AI Disturbance Overlays For Those Who Don't Have Ibis Paint Premium. Found Them On Tiktok

Fiat Lingua Top 10 for 2023

It's time for the annual Fiat Lingua rewind!

Background: I created Fiat Lingua over ten years ago with the idea that it could be something like the Rutgers Optimality Archive: A place where conlangers could post work that they wanted to showcase, or work that was in progress. We've had tons of contributions over the years, and some standout work I'm really proud of.

Using our fancy statistics program (you know, the free version) we're able to determine the top 10 visited posts for this year (though, note, the numbers for the current year's December post will always be down a little bit, since it didn't have a full month. If you'd like to take a look at it, Carsten Becker did a version of "Silent Night" in his conlang Ayeri!). Here they are!

NUMBER 10

"Road Trip Conlanging with Kids" (August, 2023) by Mia DeSanzo: Fiat Lingua is supposed to be an archive of long, detailed conlang articles, and also short, breezy conlang ideas, and this is one of the latter! It's less than a page long, but a fun idea, and it was quite well-received!

NUMBER 9

"Art & Anxiety: Conlanging through impostor syndrome" (February, 2023) by Jessie Sams (now Jessie Peterson): This is a personal reflection by @quothalinguist on how she has dealt with impostor syndrome, and how it's impacted her conlanging.

NUMBER 8

"Taadži Linguistics" (March, 2023) by Lauren Kuffler: This is a wonderful introduction to the Taadži language, which features a writing system reminiscent of Mayan epigraphs.

NUMBER 7

"Tone for Conlangers: A Basic Introduction" (April, 2018) by Aidan Aannestad: Making a second consecutive appearance in the top ten, Aidan Aannestad's introduction to tone has been an invaluable resource for conlangers producing tonal conlangs for just over five years now!

NUMBER 6

"Afrihili: An African Interlanguage" (April, 2014) by William S. Annis: Afrihili is an a posteriori auxlang from the late 60s that uses Bantu languages as its source, and it is fascinating! One of my all-time favorite auxlangs, and William provides a wonderful introduction. Of interest, this article was number 6 in the top ten last year, as well!

NUMBER 5

"Names Aren’t Neutral: David J. Peterson on Creating a Fantasy Language" (March, 2019) by David J. Peterson: Up four spots from last year, this is my article on best practices when coming up with names in a fantasy setting—even when no conlang is present.

NUMBER 4

"Grambank & Language Documentation: Zhwadi and Its Features" (June, 2023) by Jessie Sams (now Jessie Peterson): The first of the game-changing mega-resources for conlanging Jessie created in 2023, this is a short description of how to use Grambank in conlanging with a link to a fillable Google spreadsheet any conlanger can copy and use to introduce their conlang to others.

NUMBER 3

"Patterns of Allophony" (April, 2015) by William S. Annis: Definitely one of the most popular papers on Fiat Lingua, William illustrates graphically a number of very common sound changes. This article once again occupies the third spot of our top ten!

NUMBER 2

"A Conlanger's Thesaurus" (September, 2014) by William S. Annis: We have a new number 1 for this year! This has, historically, been the most accessed article on Fiat Lingua, and it's obvious to see why. The article is relatively short, compared to the information and use you can get out of it. William Annis details ways in which languages relate words to other similar words. For conlangers who struggle either with coming up with words that are different from English in meaning, or who struggle with coming up with words at all, this reference article should prove very useful. Using the word maps in this article, you might be able to come up with words you never dreamt of before, but words which could exist in some language. A great resource for conlangers who are desperately trying to break out of the influence of their L1 or L2!

And now for the top viewed article for 2023 on Fiat Lingua...

NUMBER 1

"A Surreal Conlang" (January, 2023) by David J. Peterson: Quite the surprise! Late 2022 I wrote an article about how one might go about creating a surreal conlang—neither naturalistic nor regular and artificial like an auxlang or engelang—and it went up on Fiat Lingua on January 1st. I think (or hope) it served as a useful jumping off point for conlangers who are looking to try something really different from what they've seen done elsewhere.

* * * * *

And that's it for 2023! I'm looking forward to posting more conlang articles next year. If you are a conlanger, a conlang-researcher, or conlang fan who has something to say in .pdf format about a specific conlang or conlanging in general, please consider submitting something to Fiat Lingua! We take any and all articles related to conlanging in whatever form you have them. I'm also happy to help you think up ideas, or refine those ideas you have. There is no strong review like in a fancy journal: I just want to get what you have up. I'm especially in interested in hosting personal conlang stories—stories about how or why you started to create a language, or your experience creating your own language—personal stories that are often lost, but are so vital, as there is an absolute dearth of literature about conlangers! If you think you have even the seed of an idea, please get a hold of me! I want to share as many stories and ideas as I can.

ok, so since i'm a huge language nerd i decided to translate all the ancient hyrulean tablets in totk best i can from middle english into modern english! for anyone interested they are under the cut :)

Account of a Celebration

So sweet the song of King Rauru, and so great the beauty of his sister's dance, that were my eyes and ears captive.

And so gracious Queen Sonia's gaze on us all, so felt I my heart as captive fallen.

Servant's life, though much laboursome, has much jollity as well. Long be the life of the royal family that I love so.

The Strong Queen and the Receptive King

Sonia, queen to Hyrule's king, was born a Hylian priestess, herself born of land, not of sky above.

Spoke she with open heart, earnest to all, even to the Zonai's king.

This king thought it a good advantage to learn of the land's folk. To see his head bent to listen is such pleasantness.

The Harmonious Couple

Oft wise Rauru, king of keen blade, waives his real work in favor of the hunt.

