Re: DOS (was Re: Re Robot); conlangs with LOTS of cases

On Wed, Sep 13, 2000 at 12:08:47AM +0200, Jörg Rhiemeier wrote:
[snip]
> ObConlang:
>
> What is the largest number of cases you ever built into one of your
> languages?
> Or the largest number of cases you ever heard of being used in any
> language, natural or constructed?
[snip]

I just had a (wild?) idea... some of this is inspired by the conlang
Odonien, which uses postpositions as *optional* case markings. Now, since
the case marking is almost like a separate word, I can imagine how you can
derive arbitrarily complex case endings by compounding existing ones, or
modifying existing ones. (In fact, Odonien sometimes merges the case
particle with an adverb.) Using this method, you can construct as many
cases as you can imagine...

E.g., say the locative case particle is "-ze" (blatant ripoff from Odonien
:-), and "zeng" = adverb, "in front of"; then "-zezeng" = locative case
denoting a place in front of something. Now you just need some syntactic
rules on how to form these compound case particles, and bingo! you have an
unlimited number of case endings! :-)

*Note: Odonien is invented by Steve Oostrom. Any due credit is hereby
acknowledged. :-)


T