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Re: New to the list

From:Padraic Brown <pbrown@...>
Date:Friday, June 16, 2000, 16:13
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