From owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Tue Dec 29 14:28:16 1998 Received: (from bin@localhost) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) id OAA05469; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:28:16 +1300 Received: from mailhost.auckland.ac.nz (mailhost.auckland.ac.nz [130.216.1.4]) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) with ESMTP id OAA05462 ; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:28:13 +1300 Received: from sci4 (lbr-122-42.lbrsc.auckland.ac.nz [130.216.122.42]) by mailhost.auckland.ac.nz (8.9.1/8.9.1/8.9.1-ua) with SMTP id OAA15378 ; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:11:39 +1300 (NZDT) Message-Id: <199812290111.OAA15378@mailhost.auckland.ac.nz> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 14:10:46 +0000 Subject: Language Problems X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v2.53/R1) From: "Michael Parkinson" To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Sender: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Errors-To: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Reply-to: m.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz X-Loop: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Requests: To unsubscribe from this list, or change your subscription address, send a message to dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz. Dear all, further to the [limited] comments & repsonses regarding languages, here is a brief listing of the key problems, so far. 1. current rules are hard to understand/apply -- not helped by the gramatical errors in the document's translation to PDF. 2. The factors/discounts/bonuses aren't always clear & are sometimes ridiculous when multiple bonuses apply. 3. There is no cladistic understanding of how languages are related or interact within or between families: e.g. Lalange (of Bowcourt) & Elvish. 4. [a related point] There are no adequate rules for dialects, accents, etc. 5. There is some concern over "Racial" languages: e.g., should every intelligent race [except phoenix] have an inate language, or is it more likely for *some* species to assume regional languages. 6. What are maximum ranks of languages? -- this is possibly linked with the "racial/regional" question. 7. How common is Common? 8. There are no rules for "immersion" in a language. 9. Few languages, if any, have an atmosphere or flavour to them. 10. There are no adequate rules for "getting by", or communication between beings who *don't* speak the same language but who *do* want to communicate. Although the most popular question would seem to be: 11. What language do they speak in ____? [insert Duchy, City, or place of your choice] Finally, to the group as a whole: please mention other problems. I have a proposed radical re-write of Language & it would be good form to know what the problems are before I attempt to solve them. regards, Michael. Michael Parkinson Information Services A/L Science Library, University of Auckland. Email: m.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz Phone: (09) 3737 599 x 5858 Fax: (09) 3082 304 -- See message headers to unsubscribe from -- From owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Tue Dec 29 17:22:08 1998 Received: (from bin@localhost) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) id RAA05559; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:22:08 +1300 Received: from aj.co.nz ([202.27.194.165] (may be forged)) by mail.sf.org.nz (8.8.6/NZSFI-19980830) with SMTP id RAA05552 ; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:21:54 +1300 Received: by aj.co.nz(Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) id CC2566E9.001C5F29 ; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:09:53 +1200 X-Lotus-FromDomain: ARMSTRONG JONES Message-ID: Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:09:48 +1200 Subject: Re: Language Problems Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: multipart/alternative; Boundary="0__=3heq4FaiLnDiDFf3THnarCH6L5Q8wdBC4xB7Tw6mVpso6bvsjSF5cTaG"; X-Lotus-Encap=encap3 From: rmansfield@aj.co.nz To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz Sender: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Errors-To: owner-dq@dq.sf.org.nz Reply-To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Loop: dq@dq.sf.org.nz X-Requests: To unsubscribe from this list, or change your subscription address, send a message to dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz. --0__=3heq4FaiLnDiDFf3THnarCH6L5Q8wdBC4xB7Tw6mVpso6bvsjSF5cTaG Content-type: text/plain Some comments: Michael Wrote further to the [limited] comments & repsonses regarding languages, here is a brief listing of the key problems, so far. 1. current rules are hard to understand/apply -- not helped by the gramatical errors in the document's translation to PDF. 2. The factors/discounts/bonuses aren't always clear & are sometimes ridiculous when multiple bonuses apply. 3. There is no cladistic understanding of how languages are related or interact within or between families: e.g. Lalange (of Bowcourt) & Elvish. 4. [a related point] There are no adequate rules for dialects, accents, etc. 5. There is some concern over "Racial" languages: e.g., should every intelligent race [except phoenix] have an inate language, or is it more likely for *some* species to assume regional languages. 6. What are maximum ranks of languages? -- this is possibly linked with the "racial /regional" question. 8. There are no rules for "immersion" in a language. 9. Few languages, if any, have an atmosphere or flavour to them. 10. There are no adequate rules for "getting by", or communication between beings who *don't* speak the same language but who *do* want to communicate. Although the most popular question would seem to be: 11. What language do they speak in ____? [insert Duchy, City, or place of your choice] Finally, to the group as a whole: please mention other problems. --