Friday, June 19, 2009

Okay so I have plenty of superior ideas and I'm going to start listing them all

Eiya, I have some suggestions on how you can ruin language
http://sites.google.com/site/psalmofdreams/Home/introduction-to-babel-grammar/eiya-i-have-suggestions-on-how-you-can-ruin-language

Epistle LXXII: Eiya! I have Suggestions on how you can ruin Langauge too!

Peace and grace and love to you my beloved Éfhelìnye Sister by marriage you know how it goes.

Éfha, I just think you should know that Siêthiyal has taken all of your things and you’ve never getting it back except for the books and boring stuff. And I don’t know who took your clothing and slips and socks but perhaps you won’t wnant them back since I’ve been wearing them for days and refuse to take them off because they’re so comfortable. Sometimes I wish I were a Princess because then I could get clothing so fine and shiny and comfy, but then I’ve figured out that all I have to do is tell the sylvan priests that after I was supposed to be the new Emperor’s Senior Concubine so I’m just so important and loved and adored so they’d better get me all the stuff that I want. And sometimes the scheme works, although Mother Khwofheîlya won’t let me bother the priests too much.
I’ve been reading the epistles because sometimes Puey has copies made and then sent back home and I just have to tell you that I certainly don’t hope that you’re planning on getting me to copy all this out! Because that’s going to take all summer long and I have far too much playing to do. But, on the other hand, I don’t want those Traîkhiim nitwits to be giving you too many ideas on language. I can ruin Babel just as well as they can and my ideas are way better than anything those brainless featherheads can think up! Okay, so I have plenty of supior ideas, and I’m going to start listing them all.

First we should keep in mind that Babel is yours and you will be the Empress. And so you’ll be kept within your Palace or mud hut or canoa or wherever it is we stick you for the rest of your days. And I’ll be the grand poobah of language in your beneficient name. That’s a good idea.
Second, Puey’s been writing about the different sounds and dreams that come from the Void, and he’s written down that the sound of the Void is, Afhroyeijhiekh Ainu Alteikh Amlosan Antien Astekhtanoan Ausqroníjhen Ausqroyeijhiekh Eqwatóriel Eusqara Fhalarin Fharsúmien Fhuruxhakhqi Inyuitaluit Iroqwóyan Jaiya Jhipijhan Jhukhqikakhmatqan Kaukeijhiekh Khmangani Khnaijerkángo Khnailosakháran Khnatyenei Khnipono Khraxhelraxhnal Khresakhlafherifholefhakórti Korien Kustul Otomanguin Paitzar Palulton Pamanyungan Penutien Protoqwentien Qhepanoqaripe Qilyaka Qolikafhulqan Sainotifhétan Siyu Sumarien Tlhingakhnol Trawitien Tyengu Tyengupasifhikh Urálikh and I think that sound describes the crunching and growling and munching of language, it’s what Babel sounds like when its chewing up sounds and spitting up words.

Second of all, I think that you should, did I just write second of all? Or is this the third thing I’m writing. Possibly the fourth. Fourth of all, I’m thinking, oh my beloved Sister by marriage future Empress and all that junk, if you are going to be making some changes to Babel, don’t do it in little haphazard silly little things like the Traîkhiim are saying. Pie. Pies! As if they understand pies! They’ve never had pies until they’ve eaten my pies but my pies are not for them, my pies are for you and pie and possibly for Fhermáta if she’s being nice to me. But not for Siêthiyal. Never. She’s such a mean head. Is there a way you can add a mean middle Sister aspect thing to your language? A way for us to inflect a predicate for when it’s being done by a mischievous Sister? We’ll talk about it later. But if you’re going ot make a change, I’ve thought of something. How come it is that we have all of these forms for time and some and that but none of them match up for anything. Look at this, I’m making a chart of a whole bunch of terms, but if you look at them there’s absolutely no correlation at all! What’s the deal with that! How is Puey supposed to remember all this?! All this!? I can’t decide which punctuation to use!!!!


