Re: Reactions to the secret vice (was: Steg's wonderful sig.)

On Fri, 5 Nov 1999, Sally Caves wrote:

> As soon as I invoked the "miniature" element, he could understand.
> See, he thought, at first, that I and all the rest of you are trying
> to build full-sized cities, all by ourselves.  <G>
Well, I am. But not all at once. I'm starting with just the one room :-)

I've never felt comfortable with the concept of "miniature" as
applied to conlangs (or concultures either) because, for me, it
implies a replica of something that already exists, rather than a
completely new thing. That the thing isn't finished, and will never
be finished enough for common use, and isn't even intended for that,
doesn't make a difference: Valdyas, and the Valdyan language, *are*
things in themselves, and I'm not consciously imitating anything.

   Irina

            Varsinen an laynynay, saraz no arlet rastynay.
                     irina@rempt.xs4all.nl (myself)
       http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/index.html (English)
    http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/backpage.html (Nederlands)