Re: ghosts, flames, and fox fire; was: a bit of...

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Sally Caves <scaves@F...> wrote:

>Let's put flames to good use here:  how many of you in your conlangs
>and concultures have a word for electricity?  Is it related to fire
>in any way? or lightning?  What about fox fire? methane gas?  are
>ghosts a kind of cold fire?  What about dynamite?  Anybody have
>language for firecrackers? fireworks?

Some of these are neologisms in Senyecan, the referents not having
existed when Senyecan was first spoken.

Lightning - dom-tsadhron = tamed lightning.  tsadhren is an animate
noun, but becomes inanimate in the word electricity.

Gunpowder - nevswelpelon = exploding sulfur.

These two words have been approved by the yuunyexn^medhcantun, The
Council on Neologisms.

The following words are not neologisms:

Methane - laamcwepon = swamp gas.

Ghost - ensun, from the verb ensa, to haunt.

Fox fire - ondyonlucon = dwarf light.  The Children of Stone lived in
caves in the mountains and were skilled in cultivating all types of
fungi.  The tunnels between caverns were lit by clumps of fox fire
hung on the walls.