Scripts for Hyboria

[Mark Dunder]

If you haven't been there yet, go to this site:

http://www.omniglot.com/index.htm

It has every type of alphabet, syllabary, and all other types of scripts. Also, a bunch of made up ones. Most of them are also free to download.

Really, it's an awsome resource.

I plan to use some of these in my Conan campaign.

By the way, I've made Argosian and Zingaran as related to Shemite, with borrowed words from Kothian and Pictish respectively. Also, would Shemite be better said as Shemitish? I'm not anywhere close to being a linguist, but I know there are many on this forum.

Thanks for any ideas on this.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

Thanks for the link.
I always thought that Argos' model was Greece and Zingara's was old Spain. Why make them related to Shemitish?
I would like to develop an Atlantean script. Perhaps in the future.

 

[Castel]

Well those were the models but that doesn´t mean that REH had to follow history...

The way i see it...

Zingarian has words from his Shemitish ancestors and pict ancestors but the most important civilizations to the language must be the original Zing and the Hyborians that conquered the kingdom.

I see Zing as the Old Iberian people (before the lusitains, the Hispaniards and others), and old hyborians like Hyperborians with more charisma and with a language near Hyperborian.

Argossean probably being of shemitish, zing and mostly hyborian influence.

Antlantean language would be nice, did REH leave any hints how it worked?

 

[toothill man]

wow brilliant site 8) glad it was not just me that invented languages so I could chat in class(mine was based on papa tolkeins elvish and dwarven runes)

 

[Yogah of Yag]

It's a shame the font 12480 isn't downloadable. It could have been useful.

I will come up with an Atlantean script this evening and post it on my website for those interested.

 

[Mark Dunder]

I can't remember for sure, but I thought the Zing were an agrarian tribe that originally came from Shem. I figure the structure of the language is more Shemite than Hyborian, but a lot of words are probably borrowed from many of the invaders tongues, as you mentioned.

I figure written language for the Hyborians came from their desire to ward and protect themselves from the depredations of Acheronian necromancy. As such, they needed symbols that could easily be carved onto stone or wood. This means their symbols would be made up of mostly straight lines, similar to runic styles. Eventually, once they kicked the Acheronians out, they might have added a flowing script, based somewhat on Zamoran scripts. Zamoran I see originally as a code to exchange secret information, but as commerce increased, a flowing script developed.

I'd like to see Zamoran use a small syllabary and have a lot of homonyms. Allows them to have a lot of secretive words.

Haven't decided how to structure the Hyborian languages.

That's a few ideas from me, but nothings carved in stone.

 

[Castel]

I considered the Zingg close to the shem race, but i think they were diferent, like the pelintshim are to normal shemits, so they would have a caracteristic language.
Well hiborian is a lost language, Hyperborian is the closest one, all other hiborian kingdoms suffered from a large amount of external influances.
Your teory about hiborian writting bigginning in simple runics seems plausible.

 

[Mark Dunder]

Here's how I structured the Hyborian Family of Languages:

HYBORIAN FAMILY

Gundermen (stock race and language)
-Aquilonian, dialects: Bossonian (old tribe words), Poitainian (Zingaran words).
-Kothian, dialects: Khauranian, Khorajan, Opirian (Argossian words).
-Nemedian, dialects: Border Kingdom, Brythunian (Zamoran words), Corinthian (Zamoran words).

Aquilonia, Koth, and Nemedia, have a script for their language. The rest use these as standards. Ophir uses some Aquilonian scripting in their bank accounting. Brythunia uses a greatly modified Zamoran script. Kothian merchants use a cuneiform based on the Shemite script.

I'm thinking of using the Old European / Vinca symbols, since no one has the low down on them. The straighter ones for Hyborian languages and the spidery ones for you know who.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

Just for fun, I put up some jottings on an "Atlantean Script."

http://www.fidnet.com/~bushfarm/wnvb/conan14.html

They are just brainstorms, so please do not throw any vegetables. :shock:

 

[Mark Dunder]

Like that Atlantean script. I can just see that carved into pillars and such.

That type of original script would really make the Hyborian world seem even more real.

I'm working on a general script for Aquilonian and Nemedian. The differences in their languages is mostly pronunciation of shared words, and Nemedian is a little bit archaic in it's form of addressing people according to their social status. Nemedian also has more articles specific to gender. I am going to make the writing system somewhat syllabic and ideographic, but with a few symbols representing single sounds, mostly to represent borrowed words. Many of the runes had specific meanings, and these languages still use these runes that way in their writting. The syllabary will mostly be used to make up verbs. I haven't yet decided on what modern languages to use, but I'm betting I'm going to use English as the base.

This is just some ideas. If anyone out there has already done all this, please let us know! Can we create something that makes sense and looks good? I'm not really stuck on any particular theme, and I don't plan to make up an entire language. But I do plan to have as many scripts as possible, just for atmosphere in my game.

When I do get most of these symbols done, I'll put them up on my site.

Also, I have Macromedia Fontographer, so I might be able to create a font for anyone to download. Don't hold your breath, that can take some time to do. But I want to try doing that sometime, unless someone beats me to it (I hope).

 

[FailedSpotCheck]

Very nice Conan font:

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/madirishman/ronan/#stylelist

 

[Mark Dunder]

$22 for that font, rather buy a game instead. I have never bought a font, how do they get away with it? And Ronan looks just like the Conan one, doesn't it? I suppose that's the selling point. With the examples and a few downloads, I can make that font up in Fontographer by Macromedia. But I suppose everyone needs to make a living. $22 for a font! You really gotta be needy to buy that!

By the way, thanks Richard! I just about forgot about my quest for scripts to use for the Hyborian Age.

 

[FailedSpotCheck]

$22 for that font, rather buy a game instead. I have never bought a font, how do they get away with it? And Ronan looks just like the Conan one, doesn't it? I suppose that's the selling point. With the examples and a few downloads, I can make that font up in Fontographer by Macromedia. But I suppose everyone needs to make a living. $22 for a font! You really gotta be needy to buy that!

By the way, thanks Richard! I just about forgot about my quest for scripts to use for the Hyborian Age.

Well, the reason why I mentioned the link is because it is exactly like the Conan-type font--much more accurate than the Desperado font, which is close, but not quite. You're right: 22 clams for a font is insane, but I guess that's why the author of the font is the Mad Irishman.