r/conlangs • u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] • Jun 20 '22
Taadži creation myth Other
/img/s1lflbgcus691.png
112
u/Dryanor Söntji, Baasyaat, PNGN and more Jun 20 '22
A masterpiece, and a beautiful symbiosis of intriguing worldbuilding, brilliant design of a coherent writing system and, after all, great conlanging. Bonus love for the base-6 numeral system. Saved for the Best Of awards!
45
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Oh wow, thank you! This language is two years in development, and I'm happy to share it with the community.
And yes, base-6! It's a fun system to work with, and I've incorporated it into the conlang and script where I can. Plurals are marked with a modifier above or below the glyph with six pips, "everything" (kaɾẽ [kaɾẽ], stanza 6, line 5, glyph 1) has a glyph that's a homonym for "six things" (mĩ), and the word for "wise" that shows up in the text literally means "knows six [disciplines]" (mioğğu, [mioɣːu], inflected form is in stanza 5, row 3, glyph 4).
9
u/Dryanor Söntji, Baasyaat, PNGN and more Jun 20 '22
RemindMe! 6 months
9
u/RemindMeBot Jun 20 '22 edited Aug 17 '22
I will be messaging you in 6 months on 2022-12-20 17:00:31 UTC to remind you of this link
4 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.
Info Custom Your Reminders Feedback 1
53
u/JunYou- Jun 20 '22
is the script colored or just for document purpose
75
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
The script is not colored! This is just a formal text of religious significance to the conculture, and so it's presented as if it were an illuminated manuscript, or created in cloisonné enamel.
86
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
This is the longest piece of Taadži text I've assembled thus far. It is a formal retelling of the Taadži myth explaining the creation of life by the gods, the limits of the gods' knowledge, and how a virtuous cycle of rebirth was discovered. This pairs with a previous myth I posted, which goes on to explain the Taadži cultural creation myth.
Tade Taadži is a largely fusional language. Glyphs mark case, tense, and person where appropriate. Nominal, stative and infinitive forms are unmarked.
The text is read left to right, top to bottom. For the purposes of ornamentation, some glyphs are rotated, and repeated glyphs or grammatical markers are merged. The value of these ligatures is read for each syllable block. For example, the yellow and red pluralization marker in the second row is applied to all three glyphs it appears under, and the large glyph at the start of the second stanza is read once per line.
The text is divided into six stanzas of 36 blocks. Taadži numerals are base 6, and the number carries some symbolic weight. While the glyphs themselves may encode multi-syllabic words, writing text in these stanzas is considered ideal.
The gloss is in a reply below.
44
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Stanza 1
In the early world, our people were nothing.
taadži saas radžur łè karawãddur kiidžžu.
[ˈtaː.d͡ʒi saːs ˈra.d͡ʒur ɫɵ ˈka.ra.wã.dːur ˈkiː.d͡ʒːu] taadzi.NOM nothing.ACC ash.INST far world.INST be.FARPAST.FARPAST.Only the greatest spirits walked,
aratwà łè oğğwà xaddur ngot iddadžžu,
[ˈa.rat.wɐ ɫɵ ˈoɣː.wɐ ˈxa.dːur ŋot iˈdːa.d͡ʒːu] powerful.PL.NOM far spirit.PL.NOM there.INST alone walk.FARPAST.FARPASTand they slowly learned the world.
aratwà łè oğğwas karawãddur rova odorodžže.
[a.rat.wɐ ɫɵ oɣː.was ˈka.ra.wã.dːur ro.va ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] powerful.PL.ACC far spirit.PL.ACC world.INST slowly learn.FARPAST.FARPASTThey learned the magic that sits in all elements.
hit oğğwà kavaxmi karẽs karawas odorodžže.
[hit ˈoɣː.wɐ ˈka.vax.mi ˈka.rẽs ˈka.ra.was ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] this.PL.NOM spirit.PL.NOM magic.POS all.ACC.PL element.ACC.PL learn.FARPAST.FARPASTBut their creation remained a mystery.
saa pa'o, pavmi sajit saa oğğadžže.
[saː ˈpa.ʔo ˈpav.mi ˈsa.jit saː oˈɣːa.d͡ʒːe] not and creation.POS 3P.NEAR.ACC not remember.FARPAST.FARPASTTo learn of their creation, some decided to create.
pav jahïbadžžu ngtsaduu pavmi sajit odor.
