On 02/18/2010 11:52 PM, Daniel Bowman wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> It's been a while since I've posted, and I figured I'd share some
> reflections about writing a diary in my conlang, Angosey.  I started writing
> in my diary about a year ago, and I'd never kept one before in any language.
>    It was frustrating at times, since practical Angosey hardly existed at the
> beginning.  I've been working on it for a good eight years or so, steadily,
> but mainly in the poetic spheres.  Describing daily life was a big
> challenge.  Sometimes I thought, why aren't I just doing this in English?
>
>    
I have been keeping my journal only in Alurhsa since about 1994.  It was 
definitely challenging when I first started, partly due to needing the 
grow the language in the right directions, and partly because it took a 
bit for me to really gain the in depth knowledge I needed to write 
fluently.  I have occasionally thought I would like to do some 
journaling in Tariatta, and find I haven't worked up the ambition to 
repeat the initial labor, plus the fact that Tariatta is probably only 
half or even a quarter as developed as Alurhsa was when I started 
journaling.  It's kind of a catch-22 though, because a major factor in 
Alurhsa's depth at this point is the journal use, so if I don't bite the 
bullet and use Tariatta for journaling it'll never get far enough along 
to use for journaling.

> One of my biggest fears was that bringing Angosey into the mundane sphere
> would sully or ruin its poetic nature.  I felt that if I started using it
> for everything, it would no longer keep the purity that I valued so much.
> However, I found that this is not the case.  Like any language, it can
> handle both.
>
> Writing every day (or most every day) had the big advantage of developing my
> vocabulary.  When  I started my diary, I had about 700 or 800 words.  Now I
> believe I'm pushing 1300.  While it will be a while before Angosey's
> anywhere as developed as, say, Alhursa, I can now envision it as a living,
> growing language.
>
>    
That's excellent!  And yes, sometimes it feels like I'm having to 
compromise Alurhsa's native feel to add words to cover daily life in 
21st century New England on Earth, but I try to think and write as a 
native Alurhsa speaker, and thus whenever possible use native terms even 
if I'm having to construct a word or phrase for how Alurhsa people would 
be explaining things.  And it's a wonderful feeling when your language 
takes on a life of its own as a living, growing language!

> Despite the fears I expressed above, I found that it helped my ability to
> describe and conceive of things in Angosey.  The grammar also finally
> developed to a point where I'm beginning to be satisfied ;-).  One of the
> interesting things is the development of adjuncts and the shifting of
> adjectives into postpositional phrases.  I also codified the numbering
> system (it's base 28!) and figured out a date system also.
>
> After almost thirteen months, I'm starting to find Angosey thoughts creeping
> into my head in daily life.  I've got enough vocabulary to begin
> experiencing the world through the Angosian lens. And that is really neat!
>
> They say if you want to learn a language, use it.  This applies to conlangs
> also, I have found.
>
>    
Absolutely.  This is unfortunately something that Real Life has 
interfered with for me, so my skill in Alurhsa has dropped down a bit.  
I'm actively trying to recover that, and expand it beyond where it was 
at its peak.

I can also put in a plug for Jim Hopkins and his Itlani here.  He 
regularly emails me bilingually, writing the Itlani first and then 
translating.  And speaks out loud often when we're together.  Both of 
these have pushed his command of Itlani to a very high level.

> So for now, Angosey exists in three spheres:
>
> 1.  The inner, poetic Angosey I began in high school and still sometimes use
> today.
> 2.  The more grounded, descriptive, "living" Angosey I write in my diary.
> 3.  The concultural aspect (was developed in high school, not much work to
> date).
>
> I figure that after another few years, I will be approaching high
> proficiency in my own language...what a strange thought.
>
> Just figured I'd share these thoughts with the greater community!
>
> Danny
>