A natlang-independant project & Lingwa Frakas

In a message dated 2000/07/13 10:33:37 PM, Joe Mondello wrote:

>On a similar note, I was amazed to discover a few amazing
>similarities between features in rodnús and features in both Irish and
>Italian (This may be evidence in favor of genetic memory, considering I am of
>Irish and Italian ancestry).
>
    Hmmm, my Mumsy - a retired nurse - believes in genetic memory.

Genetic memory may also explain - in part - my interest in
isolating/analytical languages (esp'ly pidgins).
    Another possible factor is "acculturalization" - basic familiarity with a
culture to varying degrees.
    And still another factor - in my case, pidgins seem the easiest for me to
ConLang at this time (workin' slothly [slowly and methodically] on my conlang
pidgin Lingwa Frakas - an English-lexifier "extended pidgin")...

    I am workin' on a conculture to go with Lingwa Frakas as well *hehe*...
something along the lines of a South Pacific island that never had too many
native peoples begin with but was a cargo ship stop for a couple centuries
(hence some Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch influences on Lingwa Frakas).
    ... Sizable Chinese coolie and Indonesian forced labor crews
"blackbirded" by an American shipping company in the 19th century and early
20th to mine phosphate and gather bat guano...
    ... establishment of a Franciscan mission by a liberal multi-national
faction of the order led by a veteran of the Spanish Civil War also
influences Lingwa Frakas (it begins to become standardized and written) and
makes the Americans treat the laborers with more "dignity", better living
conditions and decent wages...
    ... during World War 2, island becomes an outpost of the CoastWatchers...
occupied by Japanese led by a UCLA graduate from Japan whose heart is not
into the war at all (& neither are his men, who are mostly foreign raised
&/or educated Japanese) [this explains the large influx of Japanese
onomatopoeia in Lingwa Frakas]...
    ... after the war, most of the Japanese settle on the island... together
with the Franciscan order, help the floundering economy (phosphate is running
low; need for bat guano is no longer a major industry) by promoting tourism,
handicrafts industry, coins and stamps (coins & stamps made in New Zealand)...
    ... at the same time, struggle to gain autonomy from from the American
company... New Zealand government sends Maori police to keep the peace...
Hong Kong sends Gurkhas...Vatican 2 sends young idealistic muckraker
Franciscan priests to replace older members who have died ...
    ... island gains autonomy from the American company... island becomes a
"protectorate" of the British Commonwealth till 1980...
    ... May 9, 1980: independence and "pact of brotherhood" with San Marino
and Monaco...

    that is just a ruff sketch...


    Z