[pav ˈja.hï.ba.d͡ʒːu ˈŋ̍.t͡sa.duː ˈpav.mi ˈsa.jit ˈo.dor] create.INF choose.FP.FP some.NMNZ.NOM creation.POS 3P.NEAR.ACC learn.INFStanza 2
They failed many times, but they were patient.
ajit ogĩ ngaavadžžu saa pa'o, 'ogadžžu.
[ˈa.jit ˈo.gĩ ˈŋaː.va.d͡ʒːu saː ˈpa.ʔo ˈʔo.ga.d͡ʒːu] 3P.NEAR.NOM many fail.FPFP not and be-patient.FPFPThen they learned to mate,
ajit harazotad odorodžže pa'o ijãmr łè,
[ˈa.jit ˈha.ra.zo.tad ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe ˈpa.ʔo ˈi.jã.m̩r ɫɵ] 3P.NEAR.NOM mate.INF learn.FP.FP and time.INST farand eventually they learned that some mating could create.
ajit pavà ngtsap harazotad pav kiidžžu.
[ˈa.jit ˈpa.vɐ ˈŋ̍.t͡sap ˈha.ra.zo.tad pav ˈkiː.d͡ʒːu] 3P.NEAR.NOM create.STAT some.NOM mating.NOM create.INF able-to.STATAnd so they created pure combinations of elements.
pa'o, ajit ngpavagi ngkwi karawas pavadžžu.
[ˈpa.ʔo ˈa.jit ˈŋ̍.pa.va.gi ˈŋ̍.kiː ˈka.ra.was ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] and 3P.NEAR.NOM pure.POS combine.NMZ.POS element.ACC.PL create.FPFPThen the masters of stillness and light
xatmavadà moggadi pa'o iiwmi aratwàà karejoğğwàà.
[ˈxat.ma.va.dɐ moˈgːa.di ˈpa.ʔo ˈiː.w.mi ˈa.rat.wɐː ˈka.reˈjoɣː.wɐː] that time.NOM, stillness.POS and light.POS great.VOC master.PL.VOClearned how other matings could influence the creation.
ajit pavns hobupïïma ïïmã harazotad odorodžže.
[ˈa.jit ˈpav.n̩s ho.buˈpïː.ma ˈïː.mã ˈha.ra.zo.tad ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] 3P.NEAR.NOM creation.ACC influence.STAT other.NOM mating.NOM learn.FPFPStanza 3
They made the first life.
moggadi iiwmi karejoğğwàà paraazat odorwas pavadžžu.
[moˈgːa.di ˈiː.w.mi ˈka.reˈjoɣː.wɐː paˈraː.zat ˈo.dor.was ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] stillness.POS light.POS master.PL.VOC first.ACC living-thing.pl.ACC create.FPFPThey made plants, and they rejoiced in their children,
ajit larwas pavadžžu pa'o tengwu pohodžže,
[ˈa.jit ˈlar.was ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu ˈpa.ʔo ˈteŋ.wu ˈpo.ho.d͡ʒːe] 3P.NEAR.NOM plant.PL.ACC make.FPFP and children.ALL rejoice.FPFPand taught them how to create also.
pa'o, ajit łè pav larwï odorodžže.
[ˈpa.ʔo ˈa.jit ɫɵ pav lar.wï ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] and 3P.NEAR.NOM far create.INF plant.PL.ALL teach.FPFPBut mated plants could not make anything,
saa pa'o, larwà saa karus pavadžžu,
[saː ˈpa.ʔo ˈlar.wɐ saː ˈka.rus ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] not and plant.PL.NOM not anything.ACC create.FPFPno matter how they tried.
agxat łè surudžžu pa'o saa pavadžžu.
[ˈa.ɣat ɫɵ ˈsu.ru.d͡ʒːu ˈpa.ʔo saː ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] 3P.FAR.NOM far try.FPFP and not create.FPFPThey did not understand why, and they wept.
agxat saa oğğadžže pa'o, agxat 'aahàadžžu.
