George Boeree | Re: [europidgin] Tenses and plurals (was: general comments)

• Autor: George Boeree (“cgboeree”)
• Tema: Re: [europidgin] Tenses and plurals (was: general comments)
• Data: 2002-09-17 18:35
• Mesaje: 114 (a supra, presedente, seguente)

A more "personal" note (if there is such a thing on the internet):

I am chagrined by James (and perhaps others as well).  It seems that
many people interested in IALs are not really intereted in seeing the
reality of an international language at all.  They are interested in
arguing about IALs, or in promoting their own project without any room
for change, or in tying their personal identity to a particular language
(esperanto is rife with these people!).

James' fascination with pidgins and creoles is understandable -- I have
been fascinated with them myself.  In fact, LFN was inspired by them
(especially, obviously, Lngua Franca, but also Haitian Creole and
Papiamento, and languages with similar structures such as
Malay/Indonesian. ) Some of the criticisms of LFN seem more a matter of
wanting perfect logic -- something that just doesn't exist.  The goal is
ease of use, and usefulness -- not logic or perfection!

I am, of course, attached to LFN.  I am sure you understand.  But
Europidgin is Bjorn's baby, and now belongs to the group as a whole, and
I am really interested in seeing what comes out of it.  But if we spend
the next few years filling mailboxes with our personal preferences and
arguments, Bjorn's goal will never be reached!

So let's decide, fairly quickly, on these issues, and start thinking
about how we can use the language and promote it.  Otherwise it will be
nothing more than one more dead IAL!

Best to all,

George