Which, what
That
Some
Ne
Each, Every
One
Kiu
Which (one), who
Pus, Tus, Kus; ·aponya

Jiu
that (one)
·engit, poa, iipi
Iu
Somewho, somewiht
Xú qlús

Khneniu
Ne·one, nowho
Khnón
Jh’iu
Each (one), neverbody
Khló
Thing
Kio
What (thing), what
Keis
Jio
that (thing)
·engit, poa, iipi
Io
Somewhat
Khmérn qlús

Khnenio
Nowhat
Khnón
Jh’io
Everywhat
Khleî
Kind
Kia
What kind of, what a …
Keis
Jia
that kind of, such a …
·engit, poa, iipi
Ia
Some kind of
…, somewhy
Khmérn qlús
Khnenia
Ne kind of, nowhy
Khnón
Jh’ia
Every kind of, anywhy
Khleî
Place
Kie
Where
Koaqoas
Jie
Therethither
Qìr toâ
Ie
Somewhither
·ufhyoa
Khnenie
Nowhither
Qir oâ … axúng
Jh’ie
Everywhither
Qir khòrnayoa
Way
Kiel
In what way, how
Qir xhloenapònya
Jiel
In that way, thus
Kho, -unyie
Iel
In some way, somehow
Qir xhloên qlús
Khneniel
In ne way, ne how, notime
·unyie … axúng
Jh’iel
In every way, everywhy
Khorna qir xhloenapònya
Reason
Kial
For what reason, why
Keixhmoas qún

Jial
For that reason, zo
Xhmir qúnt pi
Ial
For some reason, somewhen
Xhmir qún qlús
Khnenial
For ne reason, nowhy
Keixhmoas qún … axúng
Jh’ial
For every reason, anywhy, everywhy
Keixhmoas khòrnaqún … axúng
Tyme
Kiam
At what tyme, when
Keqoas
Jiam
At that tyme, then
Qìr té

Iam
At some tyme
·ufhyie
Khneniam
At ne tyme, nowhen
Qir é … axúng
Jh’iam
Every tyme, alwey
Qir xhwá
Quantity
Kiom
What quantity, how micklemuch, how many
¿Kiipe·? (question)
Jiom
that micklemuch/many, zo micklemuch/many
Kuifha·
Iom
Some (quantity)
Khmérn qlús
Khneniom
Ne quantity, nowho
… axúng
Jh’iom
Þe whole, quanity, owll of hit, everwhy
Khorna·, ·uxhwi
One’s
Kies
Which one’s, whhhose
Pupejos

Jies
That one’s
·ejikh, xhroe … engit, poa, iipi
Ies
Somewhose
Somewiht’s
xúyejikh, qlús xhroe
Khnenies
Ne·whose, nowho’s
khnónexhrejor
Jh’ies
Everywhose, neverbody’s
Khlóyejikh

See, there’s no pattern at all! Lots of words, but there’s just nothing there! And even worse, you have the Traîkhiim who want time and the Stars who want no time at all. So I was like, so what would Babel be like if we had some sort of tense-time correlative system rather than aspect. So I maded a little chart here because I know you just love charts, and to the left I’ve painted some Gibberish and the middle left I’ve tried to translate it into the purrs and mews that Puey knows and on my other left the Babel. And look! There’s just no time! We have no time at all! Just some goofy aspect things and adverbial phrases. But where’s the time!

Mi’ámas
I love.
Khmír pú.
Amó
I love, am loving, do love.
Khmír pú; Khmíroâqet pú; Khmíràxhwa pú.
Mi’ámis amáwí
I loved.
Khmír qìr xhré pú.
Mi’ámos
I shall love.

Mi’éstasamánta
I eam loving.
Khmíroâqet pú.
Mi’éstasamínta
I have loved.
Khmír qìr xhré pú.
Mi’éstasamónta
I eam about to love.

Mi’éstisamánta’ amáfh’am
I wæs loving.
Khmíroâqet qir xhré pú.
Mi’éstasamínta’ amáweram
I had loved.
Khmír qìr xhré xhré pú.
Mi’éstisamónta
I wæs about to love

Mi’éstosamánta
I shall be about to love.

Mi’éstosamínta’ amáweró
I shall have loved.

Mi’éstosamónta’ amáfh’ó
I shall be about to be about to love.


And if that’s not frustrating enough I thought that there just had to be a way to simplfy the pronominal prefixes and so I was trying to figure out how to simplify them but it’s getting to be really hard! I tried with the non-irrealis forms but it all started turning into a terrible jumble! So I added the irrealis ones. Jimble jamble mumble jumble muddle!