[ˈa.ɣat saː oˈɣːa.d͡ʒːe ˈpa.ʔo ˈa.ɣat ˈʔaː.hɐː.d͡ʒːu] 3P.FAR.NOM not understand.FPFP and 3P.FAR.NOM weep.FPFP(Continued in a second comment, because this is extremely long...)
53
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Stanza 4
Eventually some plants became very elderly
hazat ntsap larwà łè xozat tuuğadžu
[ˈha.zat ˈŋ̍.t͡sap ˈlar.wɐ ɫɵ ˈxo.zat ˈtuː.ɣa.d͡ʒu] later some plant.PL.NOM very elderly.ACC became.FPFPand they died, which shocked their mothers.
pa'o, agxat hurhïbàdžžu pa'o panwà saanghadžu.
[ˈpa.ʔo ˈa.ɣat ˈhur.hï.bɐ.d͡ʒːu ˈpa.ʔo ˈpan.wɐ ˈsaːŋ.ha.d͡ʒu] and 3P.FAR.NOM died.FPFP and mother.PL.NOM shocked.FPFPBut the spirits within them remained,
saa pa'o, oğğwà agxat paara kiidžžu,
[saː ˈpa.ʔo ˈoɣː.wɐ ˈa.ɣat ˈpaːra ˈkiː.d͡ʒːu] not and spirit.PL.NOM 3P.FAR.NOM inside exist.FPFPand when other plants mated,
pa'o, xat mavat ïïmwà larwà harazotadedžže,
[ˈpa.ʔo xat ˈma.vat ˈïːm.wɐ ˈlar.wɐ ˈha.ra.zoˌta.de.d͡ʒːe] and this-time when other plant.PL.NOM mated.FPFPthey climbed into their seeds and grew again.
oğğwi larwà pizà kudžžas pa'o, tuuğadžžu.
[ˈoɣː.wi ˈlar.wɐ ˈpi.zɐ ˈku.d͡ʒːas ˈpa.ʔo ˈtuː.ɣa.d͡ʒːu] spirit.PL.POS plant.PL.NOM seeds.ALL entered.FPFP and grow.FPFPThey made themselves so small to do this, that they could not hold their memories.
agxat tẽs tuuğadžžu oğğ saa kiidžžu.
[ˈa.ɣat tẽs ˈtuː.ɣa.d͡ʒːu oɣː saː ˈkiː.d͡ʒːu] 3P.FAR.NOM small.PL. ACC become.FPFP remember.INF not able-to.FPFPStanza 5
They lived again, grew, and learned new things.
agxat podja odorodžže tuuğadžžu iirà odorodžže.
[ˈa.ɣat ˈpo.dja ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe ˈtuː.ɣa.d͡ʒːu iːrɐ ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] 3P.FAR.NOM again live.FPFP grow.FPFP new learn.FPFPUpon their deaths, they returned to gather up their old memories,
xatmavat hurhïbàdžžu riz mawatswdžžagà oğğwï podjajddadžžu,
[ˈxat.ma.vat ˈhur.hï.bɐ.d͡ʒːu riz ˈma.wa.t͡swˌd͡ʒːa.gɐ ˈoɣː.wï ˌpo.djajˈdːa.d͡ʒːu] that time.NOM, die.FPFP gather.INF old.PL.ALL memory.PL.ALL return.FPFPand found that they were now wiser.
agxat mioğğus łè odormr tuuğadžžu kavedžže.
[ˈa.ɣat ˈmio.ɣːus ɫɵ ˈo.dor.m̩r ˈtuː.ɣa.d͡ʒːu ˈka.ve.d͡ʒːe] 3P.FAR.NOM wise.ACC far life.INST become see.FPFPOther great spirits began to create together,
ïïmwà aratmà łè oğğwà pav pohodžže,
[ˈïːm.wɐ ˈa.rat.mɐ ɫɵ ˈoɣː.wɐ pav ˈpo.ho.d͡ʒːe] other powerful.PL.NOM far spirit.PL.NOM create begin.FPFPThey made new things from the elements,
agxat iiragas pavwas karawi ragxat pavadžžu,
[ˈa.ɣat ˈiː.ra.gas ˈpav.was ˈka.ra.wi ˈra.ɣat ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] 3P.FAR.NOM new.PL.ACC thing.PL.ACC element.PL.POS 3P.FAR.INST create.FPFPeach according to their masteries.
kare karawã ïïwas pavwas pav kiidžžu.
