Re: Bootstrapping a cooperative conlang

In a message dated 11/16/2007 2:31:41 AM Central Standard Time,
fiziwig@YAHOO.COM writes:


> A simplified example:
>
> Core vocabulary
> ---------------
> a  - to, toward, at
> alo  - say
> amensa  - know
> ashani - someone
> asi - be (to be someone/something, to have some trait)
> den -  a thing, something
> denau - this thing
> deso  - want/desire
> emaru - bad
> ena - and, also, in addition
> entu - not
> espeli  - meaning
> faso - see
> foren - before
> kui  - like, similar to
> kus  - because
> pono - good
> punta - now
> pusha  - do
> shanu - person, people
> tambo - word, words
> tensa  - think
> varen - true
> vene  - if
>
Of these words, "a", "asi", "denau", "ena", and "espeli" are not primitive
NSM concepts.
Also, NSM has 'person, someone' and 'people' as primitives, whereas "ashani"
(someone) and "shanu" (person, people) split these ideas differently.
"ashani" and "shanu" both contain "shan", as if that were a shared morpheme.  If this
is the case, then I suggest eliminating one from the basic list.
Also "den" (a thing, something) and "denau" (this thing) both contain "den".
Does the apparent suffix "-au" on "denau" mean 'this'?  If so, then perhaps
it should be a separate entry, if not an entirely separate word.

stevo   </HTML>