conlang trends (was: Nakiltipkaspimak)

On Wed, 11 Oct 2000, taliesin the storyteller wrote:

> *grmpf*! One more incorporating language... You're all
> thieves! :) What is it with this new batch 'a 'langers... all
> incorporatin', all active-systems... Not that you are a newbie
> Daniel but geeez... Are "they" putting something into the
> water-supply? (Damn can't say that in târuven as there's no word
> for "put", but wait...) What will be the next "big minds think
> alike" -> "conlangers conlang alike" wave... Matrix-languages? (as
> in C. J. Cherry's Chanur-series)
(humbly)  I'm a newbie but I wasn't even aware what other people on-list
were doing when I decided to make Chevraqis an active language...and I
don't even know what an incorporating language *is.*

How does a matrix-language work?

YHL