Re: Degree in Ithkuil vs. S7

John Quijada <jq_ithkuil@...> writes:
>...
> Ithkuil can achieve the same functional "refinement" of gradation by
> combining affixes so that one affix modifies another, as opposed to
> modifying the word as a whole.
This will be able in S7, too.  The degree affixes will be attachable
to any other stem/core/affix.

However, many, many distinctions Ithkuil does are not systematic in
S7, such as the circumstantial vs. derivational meaning.  I only noticed
the degrees. :-)

>  (These are the "VsC" and "V3C" classes of affixes described in
> Sec. 7.3 of the Ithkuil grammar).  Of course, by having to combine
> affixes, Ithkuil's system is not as elegant as S7,
Well, elegance is just personal taste.

> but as explained above, I was limited my the morpho-phonologically
> available number of vowels/consonants.
Yes, there is a very impressive list of such affixes. :-)

> >Moreover, the realisation is also similar: mainly by vowels and
> >combinable with different consonants for different types of degree.
>
> Ithkuil morpho-phonology, from its earliest conception 25 years ago, was
> highly influenced by the Semitic triliteral root morphology,
And so is S7. :-)

> By the way, as long as we're discussing coincidental similarities between
> S7 and Ithkuil, I've been corresponding privately with list-member Jonathan
> Knibbs about his Telona language (now temporarily called T4), and he has
> noted several surprising similarities between S7 and T4 as well.
Ah, I'd be interested.  I think I talked with him about similarities between
telona and S2.  Some features are in both S2 and S7.

> I believe that the more one gives thought to designing an "engelang"
> (as Jörg calls them), convergent design principles emerge from
> separate authors, so that interesting similarities arise.  It makes
> one begin to wonder whether there are some hidden universal design
> principles even in non-natlang conlangs!
Maybe.  But maybe it's simply the mere number of languages that have
been discussed and the number of features a language have that can all
coincide.  Up to now, all languages I saw where totally different at
closer look. ;-)

**Henrik