Re: does conlanging change your sense of reality?
From: | Tony Harris <tony@...> |
Date: | Wednesday, April 1, 2009, 21:10 |
Lars Finsen wrote:
> Den 31. mar. 2009 kl. 22.32 skreiv Mark J. Reed:
>
>> Why must there be a "point" to the variety of languages? Can't things
>> just be, without all having to fit into some master plan? The variety
>> is interesting of itself.
>
> Variety is charming. It makes linguists busy. Maybe that's enough of a
> point after all. But from a practical point of view it really would have
> been much better if we all used the same language - unless the different
> manifestations of language do have the ability to enrich our
> communication and understanding in practical ways.
>
> LEF
From a practicality standpoint I agree. In my conworld, Alurhsa
replaced, over time, all the pre-unification languages to where it's the
only one spoken (other than hobbyists and such who might even
occasionally raise a child bilingually with Alurhsa and one of the old
tongues). And I agree it would be very nice for the Earth (can you tell
I've been an Esperantist?).
At the same time, I do think each language carries with it the "soul" of
its speakers, so to speak. Language flavors culture as much as culture
flavors language.
Or so I think anyway, in my non-scientific viewpoint...
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