Seattle Conlang Club

PidginCraft

PidginCraft is an ongoing, collaborative language genesis experiment. Periodically, players get together in a voice call to play Minecraft. The catch is that no one is allowed to speak the same language at the start. The goal is to gradually develop a new, shared pidgin language that we can all understand. PidginCraft is the successor to Pidgin Island Quest.

Rules

1. Whenever you talk about something, you should use the pidgin whenever possible.
   • The pidgin must be used when talking about Minecraft and the pidgin world, except where technical support is required beyond the scope of normal gameplay (e.g. if you can’t connect to the server).
2. English (and other pre-existing languages) must not be used to say anything that steers the pidgin in a certain direction or encourages other players to do so.
3. New words must be made up and not be from an existing language.
   • If you cannot remember a word for something, feel free to make up a new word for it!
4. We will come together at the end of every session to document the state of the language.
5. All pidgin usage that does not take place during the synchronous sessions should be done in #pidgin-speaking channel.
6. (Optional) think of a language feature you want to introduce to the pidgin, but keep it secret. Try to make other people use your language feature.

FAQ

How is it possible to communicate with anybody if we can’t use natural languages or common conlangs?

We invent new words and grammar as needed, and try to get other people to understand it. You can communicate the meaning of your words by doing actions (e.g. by saying your word for ‘stone’ while placing stone blocks).

Do I have to attend every meeting?

No, you do not need to attend every meeting. Regularly attending meetings will help you practice your pidgin language skills, but you can read the dictionary if you would like to catch up while you’re away.

I want to invent a new word for something, but I think someone else already made a word for it. What should I do?

It’s totally fine to invent new words for something even if there’s already an existing pidgin word! The language is fluid and constantly evolving, so it’s perfectly natural to re-invent words for things.

I find it hard to invent words and grammar rules on the fly, how can I make it easier for myself?

One strategy is to come up with some words without meaning before a Minecraft session. Then when it comes time to play Minecraft, if you encounter a concept that you want to communicate, you can just pick from that list of words and assign it a meaning. You can also come up with grammar rules ahead of time if you want.

Other players seem to be able to understand each other a bit, but I am completely lost. How can I catch up?

Ask players what their words mean! You can also read the dictionary, but try not to rely on it too much because it’s usually more fun to ask and puzzle through it together.

I can’t find a word someone used in the dictionary, what do I do?

Ask the player what their word means! The word might be very new, so it won’t be in the dictionary. Words are only added to the dictionary at the end of each session, and only if there is a consensus on the meaning of the word.