Re: What is it we are saying in our languages?

Sally wrote:
<<
Maybe the medium is itself the message.  The structure, the efficacy,
the newness of morphology.  What is it we are *saying* in our
invented languages? or in inventing language period?  That's another
question.  How is conlanging itself a kind of message about language?
 >>

This, and the message to which it belongs, requires a much
longer response than the first its going to get (unless someone
beats me to the "send" button), but I do have something to say,
so I may as well.

I actually do quite a bit of writing in conlangs, but I don't post
about it to the list, because: (1) it seems like the list is geared more
towards the language aspect of conlanging; and (2) related to
the former, language-related conlang traffic generates more of
a response.

Actually, the very first thing I ever did way back in 2000 when
the idea of creating a language came to me was write a book.
A little 32 page illustrated story book.  I'm far more impressed
by my little illustrations than the language, at this point, but
that I saw as my first task after creating the language--in fact,
it was part of the reason that I created the language in the first
place.  I was inspired by Spencer's The Faerie Queene, and wanted
to write a story like The Faerie Queene, but didn't want to write
it in English (and, after reading it, it looks like Spencer didn't
want to, either--or, at least, not in the English he spoke day to
day).  I wanted the script to look different to fit with the art I
imagined, and it all to fit with the story (a little allegory).  As a
result, I invented the language (whose merits, or lack there of,
you can read about on my site--definitely nothing to write home
about), and then did the book.  And now it's done and sitting
on my shelf, and if the language were better, I'd be quite happy
with it.  As it stands now, I like to look at it every so often.

With every single language I've ever created (accept for ones
that I imagine might actually be used for practical purposes), I've
had a writing project (or two) that went along with it.  I don't
create a language without coming up with a writing project.
Some of them are small, and can actually be viewed on my site
(e.g., the aphorisms section for Sathir); most are not.

So just because it doesn't come up on conlang doesn't mean that
conlangers aren't doing it--it just means they're not talking about
it...on conlang.  ;)

-David
*******************************************************************
"sunly eleSkarez ygralleryf ydZZixelje je ox2mejze."
"No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn."

-Jim Morrison

http://dedalvs.free.fr/

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