Re: "Conlang" and "Artlang" in German
| From: | Jörg Rhiemeier <joerg_rhiemeier@...> |
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| Date: | Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 19:39 |
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Hallo!
On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:40:45 +0100, Henrik Theiling wrote:
> Hi!
>
> Jörg Rhiemeier writes:
> > On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:56:23 +0100, Henrik Theiling wrote:
> >>...
> >> In German, I avoid the problem by using the English terms -- they are
> >> specialised vocab.
> >
> > Where is your language aesthetics? While I am not generally
> > hostile to borrowings, I think it is better to use a German
> > word than to use an unnecessary anglicism which many people
> > probably won't understand.
>
> Hehe. My esthetics have to rest when I talk about Conlangs in German.
Why? Why use awkward anglicisms if one can resort to nice German
words?
> The lack of proper technical terms is a fact, and the people to whom I
> do talk in German about Conlangs are not many, so there is no real
> basis for the creation of and agreement on German terms.
How many technical terms do we really need? I think it is better
to use the plainest wording that is possible, rather than using
pretentious technical terminology. And easily understood German
words like "Kunstsprache" or "Sprachenerfinder" are good enough
to convey the meanings.
Much of the terminology used in conlanging is general linguistic
terminology, and German linguists use German terminology (sometimes
loan translations from English, often not) rather than English words,
and terms such as 'self-segregating morphology' can be translated
(_selbstabgrenzende Morphologie_ or something like that in this
example). I admit, though, that the German conlanging community
is rather small and many German conlangers are familiar with the
English terms used on this list and elsewhere, but yet I feel that
easily understood German words are better than snuffy Englishisms.
On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:21:11 -0500, Chris Wright wrote:
> Technical terms are only useful when you're talking with someone who
> knows what you're talking about.
Indeed. They are often used to obfuscate scientific communication
against non-specialists. That's a bad habit, I must say.
... brought to you by the Weeping Elf
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