USAGE? Re: Defining words and how they are used

MessageWell, not sure, one thing about maintaining things as classical, same as why the
Catholic Church kept things Latin for so long, was that the meaning was often
kept, yes sacred but more like easier for yes, scholars to have the same
meaning/knowledge.. And yes, to be a priest you had to have the drive and will
to be one, to be special. Like why Lawyers have all their rules of the Bar and
all. Rituals and like..

But yes, it can also be used to control, but books like the Quran is not alone..
You have the Sunni, who I believe accept commentary on things, while the Shia
do not accept any comments on the Quran..

Yes, words change over time, but in the common langage they are common, but also
they seem to change faster than the "classical" forms?

But yes, as seen by the Clunic reformation, that you had a class of priests who
was priests in name only.. It was becomming a landed title, with sons of
priests becoming priests but they had not training as a priest, to include
Latin, and its meanings and what the concepts behind the words and scriptures
was? Also the marriage debate was there as well, leading to later problems, but
not going there.

But when you have one language, its easier for people to understand each other for
things like legal, theological, . Trade and more.. Contracts and more.. Such as
what is a WRIT, or a TORT.. Words you do not see in modern English other than
for legal reasons.. (Tort = wrong, WRIT = an order or detemination? such as a
Writ of Divource).

Such as OT and USAGE, things you learn and we have in common, the definition has to
be consistant, but when the common tonue - Lingua Franca changes all the time,
or Lingua Bastarda? Hard to have things consistant, that WILL would be
misunderstood and it leads to wars and like?

But yes, helps to know Classical Arabic, and in this you become a learned persons
and enter into the KNOW, feeling special and there fore have POWER?

Like when someone asked me if I was a Rabbi, cause of what I know of Rabbinical and
like subjects. Yes, in one way, they was correct but not Jewish, so not a
Rabbi, even if the term is Teacher, and there for I am a Rabbi, but ... not
going there.. Like professor, is one who professes..

Anyone can be a professor, technically, but normally its someone who had the school
degree and job as one.. Words do love to change meaning. What was once common
name or word, is now special, and the old job they used to do, is now got a new
term/title..


Mike



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joseph B. 
  To: CONLANG@listserv.brown.edu 
  Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 6:06 AM
  Subject: Re: Defining words and how they are used


 > The concept is how to use words in your conlang correctly, so that people
get no misconceptions and misunderstanding.

 Unless that is a main feature of the conlang. Vance in _The Languages of Pao_
has the business class of Pao culture using a language that easily obfuscates
the meaning of words (IIRC, there are no examples offered). Not too long ago I
considered creating a language in which most words were autoantonyms, with a
phonology wherein minimum pairs required a very good ear.

 > One of the reasons for keeping the Quran in "Classical Arabic" is to keep
things pure and no misunderstandings?

 IMO, this would work only if either Arabic never had any shifts in the
meanings of words or everyone reading/hearing the Qurân were a historical
scholar in the language. More likely, keeping it in Classic Arabic serves two
needs: mentally rendering the passages "sacred" - i.e. setting a specific
mindset; and appealing to the idea that old = better or correct, new =
degraded.