Re: Ancient conlang
| From: | Isaac Penzev <isaacp@...> |
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| Date: | Thursday, January 15, 2004, 14:21 |
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On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 07:30:55 +0100 Andreas Johansson wrote:
<<The real question, I guess, is not whether the language has fixed terms for
the things, but if the speaker in question know of them. A user of any
modern "primitive" language is quite likely just to borrow the English words.>>
It's not so plain in most cases. It strongly depends on the culture of the
"prim"-lang speakers. If it shows high degree of resistanse to alien influence,
has strong sense of "inner circle" identity, it will try to avoid borrowings.
Examples: Icelandic, many Native American langs, to certain degree Modern
Hebrew, Georgian. On the other hand, there are societies that are open for
incorporating foreing element by assimilating them, without losing own identity.
Examples: Japanese, Tagalog, Swahili.
ObConlang: I suppose, Newgaritic will follow the trend of other Semitic
languages, mainly resisting to high rate of borrowings, but rather relying on
its own resourses in coining new words for new notions.
-- Yitzik
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