Re: CHAT: On the term 'engelang'

Lars:
> > Date:         Tue, 14 May 2002 02:44:19 +0100
> > From: And Rosta <a-rosta@...>
> >
> > Lars:
> > > But it puzzles me why it isn't engilang. -nge- occurs with several
> > > different pronunciations --- singer, stronger, angel --- but -ngi- is
> > > much less ambiguous.
> >
> > Two reasons. (a) It's what got suggested, "engineered language"
> > indubitably being the best uncompressed description of the category
> > in question. (b) It conforms to the disyllabic pattern of other
> > names for conlang taxa.
>
> Ah, there's the rub. I simply can't see engelang and think two of
> syllables. Evidently some other people feel the same, since there's
> been some discussion of what the middle vowel is supposed to be.
>
> If it sticks around, we'll just have to learn.
All this agonizing over the aesthetics of the terms is very much in
the spirit of conlanging, and were English our own conlang, the
obvious solution would be to alter the first syllable of the word
"engineer" to allow for more felicitous abbreviability.

The pronunciation of "engelang" is obvious once you know the
etymology -- as is often the case with English spelling. And <enge>
is the natural spelling, given the pronunciation; cf. henge, sprenge,
revenge.

--And.

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