Re: Language, Religion, and an information quest (or somesuch) [Mildly OT]

Axiem wrote:
>
> Well, I'm not going to get into why, but now I'm trying to come up with
> a good word that expresses "God" or a supreme entity, etc, and I was
> wondering how all of you came up with that word/words for your conlangs,
> if you even have them? IMO, this is one word that is a very defining
> word for a culture, is how they treat this word. Like, is there a single
> word to describe a deity, or different words depending on the type? I'm
> on an information quest right now, and I wouldn't mind some
> suggestions/advice/etc. on a good way to come up with a word to
> represent this, or even what your word/words are.
>
> Thanks a lot :)
>
> -Axiem
> -axiem@swbell.net
> "T'e'ny' ka'rum krtobe ce'lumus^!"
        The Noli have a word (to long for me to remember, and I don't have my
notes right here) that means normally simply "one". But the numerical
system of Notya is very special (based on rank instead of quantity), and
in this system, numbers can be very long or abbreviated (typically, to
say "one", you can say "the first of the first 20s of the first 400s of
the first 8000s" or "the first of the first 20s of the first 400s" or
"the first of the first 20s" or simply "the first"). The longest form of
"one" has for the Noli a mystical meaning, meaning "the Universe" or
"God" for religious Noli. It refers to the totality of things (as a
whole, not as a juxtaposition).

--
        Christophe Grandsire

        Philips Research Laboratories --  Building WB 145
        Prof. Holstlaan 4
        5656 AA Eindhoven
        The Netherlands

        Phone:  +31-40-27-45006
        E-mail: grandsir@natlab.research.philips.com