Conlang: Re: Origins of the Gay Bearded Left-Handed Lithuanian Conlanger (R A Brown, Jan 27 '08, 14:27)

Re: Origins of the Gay Bearded Left-Handed Lithuanian Conlanger

From:	R A Brown <ray@...>
Date:	Sunday, January 27, 2008, 14:27

From:

R A Brown <ray@...>

Date:

Sunday, January 27, 2008, 14:27

Arthaey Angosii wrote:

> I decided to search for the earliest reference to gay, bearded, > left-handed Lithuanian conlangers: > > http://listserv.brown.edu/archives/cgi-bin/wa?S2=CONLANG&q=bearded+lithuanian > > The earliest post that search returns is Christophe's from October 1st, 2002: > > http://listserv.brown.edu/archives/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0210A&L=CONLANG&P=1863

Far too late, at least for part of the description. The Conlang 'bearded left-handed gay' archetype dates back at least to 1996 (possibly even a year or two earlier) - tho in those days the beard was strictly a 'goatee'. It emerged IIRC from the periodic surveys/questionnaires that are conducted on this list. Quite when the beard ceased to be a goatee, I don't know. Possibly it was simply an imprecise remembrance of the mid 1990s prototype. The 'Lithuanian' part is more recent. It may be indeed that bnathyuw simply added that to the established 'gay left-handed' prototype (he forget the [goatee] beard - as Christophe pointed out). --------------------------------------------------- MorphemeAddict@WMCONNECT.COM wrote: > In a message dated 1/27/2008 2:53:49 AM Central Standard Time, > arthaey@GMAIL.COM writes: > > >> I decided to search for the earliest reference to gay, bearded, >> left-handed Lithuanian conlangers: >> > > You mean there's more than one? Or just references to the same one? No - it is definitely plural in the mail to which Christophe replied. But it does, I agree, seem strange. IIRC the original mid 1990s prototype was meant to represent the _typical_ conlanger. Obviously adding 'Lithuanian' cannot be done for the same reason; one thing that's consistent about all the surveys/questionnaires is that Conlangers are more likely to be citizens of the USA. Judging by the tone of bnathyuw's mail he is listing all the extreme descriptions of conlanger eccentrics and saying each time that not all Conlangers are like that. So the mid 1990s archetype had become transformed into one of the 2002 _atypical_ groups like Geeks, conculturalists, adventure gamers, compulsive pedants and, of course, "gay left-handed lithuanians". (*NOT* my list - its bnathyuw's!) PS - FWIW I'm neither gay, left-handed, bearded (goatee or otherwise), nor Lithuanian ;) -- Ray ================================== http://www.carolandray.plus.com ================================== Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitudinem.

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