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Re: CHAT: The profile of a conlanger

From:Grandsire, C.A. <grandsir@...>
Date:Friday, October 29, 1999, 12:57
Irina Rempt-Drijfhout wrote:
> > > T or F -- Another close call. T-type conlangers will be into it > > because they like building elegant abstract language structures; > > F-type conlangers will be into it to write poetry. > > Both, for me. I think I ought to be T, but every time I take the test > I come out F... I like building elegant *concrete* language > structures. Grammar can also be poetry for me. >
Thank you very much, Irina. At least I'm not alone to think that grammar can also be poetry.
> > The J's that are there will be the ones that > > actually finish conlangs. :) > > I *know* that Valdyan will never be finished :-) >
I know that this has already been debated among us, but I am always uncomfortable when someone speaks of "finishing" a conlang. Natlangs are never finished (except if they are dead), why could conlangs be finished? Of course, if by "finished" you mean: "put in a state where one can write in it about anything or nearly anything", or "put in a state where it is actually usable like any other language", then everything's good. But can we give this meaning to the verb "finish", or should we coin a new word for that? :)
> Irina > > Varsinen an laynynay, saraz no arlet rastynay. > irina@rempt.xs4all.nl (myself) > http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/index.html (English) > http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/backpage.html (Nederlands)
-- 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