On 02-Dec-98, James Campbell wrote:

> <closely related> I sometimes wonder whether any human cultures use a
> different semantic structure (i.e. different from the usual Western
> comma/period/clause/sentence conventions), as I'm trying to make my con=
lang
> Rahha bend away from that a bit, but I can't stop thinking that way.
> Thoughts?

I created an aphabet (the Cryptic Aphabet) some years ago (no, not an
entire language, just an aphabet) inteded to be ornamental in nature. The
idea was to hide the text entierly, by disguising it as complex ornaments.

Actually the aphabet was never finished, but it had among other things a
very large set of punctuation marks. Divided into the following classes a=
nd
subclasses (excuse the terminologi, it is also quite highly developed, bu=
t
in Swedish and my translation may be poor):


  Singles (single character, like a comma ","):
    Afinites (abbreviational useage):
     * Abbreviation
       Indicates that text have been abbreviated, ie chararcter or
       characters have been removed, and this symbol is there instead.
     * Interruption
       Inticates that the sentence or text was interrupted, unheard, or
       that the speaker/writer never got to finish it functions much as
       "...".
    Microfinites (used within sentences):
     * Wordfinite
       Normally ends a word. All words had to be properly ended with eith=
er
       a Micro=AD, or Macrofinite (even if they occured alone) and most
       commonly it was this one. It corresponds roughly to a space.
     * Pausefinite
       Indicate a short pause between words. Not used to separate things =
in
       a list, apart from this it corresponds roughly to a comma.
     * Thoughtfinite
       Indicates a slightly longer pause between words. Is also used to
       separate things in a list. Corresponds roughly to semicolon. A sma=
ll
       list using the pause=AD and thoughtfinite migth look like this:
       "Submarine, yellow; scentence, smelling; blue sky." Notice that th=
e
       last item can never be misinterpreted as "smelling, blue sky"
       because the comma (or pausefinite) can never separate the entries.
    Macrofinites (terminates sentences):
     * Stop finite
       This symbol normally marks the end of a sentence (if not terminate=
d
       by pilcrow, or change=ADof=ADscene).
     * Pilcrow
       This is a "larger" sentence terminating symbol (more like a new
       paragraph) it indicate some in thought direction, or a smaller
       change in setting. (It could for example terminate a line in a
       dialogue, before another character start to speak.)
     * Change of scene
       This is the largest sentence terminating symbol. It indicates end =
of
       chapter, subject, or a change of scene.
  Capsules (have a start and ending character, like our paranthesis "()")=
:
    Sentece capsules:
     * Imperative
     * Question
       All sentences in the Cryptic Alphabet ends in a macrofinite, but
       their contents (excluding the finite which comes last) may be
       modified by a sentence capsule to indicate whether it is a questio=
n
       or imperative.
    Insertion capsules:
     * Parenthesis (alternative 1)
     * Parenthesis (alternative 2)
       These are used much like our paresntesis. You may have several
       "layers" inside each other, and then you alternately make use of
       version 1 and version 2, for added clarity.
    Emphasis capsules:
     * Emphasized
     * Disemphasizid, weakened
       Simply indicates wheather a word, or part of a sentence is
       emphasized, or the opposite.
    Voice capsules ():
     * Shouting
     * Whispering
       Tone of voice. Mostly useful for writing dialogue, I should guess.
    Falsehood capsules ():
     * Irony
     * Nonsense
       The irony indicates... Irony! Much like the ;-) smiley or "(. blab=
la
       .)" usenet parenthesis. The "nonsense" capsule indicates that what
       ever is written inside it, it does not *mean* anything. This was
       intended to be used for inserting ornament, without any meaning,
       other than that get the uninvited off track.
    Referring capsules ():
     * Quoted
       Used around quotes.
     * Spoken, direct speech
       Used around spoken, or comments directed from one person to
       another.)
    Uncertainty capsules ():
     * Sceptical or uncertain
       The writer or sayer of the words is uncertain as to the truth of
       them, or don't believe the words himself.
     * Uncertain of spelling
       The writer do not know how to spell this word, but have made a gue=
ss
       anpwaiy

And that't about it really, it is all present on the web on

   http://www.bahnhof.se/~dark/cryptic/index.html

But unfortunately its in Swedish..

/Greetz, Zrajm C

--=20
   Zrajm C Akfohg       Klingonska akademien   090-133423
   [log in to unmask]   http://come.to/ka      ICQ:16769663

  "When did we care.. About the innocence we share?"
                         /L=E6ther Strip, "We Deserve It All"