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The Language Of The Draughtsboard Sharks: A Conlang Project, Trent Garlin

English Department: Linguistics ENG 334

The language of the draughtsboard sharks is a fictional conlang. This paper describes the history, physical anatomy, means of articulation, morphology, syntax, and grammar of the language through the entirely fictional lens of a research team studying shark communication in New Zealand. Notable aspects of the conlang are its portrayal of imaginary, non-human speech organs created to eliminate a shark’s realistic inability to speak, as well as the absence of a written element to the language largely due to the lack of opposable thumbs (or fingers at all) on sharks. The language also includes IPA charts for both consonants and …