Re: CHAT: t-shirt

> From: Leo Caesius
>
>    I would be more than willing to contribute something meaningful from
> Bala-i-balan.  Even though I am not the inventor of this language (the
> inventor was an Islamic schismatic by the name of Muheddin) and
> it was never
> very "successful" (even by the ridiculous standards with which
> people judge
> IAL success), Bala-i-balan is an excellent candidate for several
> compelling
> reasons:
>     A) dating from the 16th century, it is one of the oldest conlangs, if
> not the OLDEST _true_ conlang (as A. Bausani would have it).
>     B) It is one of a handful of conlangs which were not developed within
> the orbit of "western civilization."  Its lexicon is derived from Persian,
> Turkish, and Arabic, its grammar is modelled on Turkish grammar,
> and it uses
> Arabic syntax; hence it would, IMNSHO, add much needed diversity to the
> stock of dead white men's playthings which dominate the conlang industry.
>     C) From an aesthetic point of view, Bala-i-balan is
> "different" - it is
> written using the Arabic script.  I think that this aspect alone will make
> it somewhat eye-catching.
This sounds absolutely fascinating!  Whether it gets included on the T-shirt
or not, I for one would be interested in hearing/seeing more of this.  The
only reference that I have run across was several years ago when it was
suggested that it may form the underlying text of the Voynich Manuscript.
Attempted internet searches turned up very little, much of it in Italian for
some reason.

David

David E. Bell
The Gray Wizard
    dbell@graywizard.net
    www.graywizard.net

"Wisdom begins in wonder." - Socrates