6 ms·

The wonderful thing about having a language with a handful of core words and endless composition is that you never lack a word for anything. Make-un-government

The wonderful thing about having a language with a handful of core words and endless composition is that you never lack a word for anything. Make-un-government I'd expect.

wsc981 6y ago
> The wonderful thing about having a language with a handful of core words and endless composition is that you never lack a word for anything. Make-un-government I'd expect. It seems the Thai language is a bit like that. Some examples: - good => 'dee' - not => 'mai' - bad => 'mai dee' (not good) - much => 'mak' - great => 'dee mak' (good much) - study => 'rian' - theater => 'rong' - school => 'rong rian' (theater study) - work => 'ngaan' - factory => 'rong ngaan' (theater work) - movies => 'phapyon' - cinema => 'rong phapyon' (theater movies) - nurse => 'phayabaan' - hospital => 'rong phayabaan' (theater nurse) - food => 'ahan' - store => 'ran' - restaurant => 'ran ahan' (store food) - trade => 'khaa' - shop => 'ran khaa' (store trade) - motor => 'yon' - carriage => 'rod' - car => 'rod yon' (carriage motor) - fire => 'fai' - train => 'rod fai' (carriage fire) - carry => 'bantuk' - truck => 'rod bantuk' (carriage carry) - room => 'hong' - water => 'naam' - toilet => 'hong naam' (room water) - sleep => 'noon' - bedroom => 'hong noon' (room sleep) - underground => 'taidin' - cellar => 'hong taidin' (room underground) - sit => 'nang' - play => 'len' - living room => 'hong nang len' (room sit play) - dog => 'ma' - forest => 'pa' - wolf => 'ma pa' (dog forest) - tiger => 'sauw' - black => 'dam' - panther => 'sauw dam' (tiger black)
- siltpotato 6y ago
  Yes, but what's the word for "revolution"?
- lifthrasiir 6y ago
  Or German? Generally composite words seem more popular in languages that don't prefer loanwords in general, because there is a limited supply of native words (or morphemes). I think English is in the opposite extreme.
082349872349872 6y ago
https://xkcd.com/2043/ https://xkcd.com/2043/ I've been studying the Belter creole from the Expanse[1] and lack of vocabulary[2] is a substantial issue. However, circumlocution can work, and so I'd propose several revolutions, depending upon which side one is on[3]: (laudative) térash fo feriting burn (as in a ship's engines) for freedom (pejorative) gang belowt temporary excursion, involving lots of blood (cynical) du ganyamang owta we change the winners [1] TV Show. Normally I'd privilege books, but the authors have said theirs was just made up and shouldn't be considered canon, especially as the TV version is based on code-switching a proper creole. [2] with na- as a productive un-, very much like newspeak. [3] I believe this is attested: "Detim da belowt im ere da wowl, sasa kemang to xalte wit?" (when blood hits the walls, do you know where you stand?)
- codezero 6y ago
  That's quite the hobby to pick up - what resources are you using to learn vocabulary / are there some communities for this, or is it all stitched together from the show?
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    Will answer more in depth tomorrow. For now: https://pensatingbik.tumblr.com/post/183320546205/learning-lang-belta-the-basics-list https://pensatingbik.tumblr.com/post/183320546205/learning-l...
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    There are resources[1] with communities[2], which are stitched together from the show[3]. I learned about lang belta from HN[4], and am interested because the poverty of attested vocabulary makes circumlocution essential. Beside the challenge, it's a language that has no L1 speakers, so milowda kowmang eka, we're all equally disadvantaged[5]. Beyond that, I guess I'm just a kuxakuwala, someone who's been stanning space ever since discovering SciFi[6]. Fo showxa fit natet, gova gif terash, kori gif ye mash.[7] [1] see showxating beranta, the brother comment, plus "lang belta" as a search term yields more, e.g. https://www.scifi-forum.de/forum/science-fiction/the-expanse/4533253-«the-expanse»-übersetzungen-der-gürtler-sprache-langbelta https://www.scifi-forum.de/forum/science-fiction/the-expanse... [2] which I have yet to explore. Maybe when I get closer to real-time productivity I'll be tempted enough to join discord and potentially even Patreon. (can I just make a payment directly to Nick Farmer? Do you all have IBAN in the US yet, so I can avoid third parties, like Patreon, SWIFT, etc.?) [3] as explained earlier, the show's creole is a retcon with authorial blessing, as it's been done by a langwala, a linguist, in an effort to produce a productive conlang. The show mainly codeswitches a "beltish" lect, with english as the acrolect but in principle (subject to willingness of audience, writers, and actors to exploit it) there's an underlying lang belta basilect. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezU-F028krU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezU-F028krU (some articles at https://palawandailynews.com https://palawandailynews.com probably contain equivalent mixes of english/filipino?) [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24552727 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24552727 [5] When the indians were imploring each other to "get yer brits out" ironically they had to do so in english, for similar reasons. [6] Compare https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24399840 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24399840 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAmISW76Rk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAmISW76Rk [7] "To spit with flow, the head produces thrust yet it's the heart that provides reaction mass." after Quintilian (first century) http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2007.01.0068%3Abook%3D10%3Achapter%3D7%3Asection%3D15 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%...

