Re: CHAT: _Describing Morphosyntax_

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 16:23:46 -0400, Mark Reed <markjreed@...> wrote:

> I haven't read _Describing_Morphosyntax_, but I can easily believe
> that it's dry; I mean, it's a dry title.  It is certainly possible to
> convey material that is deeply technical and still be entertaining at
> the same time;
See, to me, _DM_ *is* entertaining, and exciting, and fun, as is Comrie's
_Language Universals and Linguistic Typology_. Seeing which way the plot
twists come, and from where, is about as intriguing and involving as in
most novels. It's just that the plot twists come from the odd methods
employed by languages, rather than the odd methods employed by characters.
Plus, there's the sense of actually feeling my brain get stimulated to
think in new ways, and grow fuller, with every paragraph -- much like each
bite of a gourmet meal stimulates my taste buds and fills my stomach.
Eventually, I hope to crap out a conlang that is as satisfying.





Paul