Re: The Language Code (take 4)
| From: | Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...> |
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| Date: | Tuesday, June 17, 2003, 15:52 |
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En réponse à Dirk Elzinga :
>The Language Code
Let's have a try at it with Maggel :))) (let's see if I can make the
Language Code explode ;)))) ).
>T type
> c constructed
> x auxiliary
> f fictional
> e logical
> p personal
> n natural
> o other
Maggel: Tcf
>P phonology
> t tonal
> d tonal domain
> m mora
> s syllable
> f foot/word
> c contour tones
> r register
> # number of tones
> l level tones
> ! downstep/downdrift
> # number of tones
> p phonemes
> +/- allophony
> # consonant phonemes
> # vowel phonemes
> s syllable template {c,v}
Maggel: Pt*p?50,30
The first ? indicates that I have no idea how much allophony is present in
the language. I actually don't even know what its phone*m*ic inventory is.
And the second is because I have no idea of the syllable template.
(c)(c)(c)(c)v(c)(c) is a possibility, but I don't have enough vocabulary
yet to be sure.
>W writing system
> n natural
> c constructed
> t type of script
> f featural (Hangul, Tengwar)
> c abjad ("Consonantal")
> d abugida ("Devanagari")
> a alphabet
> s syllabic
> l logographic
> o other
> r regularity/irregularity (+/-)
Maggel: Wn/ctar----
Well, the Maggel script is a modified form (by me) of the Uncial style of
the Roman alphabet. How do I call that? Natural or constructed?
>M morphology
> a agglutinating (+/-)
> i isolating (+/-)
> f inflecting (+/-)
> h head-marking (+/-)
> d dependent-marking (+/-)
> t# number of tense distinctions
> a# number of aspect distinctions
> m# number of mood distinctions
> t/a# number of distinct tense/aspect combinations (where a
> meaningful distinction between tense and aspect cannot be
> made) (also t/m, a/m, etc)
> c# number of case distinctions
> g# number of genders or noun classes
> n# number of number distinctions
Maggel: Ma--i+f++h+d+t/a/m6(10)c0(2)g3n4
The verbal system is still in flux, but that should be about it. How do I
indicate that case distinctions appear only with a small number of nouns?
And I didn't count construct state as a case distinction, because it can be
added to case distinctions for the nouns that feature both.
>S syntax
> f head-first/head-final (+/-)
> b basic word order {v,s,o} (may substitute dots when the terms
> s = 'subject' and o = 'object' are not meaningful or when word
> order is not fixed)
> arg argument alignment
> n nominative/accusative
> e ergative/absolutive
> a active/stative
> h hierarchical
> t topic/focus
> s split/mixed system
> r semantic role
> o other
Maggel: Sfbv../...args
Not sure how to indicate that. Maggel has both head-first and head-last
features (adjectives can appear on both sides of the noun, verb tends to be
initial but argument fronting is frequent, usually prepositions are used
but they get suffixed in some cases, etc...).
>L lexicon
> a a priori/a posteriori (-/+)
> c compounding/incorporation (+/-)
> d derivation (+/-)
> # number of words so far
Maggel: La-c----d--#100
Vocabulary mostly a priori but with some a posteriori forms as well as a
priori forms jokingly looking like a posteriori forms. Maggel doesn't have
compounding, instead it has erosion, and some rare conjunctive compounds.
It also has little derivation (until now, the main derivation is the
nominal deadjectiviser which transforms an adjective into a noun referring
to something or someone who is caracterised by the quality described by the
adjective). As for the number of words, it's an estimation including the
numerals and the pronouns. If I count only non-numeral non-pronoun words, I
end up with only 31 words :((( .
So the end result is:
Maggel: Tcf Pt*p?50,30 Wn/ctar---- Ma--i+f++h+d+t/a/m6(10)c0(2)g3n4
Sfbv../...args La-c----d--#100
Mmm... I had difficulties applying a lot of the categories, and not only
because it's still a work in progress. Maggel's important features seem
always to be orthogonal to linguistic features ;))) .
Christophe Grandsire.
http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr
You need a straight mind to invent a twisted conlang.