Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: Lexicons and Langauge Borrowing

From:Padraic Brown <pbrown@...>
Date:Wednesday, March 17, 1999, 19:07
On Tue, 16 Mar 1999, Steg Belsky wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Mar 1999 11:47:27 -0500 Padraic Brown > <pbrown@...> writes: > > > >I think a language that _doesn't_ borrow from its neighbours is rather > >odd. > > > >Padraic. > > > > How about borrowing from other conlangs? :)
I thought I mentioned that!? If you mean nonrelated conlangs, like Nova or Teonaht, then there are none that I can think of; but Kernu has certainly borrowed (especially heavily in the national government and technology areas) from Brithenig, its neighbour and sister language. It's very possible that there are many more borrowings, but the stock of roots is essentially the same for both languages (Latin and British Celtic, though in differing proportions); which can make it very difficult to tell what may be borrowed and what may be native. Examples: principtad (B), prenceptats (K) (pricipality); perdder, perder (lose); do^n, dawna (lady); eirigl (farmer), ayrechoels (farm hand); prefder, druets (priest); ffer (iron), fers (steel); car (car), cars (waggon, mechanical device). Of these, I think "prenceptats" and "fers" are borrowed from Brithenig; the native word for principality or kingdom is "camoulls", while iron is "isarns". "Prenceptats" is used exclusively in the name of the country: la Prenceptats di Cambrea. "Cars" was borrowed from English "carriage" and originally meant an agricultural implement of a mechanical nature; but now means any mechanical device [carriage -> carreys -> caris -> cars]; but the native "cars" meaning cart or waggon already existed. One used to be able to tell them apart by declension (caris v. cars), but the processes of erosion have all but eliminated declensional distinctions. I don't know of any reverse borrowings, but there must be a few lurking about in the shadows somewhere. Well!, having just peeked at the Brithenig Page, I see the name of the country has changed from Principality to Kingdom. Funny the way those things happen. Aha! Something fishy is indeed going on here, as the previous version of the Page and the new differ. Don't let your Constructed Government do this to you! Contact your Member of Parliament now! Padraic.
> > Rokbeigalmki has borrowings from Proto-Elvish and Nandorin (Penni) > Elvish: > _okta_ = war (<< okta:) > _eleni_ = dome (<< eleni, "stars") > _mer_ = request (<< mer, "want") > _avar_ = refusal (<< avari, "those who refused") > _olves_ = plant-growth (<< olvar, "plants") > > and of course the words > _pwend_ and _kfend_ for "elf" (<< penn, kwende) > > there are also some words that have standard Rokbeigalmki forms and > colloquial Elvish forms because of the similarity of the words: > _sednu_ (R) , _sed_ (E) = peace > _ita~l_ (R) , _tol_ (E) = island > > > -Stephen (Steg) > "hhalomot zeh b'emet" >