Comments

FOUR THINGS:

1.    I'm not sure I agree with And's analogy between conlangs and elaborate
games that
are formulated but not played.

Conlangs are deliberately invented;   natural languages, for the most part,
aren't.   But popular games like chess and poker are every bit as artificial
as games that are designed, but never played.

The analogy isn't totally off the mark.   Certain aspects of language, like
professional terminology, can be developed deliberately as games are.

But I'm more comfortable with the analogy between conlanging and painting or
describing imaginary landscapes.

LANDSCAPES:

Real landscapes can be shaped artificially to a certain extent, but the
materials, soil, and flora are natural, and discovering their complexities
will keep ecologists busy for generations to come.   Besides, you can visit
a real landscape.

Imaginary landscapes may or may not resemble real ones superficially, and
have only those complexities that their designers give them.   Aside from
"con-landscapes" constructed for movie sets or gardens, "con-landscapes"
can't be visited.

LANGUAGES:

Real languages can be shaped artificially to a certain extent, but the
abilities that underlie human language are natural, and discovering their
complexities will keep linguists busy for generations to come.   Also, you
can use a real a real language for everyday communication.

Imaginary languages may or may not resemble real ones superficially, and
have only those complexities that their designers give them.   Aside from
conlangs with enough vocabulary and grammatical complexity, conlangs can't
serve as vehicles for everyday communication.

2.    Though natural languages are much more complex and mysterious than
conlangs, it's worth noting that some conlang reference grammars are more
detailed than some reference grammars for natural languages.

3.    How undocumented are Tolkien's languages?   I've got a book called "An
Introduction to Elvish (and other tongues and proper names and writing
systems of the third age of the western lands of middle earth as set forth
in the published writings of professor john ronald reuel tolkien) edited and
compiled by Jim Allen."  copr 1978;    printed by Brans' Head Books.
Probably out of print.   I haven't used this book very much.

4.    I would like to see more of us post web-pages, and more of us who have
web-pages on the Scattered Tongues web-ring.   I joined Scattered-Tongues
recently.   Adding the necessary code to my site was simple.   Modifying the
code to fit my no-graphics-allowed web-site was also simple.

Like many people on this list, I would love to see Tokana on the web.
Getting my little euroclone, Goesk, onto the web wasn't that hard, though I
used only text--no sound files or graphics.   Matt,   if you have time to
post Tokana, quite a few of us will make time to read it.

Jim G.

Replies