Re: Some Speedtalk and Questions

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003 13:39:18 -0400, makeenan <makeenan@...>
wrote:

>>===== Original Message From Constructed Languages List >
>>> It occured to me that Speedtalk will sound a lot like Heinlein's
>>> Martian. The beings that lived on Heinlein's mars appeared in several
>>> of his stories. He always described their langauage as sounding like a
>>> rhinocerous making love to a tin shed. Sadly, he never gave anything
>>> else on the language.
>>
>>Not quite true. Besides similar vague comments, we know that
>>* humans can pronounce the language close enough for Martian comprehension
>>* 3 Martian names are given (Gekko, G'kuro, K'boomch)
>>* at least some questions begin with a question symbol
>>* there is a vocative symbol
>
>Heinlein seemed to have some fascination with languages. I wonder why he
>never developed his secret vice any further?
>
>Speedtalk will also have a interogative and an exclamatory marker, since
>the tones normally used for this by English speakers, are being used for
>other things.
>
>>> One place where I'm deviating from Heinlein is in numerals. his
>>> Speedtalk used base 36 counting. I'm not.
>>
>>Why not?
>
>Mostly because my math skills are non-existant. :(
That's a good reason. I'm not good at math either, but I tend to take non-
decimal bases for granted, since I learned them young.

> My Question: when the numeral occurs between words, how do you tell if
> whether it follows the previous sound or precedes the next one?
>
>Yes. Today as I was making a huge batch of tuna salad at work, I realized
>this flaw. I'm going to have to come up with nine more new numbers so they
>can ALL appear at the end of the sound.
>
>Essentially they aren't numbers really. There just inflecting particles.
>Heinlein said each "number" indicated the word was a member of a specific
>vocabulary of a field or science. Which fields and sciences should I
>include?
Linguistics
Astrology
Demonology
Antigravitics
...
Oops, wrong universe!
Well, if you make up your own "definitive" list someone will likely come up
with improvements.

Jeff

>>I'm self-taught when it comes to pronouncing implosives and ejectives, so
>>I'd better not say.
>
>:) Me too!
>
>>Jeff
>
>
> -Duke