THEORY: Trans. excercise! (was: Re(2): THEORY: Natural language change)

* Kaleissin (taliesin@nvg.org) [990921 14:50]:
> If you can understand this, you know too much
This post might be a bit on the long side, but I'm supposed to do some-
thing else (which is to be done by tomorrow), so I'm desperate for a
distraction...

AFMCL (ta:ruven)
"know (something)" and "understand" is covered by the same root, so this
is one possibility:

1)      sul u:el vyc:a'lan: ryi=F0; u:es vyc:a'ar:in:ru
        if  u: -el  vyc:a' -lan: ry  -i=F0  u: -es  vyc:a'    -ar:in:  -r=
u
        if  2s -EXP know   -can  DEM -BEN 2s -LOC knowledge -toomuch -LOC
                "If you are capable of knowing this, you have too much knowledge"

[I'm not happy about <sul> for "if", but it'll have to do for now.]

I used wordnet[1] a bit, to find out exactly what meaning the 'understand=
'
in the original covers, the synonyms being [read, translate, interpret]

As I don't have words for any of these, I might as well try to find one...
so:

all of them are in this context connected to _language_ (s=EFuven) in som=
e way
- read: the process of transferring symbols from something physical,
  say a piece of paper or light-patterns on a monitor or some storage-
  device, into [ambiguity ahead! great!] -either- some other medium, say
  a memory chip, *to await further processing*, -or- directly into an=20
  abstract, say knowledge or mental pictures or instinctive reaction,=20
  while the transferring to some other medium, like memory, is of seconda=
ry
  importance. [unless you're cramming...]

  The latter, which is the word needed for the translation, can be derive=
d=20
  from the former [read and simultaneously understand]

  The former would probably include _symbol/sign_ and _move from/to_

- translate & interpret: both of these can be seen as transferring symbol=
s
  of one system/type to another. There's a similar ambiguity here as in r=
ead
  as you have rough 'n ready _conversion_ from one system to another, as =
well
  as _conversion_ + _understanding_

- conversion: covers the change of something into something else, change =
from
  one state into another... this might cover the _move from/to_ for _read=
_ as
  well!

So we have _read_: converting symbols from physical medium into some othe=
r
  physical medium, or into abstract knowledge; _translate/interpret_:=20
  converting symbols from one system to another, possibly into abstract k=
now-
  ledge...

One taketh the Big Tome[2] of Archera IV, chooseth the etymologies and lo=
oketh
up _symbol_ and _conversion_...

_symbol, sign_ is <t=FC> (note to self, explore connection with the many =
words=20
beginning with <ty>)

Finding _conversion_ proved to be worse.

u: (understand)lan: ry; u:es vyc:a'ar:in:ru

Finnish-inpired orthography... hmmm
        uu -lann ry, uu=EBs vyccaharrinnru

or maybe
        uu -lann ry, uues vyshshaharrinnru

or
        =FB lann ry, =FBes vyccaharrinnru

---------------------------------------------------------------
[1] WordNet: Very handy resource for these things
        Test it at: http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn
        Read about it at: http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/~wn/

[2] I finally got parts of the Books of Taruven (see conculture-posts)...=
 all
    in ta:ruven of course, so it'll take some time to decipher.


tal.
--=20
"Better living through conlanging"