Nowho
Mee
You
Him, hir, hit
Us
You, plural
Hem
I
ni-
ji·
Khni·
Qha·


ni-mits-
-jaq’it
-taq’it
-m’aq’it
-paq’it
qa·

Joi·
ni-ki-
-jara
-tara
-m’ara
-para
-m’iq’u
-piq’u
m’i·
·n
Jii·
Jei·
Jo·
ni-améjh’-
-jaq’it
-taq’it
-m’aq’it
-paq’it
xh’a·

Jao·
ni-kim-
ni-tlha-
-jara
-tara
-m’ara
-para
-m’iq’u
-piq’u
m’i·
·n
Je·
Jui-
You
ti-
fh’i·
Ti·
Qhu·
ti-néjh’-
-jarma
-tarma
-m’arma
-parma
-m’inga
-pinga
jh’o·
·mangqi
Ta·

ti-ki-
-jait
-tait
-m’ait
-pait
-m’iuk
-piuk
t’a·
·ngqi
Tii·
Tei·
ti-téjh’-
-jarma
-tarma
-m’arma
-parma
-m’inga
-pinga
ju·
·mangqi
To·

Tao·
ti-kim-
ti-tlha-
-jait
-tait
-m’ait
-pait
-m’iuk
-piuk
t’a·
·ngqi
Te·
Tui-
Hee, shee, hit

Khnu·
Qhi·
Ju·
néjh’-
-jánga
-tánga
-m’ánga
-pánga
mu·
·man
Sa·
Khya·
mits-
-játit
-tátit
-m’átit
-pátit
t’u·
·xh’ungqi
Soi·
Khyoi·
-jara
-tara
-m’ara
-para
-m’iq’u
-piq’u
-janga
-tanga
-m’anga
-panga
-m’auk
-pauk
-n
Sei·
Khyii·
téjh’-
-jánga
-tánga
-m’ánga
-pánga
nu·
·man
·manjh’í
So·
Khyo·

améjh’-
-játit
-tátit
-m’átit
-pátit
li·
·xh’ungqi
Sao·
Khyao·
kim-
tlha-
-jara
-tara
-m’ara
-para
-m’iq’u
-piq’u
-janga
-tanga
-m’anga
-panga
-m’auk
-pauk
-n
Se·
Sui·
Khye·
Khyui-
Wee
ti … -kh’
ma·
Khmi·

-jaq’it
-taq’it
-m’aq’it
-paq’it
Khna·

ti-mits- … kh’
pi·

Khnoi·
ti-ki- … kh’
wi·
·njh’í
·n
Khnii·
Khnei·


ti-améjh’- … kh’
-jaq’it
-taq’it
-m’aq’it
-paq’it
re·

Khnao·
ti-kim- … kh’
ti-tlha- … kh’
t’i·
·njh’í
·n
Khne·
Khnui·
You, plural
an …. -kh’
xh’u·
·mangqi
Jhi·
an-néjh’- … -kh’
-jarma
-tarma
-m’arma
-parma
-m’inga
-pinga
tu·
Jha·

Jhoi·
an-ki- … -kh’
-jait
-tait
-m’ait
-pait
-m’iuk
-piuk
fh’o·
·ngqi
Jhii·
Jhei·
an-téjh’- … -kh’
-jarma
-tarma
-m’arma
-parma
-m’inga
-pinga
jh’e·
·mangqi
Jho·



an-kim- … -kh’
an-tlha- … -kh’
-jait
-tait
-m’ait
-pait
-m’iuk
-piuk
fh’o·
·ngqi
Jhe·
Jhui·
They
… -kh
-té
Tlhi·
Qhao·
Jie·
néjh’- … -kh’
-jánga
-tánga
-m’ánga
-pánga
mu·
·man
Fha·
Khra·
mits- … -kh’
-játit
-tátit
-m’átit
-pátit
-janga
-tanga
-m’anga
-panga
-m’auk
-pauk
ni·
·xh’ungqi
Fhoi·
Khroi·
ki- … -kh’
lu·
-n
Fhii·
Fhei·
Khrii·
Khrei·
téjh’- … -kh’
-jánga
-tánga
-m’ánga
-pánga
nu·
·man
·manjh’í
Khro·
-játit
-tátit
-m’átit
-pátit
li·
·xh’ungqi
Khrao·
tlha-
-janga
-tanga
-m’anga
-panga
-m’auk
-pauk
-n
Fhui·
Khre·
Thou
yi-
Khau-
khi-
Xhra-

