[lojban] penguins, neologisms, cratylism (was: RE: penguins

["And Rosta" <a.rosta@lycos.co.uk>]

Jordan:
> On Thu, Dec 05, 2002 at 12:17:18AM -0500, Pierre Abbat wrote:
> > There isn't a gismu for penguin, but there is one for Antarctica,
> > dzipo. I don't know a good word for penguin. I've tried these:
> > sfenisku: meaningless lujvo. cipnrsfenisku is ok, but cumbersome
> > sfeniku or sfenisu: ok, but don't sound quite right bisycpi: not
> > all penguins live on ice, there are some as far north as
> > Galápagos zipcpi or zi'ocpi: ditto. There are other birds there as
> > well. zi'ocpi sounds like a nonexistent bird
>
> IMHO, none of
> the above suggestions are bad except "sfenisku" and the type 4s

I know why you think that; there are sound rational grounds.

But {sfenisku} was my favourite. Long-form fuhivla do indeed seem
too clunky, while lujvo can seem blandly homogeneous and lacking
in distinctiveness, especially in what one might call 'cratylism',
the property of form mystically embodying meaning. I've there's
one person whose judgement I'd trust on neologisms, it would be
Michael Helsem.

--And.