Re: lexicon

In a message dated 4/5/01 6:37:40 AM, dreamertwo@HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< Cool!  Lrahran has 20 some odd "basic", i.e. non-derived color-terms
(including about five different term for different kinds of black!).  I love
color too. >>

I've always to have a color that didn't exist before.  In fact, I had an idea
for a story about that.  The color would be called "smurple", and the main
character would be so angry because "smurple" doesn't look anything like
"purple", but since the name is similar, people think it does.  Then I
thought of the different ways it would be translated: "Smursmur" (Ger.),
"esmorado" (Spa.), "smiolet" (Fr.)...  I then I was thinking of  how much fun
you could have with "esmorado": "Que color es?" "Esmorado"  "Es morado?" "No!
 Es esmorado!"  Hee, hee...

Anyway, back to relevance.  The agent/patient thing gave me ideas, I'm sorry
to say, and I just started yesterday creating a language that makes only an
agent/patient distinction (the same with ten moods, and singular, dual, trial
and plural), and I must say, I love it.  I wish all languages only made that
distinction.  It makes me wonder wherein the argument lie...  What is agency?
 Does anyone really act of their own accord?  But I don't say this merely to
spark the argument again, nor do I wish to go back to the archives and look
it up.  I just wanted to mention this new happy language of mine.

-David