Nizar Habash created the Delasan conlang as a way to give his imaginary country a unique language, emphasizing the playfulness and enjoyment of the process.
Delasan incorporates words and forms inspired by various languages, and Nizar applied his conlanging skills to real-life endeavors such as designing interfaces for Arabic on the internet.
Deep dives
The Personal Journey of Conlanging
Nizar Habash shares his personal story of how he got into conlanging and the impetus behind creating his conlang, Delasan. Growing up as a diaspora Palestinian, he found solace in constructing a made-up country, Salomon, and began developing its own language. Delasan started as a way to give his imaginary country a unique language. Nizar's background in linguistics and his passion for language work contributed to his interest in conlanging. His focus was more on the art form of creating a language, writing poetry, and the playfulness of the process rather than aiming for a universal language or capturing all meanings. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the conlanging process and not letting it become an obsessive or overwhelming endeavor.
Playfulness in Language Creation
Nizar shares the playful aspects of creating Delasan, such as incorporating words and forms inspired by different languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, and even Japanese. He also mentions creating fonts unique to the language and using artistic calligraphy. The language evolved from paper and pen to computer-based design using programs like Word and Fontographer. Additionally, Nizar talks about how he applied his conlanging skills to real-life endeavors, such as designing interfaces for Arabic on the internet. He encourages budding conlangs to have fun with their creations and explore how their skills can extend beyond language creation.
Translations, Poetry, and Personal Touches
Nizar discusses various translations he did in Delasan, ranging from religious texts like the Quran to nursery rhymes and even lyrics from popular songs. He also mentions his focus on calligraphy and creating aesthetically pleasing translations, such as using special symbols to mark verse boundaries in Quranic translations. Nizar shares that the language allowed him to write poetry, even though he felt he lacked the skill in his native languages. He highlights the importance of sound in poetry and how he incorporated it into the language without strict rules or meters. Finally, Nizar briefly mentions his current project, Palistra, a language created to explore peace in the Middle East.
Advice for Conlangers
Nizar's advice for conlangers is to enjoy the process and have fun with it. He cautions against letting conlanging become an obsession that takes over one's life and causes unhappiness. Keeping a balance and finding enjoyment in the creativity and playful aspects of the process is key. Nizar emphasizes that there is no right or wrong way to conlang, and the most important thing is to derive personal satisfaction from the experience.
George and Mike have a wonderful conversation with Nizar Habash, creator of Delason. Featured Conlang: Delason Feedback: Hi! I discovered this podcast almost a month ago and I’m on episode 46. I’m actually not a conlanger, but I love linguistics and I love the discussions you guys have about different aspects of language. Thank you... Read more »
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