Re: THEORY: Natural language change (was Re: Charlie and I)

Doug Ball wrote:

> I guess I'll make my grand entry as a contributor onto the list by list=
ing
> my own version of the frequented-translated sentence:
Traltan, Hdoglas, sed tso-narlty.  Greetings, Douglas!  We welcome you.

> Skerre:
> Sek kir=E4 wo auket kel', hon kir=E4 that kr=E4 hik
> If you  can understand this, then you more much know (no negative
> connotation).
=20
> Take this translation with a cautious eye.  My "native speakers" have b=
een
> quite fickle lately.  In the up-coming weeks it may be "discovered" tha=
t
> this wasn't the correct translation=20
Oh, this is a given of conlanging!  The language changes out from under
you,
cities rise out of oceans and sink again, houses switch around, emerge
and
subside with as much confusion as anything from _Dark City_.  When you
get
Skerre in more stable form, Doug, we'd love to see how the above quote=20
can be analysed.

(I, unlike many of you, am a student at
> the collegiate level [the University of Rochester].=20
I think you'll find quite a number of students at the collegiate level,
here,
Doug!  And some from high school!  We're a motley group! =20

I will be meeting with
> my mentors on my language inventing project, one from the linguistics d=
ept.
> and one from the English dept, and over the next couple of weeks, all o=
f us
> will be giving my grammar an intensive look). But it is nice to meet a =
group
> of people who share my interest in inventing languages.  I've been obse=
rving
> your conversations for about a week and decided to finally give the lis=
t my
> 2 cent(imes or ore or pence, etc.).
> -Doug
> (who does not have a neat quote to accompany his signature at this time=
)

Try this:  "I know why a billy goat has a beard."  Nah... that's from=20
the Book of Taliesin, and while the old bard said a lot of important
things,
this one is probably the silliest.  Again, welcome on board!  You're
lucky
to get your professors to look at your work! <G>
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SALLY CAVES
scaves@frontiernet.net
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves (bragpage)
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html (T. homepage)
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/contents.html (all else)
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Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an.
"The gods have retractible claws."
                                from _The Gospel of Bastet_
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