yi-
Xhrau-
Xhrao-
q’o-
Xhrei-

ti-
Xhroa-
Xhroare-
Yee
pe-
Xie-

khi-
Khwa-

yi-
Khwau-
Xhwao-
q’o-
Khwei-

ti-
Khwoa-
Khwoare-

Actually now that I look at it all of the systems of Muddle appear just to be all a big mess and the system that you created makes far more sense. So in this case the language you created is not a complete disaster. I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear it!
But, I still think there may be changes that you can make to the phonology of language to make if far more mellifluous. Yes, I know, I know, if you change the phonology you’ll just have to change the entire language, you’ll have to build it right up from scratch, and you’ll have to get someone like, say, Fhermáta or Siêthiyal to copy out the charts since I have other things to do. And yet, be thou assured that if you do completely change the phonology and do start all o'er again … then at about this time in the conjunction I’ll give you new ideas and then you’ll have to start all o'er again. It seems that Ixhúja wants more clicks in the language. Fhermáta and Siêthiyal want it to be all liquid and soft. Puey wants purrs. Nobody can decide. So I’ve taken everyone’s ideas and come up with a new phonoillogical scheme myself.

Okay so here’s my plan. We only need four vowels, I, E, A, and U. I don’t like O. Let’s just get rid of O. Fairwell O! And we can have rising musical tones, Í, É, Á, Ú. We’ll need fhtoîsyoi diphthongs I suppose, at least Ai, Oi, Ui, Eu, Iu, and Ei. Hmm, we did just get rid of O though. I suppose we can keep O inside diphthongs.

Now in terms of consonant clusters I’ll going to list the ones that I think we should have. The ones we already have I’ll draw in italic green, and the new ones will be in bright bold red. I suppose these are favored or frequent consonant combinations, I’m not sure.

Kk, kh’t, kht, khty, lk, lq, lkh’, ll, ly, lm, lp, lqw, lt, lm’, lw, ly, mfh’, mp, mfh’kh’, mkh’, m-m, m-n, mp, my, ngq, nn’, nn’kh’, ngngng, ngw, khn’, n-n, nt, nty, nw, ny, p-s, qw, rk, rq, rt, khr’, rm, rn, rqw, xhr, rs, rt, rty, rw, ry, sq, xh’, sqw, st, sty, sw, ts-ts, tw, ty, wh, q-s, khy’. And then we can have as final consonants –t, -s, -n, -l, and –r.
And while we’re at it, why don’t you go back to the idea of sound symbolism? You seem to say that it is useful in figuring out the meaning or at least the guess of a meaning to a small number of words, but then you just drop it, it’s an interesting little puzzle of phonology but that’s about enough to it. I think there should be some more common points among the phonetic meanings and the fhraîxhus sound symbolism of Babel. I think there should be lost of words with oâ in it that mean space or realm and lots of moving words with í for movement, go, come and ája light and ó for sentient beings and á for life and é for time and oê for matter, substance, thing and, didn’t I just want to get rid of O though, so how are we going to say sentient beings, I’m not sure, I’m not the grand glossopoeist like you are, but we should keep ei for non-sentient beings, things and íju hearing, sound and ú spirit, soul and úja think, mind, and úje wishes and úju need and újo emotion, feelings, sensations. This is all a good beginning, but you need to be more vigorous. Make all of the myriad words part of this same pattern. Éja words and íja dreams, myths, rituals and éje touch and iê taste and jaê sight, see and xaê names and iî white and uî dark, black and aô fire and éjo hypothetical situations and íjo earth, land and ójo water and aû smell and eû order, harmony and íju hear, sound and óju chaos óng honor and ókh air and àxha red and exhing females and ìxhi yellow and oxhing males and ùxha blue.
But then again, the numbers you have chosen are a little eccentric. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have a complete number set? But pí zero does not even appear in sound symbolism. We have one, íng, two éng and three áng, and four úng and five íkh and six ékh and seven ákh but then no sound symbolism for eight or nine or ten, and then úkh for eleven.
There is no sound symbolism for no, un, anti, or like or ilke or equal. We have Khw- for circle, cycle, sphere and Khn for good, holy and S- for arts, body parts, we don’t really have anything for quanity or plural but we have Khl- for many, mild emphasis whatever that meanins, we have Khr- for do, deed, cause and Fh- for energy, power and Xhy- for question and then, and I just know you did this on purpose P- this and T- that and K- yon and Q- in, purpose and Xhl- through, means, tools and Xhn- with, together and Tlh- high, above and Xhm- towards, have and I can almost hear some corrolation in thos sounds and the meaning. But what really did you intend with Th- few, little, mild, low emphasis and Jh- low emphasis, less, you barely have even used them. I think you’r ejust trying to make Babel fit into some idea which you have long since discarded, or you’ve discovered a pattern in the words you have and it works for an handful of words but you don’t wish to abandon your beloved pattern. Khm- sounds like love a little, Khy- could be great, and Xhr- from, out of I guess, Xhw- could be all, every I don’t know.

