Re: Books for conlangers

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 05:42, John Quijada wrote:
> =?UTF-8?Q?=E8=BD=A1=E8=99=AB_=28kutsuwamushi=29?= wrote:
> >I'd like to compile a list of book recommendations for conlangers
> >=========================================================================
>
> In addition to the Payne book mentioned by Henrik, as well as any good
> introduction to Phonetics and Phonology (I'm sure Peter Ladefoged's will
> do), I would strongly recommend Lakoff and Johnson's "Metaphors We Live By"
> which demonstrates how the lexico-semantic layer of natural languages is
> far more dependent on metaphor than any native speaker realizes, and that
> those metaphors are specific to individual language families and
That sounds exactly what I need for my Yhe Vala Lakha, Nu Aves Khara-Ansha,
Li' Anyerra Tarah and related languages - since the metaphors a
broad-spectrum predator or a ursine diversivore might be expected to use, are
rather different from a largely sedentary farming omnivorous species.
> languages.  Personally, I don't see how anyone can accomplish the design of
> a realistic-seeming natlang-style conlang without reading this book (unless
> you don't mind all of your conlang's subconsciously-constructed lexico-
> semantic metaphors to be suspiciously like those of your native language).
--
Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish
-----
Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui?
You ask, what is the most important thing?
Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.