Re: translation needed

rhialto@easynet.co.uk writes:
>> >The artificial languages mailing list invents and discusses human (and
>> >sometimes alien) languages.
It does? I thought the people on the list did that :)

> Esperanto, Klingon, and Tolkein's Elvish are
>the
>> >most famous examples of such languages. Some of these invented
>languages
>are
>> >created out of whole cloth; others are created by taking parts from
>existing
>> >languages. For example, one invented language is based on Japanese
>yamato
>> >kotoba root words, with the sounds modified based on a hypothetical
>dinosaur
>> >vocal tract, and then re-interpreted using Arabic morphology!
Interesting...


>
>> I recently read a paper about a linguist studying the last two users of
>of
>a
>> dying American Indian language. One man, who understood the written
>language,
>> but not the spoken one, was blind. The other could understand the spoken
>> language, but not the written, but he was deaf. The language cannot be
>recorded
>> or studied, but if only ONE linguist had discovered the endangered
>status
>of
>> this language before the two men became old and handicapped, the
>language
>might
>> not have died such an ignoble death.
>>
>> If only some of the energy you expend discussing these fictional
>languages
>could
>> be harnessed for something useful! But no, you would rather study
>something that
>> doesn't even exist. I cannot even feel pity for someone who wastes their
>life so
>> frivolously.
>>
The question for him should be, is HE doing anything useful to help
preserve these endangered languages?

*sigh* some people act like this is all we do....anyway, as we would say
here WHATEVER!!! :). I do have a life. Conlanging is less than 1% of my
life. For me it is only a hobby and not something I do as a job...


Anyway this reminds me, I saw on TV today a locally produced show about a
woman who is of  Monterey Ohlone descent, who weaves baskets in the
traditional designs. On the question and answer session someone asked her
some examples of the Montereyan Ohlone dialect (It's in the Hokan family i
believe). It was quite interesting to hear it for the first time (it's i
think almost a dead language). It's actually quite pretty (IMHO). I must
admit, I like how it sounds better than the plains Indian languages that
i've heard snippets of. Sorry I can't provide examples of what she said
though!

They also showed some of her basket work and talked about how these
baskets were used, and the plants and preparation that went into them.

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'The beginning calls for courage; the end demands care'