It does seem that you can have far more mathmatical and logical terms than you’ve invented. How about a word for following a quoation or a word for breathing. You have these terms for beginning a quotation Qte … or Ejaqe … and for ending a quotation … uqte and … ejaqe but do you have particle for beginning and ending a joke? Something figurative? Okay and you have khlie … ulie for parenthesis and brackets. See, you have quote a silly sense of humor there. But I think you can go further. Farther. Further. Hmm. Íroa. Is that an example of sound symbolism? So here’s my idea. For beginning a breath or slurp or hiccough one uses the word q’i and then one ends it with q’u or perhaps q’u q’u. Quotations should be surrounded by li … lu except for jokes which are jha …. Jho. And instead of saying khlie … ulie for dashes or parentheses one should say kie … kiu or q’ie … q’iu.
And one can become even nuttier with mathmatics. Rather than ól for equals I propose fh’i or fh’i fh’i or fh’i fh’i fh’i and for sqír is less than one can say xh’ie and sqúr is greater than one should say xh’io and jhyopi is less than or equal to xh’iefh’i and tsixhli is equal or greater than should be replaced with fh’ixh’io which has a funny sound unto it. Instead of eyi and xhnoe for plus how about ko-to-po-ì and emi minus can be nio and ewi times can be jhi-ji-tia and lyó divided by may be kua and –qho unto the nth power can be swa and you don’t even have a word for unto the nth root not that I can see although I have dreamt khr’ea used for that, and you use –qhe for the decimal point, but why not just use pí for zero, and don’t you think it’s a little weird that you just use the same 11 digits again and again for scientific notation but you don’t have a suffix for 121 or 1331? We have 1, xhí, and 2, tlhé, and 3, lrí, and 4, fhé, and 5, jí, and 6, thé, and 7 lwí, and 8, khé, and 9, jú, and 10, lwó, and for eleven we just add zero to one, píxhi. And we just start again. And what relation to these numbers have to íng, éng, áng? Isn’t this all just rather random and nutty? So many times your language comes right to the edge of being systemic, and then it just becomes silly.

And finally I’ve made a list of lots of jibber jabber jibber just for you edification.

Akh’íkh’ra arfh’ol erifh’ol fh’alqi fh’ol fh’orn korn’ korn’i qrakh ep’ eln’il, eln’ila q’lunn’ q’lunn’ann’ra kh’ann’ra kh’enn’ri kh’ann’ramit kh’ar kh’arann’ra kh’arenn’rimar khl’afh’ khl’eri khl’untheline khn’aqra khn’éraki khn’aqrapunt khn’aqrapunti khn’au khn’okhr’a khn’ú kh’onon’rasqrun’ khr’iqi khr’intha khr’os-s khr’os-sa khr’ú khy’akh’i khy’o-í ya lúr lurq’a khm’al malakann’ra malak Maleln’il meln’ilorn míj nerum’al oyarsa oyéseru peral perelann’ra pfhixiq pfhixiqi punt punti sorn séroni sorofh’orn sulm’a ta-í thulq thulqann’ra tinin’ril tór urenn’i m’iritri m’iritrilfh’ia khw’ín wonn’elone

Now get to work and start making Babel all things for all people and make it more logical for the Traîkhiim and with more words for mischief for me and Siêthiyal and eternal and timeless and unchanging for the Immortals. And hop to it! You’re going to be the Empress, it’s not like you have any real task or power, so we’d better give you something to do, and forcing you to invent a language keeps you out of our way while we plunder all your stuff.

Hail!

Karuláta Khniêma Akhlísa the Best the Great!

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