Re: Kalini Sapak - new lang

Justin Mansfield wrote:
>     Well first I send out two non-identical copies of my happy conlang
>day post, then I write a reply to this and it vanishes without a trace!
>I REALLY need to work on my posting system, as this is just getting
>annoying.
>
>--- In conlang@y..., Daniel Andreasson <rymddaniel@H...> wrote:
> > Ieur Andreas Johansson an tegeidd:
> >
> > >Obviously, there's no such form as **_kuzalu_ "(he) is womanly"!
>
>     If you look in a dictionary for any European language, you will see
>all adjectives listed under their masculine forms, even the word for
>feminine!
This is, strictly speaking, not true. English does of course not even have
the gender distinction in adjectives, and in Swedish you can't tell if it's
feminine, masculine or common from the lexical form (tho' can tell it's not
neuter). Finnish don't have gender either. However, it may be true that
there's no European language were a specifically feminine form is the
lexical one.
> >
> > What about that feminine guy in the HR department? :)
>
>     Precisely. Any culture that is based on machismo, as this one seems
>to be, is going to need a way to say "This guy does not live up to our
>mutually agreed upon ideals of masculinity. Let us go mock and/or maim
>him!" _Kuzalu_ would certainly fit the bill...
Well, see my reply to Daniel's post - you could use it to insult, but a
reasonably civil lexicographer wouldn't record it.

                                                         Andreas

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