Re: OT: interestin' factoids (mostly language-related)

Yoon Ha Lee wrote:

> On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Thomas R. Wier wrote:
>
> > > I'm learning all
> > > sorts of things by just lurking...wanted to listen in and figure out the
> > > etiquette of things before I posted.
> >
> > Well, until this week I had assumed that politics was off-limits, but we
> > proved that wrong, I guess.  We handled it relatively well, I thought,
> > considering the intense acrimony that usually goes along with that.  The
> > only subject that is officially, and truly, off-limits is discussion of auxilliary
> > languages like Esperanto or Interlingua and such.  About a decade ago
> > or so, when the list was young, it was allowed, but it led to so much
> > pointless bickering based on preconceived ideas about what's good
> > and bad in languages that it was spun off as a separate list, and everything
> > else came here.
>
> Noted.  Since I barely know anything about auxlangs, I'm safer avoiding
> the topic anyway.  :-p  When I try to build language sketches I'm usually
> working with a story, so I *want* there to be annoying metaphorical
> features and suchlike.
You're in luck then.  Most conlangers are involved in just that kind of
activity.  You might want to investigate Sally Caves' pages, especially those
on her language Teonaht, but I'm sure the others will interest you as well.

<http://www.frontiernet.net/%7Escaves/index.shtml>
<http://www.frontiernet.net/%7Escaves/teonaht.html>

I must say again that I think her language is one of the most esthetically
pleasing to the ear that I've heard.

> The books I've been working from are Terry Crowley's _Historical
> Linguistics_--textbooks are *expensive,* but it was so worthwhile;
> Crystal's _Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language_ 2nd ed., which I found in
> a used bookstore (!); and _Introduction to Linguistics_ by Fromkin and
> someone else, can't remember who
Ah, yes.  Fromkin and Rodman.  It's the standard introductory textbook in
linguistics in American universities.

> (half my books are in an apt-mate's
> room, with his permission, because I ran out of shelf space).
I totally understand!  Until just about two weeks ago, I had only about 250
books on the shelves and an equally large number in packing boxes.  It was
hellish trying to navigate things around the room.

> An anthro major friend of mine complains that the Fromkin is too
> pro-Chomsky, but I don't know enough about Chomsky and whatever
> alternatives exist to have an opinion on the subject.  I'm still
> reading.  <wry g>
I wouldn't say it's *too* pro-Chomsky, because his domination of the field,
and that of his disciples, is so nearly complete in some circles that there are
probably professional linguists who couldn't tell you much about theories not
affected by him (like Skinner's Behaviorism).  Most current non-Chomskyan
theories of syntax are really more reactions to him, AFAICT, than separately
innovative developments.  So, as a textbook introducing you to the current
field, it's a fairly accurate representation of his contemporary influence. Whether
or not Chomsky is actually *right* is a wholly separate issue, of course.

> > > Cheers, and good to hear from you.  Are you in Texas right now?  I ended
> > > up at Cornell U., Nowhere--er, Ithaca, NY.  :-p  Long story.
> >
> > That's actually always been Alex's answer to that question...
> >
> > Yes, I'm living in Texas -- in Austin until next May except for holidays.
>
> :-)  Hope it isn't too hot there...OTOH, I seem to remember way more
> air-conditioning than we're getting here in New York.  I do get to laugh
> at my friends when they complain about the heat...since South Korea gets
> pretty darn hot during monsoon season, and I think I have a little heat
> tolerance left over from Houston.
Of course it's too hot here! :)  It's, quite literally, over 100 degrees (F) in the
shade on many days.  One thing one learns quickly when living in Texas, and
much of the South in general, is that there are times of day when you just don't spend
time outside.  Austin isn't so bad as Houston. I mean, there are very few days
here when you walk outside and the humidity just hits you in the face, like it
does there (assault by geophysical processes would ideally be something to
avoid). But the absolute temperature does get higher here than in Houston.

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Tom Wier   |     "Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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