Uusisuom's influences are Finnish and Lithuanian. I know very little Russian
anyway.
I really do believe Uusisuom would make a great international language
because it really is extremely neutral. It is a unique and special language
and I thank all members of this list who have voiced their support for it so
far.
Daniel
daniel44@btinternet.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Raymond Brown" <ray.brown@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2001 7:16 AM
Subject: Re: Uusisuom language (Online lesson)
> At 6:53 pm +0100 28/3/01, Daniel44 wrote:
> >Raymond,
> >
> >Thank you for your kind words of support for the Uusisuom language.
> >
> >I have used these three languages (Finnish, Lithuanian, Russian) as my
main
> >influences because they are languages I have some knowledge of.
>
> That's a good reason if you're just constructing a language for your own
> pleasure and/or the pleasures of others - what's commonly called an
> "artlang" on this list.
>
> >I also
> >believe that they are good models for different reasons. Finnish is
arguably
> >the most beautiful natural language in the world,
>
> I happen to agree - and so, apparently, did JRR Tolkien of Quenya &
> Sindarin fame.
>
> >Russian is spoken by
> >hundreds of millions of people the world over, from Eastern Europe to the
> >tip of Alaska
>
> Yes - but why? It was taken thither by the Tsarist armies and continued
to
> be used over this vast area in the old Soviet Union. To many it is, alas,
> too much identified with a language of imperialism.
>
> If Uusisuom is to have any appeal for the international use that you would
> like it to have, I would suggest forgetting the Russian influence (or at
> least, minimizing it).
>
> >and Lithuanian has wonderful grammatical forms. Lithuanian is
> >also highly prized among language scholars for its link to Sanskrit in
India
> >dating back thousands of years.
>
> Very true - and, again, a perfectly good reason to use it in the
> construction of an artlang.
>
> >Finnish and Lithuanian have to be among the
> >oldest living languages still in modern use in Europe.
>
> But young, maybe, compared with Basque :)
>
> Now a blend of Finnish, Lithuanian & Basque could really make an excellent
> artlang! And if you pushed it as an international medium it could
> certainly claim neutrality.
>
> [snip]
> >
> >Pronouns are distinct from verb endings, though related for ease of
> >learning. Again, though perhaps not common in auxiliary languages, verb
> >endings are common in many natural languages.
>
> True.
>
> >I understand your point about the numbers, though people DO distinguish
> >between thirteen and thirty. It's a question of how well the speaker
> >pronounces.
>
> It is also effected by interference between speaker & listener, no matter
> how clear the speaker is. The fact that 13 & 30 not infrequently have to
> be repeated to make communication clear is testimony to this.
>
> >Again, my main priority is ease of learning.
>
> Well, from that point of view, I would think the modern Welsh system
(apart
> from the occasional initial consonant mutation) is even easier:
>
> 1 un
> 2 dau
> 3 tri
> 4 pedwar
> 5 pump [_pum_ before a noun]
> 6 chwech [_chwe_ before a noun]
> 7 saith
> 8 wyth
> 9 naw
> 10 deg
>
> 11 un deg un
> 12 un deg dau
> 13 un deg tri
> 14 un deg pedwar
> etc
>
> 20 dau ddeg ['soft mutation' after _dau_]
> 21 dau ddeg un
> 22 dau ddeg dau
> 23 dau ddeg tri
> etc
>
> 30 tri deg
> 40 pedwar deg
> 50 pum deg
> 60 chwe deg
> 70 saith deg
> 80 wyth deg
> 90 naw deg
> 100 cant
>
> Ray.
>
> =========================================
> A mind which thinks at its own expense
> will always interfere with language.
> [J.G. Hamann 1760]
> =========================================
>