Re: Sounds like...

> Like other people, I guess, I think that the words I choose in some way
> "sound like" their meaning.  Probably this is nonsense, but here's a
> small test...
I don't think it's nonsense at all -- it IS nonsense to think that the words
you choose are going to seem to "fit their meanings" for everyone, or even
most people who come upon your language for the first time.  However, within
a certain aesthetic naming "system" it's entirely possible to name words
in such a way that they indicate their meanings, on the basis of that system
-- from exactly one particular viewpoint every word in the language can fit
its meaning quite well, in the most evident manner, even.  The system breaks
down for really fundamental words, though -- the names I give "basic"
concepts are pretty arbitrary; I just try to make sure to give the best-sounding
words to the most common concepts, so they are used more often.

>
> These are all colour words.
>
>    clasant       sayl       sint       lath      yev
>    sharf         plenin     murud      celif     sharday
>
> Here are the meanings (mixed up).  Which goes with which?
>
>    yellow        black      green      blue-green    purple
>    white         brown      pink       red           blue
Here's an interpretation based on MY particular habits:

clasant:  blue-green
sharf:    red
sayl:     blue
plenin:   yellow
sint:     white
murud:    brown
lath:     black
celif:    green
yev:      purple
sharday:  pink


Josh Shinavier