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Re: Vocab building

From:Balazs Sudar <conlang@...>
Date:Wednesday, January 8, 2003, 11:23
Erich Rickheit KSC <rickheit-cnl@...> 2003.01.07. 18:54:10 -5h-kor írta:

> I have a machine readable-lexicon, and have carefully constructed > scripts that read it. I have scripts that can generate phonologically > correct words, of any part of speech, minding a arduously thought > out set of probabilities for each phoneme. They can check the lexicon > to ensure that there is no collision with existing words, and > tentatively apply every derivational form to ensure there is still > no collision. When translating, and finding I have no appropriate > word, I run these scripts, generating eight or ten scrupulously > checked word forms at random. I then stare at these words until > my eyes begin to bleed. I discard them and try again. Then I try > to find some contorted excuse to re-use an existing word (perhaps > 'chewing' is the same as 'pounding'?) Then I hit a dictionary and > discover that the original term in English means something different > than I've been using it for the last thirty-five years. Then I > realize I've spent half an hour on this word and run the randome > generaton again, swearing that I'll just take the first result. I > take the fourth or fifth. Then I decide that word should mean > something related and the word I'm looking for will be derived from > it in a way that I haven't yet put into the language but should > have because of its obvious utility. Then I alter the scripts > (remember them?) to add this derivational rule to their lists, and > re-run them against the whole lexicon to make sure I haven't just > created a stack of new lexical collisions. Then I go back to the > text I'm translating, and try the sentence in Quenya, Esperanto, > and Ubby-Dubby to see how a _real_ language designer would do it.
Well, that's great :) Are those scripts of yours written for an existing program, or you did a new one? Is it available anywhere? I would really like to try your method! :))) Just another question: Have you created a vocabulary that you can search through for the needed forms? I've written it in Excel, but it's really complicated to use :( Balazs -- I lúme vin deí asi mosted! May Heaven give you its grace! Balazs Sudar <conlang@...>