All Lessons (updated 2025May29) (pdf—499 pages)
Table of Contents (updated 2025May30) (pdf—2 pages)

Láadan Lessons


These lessons are offered to the the Láadan community. They are intended to provide a programmed set of lessons for learning Láadan—just like in Suzette Haden Elgin’s second edition, but at a more moderate pace than was feasible in that edition. Any feedback would be welcome; please feel free to email Amberwind.

As time goes on, the Láadan text in these lessons will be made available in MP3 format for audio reinforcement. As each lesson is completed, it will be marked with “•<.” The voiced Láadan sequences in the text of the lessons will also be so marked.

—Amberwind Barnhart, 2021


Dictionaries

Láadan-to-English Dictionary

English-to-Láadan Dictionary


Lessons

Lesson 1: Pronunciation & Transliteration •<

Lesson 2: Word Order •<

Lesson 3: Vocabulary Practice 1 •<

Lesson 4: Plural •<

Lesson 5: Negative •<

Lesson 6: Translation 1 •<

Lesson 7: Your Turn 1 •<

Lesson 8: Auxiliaries •<

Lesson 9: Verb Complexes •<

Lesson 10: Vocabulary Practice 2 •<

Lesson 11: Yes/No Questions •<

Lesson 12: “Wh” Questions •<

Lesson 13: Translation 2 •<

Lesson 14: Your Turn 2 •<

Lesson 15: Possessives •<

Lesson 16: Relativizer •<

Lesson 17: Vocabulary Practice 3 •<

Lesson 18: Identifier Case •<

Lesson 19: Object Case •<

Lesson 20: Translation 3 •<

Lesson 21: Your Turn 3 •<

Lesson 22: Advanced Pronouns •<

Lesson 23: Quantifiers & Numbers, Pt 1 •<

Lesson 24: Vocabulary Practice 4 •<

Lesson 25: Manner Case •<

Lesson 26: Instrument Case •<

Lesson 27: Translation 4 •<

Lesson 28: Your Turn 4 •<

Lesson 29: Associate Case •<

Lesson 30: Goal Case •<

Lesson 31: Vocabulary Practice 5 •<

Lesson 32: Source Case •<

Lesson 33: Place Case •<

Article: Path Case •<

Lesson 34: Translation 5 •<

Lesson 35: Your Turn 5

Lesson 36: Time Case

Lesson 37: Beneficiary Case

Lesson 38: Vocabulary Practice 6

Lesson 39: Purpose Case

Lesson 40: Cause Case

Article: Case Summary

Lesson 41: Translation 6

Lesson 42: Your Turn 6

Lesson 43: Focus Marker

Lesson 44: Embedded Sentences

Lesson 45: Vocabulary Practice 7

Lesson 46: Embedded Questions

Lesson 47: Embedded Relative Clauses

Lesson 48: Translation 7

Lesson 49: Your Turn 7

Article: About Emotions

Lesson 50: First Declension Emotions

Lesson 51: Second Declension Emotions

Lesson 52: Opposites of Declined Emotions

Lesson 53: Sex & Anatomy

Lesson 54: Pejorative Affix & Inherently Negative Words

Lesson 55: Translation 8

Lesson 56: Your Turn 8

Lesson 57: Repetition Words

Lesson 58: States of Consciousness

Lesson 59: Vocabulary Practice 9: Names & Honorifics

Lesson 60: Identifier Case, Pt 2

Lesson 61: Passive Voice

Lesson 62: Translation 9

Lesson 63: Your Turn 9

Lesson 64: Comparisons, Pt 1

Lesson 65: Comparisons, Pt 2

Lesson 66: Vocabulary Practice 10

Lesson 67: Numbers, Pt 2

Lesson 68: Advanced Degree Markers

Lesson 69: Translation 10

Lesson 70: Your Turn 10


Supplemental Lessons

Tower of Babel Story

Psalm 23

Psalm 100

The Lord’s Prayer

Irish Blessing

The Shepherd’s Boy & the Wolf

The Northwind & The Sun

From A Distance


Other Resources

Suzette’s Notes on Adding to Láadan Vocabulary

Official Láadan Site



Throughout these lessons, text with this type of highlight is excerpted, with permission, from A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan, second edition, by Suzette Haden Elgin.

…and text with this type of highlight is quoted from communications with Suzette Haden Elgin, the founding mother of Láadan.

…text with this type of highlight represents less-formal Láadan phraseology. This is perfectly understandable Láadan, only eschewing some of the features required for absolute grammatical formality.

…and, finally, type highlighted in this way contains notes on how Láadan was originally, contrasted with how it has evolved since Suzette Haden Elgin has died and a second generation has taken over the development of Láadan.