The Conlanger's Lexipedia

The Conlanger's Lexipedia

The Language Construction Kit and Advanced Language Construction explained how to create grammars for constructed languages. But after creating a grammar, there's the 800-pound gorilla of the lexicon to deal with.<br /><br />This book gives you everything you need to know to create words. The first stop is etymology: it contains thousands of etymologies from a wide variety of languages. Borrow them or let them spark your own ideas!<br /><br />It's easy to let the lexicon be a coded version of your native language. The Lexipedia contains tips on how to avoid this, including plenty of fascinating examples from non-English languages.<br /><br />You want to know which words to create first. The Lexipedia includes the 1500 words most commonly found in fantasy and science fiction, sorted by frequency.<br /><br />Many parts of the lexicon require real-world knowledge to handle. The Lexipedia contains just enough information on biology, physics, and human cultures to help you out.<br /><br />Plus, there's a discussion of the basic tools of the word creator: categories, metaphors, and derivation.<br /><br />Though aimed at conlangers, the Lexipedia will be instructive and entertaining for anyone who's interested in words.