Re: Tiny lexicon languages

Hello,

IMO, 20 roots is too few for a language meant to be used for everyday
communication or diary writing.

Even if 20 roots and lots of derivation could do the same work as a large
natlang lexicon, the resulting words would be too similar to one another
more often.   Which sentence seems easier to read, A or B?

A:   I took a picture with my new camera, and developed the film to produce
a good print.

B:    I photographed a photograph with my new prephotographizer and
photographized the photographier to produce a fine photographrand.

I'll take the first sentence any day of the week!

As for aUI, the language of space, I used to own a grammar for it.   I use
that term loosely;   the claims its author made on behalf of aUI were mostly
laughable.   It does NOT produce precise expressions from its handful of
roots.

A language with a tiny lexicon would have to be used for some specialized
purpose;   magical ritual, playing chess, describing feelings;   any
endeavor involving only a handful of entities and actions to name.

MATHEMATICS might provide a good semantic domain for a tiny lexicon
language.

And I would LOVE to see if someone could make a tiny lexicon language
specialized to describe dancing.

But for the present, I'll pass on this challenge, and wait for better minds
to take it up.

Jim