Post by @0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange

2026-10-09 16:45 UTC

FURTHERMORE, I am staggered by the assumption of many simplified-grammar conlang enthusiasts that if only, if ONLY they could teach their perfectly structured and regular language to millions of children and they go on to actually use it for real communication in everyday life, the irregularities of evil natural language would naturally disappear and their precious conlang would still be pristine when they check again in 30 years Every natural language on earth is irregular because people are irregular, communication is irregular, relationships are irregular and culture is irregular. Pidgins develop into creoles as people spend years together and get married, creoles develop into full-fledged natural languages as their children and grandchildren use it with their parents, neighbors and teachers. The irregularities are proof that it actually lives in people's souls, and are a reality to accept, not a problem to fix. but while you're here, have you heard the good word of Classical Chinese? No conjugations. None. 😂

Replies (4)

@RogerBW@oldbytes.space 2026-10-09 16:48

@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange Arika Okrent's In the Land of Invented Languages recounts the horror of the Esperantists who raised their children with Esperanto as their first language. The kids used it between themselves, and changed it. This is a thing that has actually been observed.

Open ##5054740
@lanodan@queer.hacktivis.me 2026-10-09 17:06

@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange Reminds me of playing "Kotonoha Amrilato" which uses esperanto as a fictional language and just hating the conjugation part, like "oh no, not grammar drills all over again, I got enough of that with french".

Open ##5054753
@calmh@soc.kastelo.net 2026-10-09 18:05

@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange that is beautifully expressed. Thank you.

Open ##5054759
@tekhedd@byteheaven.net 2026-10-09 18:06

@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange And it's largely pointless, because of the large percentage of people who use "Humpty Dumpty" definitions: "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean -- no more or less." I assume this is international, but I could be wrong.

Open ##5054760