New CBB

So, I am going to be posting on weirdthings.com about once a week on constructed languages. What I need is weird or quirky stories involving conlangs. Preferrably stuff that has made the news, but a sight with a particularly bizarre language concept. This is a fairly general (if geeky) audience, so *hey a language with no nasals* isn't going to have too much impact, but *hey, a language with no vowels* just might.

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

A language with no nasals is pretty weird (if attested) from a natlang perspective, but the problem with this is your audience won't have enough knowledge of linguistics to be able to appreciate cool things aside from "hey I made a language without nouns." They probably won't be willing to tolerate a 50-page lecture before finding out why the feature they're reading about is weird, or even what the feature they're reading about even IS.

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♀♥Ø

Yeah, my point (though I can probably explain that no nasals is weird in about two sentences). If you look at what Weird Things already does, you might already have an idea what to do. The example they gave me was "How To Say You're Just Not That Into Her In Klingon".

Currently I'm planning on talking Kozea Daily as my first post. It's quirky, and something people might appreciate without much linguistics, but still something they might not know about otherwise.

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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♀♥Ø

Are you kidding? It's brilliant! By the time you've finished saying it in Klingon she won't be into you either!

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Wa mnew yiHegolech.

You could write about Ithkuil and give some crazy example sentences.

Great idea, there. All those languages that humans can't actually learn can give great material.

But I am hoping to include "newsy" items, things like a play being performed in Klingon, or a website commissioning a Na'vi translation. That stuff is pretty easy for the layman to get without needing any part of the language itself explained.

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

A number of times (where "number" is "more than once"), conlangs have been reported as if they were natlangs.

They have been used as examples in first drafts of scholarly papers. (Fortunately the errors were caught before the papers were published.)

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I am not responsible for the accuracy of my sources; they're responsible for their own mistakes, if any, and also responsible for defending their own statements if you disagree with them.

Do you have any examples?

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Wa mnew yiHegolech.

'u' and Hamlet, dudes, 'u' and Hamlet.

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Svo hvernig get ég annað en glott á þig dauðlega?

Here's one.

http://ib.frath.net/w/Zarahemla was cited in a Yahoo Answers Mormon site as a real city.

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I am not responsible for the accuracy of my sources; they're responsible for their own mistakes, if any, and also responsible for defending their own statements if you disagree with them.

Very interesting! Also, lol.

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Wa mnew yiHegolech.

Hmm, I imagine the scholarly paper has more weight. Some more timely events help. Keep your eyes open, guys, and pm me or email gacorley@gmail.com if you happen to run across a good story.

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

Then where's the fun?

Hmm, well, a little explanation is cool. I just think too much will turn that audience off.

I should mention, my first post is actually already up: http://weirdthings.com/2011/07/klingon- ... -to-qonos/

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

Great! Looks like somthing I'll enjoy reading.

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Wa mnew yiHegolech.

Looking for a story this week. Haven't made up my mind on it yet.

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George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast

:D:D:D:D:D

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‹› · Ḿḿ Ńń Ĺĺ Śś Źź Ąą Ǫǫ Ųų Æ̨æ̨ Ǽǽ Œ̨œ̨ Œ́œ́ Ɣɣ Y̋y̋ Įį Şş Z̧z̧ θ
Āā Ēē Īī Ōō Ūū ↗ Ṭṭ C̣c̣ Łł Ḍḍ Ṣṣ Ẓẓ Ṇṇ Ŋŋ e˞ o˞ ʷ ʲ ʰ ə

You might try the police blotter for Sergeant Shockley of Dutch Harbor aka Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands.

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I am not responsible for the accuracy of my sources; they're responsible for their own mistakes, if any, and also responsible for defending their own statements if you disagree with them.

va

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‹› · Ḿḿ Ńń Ĺĺ Śś Źź Ąą Ǫǫ Ųų Æ̨æ̨ Ǽǽ Œ̨œ̨ Œ́œ́ Ɣɣ Y̋y̋ Įį Şş Z̧z̧ θ
Āā Ēē Īī Ōō Ūū ↗ Ṭṭ C̣c̣ Łł Ḍḍ Ṣṣ Ẓẓ Ṇṇ Ŋŋ e˞ o˞ ʷ ʲ ʰ ə