Re: A question and introduction

On Thu, Jun 13, 2002 at 04:51:11PM -0400, Andy Canivet wrote:
[snip]
> Having a nullar numerical noun inflection in your language suggests that
> it's speakers must have a *fundamentally* different way of looking at the
> world... Cool!
[snip]

Definitely. The nullar is probably the least unusual aspect about it. Just
ask Jan about the case system :-P  And you've seen nothing of Ebisedian
until you've grappled with its odd pronominal system. (Those with a
background in Japanese and/or related langs may find the pronominal system
a bit easier to grasp, but nevertheless...)

Part of the reason is the conculture behind the language: the setting is
in an alternate universe with rather different laws of physics from ours.
The behaviour of that world is the source of the Ebisedi's obsession with
colours and the numbers 3 and 5, which runs deep in their philosophy and
shows up everywhere in their language.

(I'm of the opinion that the best method to construct an artlang is to
invent a conculture -- everything in the language is driven by the
culture, which gives the language a deep, internal consistency, sorta like
how a fern leaf looks like a miniature fern, etc.. It just *feels* right.
:-P)


T

--
MASM = Mana Ada Sistem, Man!