From: TTrotsky@aol.com
Date: Mon 07 Jul 1997 - 22:07:24 EEST
Peter Metcalfe:
<< It's been proposed that Brithini is simply an alphabet rather than being
a phonetic alphabet (with schwas and other obscure precision-orientated
notations that implies).>>
Fair point - although that wasn't what I intended to imply, I can see I
wasn't entirely clear. In fact, now you mention it, the 1/3 comprehension
modifier for Loskalmi/Brithini might just be large enough to explain the kind
of limited comprehension I was thinking of. I'm less convinced WRT Carmanian,
Ralian and Vadeli, but that's more of a rules argument than anything else,
and consequently a bit pointless, especially as I don't play RQ.
<< A language is a dialect with an army and a navy. Secondly Arabic is only
similar in the basic vocabulary (ie the words found in the Qu'ran). For
words which are in this basic vocabulary, the dialects tend to borrow from
available languages. Like for 'table', Syrian Arabic uses an Italian word,
Egyptian a Greek and Mesopotamian Arabic a Persian word.>>
What I said was based on what Arabs I know from various countries had
actually told me when asked this particular question (and who had talked to
each other, and so were in a reasonable position to know). But I guess the
distinction is really a semantic one...
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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