Re: Performative verbs (was: Re: here is some stuff i want all of ya'll to look at)

Quoting Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>:


> En réponse à Andreas Johansson :
>
>
> >This surprises me; surely the performatives would be less common than the
> >non-preformatives, and thus, by the principle of maximizing the learner's
> >memory load, ought be the more complexly conjugated? Having the more common
> >forms more difficult seems way to sensible for Maggel.
>
> I don't know. What is more against common sense:
> 1. the majority of forms using a simple conjugation (even though with many
> irregularities) while the minoritary rest uses very complex ones, or
> 2. the minority of forms using a simple conjugation, while the majority
> uses very complex, convoluted, and irregular ones?
>
> Most natlangs do commonly 1. So it makes sense for Maggel to do 2.
> Especially since having most verbs in their most common use use very
> complex and irregular conjugations seems a bit more of memory load to the
> learner than having the complex forms in little use...
My experience as a language learner is that the irregularity of common verbs
isn't a problem; their frequency of use makes sure they etch themselves into
one's mind. _Uncommon_ irregular verbs is where I tend to make mistakes. I'd
therefore expect irregularity in the less common conjugation to be more
troublesome.

There's, of course, a simple solution; make both conjugations equally fiendishly
complex! :)

                                               Andreas

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