--- In [log in to unmask], li_sasxsek@... wrote:
>
> > [mailto:AUXLANG@...] On Behalf Of Cheng-Zhong Su
> 
> > 	The idea of compounding from a small set of primes isn't
> that bad,
> > 	though just how small is practical is another subject.  The
> problem
> > 	with something like "foam-food" is that it's just not that
> > 	intuitive.  Sure, someone could remember it just as anyone
> could
> > 	remember a zillion other idiomatic usages, but if  someone
> heard it
> > 	for the first time, I doubt many would ever guess that it
> meant
> > 	"bread".  Then there's the point where "bread" will have to
> be
> > 	broken down into its different varieties.  How would you
> > 	differentiate between "white", "wheat", "rye", "french",
> etc..?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Compound word is not just allowing two words put together. 
> > Some times, it could be as many as seven words connected 
> > together. For this reason, every word should be as short as 
> > one oral action, and then the seven words' compound word 
> > should be read as a seven syllables' words. For your example, 
> > if you think your subject could not be intuition of what you 
> > mean to say, you have to change the compound words as foam- 
> > drink, yeast-food, wheat-yeast-food etc. Anyway, compound 
> > words give you much more choice then a single synthetic word. 
> > Since you have more choice, you may use the more suitable 
> > compound word. Yet you have to know the temporarily composed 
> > or created compound words should allow your subject 
> > understand it immediately. Under this principle, you can 
> > compose any compound words just like you compose a sentence. 
> > If you think your subject may not understand you, put another 
> > word into your compound word.
> 
> Sometimes I wonder where you get these numbers.  Why seven?  

It's a well-known idea from psychology that the capacity of human
short term memory is about 7 items:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magical_Number_Seven%2C_Plus_or_Minus_Two

> Maybe
> you should look at German which has some really long compounds, some
> of which are more than seven parts. 

I don't think there are many of these. I can remember only one word
which was several pages long (but that was Mark Twain's joke). I think
people don't bother to pronounce words if it takes them more than one
breath. 

> I don't think anyone here
> disputes that compounding is a valuable tool in creating a simple
> auxlang, but it's not the solution to everything and it can be taken
> too far.
> "Bread" is a very basic concept, something found in everyday life.
> I couldn't see making more than a syllable or two of it, regardless
> of whether it's a compound or its own morpheme.
> 
> 
> 	http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bread
> 
> Notice the word is generally very short, a monosyllable in many
> languages.
>

Btw rain is also generally as short as bread.