And oft clever Sonia, queen of keen insight, seeks him out and repairs this king to kingly business.

In her sapience seems she divine, that she ever can find him, and for his folly seems he the more human.

And the king? Oh, he laughs. Not him her equal for her wit, he knows. And the queen, she laughs too, even as she scolds.

A Pilgrimage of Light

The king was late in coming this evening, so made the queen to share tales of her land, of shrines all green glowing.

Of early days since Hyrule's founding have diverse monsters her realm besieged and assailed.

Unceasing in strife, they brought to despair folks' lives. King and queen set themselves to bring the scourge to an end.

With might of light and power, they were driven back, and the royal couple made these shrines to seal them away.

These holy seals were called Shrines of Light.

Great king, great queen, I thank you. You fought when I was a maiden-child, that I could come to know.

The Researcher Mineru

Clever Mineru, the king's elder sister, falls so deep in her books such that she oft forgets to eat.

In my worried way I've done what much I can, but so far it has been to little avail.

Of late speaks she of "constructs," things she did make with her hands as a vessel for spirit when body fails.

So, said she, might she live long, in spirit housed within this "construct."

Though Mineru seems not to hold any deceit… By my faith, I cannot believe these words as truth.

The Foreign Princess

Full fine is the weather this morn, and have I audience with this princess said to be kin by far distant years to queen Sonia.

By grace has she been given a name most sweet, of Zelda she is called.

In certain folk stirred suspicion, for strange were her garments and sudden were her appearance.

Yet would her countenance and bearing make proof of her right blood and bond to queen Sonia.

As Zelda is to remain for a while with us, I will extend an offer of myself as housemaid in her service.

The Free-Spirited Zelda

Princess Zelda recently comes to see Mineru, the king's elder sister. I come too, to serve her.

Today it came to pass that Mineru showed to Zelda the greatest construct I have seen.

Zelda, she much desired to ride on it, and nothing I could say could stop her. Though I did protest. Loudly.

Nevertheless she made to sit high upon the construct's shoulders and to ride it like a horse, all full of grace.

My admiration, so great already, did grow all the more.

The Latest Trend

Fashion now favors garments adorned with mushroom patterns, and far and wide are they worn.

This taste for mushrooms comes of the castle's seamstress, who sought to sew clothes to please princess Zelda.

This fashion, Zelda told the seamstress, was in her true home well-loved.

In her time everyone wore patterns of bright hues, in the shape of mushrooms.

Now our handy seamstress set her heart on copying these patterns, which sell to many happy people.

I searched after some for my own, but none could I find.

An Ancient Ghost Story

Of late have I heard it told a strange lady walks around the castle in the dark of night.

She and princess Zelda seem as twins, but this one has not the light in her eyes- more as a dead thing than not.

When she is asked about these walks, princess Zelda does of that remember nothing.

What monster, or spirit of darkness, is this vision? So afraid I am of my imaginings that I cannot sleep.

For the Hero's Sake

Since her founding has Hyrule seen such hardship, but that is only a small moment of time.

Mineru, the king's elder sister, says of this kingdom that it must not be caught unaware, not even in the far future.

Princess Zelda tells her that this future is wrought already, that a champion does from the sky come.

Between the two, they made to find a way to help this champion in that distant time.

Hear my vow, sought they to raise up the Temple of Time, into the sky to ward it against evil.

All done so in far distant day, our kingdom might be saved.

In my heart I know I must help, and I asked of Mineru, can you devise the means to raise up in the sky these stones.

My words are not enough, but they save these memories, of the royal family, high in the sky for that future time.

The Day the Land Rose

Such a wondrous sight I have beheld that it cannot justly be described.

The Temple of Time I saw, and all land holding it, risen to the sky, both fearful and majestic.

As princess Zelda told me, in far distant future comes a champion to that place, the hope that saves Hyrule.

For that champion is it that I inscribe these great stones.

The king's elder sister, Mineru, sends now these stones to the sky, that the champion might read them.

A Parting Resolve

Rauru, Hyrule's king. Sonia, her queen. His elder sister, Mineru. And too Princess Zelda.

All whom I served, and loved. All whom are gone. Alone carve I these words upon this stone.

This stone, and all thirteen, serve as the royal family's record, my final work, full-wrought for all time.

Many the mark made by these much-beloved people - some seen, some unseen.

When I make remembrance of her marks, feel I a flame of hope, though small, within me.

It is as though these marks describe some grand design.

I cannot match princess Zelda in her love for her land. What more then, ask I, can I do for Hyrule's people.

Let my life lead me henceforth for a worthy answer to this question.

Han dynasty scholar Wang Chong gives an argument against the existence of ghosts

does anyone wanna hold hands until we feel a little braver

Listen man THIS ONE? I will butcher it. I promise you I will. I couldn't dance if everyone's lives depended on it. Like I can try to research how to describe dancing but I have six left feet and no sense of sensuality. I have rhythm but none of it is actually useful. It doesn't translate from mind to body, much less so to words.

Three years from now when you've forgotten about even asking for it it's gonna pop up on a recommended page covered in dust and even then it'll just be this

I promise a whole-hearted attempt but it's definitely gonna be a hot minute for me to figure it out.

Thank you so much for your ask/request, Little Bat 🦇🥰

I hate that SEPTember OCTOber NOVember and DECember aren’t the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th months.

No but this literally happened to me earlier this week except it was another couple sitting beside me and my fiancee

me and this random couple are going to see sinners this friday

No one is fuck8kg talking about Joey's low register at the end of cool as I think I am reprise, that shit took my breath away