The One Grammar to Rule Them All (OGTRTA)
Version 0.3 (beta)
A specification for a class of languages.
Introduction
OGTRTA is a template for making constructed languages. The idea is that with a short wordlist and a few decisions about grammar, you can create a fully-functioning, self-consistent, complete, and unique conlang, suitable for further elaboration.
I created OGTRTA for my own use, because I suck at finishing conlang grammars. I wanted a way to create a conlang that was "complete" (if short on vocabulary) in a few minutes, so that most of the remaining work would be crafting the lexicon and tweaking the morphology. Essentially, I wanted the walking skeleton pattern, but for conlangs instead of computer programs.
However, in order to arrive at a system that would work, the way I had to develop OGTRTA was to create several actual (half-finished) conlangs, peruse grammars of natural languages, and then figure out what framework could produce them all. OGTRTA is not some pie-in-the-sky idea I dreamed up. It's derived from observations of actual languages both natural and artificial.
In creating OGTRTA, I had to strike a balance between a maximally-comprehensible system and a maximally-flexible one. As a result, OGTRTA is not right for every language. For example, if you want a language with very free word order, tons of noun classes, and head-marking, OGTRTA is probably not a good choice — but then again, you don't need OGTRTA for a language like that, because the main problem OGTRTA solves is syntax. On the other hand, if you want a language with fairly fixed word order, which is either consistently head-initial or consistently head-final, OGTRTA might work well for you.
OGTRTA comprises two parts: a syntax, and a skeletal lexicon with about 100 morphemes. This document describes both parts, beginning with the syntax.