Re: Tong-cho-la, a philosophical language

From: "Andrew Nowicki" <andrew@...>
Subject: Re: Tong-cho-la, a philosophical language


> Horse is "ykepebo" = "noun strong warm animal" in Ygyde.
> I could say "ykepebo obojo" or I could invent a new word,
> for example: "okebojo" = "noun strong animal vehicle".
>
> Of course, you may say that "okebojo" is a vehicle
> pulled by elephants. I believe that precise compound
> words are too long. "ta-leowalkailu" is longer than
> any English word that I know.
Exactly!  I think you've figured out what I'm saying - precise compounds are
too long for using over and over again.  Imagine if I were to say "ykepebo
obojo" over and over again in a conversation.  The first time I might need
to say that long of a phrase, just so that everyone knows that I'm talking
about a horse-cart.  But after that, just "obojo" would suffice, or even
"yjo" = "vehicle".  If I'm talking about my brand new 1983 Honda Civic,
after the first mention of it, I'd just say "car" instead, as everyone knows
by then that I'm not talking about a coal-carrying car in a mine, even
though both things could be called "car".

In a compounding language, like Ygyde or Tongchola, you need to be able to
be more specific when needed or less specific when it's already known.
Imagine this conversation (with the key words in Ygyde):

"Hey, I just got a new obojo."
"Really?  Are you going to try out for the Iditarod(1) this year?"
"No, no, it's an ykepebo obojo."
"What color is it?"
"It's black.  I'm thinking of getting my yjo painted bright orange, though."
"My yjo is black, too.  Maybe I should paint mine a brighter color..."

A similar conversation could take place in Tongchola:

"Hey, I just got a new walkailu."
"Really?  Are you going to try out for the Indy 500(2) this year?"
"No, no, it's a leowalkailu."
"What color is it?"
"It's black.  I'm thinking of getting my chawal painted bright orange,
though."
"My chawal is black, too.  Maybe I should paint mine a brighter color..."

So both languages have different levels of compounding ability.  In
Tongchola:
  te-leowalkailu = a horse-drawn wheeled vehicle
  walkailu = wheeled vehicle
  chawal = something with wheels
  te-leo = a horse-vehicle
  te-teokolleowalkailu = a horse-drawn wheeled vehicle controlled by a human

You'd probably use te-leo or chawal most often, as they're the shorter
forms.  Same in Ygyde.  I'd use yjo most often, or obojo.


------
(1) The Iditarod is a famous dogsled race in Alaska, for those who aren't
familiar with it.

(2) And the Indianapolis 500 is a motorcar race.  I specify motorcar,
because the one in the story is pulled by a horse.

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