Sally Caves wrote:
> My "theory" is that Real Language was created first for mystical reasons,
> and secondly for communication. :) But then I'm weird. Teonaht was
> originally apotropaic. It was uttered to ward off evil when I was about
> fourteen.
Interesting!!
>
> Teonaht has a host of synonyms, but I don't eradicate them. I try to
assign
> them subtle differences in meaning, and I find them useful in rhetorical
> flourishes. But that gets me into trouble.
Yes on all counts. Technical writing (especially) in Indonesian can sound
very repetitive, since there aren't always synonyms available.
>
> I don't know why I have so many words meaning: "enemy / attacker /
aggressor
> / violence-doer"; so many words meaning "race / caste / class"; so many
> words meaning "graceful / gracious," etc. And almost no words for
> government. I guess I'm obsessed with intruders, upperclass, beauty, and
> the home. Must work on words for government.
Surely it depends as much on the nature of the con-world as on the
personality and interests of the inventor. I've been struck by this often,
looking at various peoples' lexicons. Kash is guilty too-- the "war" area
is very small, but then, they haven't known a real war in about 1000 years.
(Other areas are still small simply because I'm either not interested or
knowledgeable in them.)
>And what's the difference between a representative and an
> ambassador? The latter seems to come (in English) from Celtic Latin
> ambactus, "servant." I have omydivar, "messenger," for ambassador, but
that
> word can also just mean "messenger."
And why not? As a culture and its language become more complex, these
distinctions sometimes have to be made. In some Indonesian languages, the
word for rep/ambassardor/messenger/emissary etc. is based on "send"; Bahasa
Indo. has borrowed Skt. duta. In one of my favorite regional langs.
"government" is a compound verb "compel - press-down". Hah!!!
So lots of synonyms, but also lots of
> double and triple duty words. Whatever possessed me to express "reader"
and
> "lawmaker" by the same word???
Oh, I can see that right away!