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Re: Classical languages: was: Re: Gothic language

From:Boudewijn Rempt <bsarempt@...>
Date:Sunday, September 5, 1999, 7:10
On Sun, 6 Jan 1980, Tom Wier wrote:

> > Well, I don't think I've ever heard anybody say that classical languages > *are* conlangs in the sense we use them here. I think linguists in general > are accustomed to a broader understanding of "constructed" (one that > might include but is not limited to creating languages as a hobby), in which > anything that doesn't really correspond to the spoken language of any one > group of language users is artificial, in a sense. I agree with Danny, that > their use of "constructed" has more to do with the creation of a standard > language than it does with our just having fun with words. >
Well, I'd take issue with any linguist who claims that classical languages, even Sanskrit, are constructed. They might be in some measure artificial, but I don't think that the people involved in their genesis were actively, consciously, constructing a language. Boudewijn Rempt | http://denden.conlang.org/~bsarempt