Re: Lilipu: The Bonsai Language

--- 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


-- Christian Thalmann