Re: Texts shaping language

Hi all,

Any work of translation does indeed have an effect on the target language but
that effect will be correspondingly greater the farther the text pulls the
language out of its customary conceptual framework.

In the case of Druni, although they are an alien race, and although they are
strongly connected to Nature and their traditional ways nevertheless they are
a spacefaring people who have become significantly cosmopolitan.  It is
therefore not strange to conceive that they have come into contact with great
examples of Terran literature, including the Bible and other Sacred Texts.
Many of these texts, in translation, had to be recast into Druni-mode thought
patterns (to the extent possible). These translations did however also stretch
Druni thinking to be more accomodating of Terran forms. Thus the Druni grew in
their understanding through this exercise.

The Druni, a humanoid species, that has many similarities to human beings,
through similar paths of evolution, really did not have to stretch too far. So
close do the Druni seem to their Terran counterparts that many scholars on
both sides have postulated some ancient connections between Earth and Drun.
As there is no direct evidence for this, and as this cannot be explained
scientifically, many dismiss these speculations out of hand, but they do
provide some interesting food for thought.

It really depends on one's desire as to how isolated from the everyday "Earth"
experience one wants the people that speak one's language to be.
That is if your language is situated in its own conceptual world at all.

The "natural" growth of a conlang through translation or any other means is
indeed a fascinating subject!

Sabutovon Drunay,
Jim