Conlang in the Media (yet again)

    For the delectation and enjoyment of all,
I proudly present something I just read in
the September 2000 issue of the Scientific American.
    In a monthly column called "Wonders" written
by Philip and Phylis Morrison, this month's offering
is entitled: "From Prototools to Language".
Discussing language, they state the following:

"... The incomplete language of two-year-olds, as of
adults speaking in new-made languages, lacks syntax
and has few real sentences. Read a few samples of
actual protolanguage: [the following are italicized]
moi faim; me hungry; no can; horsie stuck.
[end of italics]. Compare them with the rest of this page."

FWIW, my comments (but I'd really enjoy seeing y'alls too)

>...as of adults speaking in new-made languages,
Listen up, all you conlangers!

 >lacks syntax

Get that grammar out of there, people!

>and has few real sentences.
At least the translation exercises won't be
that long!

>Read a few samples of actual protolanguage:
>moi faim; me hungry; no can; horsie stuck.
Proto-IE? Proto-two-year-old? Oh no! not
Proto-Nostratic?  ;-)

 Compare them with the rest of this page."

The rest of the page seems to have words
and syntax. Nah! Couldn't be a conlang, could it?


Dan Sulani



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likehsna rtem zuv tikuhnuh auag inuvuz vaka'a.

A word is an awesome thing.