The Konya Language

Copyright © 2005 Larry Sulky

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Building vocabulary

You can help create Konya's vocabulary!

Konya's initial vocabulary set will be based on the well-known ULD (Universal Language Dictionary) lexicon of 1,600 core words, so we are setting up a mapping of Konya words to ULD words. Here is a Konya-ULD mapping table suitable for downloading. It's a tab-delimited text file whose rows look like this:

`ni`n`pe`	nosata	042:	boy
`xefa`	kemaxa	050:	"chief, leader"
	tausapa	051:	king

The first column has the Konya word that most closely maps to the ULD word. The Konya word has back-ticks to show where the root boundaries are, because this can make it easier to search through the file to find them.

The second column has a random 3-syllable word that could be used as a starting point for choosing a proper Konya word. Use it if you want. It at least illustrates the proper form for a 3-syllable core predicate in Konya.

The third column is the ULD hexadecimal identifier, and the fourth is the English word.

We need volunteers...

...to take on one or more ULD categories and build vocabulary as they see fit. Notify me, via the Konya language discussion group on Yahoo!, which categories you'd like to take, and I'll keep the mapping table updated on the website with information on who "owns" which category, shown like so:

* 01. ADPOSITIONS - - Category owner: Larry Sulky

Here are the ground rules for vocabulary building:

  1. Let me know which category(ies) you want. First come, first served...don't everybody rush in at once! I'll respond as rapidly as I can. Once you see your name posted as the category owner in the mapping table, it's yours and you can begin.
  2. Please check whether a word already exists, even if the first column is blank (just in case).
  3. Try not to alter existing words. But if you believe you need to, so be it. Make a special note of it on the Yahoo group so everyone will know.
  4. Avoid altering single-syllable roots, number-words, letter-names, and functionals. If you believe it's absolutely necessary, let's talk on the Yahoo group.
  5. Look to make compound words rather than new core words, within reason.
  6. About 250 of the 486 possible 2-syllable Konya core predicates are already assigned, so be picky about which words in your categories merit them. We will need to level off the use of 2-syllable predicates when they number around 320.
  7. Don't assign any of the very few remaining 1-syllable core predicates. If you feel that you really need to, let's discuss it on the discussion group.
  8. If you want to track and rationalise the etymology you're using, fine. But don't agonize about it on my account. If your word for rubber has no discernible connection to its cognate in any other language, I don't much care.
  9. It's not going to break my heart if one category follows one approach to compounding and core-word formation, and another category follows a different approach.
  10. Whenever you have an update ready, even if it's not complete, post your slice of the mapping table on the discussion group and I'll make the update. It'll be convenient if you can add your words right in a copy of the mapping table. It'll also be convenient if you can use the backticks around the core words. But however you choose to convey the information will be fine.

Thanks for your participation!

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