Re: Lunatic Survey

On Fri, 25 Sep 1998, Sally Caves wrote:

>         1)  To what extent is your conlang an "intensely peersonal"
> pursuit--one that you don't often reveal to people other than conlangers?
>
        Not to a great extent, actually.  I've never been ashamed of or
afraid to reveal my conlang hobby.  In fact, Doraya has in its lexicon
several words that originated in the names of friends (e.g., _kara_
for 'good-looking', _tannyr_ for 'buff' and _byri_ for 'vacuum').
Additionally, I've used Doraya in several school projects, most recently a
project for my database development class.

>         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 (thankfully) found CONLANG very early in my conlang career.  For
me, it's functioned in both of those capacities (firstly by helping me put
the language together and secondly by proving to me that conlanging isn't
something to be ashamed of).

>         3)  How many of you, in mentioning your conlang to an
> acquaintance, received a belittling reply?  Condescension?  Disapproval?
>
        Like I said, most all of my friends already know about this hobby
(as do most of my teachers, in fact!).  There are some who like to make
fun of it (well, one person I can think of right now) but in general
people don't really care.  Sometimes I offer to put them in the language
and they seem flattered by that. :)  There have also been several people
who even expressed a passing interest in conlanging when I mention it but
that interest
doesn't seem to last.

>         4)  How many of you are:
>
>                 a) high school students or younger?
>                 b) undergraduates?
>                 c) graduates?
>                 c) out of school altogether and supporting yourselves?
>                 d) Not in school, never went?
>
        By age and by time spent, I'm a high school student.  However, due
to my overzealous love of school, I've also been attending college for the
past few years, so you can but me down for a and b.

>         4a) What is your profession, or your desired profession?
>
        I've wanted to be everything from a theoretical physicist to a
professional basketball referee.  Though I almost have my associates
degree in computer science, I don't think that's what I want to do for a
living.  The "future profession du jour" for me seems to be college
professor. A college professor of what, though, I don't know.

>         5)  How many of you have invented a language because
>
>                 b) you are interested in world-building
>
>                         i) for fiction
>                         ii) for role-playing and other social activities
>                         iii) just for your own amusement?
>
        i and iii here for me.  There's always the dream that someday I'll
magically be able to write a coherent paragraph of fiction and that in
that paragraph Doraya might be used.  That dream has yet to materialize.
:)  There aren't too many role-players (or other people that might use
conlangs in social activities) in my immediate area, though that's
appealed to me as well.

>         5) How many of you take the time to learn another's conlang?
>
        Like other conlagers, I barely have time to learn my own, let
alone other people's.  I have attempted to learn some rudimentary
Esperanto, Lojban, and Teonaht, however.

>         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 don't consider myself a lurker anymore . . . maybe "semi-active"
would be a better term.

>         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]
>
        Oooh, oooh, me, me!

>         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?
>
        Exoticness has never been a real goal for me.  In fact, one of
Doraya's design specifications is that it look and feel familiar.  Of
course, this makes it all too often appear too much like an english relex,
which I am trying to alleviate.  My other conlangs tend not to be exotic
either, though they are more exotic than Doraya.

>         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?
>
        I have absolutely no idea.  It's like watching Jerry Springer.
You know you like it, but you can't figure out why.

        Also, regarding your other request: my main conlang is Doraya (as
you could no doubt tell from the above. . .).  There's nothing
particularly special about it, though the thing that makes it most unique
is its tense-on-noun system.  It's also very analytic (very few
inflections), which for some reason seems to be quite unpopular with
conlangs at large.  Oh well.

--
Adam Parrish / myth@inquo.net         "I think it would be a good idea."
http://www.inquo.net/~myth                  -- Mahatma Ghandi (regarding
                                               Western Civilization)