Re: Taalen mutations

En réponse à Aidan Grey <grey@...>:

>
>      Hmm... I don't know how to make this unrounded [w],
Just like a [w] is basically a [u] pronounced very fast, a [M\] is basically a
[M] (unrounded [u]) pronounced very fast. Maybe through this step you will find
it easier (of course, that won't help if [M] is a mystery for you :(( ).
Another possibility is to attack from the other side, i.e. begin with a [G]
(voiced velar fricative) and keep the same position while diminishing the
amount of friction (make it even softer than it already is). [M\] has quite a
grumbly quality typical of the velar position for consonants other than
occlusives. Finally, a last angle of attack, available only if you master your
French ;))) , is to attack from the French [R] (voiced uvular fricative) which
is often pronounced extremely lightly, like a voiced uvular approximant. Begin
from this sound and advance it a bit while lightening it up, and you have [M\].

>
>    By the way, I have an interesting idea that you might appreciate:
> French
> is, of course, the language of love, and German the language of
> Psychiatry.
> Similar categorization for other langs exist, but here's my suggestion
> for
> Welsh: it's the lang of adventure and fantasy. I mean, every
> significant
> fantasy novel with a lang is either blatantly ripped off from Welsh
> (Jordan's Wheel of Time series) or greatly inspired by it (Sindarin).
> Whaddaya think?
>
I think you have a strong point here. Actually, I'd go further: it's not only
the language, but the Celtic culture which inspires greatly fantasy (and
particularly Sword&Sorcery). Look at the Lord of the Rings movie: Celtic music
all along. You never have a Sword&Sorcery book without at least a bard and a
druid, both typically Celtic professions. It's not so surprising when you think
that probably the very first inspiration for this genre is the story of the
Knights of the Round, which is itself typically Celtic. I can even add that the
second inspiration for fantasy is Scandinavian. You nearly always have in
fantasy stories a "barbarian from the North", dwarves, and the like, which are
obviously Vikings.

I guess for the first fantasy writers those two cultures are both quite
different from "mainstream Western culture", at least in the past, while still
bearing recognisable marks, that make it easy for the reader to imagine what
kind of world it is about.

Of course, there are plenty of exceptions, like everywhere else, but I'm quite
confident when I say that fantasy is mainly inspired from Celtic and
Scandinavian legends (look at the two series Hercules and Xena! Although they
are supposed to take place in Ancient Greece, the whole looks and even the
music are definitely Celtic!).

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.