Re: The Language Code, take 2 (or 3)
| From: | BP Jonsson <bpj@...> |
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| Date: | Friday, June 13, 2003, 16:55 |
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At 09:10 13.6.2003 -0600, Dirk Elzinga wrote:
>My question is whether there is an attested language which lies more or
>less in the middle; that is, a language which is "halfway" between
>planning and natural growth.
>
>Esperanto -- Interlingua ------------- ? ---------------- B.I. --
>Chemehuevi
>
>I'm asserting that such a language does not exist; all languages will
>cluster at one end or the other. That being the case, the continuum
>really isn't one, and the dichotomy between constructed and
>natural/ethnic is a real one.
>
>Any takers?
I have no problem with "natural" in the sense "natural growth".
My problem is with "natural" meaning "complying with natural
language universals". I contend that a constructed language may be
natural in this sense. While it is true that a language which is
"non-natural"[1] in the sense of "violating natural language
universals" will probably be a conlang, I think the term
"natural" = "not constructed" is unfelicitous. I would simply
prefer "non-constructed", or in a code +|- constructed.
[1] and while I prefer "abnatural" for "non-natural" in this
sense I feel that "non-abnatural" is a clunky term.
/BP 8^)
--
B.Philip Jonsson mailto:melrochX@melroch.se (delete X)
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