Re: Sexual terminology [was Re: Blowjobs and pant legs in Dutch]

--- "Thomas R. Wier" <trwier@...>
wrote in reply to me:

<< You are making one important assumption about
concultures: that any right-thinking person will make
his or her conculture according to the kinds of ideals
that he or she holds. >>

Yes, I admit that I did make that assumption.

<< Unlike many people, I am not aiming to build an
"ideal" universe as a context for conlanging, inasmuch
as I do not believe that humans usually act out on
ideals, even if ideals exist. >>

To each his own, indeed.  My own interpretation of
this exercise - i.e., conlanging - is to envision and
then create an ideal (or near ideal) society.  Or, if
an author, e.g., to create some civilization for the
purpose of one's writings.

You are right, I did not consider that you
intentionally built an imperfect society whose social
morals have nothing to do with its creator.
Nonetheless, for me personally, something unsettling
lurks in the pit of my stomache that *yes, real life
is full of those sorts of viewpoints*... guess I've
strived and ascended to a life-style that shelters me
-- for the most part -- from people and actions I'd
view as bigoted.  :T  ...especially in relation to
s.orientation, as I've lost my one brother and was
disowned (for about 2 yrs) my mother due to it...

<< Much the contrary: with Phalera I am aiming to
build a believeable society, where human beings strive
after self-interest much as in this one, and cloak
their self-interest in the phraseology of idealism,
much as in this one. This means that I personally end
up disagreeing with lots and lots of aspects of
Phaleran society, but changing it would break one's
suspension of disbelief. >>

Probably in the same manner I dictate that the
Vya:a:hns must be, perhaps unrealistically, always
p.c. and "non-bigoted"...

<< Most societies have been built on social
oppression, so I feel it would be ridiculous to drop
in on Phaleran society just when they happen to adhere
to our modern notions of freedom and equality. >>

Yikes, now you're starling me with too much reality...
I'll just quietly look on and ignore this rather
disturbing (for me) comment.  //Good thoughts, after
all, we're now on 2.5-wk vacation and we want to
escape the ugliness of reality if possible//

<< None of this is ideal, but the end result is that
personal and intellectual freedom is possible for
some, which has been the norm throughout human
history. >>

Fine, you've made your point and I do not disagree
with it.  My point, simply, is that conlang'ng is a
definite distraction from all the hassles and uglies
of our real lives.  Irina, I believe, writes somewhere
that Valdyas was the imagined society she has been
inventing in the recesses of her mind for years, to
escape the real one; I'm of a similar mind.  (Irina,
apologies in advance if I misquoted you - but you did
make a comment along those lines, no?)

Happy Holidays.
Matt33

PS.  Again - I'm still officially on 'signed-off'
status, until mid/end Jan2002.  If you choose to
reply, and feel you cannot wait until I reenlist at
that time, do so to me privately.  Thx.





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