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Trade ConLang – Circumstances of Application
A few weeks back, I came up with a concept for a constructed language designed for trade between alien creatures. Today, I thought up a few more aspects, based on one possible scenario in which it might be applied.
This scenario was that of the first contact. Now, while the language is primarily intended as a trading tool, frequently this trading might be carried out with creatures who do not already speak the language. As a result, the following features might be desirable.
Incidentally, I probably want to use syllables as the basic language unit, and thereby make difficult pronunciations a little less likely. But that's not from thinking about first contact, that's just from rereading my initial post.
This scenario was that of the first contact. Now, while the language is primarily intended as a trading tool, frequently this trading might be carried out with creatures who do not already speak the language. As a result, the following features might be desirable.
- Use a regular structure for absolutely everything. Irregular verbs/nouns/adjectives/anythings should be scorned. It is an artificial language in any case, and there is no reason to expect any.
- Use word-order for as much as possible. Anything which requires making variations of words may add confusion, and is therefore a priori undesirable.
- Use compound words for many concepts. If "water" and "stuff" are already familiar, then "water-stuff" being hydrogen is a relatively simple step, if you know your chemistry. ("sour" + "stuff" = oxygen might be harder, but you don't have to ape German in everything.)
- Make concepts helpful to first-contact teams easy. "Plant", "animal", "person", "me", "you", and so forth are probably on this list – the Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia will have good suggestions.
Incidentally, I probably want to use syllables as the basic language unit, and thereby make difficult pronunciations a little less likely. But that's not from thinking about first contact, that's just from rereading my initial post.