"We are stardust.
We came from the stars and to the stars we shall return.
In the meantime, we remember these truths with our Wyrmsong.

The Breath of the Wyrm provides our voice.
The Scales of the Wyrm protect our substance.
The Wings of the Wyrm uplift our deeds.
The Fangs of the Wyrm gnaw our meanings.
The Horns of the Wyrm defend our customs.
The Claws of the Wyrm scratch our glyphs.
The Eyes of the Wyrm witness our triumphs.
The Tail of the Wyrm steers our memories.

Together, they sing : we sing."

+++

Greetings, fellow glossopoeists.

I propose a collaborative linguaculture -- a (sub)culture created in and around a language -- based on the Common Honey model of language creation.

What is the Common Honey model?

It is a system that addresses both the division of labor and the relation of each participant to each other. To clarify, each role has final say and jurisdiction over a particular part of the language. Additionally, each role has attendant cultural taboos which help to foster a sense of community identity.

For example, in the Sajem Tan (Common Honey) community, "Thunder" is in charge of phonology and her taboo is that she may not rhyme, neither in English nor in Sajem Tan.

While Thunder or, indeed, any other member is allowed (and encouraged!) to accept feedback and proposals from their fellow participants, she still has the authority to approve, veto, or disregard any suggestions regarding phonology. In fact, during Sajem Tan's "Age of Great Reforms", Thunder changed /ʎ/ to /j/, /ɵ/ to /œ/, and /ɤ/ to /o/ based on the community's difficulty pronouncing these phonemes.

This system provides stability, yet encourages compromise and flexibility. The stability emerges from having definitive "answers" from a single individual/source, terminating indecisiveness and power struggles between members. Compromise and flexibility emerge when the members realize that any outré decisions or stubbornness on their part could be reciprocated by their co-collaborators.

With regards to the taboos -- the heart of the culture -- click this link to read the post which inspired Common Honey to exist:
https://listserv.brown.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0905D&L=CONLANG&P=R2930 .

Pay particular attention to this quote:

"You don't just become "a speaker" of this language, you must take on a more particular title. I'm imagining a culture as well, I suppose, but it's not just a fictional culture-- like the language itself, the imagined society is meant to come to life as the players take their parts."

Before you join, please read the following essay.

Is a Collaborative Language Even Possible?
https://fiatlingua.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/fl-00000C-00.pdf

It will prepare you for some common pitfalls, most of which I have seen verified in the many collaborative projects on Reddit and elsewhere. To maintain momentum and to prevent burn-out on a small community, please invite as many people as possible. There may come a time when we'll need a designated ambassador/recruiter to reinvigorate the community with new members during lulls or absences.

On that note, we ask that you be available for at least two days each week so that we can conduct voice chats and live collaborations. Please, state your available days and hours when you introduce yourself.

Lastly, and most importantly, see the ⁠rules.

Thank you for your interest. Post any comments and questions that you may have.

https://discord.gg/BsjwnxJTvn