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Re: Lunatic Survey

From:Carlos Eugenio Thompson Pinzón <cthompso@...>
Date:Friday, September 25, 1998, 19:53
<<Message resent to CONLANG>>

-----Mensaje original-----
De: Sally Caves <scaves@...>
Fecha: Jueves 24 de Septiembre de 1998 23:21
Asunto: Lunatic Survey


>THE SURVEY: > > 1) To what extent is your conlang an "intensely peersonal" >pursuit--one that you don't often reveal to people other than conlangers?
I've found some resistance telling my parents what I do in my free time, and as longer as they are the ones paying my studies... As stated in my http://members.tripod.com/~chlewey/Akulm/Akulm.html page, my first attemps for conlanging was crypting personal stuff, they are still personal ones, after "there's no point" in what I'm doing.
> 2) If so, to what extent do you feel that the listserv "Conlang" >has given you a _raison d'etre_ for > > a) pursuing your invented language > b) making it public?
I would agree with David. This is a community. I can talk about what I feel, what I know and what I want to know in this hobby. The more developed language I've ever made is lost, I have many projects, many of them dead (not death as I wrote in some other thread, not too good in English). Currently three living projects: the Akulm/Fyrismonlaryn project, the "lots of pronouns" project and I new one. I expect chating on them publically in the list.
> 3) How many of you, in mentioning your conlang to an >acquaintance, received a belittling reply? Condescension? Disapproval?
The "why inventing what's invented" answer...
> 4) How many of you are: > b) undergraduates? > 4a) What is your profession, or your desired profession?
Senior year in Electronics Engineering.
> 5) How many of you have invented a language because > a) you are solely interested in language experiments > and linguistics? > i) for personal experiments...
Yes!
> ii) because you like participating in the > development of an auxiliary language and its > socio-political effects?
Something. Besides the NGL project, I would dream on a world an AIL is feassible and used... but I've found it dissapointing.
> b) you are interested in world-building
A big yes!
> i) for fiction > iii) just for your own amusement?
Both fiction and own amusement. I've been inventing worlds much before inventing languages.
> 5) How many of you take the time to learn another's conlang?
Little. Actually I like to read about them, about theirs structures and grammar, but I have little patience for actually learning them.
> 6) How many of you are women?
Not me...
> 7) Who is lurking period? [these questions I don't expect > public answers to--if any answers--but I ask it anyway > to see what happens]
I posted the from my first or second day on the list...
> 8) Which of you would give me permission to (or object to) my >mentioning your conlang and webpage (if any) at a convention, in an >academic article? I'll protect names if so desired [as though this is >writing pornography!-- now there's something]
No problem for me. The first reason I am on Internet is expressing myself the way I cannot express myself personally. (I don't think, by personal experience, Internet makes people less social. It allows people who is shy, as me, express themselves in a way wouldn't be possible before).
> 9) For how many of you is "exoticness" in your invented language >and absolute must? How many of you pursue more familiar models... and >why to both?
I would like the Fyrismonlaryn project to be alien... I wanted my RI.T.H. project to be cryptical but natural and speakable... I've had some regularized euroclones, simplifications of spelling or grammar projects (in dead/hyberning phase), my other two live projects are experimental. All exoticness that could be derived from this as longer as I do not want another euroclone.
> 9) FINALLY: what is the appeal of an invented language for you? >Wherein is its "sexiness"? Its spirituality? its sensuality? What keeps >you at it? How does it benefit you? Does it harm you? heal you?
Actually I don't know.
> >Many thanks. > >Sally >
Your welcome! -- Carlos Th.