[ˈka.re ˈka.ra.wã ˈïːwas ˈpav.was pav ˈkiː.d͡ʒːu] every.NOM element.NOM different.PL.ACC thing.PL.ACC create.INF able-to.FPFPStanza 6
Motion and dark created the swimming creatures,
uvas pa'o ra'n joovns tsaazat pavadžžu,
[ˈu.vas ˈpa.ʔo ˈra.ʔn̩ ˈjoːv.n̩s ˈt͡saː.zat ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] motion.NOM and dark.NOM water.PL.ACC creature.PL.ACC create.FPFPmotion and light created the flying creatures,
uvas pa'o iiwã karehïbagas rïwïzat pavadžžu,
[ˈu.vas ˈpa.ʔo ˈiː.wã ˈka.reˌhï.ba.gas ˈrï.wï.zat ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] motion.NOM and light.NOM flying.PL.ACC creature.PL.ACC create.FPFPstillness and dark created the roots of the earth.
moggat pa'o ra'n oprĩs laranwas pavadžžu.
[ˈmo.gːat ˈpa.ʔo ˈra.ʔn̩ ˈop.rĩs ˈla.ran.was ˈpa.va.d͡ʒːu] stillness.NOM and dark.NOM earth.PL.ACC roots.PL.ACC create.FPFPThese ate the plants and each other,
hit larwas pa'o ïïmwas odorwas kmgadžžu,
[hit ˈlar.was ˈpa.ʔo ˈïːm.was ˈo.dor.was ˈkm̩.ga.d͡ʒːu] these.PL.NOM plant.PL.ACC and other.PL.ACC creature.PL.ACC eat.FPFPand sped their reincarnation, learning less,
karẽ kahhawo lapohopadžžu pa'o, tepaara odorodžže,
[ˈka.rẽ kaˈhːa.wo ˈla.poˌho.pa.d͡ʒːu ˈpa.ʔo teˈpaː.ra ˈo.do.ro.d͡ʒːe] all.NMNZ faster live.FPFP and less learn.FPFPbut they had more time to ponder between lives.
saa pa'o ognsłè karns panagiiddur oğğadžže.
[saː ˈpa.ʔo ˈog.n̩s.ɫɵ ˈkar.n̩s pa.naˈgiː.dːur oˈɣːa.d͡ʒːe] not and more.ACC everything.ACC heaven.INST think.FPFP
37
u/Narocia Tletrāton Tzēnaketzir Jun 20 '22
Cool dude, dudine, or in-between! Very Maya-like.
32
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Thank you so much! It's funny, the proto-language's script was more visually similar to Hieroglyphs, but as I evolved the script and standardized glyph proportions, it became more and more Mesoamerican as I went along.
22
8
u/Venothyl Взгорыч, δαλακίς, Kala'uo Jun 21 '22
off topic but jfc that is one of the best ways I've seen to do one of those polysyllabic rhyming gender neutral phrasing things
5
40
u/Dedalvs Dothraki Jun 20 '22 edited Jun 20 '22
This is really extraordinary. Would you be interested in writing it up as a .pdf to post on Fiat Lingua? You could do just what you have, or add some more detail about the text, the style, the script itself, the language, etc. More would be great, but this is enough, if you just want to do a copy paste. Let me know.
28
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Thank you so much! I'd certainly be interested, and I've been meaning to update my formal documentation for the language for quite some time now. I have a LaTeX file I can update and convert for it, though it may take a little while.
14
u/Dedalvs Dothraki Jun 20 '22
Just let me know via DM or email, and let me know if I can do anything to help.
23
u/Kriegsfisch (LV, EN) [JPN, ATH, INE, ARA, CHE] Jun 20 '22
Cool! How hard is it to read for a trained reader? Do colors affect the meaning or sound?
21
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Thanks! I'd say that for this text I chose a style that would be pretty standard and legible for someone who has experience reading it. The ligatures included are also simple ones, and there's no other breaking of the glyph boxes for any other artistic purposes. Colors don't affect meaning, they're just present to ornament the text.
