Re: Relexes Pt. 1: Defence

--- Estel Telcontar <estel_telcontar@...>
wrote:

> This insomniac night, I've been contemplating
> relexes, and I'm going to
> subject youguys to some of my musings.  This is
> Part one, a defence of relexes.
Is a defense really necessary? We almost always
start out doing relexes, so it's not like they're
evil or something. They are a good start - but
hopefully we can do better with time and
practice!

> Relexes are usually given little respect on
> this list, mainly, I think,
> because they are often naive attempts to create
> a different language
> done without an awareness that languages differ
> in more than lexicon.
Sure. It's like taking a well known violin
melody, changing all the Cs to Gs, transposing it
and playing it on an oboe. And while playing
anything on an oboe is the worst class of
travesty, everything that is essential to the
melody is unchanged. Only some superficialities
are altered. Relexes are the same, and that's
sure why we don't respect them much - because we
can each do much better.

> There is one purpose for conlangs that isn't
> often discussed, which is secret
> communication.
It's been a while since we talked about that, for
sure. I haven't, but rather a few of us have made
either languages for secret communications with
another person, or else a secret diary language.

> Languages designed for secret communication are
> a legitimate subclass of conlangs; as far as I
> know, they don't have a
> short name, but one might dub them
> "stealthlangs".
I like it!

> Stealthlangs are a
> subclass of conlangs where the intended purpose
> makes relexification a
> likely and appropriate process: stealthlangs
> are usually intended for
> communication between several speakers of the
> same natlang, who wish to
> conceal their communication from others.
Particularly useful in, for example, fantastic
games and similar. A stealthlang helps define who
is IN and who is OUT; and adds an appropriate
depth to the activity. Sort of like how D&Ders
sometimes make weapons or clothing to fit their
characters.

> Relexification of the common
> natlang makes it easier for the speakers of the
> stealthlang to learn
> and use it correctly; this is an advantage when
> the aim of the language
> is to achieve concealed communication of
> anything that could be
> expressed in the primary language.
One could also bring up cants in this discussion,
which are a kind of organic stealthlang; and are
also intended for ingroup communication.

> (Of course, relexification will
> also mean that the stealthlang is more easily
> learnt by outsiders, who
> are not intended to understand, so it has its
> drawbacks too.)
Sure. Just like how we used to write messages to
each other in code letters - once someone finds
the key, it's a useless code. Once exposed to
Tolkien in 4th grade or so, such were often
written in runes. I can still recall finding a
message left in the lunch room and puzzling it
out using the Appendix! :)

> At the very least, I think that stealthlangs
> are a legitimate subclass
> of conlangs, and one where relexification is a
> legitimate process, not to be looked down on.
I don't think you'll find disagreement on this
very specific point.

Relexes only become disparaged when we "know
better" and should be doing more than just aping
our mother tongue in that way. In broader
settings of art or fantasy and sci-fi literature;
they really have no place. If you're going to
create a complex alien civilisation, it's simply
inane to make them speak English with funny
sounding words. [And while the realities of your
audience demand that their speech is "translated"
into intelligible English, there is no reason to
presume that they are thinking in English; and I
find it an immensely pleasant thing to read that
the author is exploring how the offworlder
thinks!, even though what I'm reading is in
English.]

None of us like to read fantasy that is an
obvious Tolkien knock-off; why would we
appreciate a fantasy conculture's English relex
as something that took the author some effort?

Padraic.


=====
la cieurgeourea provoer mal trasfu ast meiyoer ke 'l andrext ben trasfu.


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