Re: Lilipu: The Bonsai Language

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 21:29:07 +0100, Christian Thalmann <cinga@...>
wrote:

>--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Viktor Medrano <vmed@H...> wrote:
> > http://purl.oclc.org/NET/lilipu
> >
> > Like the miniature Japanese bonsai tree, Lilipu exemplifies "Small is
> > beautiful." It is designed as a language in which to create haiku.
>
>While I find the language quite charming, especially with its
>elegant usage of |va| and |vu| for different yet logically
>related purposes, it appears to me as *not* very well suited
>for haikus...  the constricted phonology forces many words to
>take up three or more syllables, and the analytical grammar
>demands that all grammatical features be expressed with
>additional syllables strewn into the text...  with the result
>that the simple sentence "in a volcano the dragon hides the
>ring" takes up a whole haiku.  English, on the other hand,
>would allow you to pack more sense into those three lines...
>
>fiery mountain core
>a dragon's home and castle
>here his ring is safe
>
>
Thanks.  I realize that languages like English, Chinese, and Vietnamese can
render a more information-packed haiku, but that wasn't my intention in
building Lilipu.  I wanted Lilipu to be somewhat Japanesque:  long words
and "digital" (for lack of a better term) syllables.

--Viktor