comparing languages on their merits (was: RE: Comparison of philosophical languages

Andrew Nowicki:
> I believe that any language is merely a tool that
> should be discarded when a better tool is found
> Any tool can be compared to other tools. I would
> like to know what features of a general purpose
> spoken language are desirable
>
> Some programming languages are better than other
> programming languages. Some spoken languages are
> better than other spoken languages. Some systems
> of measures are better than other systems of
> measures. If we had been talking about systems of
> measures I would certainly say that the metric
> system is superb to other systems. The flamers
> in this thread imply that we cannot compare
> languages. Just because *they* cannot compare
> languages does not mean that languages cannot
> be compared
There is a (quiet) forum called Engelang@yahoogroups.com
devoted to engelangs (engineered languages), the branch
of conlangs founded on the premises you describe.

Although discussion of engelangs is not at all verboten
on Conlang -- after all, in the early days of the Conlang
list before 1993 or so, I was the most artlangy list member,
a lone voice crying out in the wilderness that conlanging
was an art, incredible though it may now seem -- the fact
remains that most people on Conlang aren't interested in
engelangs.

That said, I doubt that even people on Engelang are
interested in denunciations of the defects of English
or in underinformed proclamations of the superiority of
Ygyde.

--And.