Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 04:21:12 +0100
Message-Id: <199502250317.TAA15297@netcom15.netcom.com>
Comment: Issues related to constructed languages
Originator: conlang@diku.dk
Errors-To: thorinn@diku.dk
Version: 5.5 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas
From: cbogart@csn.org (Chris Bogart)
Subject: Re: Lojban compounds (was: Limited vocabulary)
X-From-Space-Date: Fri Feb 24 22:21:37 1995
X-From-Space-Address: conlang@diku.dk

Timothy Miller:
>> > I like the semitic way since, well, I'm used to it.  In Hebrew, a little 
>> > fiddling with vowels and a prefix or two will give you "he counted", 
>> > "counter/counting", "number", "he told", "teller/telling", "book", 
>> > "story", "he cut hair", "hair cutter/cutting", and WHOLE BUNCH more, but  
>> > this gives you an idea of what you can get out of one root /spr/.

John Cowan:
>> Forgive me if I find the alleged connection between "count", "story", and
>> "haircut" a little obscure.  Could you elucidate, especially about the last?

>The only connection is the root /spr/, although you can see the 
>connection between 'count' and 'tell' in English and German.  Count, 
>REcount.  Zahl (digit), erza"hlen (to tell).

Well, that's not a very useful rule then; if adding a certain vowel to 
"count" yields "haircut", what would adding the same vowel to "duck" yield?

Sorry; just being silly, I do understand your point.  The "he counted" ==> 
"counter/counting" is a good example of it, but the bit about the haircuts 
is probably chance -- is it possible the /spr/ root for haircut has a 
different etymology altogether?
                     ____
 Chris Bogart        \  /  ftp://ftp.csn.org/cbogart/html/homepage.html
 Quetzal Consulting   \/   cbogart@quetzal.com