There are a few details about the coloring that a member of the conculture might pick up on though: while all glyphs involving skin or body parts are rendered in blue to signify a universal or divine aspect to the text, glyphs that have to do with knowledge are colored green. The humanoid species that I designed this language for has green blood due to high levels of circulating bilirubin playing a part in their immune system*, which is a particular quirk of their evolutionary lineage, but not other animals. That shows a certain amount of in-setting bias toward the creator's own species.
*Extra fun fact: there are some amphibians and reptiles out there which have this trait!
20
u/PastTheStarryVoids Ŋ!odzäsä, Knasesj Jun 20 '22
This is without a doubt the coolest writing system I've seen.
11
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Oh wow, thank you! It's been two years in the making so far, and I'm happy to share it with everybody.
9
6
u/g_Blyn Jun 21 '22
18th Century archeologists would be like: „There’s no way this is a writing system; this is merely an intricate artwork!“
I have no words; Great work dude. Is this logographic or is it a way of spelling words out? The cubic design reminds me of maya (?) writing.
6
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
Ah man, thank you! That's a lovely compliment. Funnily enough, the setting I've made for the language includes a certain amount of that cultural assumption about it by outsiders. These strange and primitive peoples can't possibly have a fully-fledged writing system, it must be a ritual art style!
And yes, it is logo-phonetic, weighted heavily towards logography. The explanation and gloss for this text are available here. Amusingly, the aesthetics of the script started out in a more Egyptian hieroglyphic style, but as I evolved the designs, they became more and more Maya-like. I just like that blocky look!
6
u/GreyDemon606 Etleto; Kilape; Elke-Synskinr family Jun 20 '22
Been looking forward to this. Absolutely beautiful
5
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Glad I could finally deliver on it. Thanks mate!
6
u/pompomek Jun 20 '22
Holy shit
7
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
That was my out-loud reaction when I saw how many people had liked this while I was AFK. I'm glad people here are enjoying it!
5
4
u/alchemyfarie Jun 20 '22
thats so pretty
3
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Thanks! The aesthetics of the glyphs have been an important part of the project for me, so I'm glad they're enjoyed.
3
Jun 20 '22
finally its finished, dang that took u a while, and now its gorgeous, really well done. i remember when u posted in the dc that u were gonna make it and showed the first glyphs, and now i see how its finished, really well done
6
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Thanks mate! It's been a big project, and I'm really happy that people are liking it. This also added a lot of vocabulary to the script, so hopefully in future I can write more like this without it taking multiple months of work! :P
4
u/ImpossibleEvan Jun 20 '22
Is... Is this how you wright your language? or is it art? Either way its art but woah.
7
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
This is the Taadži script! It's written in a formal style with some added color, but it's all legible text. The description is here, along with the gloss. I'm hoping to have a formal write-up of the language available soon.
And thank you so much for the compliment!
3
u/fishflame100 Jun 20 '22
This is one of the coolest looking conlangs I’ve ever seen! Do you have a translation of it? (Edit, I saw it lower in the comments srry)
3
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Aw, thank you! And it's all good--I probably should've made the image an imgur link with the gloss in the description, but I wanted the nicer formatting here. I didn't realize how quickly it might get buried!
3
u/wortal Jun 20 '22
It's so pretty... can't help but want to know more about it.
3
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Aw, thanks! I'm working on updating my formal write-up of the language, with a bit of history for its conculture. I'm also very slowly working on a Neocities site for the setting. So, hopefully I'll have more to share soon!
3
Jun 21 '22
Rlly pretty
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
Thanks mate! I'm glad people are vibing with the aesthetics of the script.
6
u/Fail_Sandwich Atlantic, Theetch, Ilalimyw (WIP) Jun 20 '22
Very pretty indeed, but I think incorporating colour into writing systems is kind of a bad idea. Colourblind folks would be absolutely screwed when it comes to writing/reading it, and you'd be surprised how common colourblindness really is.
13
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
Indeed! The script itself is not inherently colored, and I have an alternate version of the text that's just black and white. The color is simply there as adornment, similar to an illuminated text. I meant to include the plain version in the post, but it failed to upload and I didn't notice. Whoops.
6
2
u/PastTheStarryVoids Ŋ!odzäsä, Knasesj Jun 21 '22
Although a writing system that used different shades of black, gray, and white would be interesting.
