Re: New to the list

On Fri, 16 Jun 2000, Oskar Gudlaugsson wrote:

>Padraic Brown wrote:
>
>>
>>On Thu, 15 Jun 2000, Oskar Gudlaugsson wrote:
>>
>> >Dear list-members of Conlang,
>> >
>> >My name is Oskar Gudlaugsson and I'm 20 years old from Iceland. I'm a
>> >polyglott and linguistics-enthusiast who uses conlanging for personal
>> >expression. Sound familiar?
>>
>>Oo! Islenskr madhr! (allowing for spelling errors) Welcome to the
>>list.
>
>Thanks for the welcome. No actual spelling errors, only archaisms ;) A more
>modern spelling is "íslenskur maður", or, the way I want it, "íslenskur
>madur". Always flattering to see people exhibit interest in Icelandic. I'm
>pretty objective as a linguist, but I'd still say that my own native
>language has many interesting characteristics, mainly lexical.
One of the most interesting languages I've ever studied! We read
parts of Njals Saga and Thattr Audhunar in Old Icelandic. Though,
I can't honestly say I remember how to say much more than "Yes,
sir, I'd like to do that" and "No,sir, I don't want to do that".

I suppose if I could remember "Where's the bong?" and "Where's
the pub?", I'd be all right.

>> >I'm well aware that discussions on auxlangs are not allowed on this list.
>>
>>That is quite right! If convicted, your arms and legs will be cut off
>>(one at a time) and your tongue will will be pulled out from the root;
>>after which, you may then issue an apology and fly the country.
>
>I've been warned. But, really, don't worry. I fled the AUXLANG list because
>I hate just the same things that you guys hate and therefore ban from here.
Ah. Linguistic refugee. We seem to have a load of them, now.

>The last time I
>> >presented my ideas the only comments I got were "How will you propagate
>> >this language?".
>>
>>Hm. Here we tell you how neat your language is, and ask what kind of
>>cultures or races speak it; how long you've been working at it; how
>>it works, etc. etc. Though, since you seem to be into auxlangs as
>>conlangs, the first question is moot.
>
>Not exactly "moot". I lurked on this list a little while and noticed how you
>immediately define new conlangs that you're discussing, by the questions you
>pose; when a conlanger makes a language, the first question s/he asks
>him/herself is "who speaks it?"; that is the main factor in the design of
>the language, right? So when I'm designing the IAL-type languages I'm
>currently interested in (note the 'currently' - I'll probably get on to
>something different sometime soon), my answer to the question is "the 6
>billion+ people of planet Earth, in a remote future". And that then has
>certain implications for the design. So it's the same method that you all
>use here. And the speakers of my languages are equally "fantastic" or, that
>is, hypothetical, as the speakers of the various fantasy-languages designed
>here. You get my point?
Sure. At least in my opinion, IALs are more a phenomenon of *here*,
i.e., the Real World, and as such are designed for humans, obviating
the race question; and are intended to be culture neutral or
supercultural, thus obviating the culture question.

Padraic.

>Oskar