lojban dialectology

["Steven M. Belknap" <sbelknap@UIC.EDU>]

la krys cusku dihe
>Let's create a new language NOT called Lojban (Ninjbo?), that IS allowed to
>evolve quite freely, with no looming threat of baseline to choke it off.
>We'd start it off Dec 11 1996 defined as identical to Lojban, and let it
>change in about the same manner as Lojban changes, but with something other
>than LLG (e.g. a vote, or something) as the final arbiter of what gets changed.
>

.i ti dargu la bebylan

A counter-counter-proposal: Baseline lojban soonest. [Of course <xoi> will
be part of the baseline... :-)  ] To make it clear to all that lojban will
be capable of evolving in both a formal and informal way, call the
baselined lojban:

la papinomoi lojban or la pasosoxajoi lojban

When there is a broad and deep consensus about changes to be made, and a
new version of lojban seems reasonable, then do the following:

1. Work out all the collisions, implications, and subtle effects of the
proposed new elements of lojban. la lojbanistani can then meet at the next
lojban bash

<xu le lojban mumnoncitsi>

where merriment & social lubricants will be featured, and where the academy
of right-thinking lojbi will eventually give the stamp of approval to the
new version.

2. As part of the new version release, assure that there is a well-defined,
nonambiguous translation algorithm from la papinomoi lojban -> la papipamoi
lojban (or whatever). Thus all well-formed extant texts can be translated.

3. Agree to a standard notation for lojban version specification; for
example, at the beginning of an utterance, the version of lojban to be used
could be specified.

<.i ti gerna la papinomoi lojban>

4. Emphasize that there will be considerable tolerance to experimental
additions/changes to lojban among the lojban community. But these will be
uncertified "slang" usages until & unless a broad and deep consensus builds
as to incorporation of the "slang" into the latest release of lojban.

5. Maintain a list of recognized problems in lojban. As solutions appear,
propose them for inclusion in the next version of lojban.


It is very important that a formal mechanism exist for improving lojban.
It is also important that <la papinomoi lojban> be birthed at some point.
It will be somewhat ugly, and some of the parents of lojban will shriek &
moan at the ugliness. But is there really any flaw in lojban so terrible
that an improvement in a later version of lojban is inconceivable?
Meanwhile, the disheartened will have recourse to slang.

lojban isn't "real", and will not attract a broad community of users until
it is baselined. Also a lot of the discussion I read seems like
non-productive quibbling over what some lojban text "really means"
Releasing that first version will focus the discussion on how lojban can be
improved in the next version instead of on non-productive quibbling.

This proposal may not work. Perhaps the most interesting thing about
conlangs will eventually prove to be that they schism. Shudder.

cohomihe la stivn


Steven M. Belknap, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria

email: sbelknap@uic.edu
Voice: 309/671-3403
Fax:   309/671-8413