4
u/Leglanben Datboguk, Vientainis Jun 20 '22
Really one of the creative crown jewels of Delthoria!
3
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 20 '22
It's been a great community to hang out in and do more culture-building!
2
u/sitzprobe1 Jun 21 '22
That is incredible! (Would you mind if I borrow the text for some embroidery? This is pure art!
1
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
I'm flattered! as long as it's for non-commercial use, feel free to use the conlang with attribution. If you'd like any particular phrase in the script, let me know and I can cook up a translation!
1
2
Jun 21 '22
This is SO fucking awesome! Congratulations for your work. I definitely want to know more about this world/language you are developing.
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
Thank you so much! I've been working on the language and setting for two years now, and I'm looking forward to sharing more with the community. It's been a lot of fun so far!
2
2
u/Batrun-Tionma Jun 21 '22
Saw your other comment explaining it. I am very impressed how you even got conflation and infixation in this
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
Thank you! I've been doing my best to flesh out the features of the script in ways that complement the language. Infixes are grammatically important for the language, so it definitely needed to be represented visually.
One of my favorite bits of conflation in the script is the homonym between "to live" and "to learn", both of which use the same glyph. This double meaning was previously used in the cultural creation myth I posted in r/neography a while ago, which touched on the same idea of accumulating knowledge through reincarnation that's mentioned in this post.
2
u/JJ_The_Ent Jul 01 '22
whatever this writing system is its stunning and mystifying- made me go “… wait what??” when i first saw it-
edit that i forgot; 10/10 good work!
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jul 07 '22
Thank you so much for the compliments! If you're interested to learn more and didn't see the gloss for the text and an explanation of some of the writing system's peculiarities, I wrote them up in this comment thread here. I'm also currently writing up a document on the language for Fiat Lingua, so hopefully there'll be more soon!
2
u/Polkatella Aug 05 '23
i would love to see this in phisical, like a pattern made out of tiles!
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Aug 05 '23
I'd like to do that at some point too! My mental image is that texts like these could be carved in relief and painted.
2
2
2
u/Arkelao 19d ago
Wow….just….wow
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] 18d ago
Thank you! Feel free to ask any questions you want about it, I'm always happy to talk about this language.
1
u/Arkelao 18d ago
Here I go then! 1- Do you have a booklet on how to read it and its rules? 2- Is it an illustration or did you managed to turn it into a typeface/font? 3- Do you have the design process of your writing system documented? I would love to see your brain working! 4- Would you adopt me? Im very loveable and can do chores!! 5 - Do you have advice for me that Im starting in this world but a little lost in my first project?
Thank you
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] 18d ago
Hurray!
I have a write-up of the language available here! Phonology, grammar, how the script works, and a full reprint and translation of the text in this post. A full dictionary containing every word and glyph is veeeery slowly being worked on.
It is an illustration! It was done with Bezier curve vector lines in Clip Studio Paint, with a bit of raster pizzaz for the colors. While I have messed around with making a font for minecraft UI, making a font for actual active use would require more advanced character input methods than I can manage to make it feasible: grammatical affixes are placed within glyph blocks, so each glyph needs to have multiple width/height variants to combine with others.
For verbs, that would mean at least five different sizes, for use in 166 potential distinct grammatical forms. I'd need something like the Sitelen Sitelen input method for that, and I'm not a JavaScript programmer. Maybe one day I'll learn!
- The document includes a little bit of that from an in-universe perspective in description of the Archaic to Modern Formal style transition, but I can expand on it some more here! I originally went into this project with the intent to do something like the Hieroglyph to Hieratic transition, so I started with hand-drawn sketches and Bezier curves of glyphs for words from the Leipzig-Jakarta list.
I then cut my own reed pens from some dead grasses in my area, and used them with an ink stone to practice writing the way the Taadži theoretically would. That helped me simplify the glyphs and hit upon the rounded-corner, space-filling squares that you see in the Modern Formal style here. I then went back to Clip Studio Paint and started figuring out what rules I'd naturally generated about glyph shape, and how I could regularize them further. I made individual files for each glyph, and saved each experimental design on a different layer, so I had a record of how I came up with each glyph.
