Re: NATLANG Q?: Dutch,etc. for "Pangaea" & "Gaia, etc.

In a message dated 1/27/2003 11:36:01 PM Pacific Standard Time,
czhang23@AOL.COM writes:


>     I am wondering how Nederlands and _Romaji_ translate and/or spell (& the
> IPA of said spellings) the following words:
>         "void"
>         "chaos"
>          "Pangaea"
>         "evolution"
>         "mutation"
>         "Gaia"
>         "fractal"
>         "cybernetic", "cyberspace", "CyberPunk", "cyborg"
>         "sci-fi", "science fiction"
>         "Dadaism", "Futurism"
>         "anarchism"
>         "improvisation"
>
> OBCONLANG:  While we are on this subject matter...
> do any of ya conlangers have words to "cover" and/or express these
> ideas/concepts/ideologies, etc.???
> ::makes pleading curious-cat-like sounds::
 The ancient Kankonians did have a word corresponding to "chaos" to appeal to
chaotophobic minds: it was "estid". "Estid" was never too clearly defined,
but it was what the Establishment feared would happen if its social
conventions were to fall (although they never explained too clearly what
exactly would be so horrible about that). After the overthrow of the devesas,
"estid" isn't in use anymore. They don't have their word for "chaos", but
there is "tshoi", from their neighboring planet of Chatony. In its
originating non-Kankonian language, "tshoi" means "chaos" and "tsha" means
"order", an ordering directional force opposite to entropy. This borrowing IS
useful for expressing concepts like "chaos theory".

 So there's my answer for one of your words. I don't normally respond to all
requests for translations, but the Kankonian word for "chaos" has such an
interesting history that I had to share it when you brought it up.