Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!flairvax!ellis From: ellis@flairvax.UUCP (Michael Ellis) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Any esperantists out there? Message-ID: <158@flairvax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Jul-83 18:47:34 EDT Article-I.D.: flairvax.158 Posted: Tue Jul 12 18:47:34 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jul-83 01:17:22 EDT References: grkermit.496 Lines: 21 One of the major failings of esperanto is its extremely strong bias towards the romance (and, to a lesser extent, classical greek) vocabulary, syntax and phonetic structure. 100 years ago this was very reasonable for a purportedly international tongue. But as what is now called "third world' gradually becomes, well, just the "world", more non-european elements are required for a truly international language to receive widespread support. I've read the interesting loglan articles that came my way, and, as an aside noticed (imagined?) more balance towards teutonic sounds and vocabulary than esperanto has. Still, if I were chinese, arabic or african, I bet even loglan would seem euro-chauvinist. Nonetheless, fun linguistic toys like these could provide exposure to the fascinating and bizarre sounds/stems/syntax of strange lands -- if carefully designed by someone with absolutely no linguistic bias. Micahel Ellis - Fairchild AI Lab - Palo Alto CA - (415) 858-4270