Re: Is conlang a generator of conlangers? or a sustainer? (was: Oops!)

De: Sally Caves <scaves@...>
Fecha: Mi=E9rcoles 7 de Octubre de 1998 23:37

>So, Christophe, it was studying a foreign language (and a dead one at th=
at
>with a complicated grammar) that gave you the idea to create your own?
>This brings up another very rich question (I said this would be my last,
>but oops I lied)... and that is: are almost all of us conlangers because
>we caught the virus independently, or are there a growing number of
>conlangers who have been inspired to create because they joined the list=
?
>Now this would add fuel to my idea that an electronic network has not on=
ly
>made an excellent forum for us, but is actually generating a new hobby.
>My other question:  how much was Tolkien an influence on your decision t=
o
>invent a language?  I'm made curious by your story, Christophe, since it
>mirrors my own (Spanish being the instigation).  I only learned about
>Tolkien's books years after I had begun writing down early T.  and
>starting a grammar.  This was my reaction:  stunned disbelief, joy, and
>sullen resentment.  How could he do this to me?  How could he not only
>create a language that was far more complex and beautiful than mine, but
>also publish it and become famous?  With a gorgeous script to boot? I wa=
s
>fourteen. Tolkien then sustained me and determined me, but he didn't giv=
e
>me the idea.  Other folks have the same experience?  Sorry if I'm
>generating just another FAQ.
>
>Sally
I begun creating worlds.  I was taught English and French at school and
after I'm a mathematitian, I guess the schematics I begun to find in thos=
e
languages, combined with my world building combined with my earlier
cryptographic attempts lead to one way: create my own language.

I remember when I was 6 or 7, I had plots for my own designed animated
series.  I've tried to improve or redisign almost every thing crosses
infront of me... even political systems and religions I've invented or at
least attempted.  But I don't remember trying to invent any language befo=
re
I was 17... by that time I already had my own conscript (two actually: EI=
SH5
and Thompinian) for criptographical purpouses.  I knew about Esperanto bu=
t
had no idea of it.  After I had no linguistic training, that first conlan=
g
was just a combination of features from Spanish and English with some few
weirdness.  When I begun learning Swedish, it improved my language adding
sufixed articles and other features.  A Teach Your Self dictionary of
Esperanto had a tripple efect:
a) It disapointed me some how, because that language didn't fit the
propaganda expectations.
b) It push me into creating more languages exploring different features.
c) It help making my own language more regular.
After knowing Ido (I agreed with Ido critics to Esperanto but disagreed w=
ith
its solution) and Interlingua I was also pasively involved in the conAIL
movement.

Then I came back to Colombia, lost my one thousand and something words
dictionary, begun undergraduate studies and conlanging came in
hybernation...

Almost a year ago I found resourses on Esperanto, and then other construc=
ted
languages, in the net, and I found out that AILs and Star Trek was not th=
e
only source of conlangs.  I read something about Tolkien, I read somethin=
g
about logic languages (loglan/lojban) but I had no to much time to care d=
ue
to other interests (study :-)  Many of many colege mates actively rol pla=
y
but I was never joined... just observed (something about being a INTP?)

When I begun to work in my present job, I had to research a way of
translating something.  I remembered using logic languages as interlangua=
ges
for machine interaction or something like that so I searched againg those
resources but now I couldn't resist temptation, and finally subscribe to
conlang...

A couple of months ago, I had a pretty developed tricked
Spanish-English-Swedish-Esperanto mixture with its own conscript and no
record of it, and a lot of projects, none of them further than a
phonology-orthography system and few words or a couple of grammatic ideas
with fewer words.

Now I have many active projects... but none of them with a clear form yet.

This way conlang list did not generate a conlanger in my case, just broug=
ht
new life to him (me).  And it is, of course, sustaining me.

I wasn't very influenced by Tolkien... Zamerhof(sp) was actually a bigger
influence on me...  But I'm no Esperantisto, any how and I actually
conlanged before I met Zof. Tolkien or Conlang list.

-- Carlos Th