Advanced Language Construction

by Mark Rosenfelder

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.

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction, Writing, Language, Reference

278 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Leli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was going to like this book when it told me, "Aspiring linguists should already know the Greek alphabet...and if you know the Greek alphabet, there's little excuse for not reading Cyrillic." A book after my own heart.

[Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente introducción para los aficionados a la creación de lenguas y a la lingüística en general. Extensión de "Language Construction Kit" del mismo autor. Analiza las lenguas de señas, logográficas, y criollas entre otras.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Mark Rosenfelder is one of the big names in constructed languages, but despite the title of the book, it's less about making languages than it is just about languages. (Of course, you have to know your subject before you can paint it, so that makes sense.) I love reading about different languages' quirks and grammatical structures and "they have a category for that?!" There's plenty of that here; in a sense, it's a curated collection of the wonderful variety of how human language works. I did skim a few parts that are available online and which I had already read. Recommended for anyone who would consider themselves a linguistics nerd. (Probably a small category, but you know who you are.)

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the Language Construction Kit and the Planet Construction Kit, I was a bit disappointed by Advanced Language Construction. The first chapters were the most interesting to me (Writing a grammar, A taste of logic), the Studies in Morphosyntax one takes a good third of the book and is mostly (as its name implies) a study of various languages. While I agree that knowing about real world languages is relevant to conlanging, it was a bit too much for me. I would have appreciated, for instance, a chapter on syntax trees or other matters. And the last part (Tools) in my opinion could just have been published on the web.

Still, the depth of the knowledge of the author is impressive and equally great is that he is good at explaining complicated topics.

[Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in a day after it arrived. The original Language Construction Kit, originally an online article, was a mainstay of my teenage years, when I was into conlanging originally. I remember printing it out at school but at 4-point type to save paper. The older LCK book was basically the online article but fleshed out. This is all-new material. Rosenfelder writes well and includes plenty of real-world examples for the linguistic constructions he mentions in the book. There is a "guest chapter" by another author near the end, about North Caucasian languages, but unfortunately it is difficult to follow compared to the rest of the book.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 5 out of 5]

essential reading for anyone who's interested in conlanging. i had some (relatively minor) complaints w/ the book but i'm giving it 5 stars b/c as far as I know it's the best book in its particular niche.

[Noah]

Very interesting book, it's quite a long read with quite some info but it's well worth it

[Elijah Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to linguistics topics and how they can be practically (though most of this is impractical aside from enjoyment and art) applied to conlanging.

[Marcas de B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10—Advanced Language Construction allows the budding conlanger to break into a sprint from Rosenfelder's first book. Everything from the first Kit is here, in more detail, along with even more content. This time Rosenfelder delves more into technical linguistic theory, which is invaluable for gaining a deep knowledge of language and the processes that drive its change. And Rosenfelder doesn't limit himself to pure language; writing systems are discussed also, another important facet of worldbuilding and language construction. Just as with the LCK, ALC goes further and provides the reader with extra material to pursue themselves in the betterment of their craft and embroadening of their linguistic knowledge; an automated sound change applier is one example. Rosenfelder once again proves his own competence in not just linguistics, conlanging, and worldbuilding, but in communicating his expertise to the reader.

[Jason Tank · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the type of book you dog-ear repeatedly so you can come back to a certain section when your creativity is dwindling (or you just want to bash your head against ergativity again).