Re: Changing worldviews with language (LONG)

On Mon, Nov 04, 2002 at 05:02:19AM -0600, Nik Taylor wrote:
> Mat McVeagh wrote:
> > Exactly, semantics is where the really juicy stuff is at, and it's harder;
> > it does seem as tho ppl are more interested in constructing *form* -
> > phonoogical, orthographic and grammatical, as you say.
>
> I wouldn't say that.  There may be more talk about forms, but semantics
> is hardly ignored.
[snip]

Heartily agreed.

E.g., take a look at Yoon Ha Lee's Tasratal, which features "triad"
semantic structures:

> fact, it's completely boring...*sigh*), its "triad" semantic structure
> is not necessarily predictable, e.g. "zaro" (matter/melt/steady-solid)
> or xasros (silence/exile-meditation/solitude).  It would be unfair for
> me to simply give the root form to the next person in line and expect
> him/her to intuit the semantics, so I usually list instantiations such
> as "azaro"  (solitude) or "izaro" (silence) in the vocabulary list.
A similar feature in Ebisedian:
        rii'bi  the skeletal frame of a framework
        gii'bi  the fillings of the infrastructure in a framework
        jii'bi  the contents, contained by the framework

E.g., the metal frame of a car is the _rii'bi_, the engines, gears,
wheels, etc., are the _gii'bi_, and the passengers are the _jii'bi_. Or a
building: the pillars, weight-bearing beams and walls, are the _rii'bi_;
the plumbing and electrical connections are the _gii'bi_, and the people
and furniture are the _jii'bi_.

And then there is the triangular directional system, unlike most other
languages/cultures which feature a 4-directional compass:
        _katui'_        Analogous to "north".
        _cutui'_        120 deg SW from _katui'_
        _rotui'_        120 deg SE from _katui'_

And then there is a whole system of cognate terms that show how the
Ebisedi think:

1)      _fa'ta_         "to see" (phys)
        _va'ti_         "to realize" (or, "to see", introvertive)

2)      _le's_          "to go" (phys)
        _la'zi_         "to go" (introv), i.e., "to explore an idea",
                        "to move on to a topic"
        _l0'se_         "to move a presence into" (abstract), e.g., a
                        government moves (l0'se) into a new territory by
                        sending a military or diplomatic presence there.

3)      _ga'ne_         "to manipulate" (phys)
        _ga'ni_         "to manipulate" (introv), i.e., to psychologically
                        maneuvre, to navigate one's thoughts.

4)      _zota'_         "to look" (phys)
        _za'ti_         "to fixate upon an idea or goal", "to investigate
                        or consider a matter".

5)      _ta'ma_         "to speak" (phys)
        _t0'me_         "to speak" (abstract), i.e., to bespeak, to lead
                        by example.
        _da'mi_         "to think" (introv), to speak to oneself, or to
                        reply in thought but not in word.

6)      _vyy'i_         A destructive, swirling, twisting phenomenon in
                        the Ferochromon, used by the Ebisedi as a means of
                        waste disposal. Derivatively, refers to the
                        feelings of ill-health or the spinning sensation
                        of a severe headache.
        _vy'e_          "To spin", "to twist", "to crush into pulp" (phys)
        _va'i_          (introv) to telepathically assault. Refers to an
                        intense assault on a telepathically-linked victim.

There are many other examples, but I hope this is enough to demonstrate
that Ebisedian isn't just a re-grammaticization of English or any of the
other langs I know. It is driven by a conculture that draws from and
shapes the semantics of the language according to its own outlook and
values. I certainly spent a lot of time thinking about the semantics of
Ebisedian!  :-)


T

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