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Re: Bootstrapping a cooperative conlang

From:<morphemeaddict@...>
Date:Friday, November 16, 2007, 13:05
In a message dated 11/16/2007 2:31:41 AM Central Standard Time,
fiziwig@YAHOO.COM writes:


> I have made a number of attempts at a cooperative conlang, all of which fell > apart for one reason or another. (Anyone remember "Kalusa"?) Here's yet > another > idea for a cooperative conlang which would 1) allow people to collaborate > even > they shared no common natural language, and 2) encourage the conlang to grow > into a naturalistic and useful language. > > Bootstrapping a collaborative conlang: Begin with no more than 100 basic > words > which have simple equivalents with the same meaning in most other languages, > and which suffice to define further words (Idea borrowed from the "Semantic > Primes" of "Natural Semantics Metalanguage"). > > All new words beyond the core vocabulary of 100 words are defined or > explained > using only the core words, or words that have been defined in terms of the > core > words. > > In this way a person, regardless of his native language, only needs to use > his > native language to learn the 100 core words, after which he or she can > continue > to learn, and use, and develop the new language using only that new language > itself. > > People can then collaborate on building a conlang even if they do not share a > common natural language, by communicating in very the language they are > building as they build it. > > The dictionary would be arranged chronologically for the first time learner, > and alphabetically for the more advanced student. Until such time as the > language grows to the point where complex grammatical issues can be discussed > in the language itself, all grammatical rules are demonstrated by examples, > rather than being explained. > > 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 > > Extended dictionary - assumes knowledge of no other language than the very > language being built. > ------------------- > > anula > -- foren punta > > asuni > -- "Den pono _asuni_" espeli kui "Vene den foren punta pono asi ena denau > punta entu pono asi." > > kraso > -- "John _kraso_ a Mary" espeli John alo den a Mary. John amensa denau entu > varen asi. John alo denau kus John deso Mary tensa denau varen asi. Shanu > tensa > emaru asi vene ashani pusha kui denau. > > tambo anula > -- Faso "asuni". "Den pono _asuni_"; "asuni" tambo anula asi. > > tambo punta > -- Vene "Den pono asi" punta varen asi, "asi" tambo punta asi. > > fasuli > -- Vene "faso" tambo punta asi, "fasuli" tambo anula asi. > > > Comments? > > --gary >
This vocabulary is very similar to that of Toki Pona. Perhaps you could start with its 120 words and build from there. Who decides what the words look/sound like? I'd love to do this with someone who didn't share any of my languages. stevo </HTML>