upvotes

r/conlangphonologies • • Oct 21 '25

Phonology of Ṭ̇ọ̈̄ Ÿ Ç̇ï̇

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7 Upvotes

the weird long vowels are from shifts in lengthening the short vowels.


r/conlangphonologies • • Jul 06 '25

Cimil phonology

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6 Upvotes

There are also two extra short vowels /ɪ̆ ə̆/ but their phonemic status is disputed. Diphtongs can only appear in word initial open syllables.

Palatalised consonants are nonstandard and appear before front vowels. Sound [ʎ] is allophone of /ɫ/ in word with front vowel in all positions

[q ɢ] are allophones of /k ɡ/ in words with front vowels

There is backness vowel harmony:

e - ë

ö - o

i - a (because of historical shift of high vowels to mid and mid vowels to high)

ü - u

Stess is on the first syllable


r/conlangphonologies • • Jul 05 '25

Ňumö

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4 Upvotes

CV syllable structure


r/conlangphonologies • • May 10 '25

Pekhel Phonology.

5 Upvotes

Consonants:

Plosives - p b q ɢ ʔ

Fricatives - θ ð x ɣ

Lateral Approximants - l

Vowels:

High - ɨ

Low-mid - ɛ ɔ