Re: introductio

Jonathan Chang wrote:
>
> Hello/Saluta,
>     My nom de guerre is "zHANg"... 3 ways to read/say it:
>         1- simply "zzhaaang!" like the onomatopoeia of metal
>             striking metal
>         2- Chinese-style: "Zhang Han"
>         3- Euro-style: "Han Zhang"

Welcome welcome welcome, on behalf of the list.

>
>     ABOUT MY LINGUA-MANGLING PROJECT "SYNTHRAX":
>
>     I am making up an artistic/experimental conlang - called "Synthrax" -
> with a vocabulary based on int'l techno-scientific Greco-Latin roots, various
> "untranslatable" concept-words from diverse cultures  & Japanese
> sound-mimicking onomatopoeia [hehe, "pika-chu" is a good example]. Synthrax
> will be using a "minimalist" syntax structure like Pidgin English & a
> "poetic" sub-syntax much like found in classical Chinese poetry &
> contemporary cyberpoetics.
>     In another words, a language that is transparent (without apparent
> meaning) at first, but that gradually an even an educated "lay" reader gains
> a recognition of, thus becoming less transparent & full of semantic
> opaqueness (meaning(s)) a la the Russian Futurist Viktor Shklovski's idea of
> _ ostranenie_: "making strange."
>     Also Synthrax is an "expandable Pidgin" due to its
> neologistically-friendly "modular" lexemes.
>
>     verry Ruff sketch idea/sample:
>
>      _Synthrax: creati kira-kira poeti lingua mega co kaleido lexi co
> koto-koto goto-goto sono pro Industrelectronica Tempora_
>
>      (Yes, I am aware of Glosa/Intergossa... but I think that Glosalists are
> a fairly idealistic, overly serious bunch that have not read much/enuff on
> linguistics or read Rick Harrison's - IMHO - seminal essay "Farewell to
> Auxiliary Languages.")

sounds like it could be cool!  is there much of a grammar sketch that
you could show us?  that could be interesting.

>
>     I am seeking:
>
>     - various semantic concept-word lists (i.e. basic Chinese, very basic
> modern techno-scientific literate terms, etc.) ... small as in 800 to 1,000
> words
>
>     - Japanese onomatopoeia words/compounds in the _giongo_
> (sound-mimicking) grouping
> [there are 2 others: the _giseego_ (voice-mimicking) & _gitaigo_
> (mode-mimicking)  - but I am not interested in them]
>     The Japanese language has close to 1,000 onomatopoeia words!!! What
> riches compared to many other languages' miserly low hundreds!!!   Unfortunate
> ly, many dictionaries (& Japanese language students) are oblivious to their
> functions, much less existence.
Good luck!  I don't know much at all about Japanese, but I know we have
a few list members who do, and maybe they could help you out!

-Nicole