Phonotactics Question/Help

[Alex]

That's the way I understand it.

I don't see why not. That's what they're doing when they describe real life languages that way---looking at the words and trying to figure out what rules they all follow.

Okay, I wanna see if I fully understand this. Please bare with me.
So if my SS started like (C) (V) (etc etc), I could pick whether a word could start with a consonant or a vowel and it would be legal?

Ah, then that makes it easier I think. Now I just need to learn more about it xD

Well...if your language is really strict about what syllable structures it allows (like Japanese, say) then the C's and V's notation would be simple and useful. If it's more like English---wikipedia gives (C)(C)(C)V(C)(C)(C)(C)(C) for English. Obviously not everything that fits that syllable structure is a legal English word. So if you're trying to invent nonsense words that look like legal English, (C)(C)(C)V(C)(C)(C)(C)(C) doesn't help you much. Even if you wrote it (s)(C)(l,r)V...er, I don't even know what string of five consonants you can put after the vowel. But even then you can come up with sequences that aren't legal English...like "stla..." or "sgla..."

So...the point I'm trying to make is that unless your language has a really simple syllable structure, you might be better off just letting your subconscious handle it.

Hmm...how would I know if my structure is simple if I haven't made one yet, though?

SOV:

Here's SOV languages on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subject...t%E2%80%93verb

Latin might be the easiest to find information on. Though this paragraph might be the info you were looking for in the first place:

Ah, yes, I have read that part. But it doesn't direct where to put articles and such. My language has articles, but I haven't found a site or resource that directs where the rest of the components of words, like articles, should be within the SOV order, so there are some things the article never mentions. If that makes sense...?