Re: Building up a FAQ: Please reply

En réponse à taliesin the storyteller <taliesin@...>:

> Lets build a wordlist for this mailing list!
>
OK!

>
> conlang (social): constructed language, to construct languages
> artlang (social): art language, artistic language, artificial language
> natlang (social): natural language, not constructed language
> modlang (social): model language, synonymous with conlang
> auxlang (social): auxiliary language, like esperanto
> loglan, loglang (social): logical language, like Loglan or Lojban
> tolklang (social): language made by J.R.R. Tolkien
> romance-lang (social): conlang with words derived from latin
>     for instance Brithenig and its ilk
>
> conlanger (social): one who conlangs
> #same for art-, and auxlang, haven't seen it used for modlangs
>
> the vice, the secret vice, or Tolkien's secret vice (social):
>     making languages
>
> lexicon, vocabulary (linguistic); the set of words in a language
>
phonology (linguistic): the set of sounds of the language, described as:
phonemes (linguistic): the elements that speakers oppose to each other and
recognize as different sounds,
phones (linguistic): the actual spoken sounds. One phoneme can correspond to
various phones.
phonemic (linguistic): refers to phonemes. Phonemic transcription stands
between forward slashes /.../.
phonetic (linguistic): refers to phones. Phonetic transcription stands between
brackets [...].
morphology (linguistic): the rules that govern the structure of a syllable, and
how can sounds be put together in speech.
syntax (linguistic): the set of rules of a language. Often used as a quasi-
synonym of 'grammar'. More restrictively the set of rules that governs the
structure of the sentence, how can words can be put together in speech.

> a priori language (social): the words are not derived from any natlang
>     or well-established conlang
> a posteriori language (social): the words are derived (recognizable or
>     not) from an already existing language; like all romance-langs
>     and most auxlangs
>
I'd add:
naturalistic language (social): language designed to look like a possible
natlang, spoken by human beings and/or human-like beings (often associated with
a conculture).
alien, non-human language (social): language designed to be non-human, often
impossible to learn for human beings. Often associated with a conculture of
aliens.

> IAL (social): International Auxiliary Language, synonymous with
> auxlang
> idist, idoist (social): speaker/user(missionary of Ido
> esperantist (social): speaker/user/missionary of Esperanto
> lojbanist (social): speaker/user/missionary of Lojban
>
Add the same with -ophone istead of -ist for "speaker, but not missionary" (I'm
personally Esperantophone but not Esperantist).

> conculture (social): constructed culture
>
> AFMCL, AFMC (social): As For My ConLang
FWIW (social): For What Is Worth.
AFAIK (social): As Far As I Know.
IMO, IMHO, IMVHO (social): In My ((Very) Humble) Opinion.
LOL (social): Lots Of Laughter.

I know they aren't specifically related to Conlang, but we regularly get
questions from newbies about the meaning of those acronyms, so they are worth
adding to the list. Of course, we mustn't forget:

ObConlang (social): Obligatory Conlang (added to an off-topic message to end it
with some conlang information, so that it doesn't look *that much* off-topic).

> agulunulating (linguistic): funny misspelling of 'agglutinating'
> #who used this one first? Can't remember
>
OK, but then, define 'agglutinating' :))) :
isolating (linguistic): language, or structure in which words stand alone
without affixes (typical isolating languages: Chinese languages).
agglutinating, agglutinative (linguistic): language, structure in which roots
are added affixes which, though dependent, keep a definite individuality
(typical agglutinative languages: Turkish, Finnish).
synthetic (linguistic): language, structure in which the limits between root
and affix becomes uncertain, and affixes often stand for more than one function
(typical synthetic languages: Latin, Greek).
polysynthetic: language, structure in which roots and affixes, and even roots
between themselves are so blended that there is no easy distinction anymore
between words and sentences (typical polysynthetic language: Inuit).

> 1s (linguistic): 1st person singular pronoun, I
> 2s (linguistic): 2nd person singular pronoun, you
> 3s (linguistic): 2nd person singular pronoun, he, she, it
> 1d (linguistic): 1st person dual pronoun, I and you, we two
> 2d (linguistic): 2nd person dual pronoun, you two
> 3d (linguistic): 2nd person dual pronoun, they two
> 1p (linguistic): 1st person plural pronoun, we
> 2p (linguistic): 2nd person plural pronoun, you, y'all (plural)
> 3p (linguistic): 2nd person plural pronoun, they
>
Well, let's begin the list of cases then :) :

nom. (linguistic): nominative: the case of the subject of the verb.
acc. (linguistic): accusative: the case of the object of the verb.
dat. (linguistic): dative: the case of the recipient to whom something is given.
gen. (linguistic): genitive: the case of the possessor.
ins. (linguistic): instrumental: the case of the instrument used to accomplish
the action.
ben. (linguistic): benefactive: the case of the beneficiary of the action.
erg. (linguistic): ergative: the subject of transitive verbs.
abs. (linguistic): absolutive: the object of transitive verbs, and subject of
intransitive verbs.

Well, that's the basic ones, I leave you the fun of continuing the list :)) .
Still, I can also begin the list of aspects :)) :

perf. (linguistic): perfect: refers to a finished action, or its result.
imperf. (linguistic): imperfect(ive): refers to a non-finished action. also
called continuous.
aor. (linguistic): aorist (also called perfective): refers to a punctual action.
inch. (linguistic): inchoactive: refers to a beginning action.

For the moods, I'm less secure, so I'll define only the main ones:
ind. (linguistic): indicative: indicates that the action is real, or supposed
so.
subj. (linguistic): subjunctive: indicates that there is a doubt as for the
reality of the action.
neg. (linguistic): negative: negates an action.

Well, feel free to edit my definitions, I'm not always very good at finding the
right words :(( .

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.

Reply