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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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G. van der Vegt <gijsstrider@...>