Hello. I’m sorry to interrupt a serious newsgroup, but I think this is the
most likely place to find the advice I’m looking for.
I have a science fiction "future history" I’ve been working on as a hobby
since I was in junior high (around 1978). Lately I’ve been interested in
working out the language of the planet where much of the action takes
place.
I’ve been hampered by the fact that I’m a biologist, not a linguist… with the
assistance of an introductory text on describing syntax, I’ve been able to get
the language mostly spelled out (I think), but I would welcome the chance to
"submit my work" to the inspection of someone more expert than myself.
If this sounds interesting to anyone, let me know.
Thanks,
Keith F. Goodnight
kei…@lucybraun.rice.edu
There’s a branch of mathematics known as formal linguists. It is
useful for getting some hard bounds on what restricted languages
are capable of.
: I’ve been hampered by the fact that I’m a biologist, not a linguist… with the
: assistance of an introductory text on describing syntax, I’ve been able to get
: the language mostly spelled out (I think), but I would welcome the chance to
: "submit my work" to the inspection of someone more expert than myself.
Biology is actually critical to language production. How the
brain-equivalent works, how the language is actually communicated.
One dimensionally like human speech? Perhaps two dimensionally.
Rather than speaking, your aliens project a structured image. Such
an image need not to be representational.
The human brain appears to move alot information in parallel, but
with very shallow processing, as compared to formal linguistics
which moves small pieces at a time in very deep structure. If our
brains were wired differently, how would that affect language?
–
In fearless youth when fervour leapt, | smr…@netcom.com PO Box 1563
he sought the treasures silence kept | Cupertino, California
in chambers chilled where chanting stilled,| (xxx)xxx-xxxx 95015
where bleaching bones were bleakly kept. | I don’t use no smileys