------------------------------ Warren Ockrassa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
.> That is one reason I prefer wolfling .> languages to Galactic: If I understand .> correctly, such a statement as that .> (saying something clearly by pointedly .> not saying it) is one of the things would .> not be possible in Galactic. . Gotta love them there Wolfling nuances. .> (That was one thing which struck me right .> off about the Galactic languages: I love .> playing with language (obviously) and think .> I would find it very boring to try to .> communicate in a language which is set .> up where everything has a single clear .> interpretation . . . ) . I wonder how possible such a language is. . We have a language now that is lucid and . direct -- but mathematics, as useful as it . is for describing many things, doesn't cover . the full range of possible expression or . experience. GalTwo (IIRC) is such a language, and is only used in things like contracts, diplomacy, and discussions with AI's. If you want inspiration as to how such a language might feel, try looking at some of the more rigid computer programming languages. The syntax would have a set of verbs that only ever mean one type of action. The nouns would only ever refer to one thing (either individual objects, or a class of identical/similar objects), and these definitions could even follow them around. (imagine reading the definition each time you mention a word...). Puns and other "fun" would turn into incorrectly formated sentences, and would be rejected/retried/confirmed/etc. . What I'm suggesting is that there may be . a "high" Galactic that is used for . unambiguous communication, but also possibly . a "low" version that covers everything else. . Even ambivalence can be muddy, and it's . generally a simple emotional state; the more . complex an emotional state becomes, the harder . it might be to be clear on it. It's difficult . for me to imagine intelligence developing . without these complex states, which suggests . that a language used by those intellects would . have to reflect at least some ambiguity. . Unless *all* Galactics are, at all times, . single-pointed in their emotional states . and responses. Maybe that's so; I seem to . recall the Soro, at least, being fairly . one-minded. There are 12 (16?) galactic languages, each with their own specialties and primary usage, and the various species have their preferred languages based on temperment and anatomy. Some of them allow for multiple meanings, puns, and most any kind of "fun", but they all pale in comparison to Earthclan's Anglic for those purposes. --Matt _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