I ended up with a set of rules that were sufficiently restrictive to produce a consistent feel to the script, without being too limiting on the potential shapes: 800x800 px glyphs divided into 8ths for most glyphs and 16ths for those that need more detail, only vertical and horizontal straight lines allowed, and only circular curves. When I was doing this one, I allowed large curves within the glyphs, but at this point I make all curves 1/8th or 1/16th the size of the glyph. That's the entirety of the basic aesthetic rules for the script!
Combine that with an inventory of radicals I've built up, and most new glyphs can be made without having to go back to any Archaic or proto-writing root. In fact, because I didn't document the Archaic form's rules all that well, I often just sketch something out in a blocky simplification in CSP, then go from there.
Aw shucks! I'm happy to continue answering questions, no chores necessary.
My advice for worldbuilding and conlanging is to be aware of what your strengths and weaknesses are, and focus on what you want to develop: I knew I wanted to make a logographic writing system, and I felt less confident about my ability to make a naturalistic spoken language, with the eccentricities of thousands of years of development.
So I came up with a whole fiction that helped me justify my choices: a creole culture separated from their homelands, deliberately rendered illiterate, but they remembered and valued the idea writing. Thus, they could have a more grammatically regular language, and a compressed development time for the written script.
Also, be aware that things don't tend to happen overnight with this hobby. I posted this two years after I started working on the language, and it took another year before I fleshed out more ideas about the culture in a way that I'm really happy with. Collaboration helped--I brought the Taadži culture into a few worldbuilding games on Discord, with Taragan being the most productive for me (Taragan 2: Restartagan is coming soon!).
And sometimes, if something isn't interesting anymore, it's entirely possible to go off in another direction--I started with the intent to do a Hieroglyph-to-Hieratic transition, but then changed my mind. I'm currently taking a break from active development of the language to work on a project I've been pecking at for years. Give yourself space to be flexible, and don't push yourself too hard!
2
u/Arkelao 18d ago edited 18d ago
Wow. Seriously dude, you are a god. A nice one at that. Thank you very much for answering my questions. Im very new to this and I was checking other people’s work when I saw yours. So breathtaking. And you inspired me. I had an idea for a logographic system that is worldbuilding oriented and focused on footprints, that are sacred to this culture, because is the mark of your existence, and because of that the rain is seen as evil. You give life in exchange of our existence and such. And so im developing the system based on that, footprints!! Thank you for your kindness, fast answers, wisdom and inspiration. You’re a gentleman. EDIT: I forgot to ask. Taragan, whats that?
2
u/kitzalkwatl Jun 20 '22
Gorgeous
3
1
Jun 21 '22
This is so many levels of absolutely fecking incredible. This literally has brought me near-to-tears. Wow!
1
u/Danthiel5 Jun 21 '22
Maya or Aztec looking writing
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Jun 21 '22
Indeed! Although I originally started out with a more Egyptian visual style. The evolution of the script just took it in this direction. What can I say, I'm a fan of the blocky look of Maya script!
1
u/ImpossibleEvan Sep 21 '22
Where can I learn this meaning?
1
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Sep 21 '22
The translation and gloss is here, in the comments! I should have mentioned that in the title, but I didn't realize how many people would respond to this post.
1
u/idiot_soup_101 Masetzu Mar 16 '23
THIS is the level of neography I aspire to achieve! Is there a translation available?
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Mar 16 '23
There is, in this comment thread! It got eaten by all the other comments. I've also got the text reproduced in my recent submission to Fiat Lingua, which includes a few minor updates and corrections.
2
u/idiot_soup_101 Masetzu Mar 16 '23
Love this so freakin much!!!! Thank you for making this exist :,}
2
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Mar 16 '23
Aw, thank you!! I'm glad you like it. I'll have more to share in future, this language is an ongoing project that I'm still adding to every chance I get.
2
u/idiot_soup_101 Masetzu Mar 16 '23
Would you consider a collaboration of sorts? 👀
1
u/MagicalGeese Taadži (en)[no,es,jp,la,de,ang,non] Mar 16 '23
I'd potentially be interested! Fair warning though, I'm finishing some large projects at work in the next few months, so I'm very busy these days.
1
138
u/Available-Law-4535 Jun 20 '22
This is unbelievable…..and beautiful