The wonderful thing about having a language with a handful of core words and endless composition is that you never lack a word for anything. Make-un-government I'd expect.

wsc981 6y ago

> The wonderful thing about having a language with a handful of core words and endless composition is that you never lack a word for anything. Make-un-government I'd expect. It seems the Thai language is a bit like that. Some examples: - good => 'dee' - not => 'mai' - bad => 'mai dee' (not good) - much => 'mak' - great => 'dee mak' (good much) - study => 'rian' - theater => 'rong' - school => 'rong rian' (theater study) - work => 'ngaan' - factory => 'rong ngaan' (theater work) - movies => 'phapyon' - cinema => 'rong phapyon' (theater movies) - nurse => 'phayabaan' - hospital => 'rong phayabaan' (theater nurse) - food => 'ahan' - store => 'ran' - restaurant => 'ran ahan' (store food) - trade => 'khaa' - shop => 'ran khaa' (store trade) - motor => 'yon' - carriage => 'rod' - car => 'rod yon' (carriage motor) - fire => 'fai' - train => 'rod fai' (carriage fire) - carry => 'bantuk' - truck => 'rod bantuk' (carriage carry) - room => 'hong' - water => 'naam' - toilet => 'hong naam' (room water) - sleep => 'noon' - bedroom => 'hong noon' (room sleep) - underground => 'taidin' - cellar => 'hong taidin' (room underground) - sit => 'nang' - play => 'len' - living room => 'hong nang len' (room sit play) - dog => 'ma' - forest => 'pa' - wolf => 'ma pa' (dog forest) - tiger => 'sauw' - black => 'dam' - panther => 'sauw dam' (tiger black)

siltpotato 6y ago
Yes, but what's the word for "revolution"?
lifthrasiir 6y ago
Or German? Generally composite words seem more popular in languages that don't prefer loanwords in general, because there is a limited supply of native words (or morphemes). I think English is in the opposite extreme.

082349872349872 6y ago

https://xkcd.com/2043/ https://xkcd.com/2043/ I've been studying the Belter creole from the Expanse[1] and lack of vocabulary[2] is a substantial issue. However, circumlocution can work, and so I'd propose several revolutions, depending upon which side one is on[3]: (laudative) térash fo feriting burn (as in a ship's engines) for freedom (pejorative) gang belowt temporary excursion, involving lots of blood (cynical) du ganyamang owta we change the winners [1] TV Show. Normally I'd privilege books, but the authors have said theirs was just made up and shouldn't be considered canon, especially as the TV version is based on code-switching a proper creole. [2] with na- as a productive un-, very much like newspeak. [3] I believe this is attested: "Detim da belowt im ere da wowl, sasa kemang to xalte wit?" (when blood hits the walls, do you know where you stand?)

codezero 6y ago
That's quite the hobby to pick up - what resources are you using to learn vocabulary / are there some communities for this, or is it all stitched together from the show?
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  Will answer more in depth tomorrow. For now: https://pensatingbik.tumblr.com/post/183320546205/learning-lang-belta-the-basics-list https://pensatingbik.tumblr.com/post/183320546205/learning-l...
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  There are resources[1] with communities[2], which are stitched together from the show[3]. I learned about lang belta from HN[4], and am interested because the poverty of attested vocabulary makes circumlocution essential. Beside the challenge, it's a language that has no L1 speakers, so milowda kowmang eka, we're all equally disadvantaged[5]. Beyond that, I guess I'm just a kuxakuwala, someone who's been stanning space ever since discovering SciFi[6]. Fo showxa fit natet, gova gif terash, kori gif ye mash.[7] [1] see showxating beranta, the brother comment, plus "lang belta" as a search term yields more, e.g. https://www.scifi-forum.de/forum/science-fiction/the-expanse/4533253-«the-expanse»-übersetzungen-der-gürtler-sprache-langbelta https://www.scifi-forum.de/forum/science-fiction/the-expanse... [2] which I have yet to explore. Maybe when I get closer to real-time productivity I'll be tempted enough to join discord and potentially even Patreon. (can I just make a payment directly to Nick Farmer? Do you all have IBAN in the US yet, so I can avoid third parties, like Patreon, SWIFT, etc.?) [3] as explained earlier, the show's creole is a retcon with authorial blessing, as it's been done by a langwala, a linguist, in an effort to produce a productive conlang. The show mainly codeswitches a "beltish" lect, with english as the acrolect but in principle (subject to willingness of audience, writers, and actors to exploit it) there's an underlying lang belta basilect. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezU-F028krU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezU-F028krU (some articles at https://palawandailynews.com https://palawandailynews.com probably contain equivalent mixes of english/filipino?) [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24552727 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24552727 [5] When the indians were imploring each other to "get yer brits out" ironically they had to do so in english, for similar reasons. [6] Compare https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24399840 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24399840 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAmISW76Rk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAmISW76Rk [7] "To spit with flow, the head produces thrust yet it's the heart that provides reaction mass." after Quintilian (first century) http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2007.01.0068%3Abook%3D10%3Achapter%3D7%3Asection%3D15 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%...