Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!nott!cunews!freenet.carleton.ca!FreeNet.Carleton.CA!ac355
From: ac355@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (David Solly)
Subject: Re: language novels
Message-ID: <D3uLGL.GC8@freenet.carleton.ca>
Sender: ac355@freenet3.carleton.ca (David Solly)
Reply-To: ac355@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (David Solly)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
References: <moose-0602951104330001@pacsci-27.pacsci.org> <3gsmhl$99g@expert.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 18:17:09 GMT
Lines: 73

> In article <3gsmhl$99g@expert.cc.purdue.edu>,
> buttrcup@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Nine Inch Nails) wrote:
> 
>> I feel like reading a book.
>> Can anybody recommend a good novel
>> concerning language/linguistics/etc.?
>> 
> 

Hello...
 
     I saw your post asking for books on linguistic themes.  
As it happens, I have been working on compiling a database 
on languages and linguistics in science fiction.  The 
database is written in dBase IV and includes a program for 
doing boolean searches.  Regrettably, The National Capital 
FreeNet from which I am writing does not provide upload 
access to FTP or WWW sites otherwise copies of my databases 
would be there.  I apologise for any inconvenience this may 
cause.  However, copies are available through FidoNet.
 
     If you who are interested in obtaining a copy of the 
last version of the Language And Linguistics In Science 
Fiction And Fantasy database, (28 November 1994), it is 
freq-able from:
 
               Bit Byters BBS,
               Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,
               (613)446-6234,
               (1:163/215, 500)
 
or from:
 
               Brian And Wendy's BBS, 
               Cantley, Quebec, Canada,
               (819)827-4868,
               (1:163/198).
 
In both cases the file name is SFLANG.ARJ.
 
     Meanwhile, I would like to suggest the book _Alien 
Tongue_ by Stephen Leigh.  It is a first encounters story 
dealing with the Earth's first contact with a sentient avian 
species in outer space.  The story goes into quite a bit of 
detail in how the Earthlings and Avians overcome the 
linguistic problem and there is even a glossary of Avian 
words.
 
     You may also want to look into the "Chanur" series by 
C.J. Cherryh.  The series follows the adventures of a family 
of space faring felines, (actually the cover art shows them 
to be leonoid), lead by Pyanfar Chanur.  Languages are so 
important that one of the crew members, Hilfy Chanur, is a 
linguist.  The first book of the series called _The Pride of 
Chanur_, (yes, there is a pun there), devotes the first few 
chapters to how Pyanfar and crew try to establish 
communications with Tully a human who stows away on their 
ship.  This and the following novels in the series give 
actual examples of several alien languages such as Hani 
(Pyanfar's language), Stsho, Tc'a, Kif, Mehendo'sat and 
others.
 
     I hope that this will be of help or interest.
 
 
David Solly
 
 

--
David Solly                  ac355@freenet.carleton.ca
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA      FidoNet:  1:163/215
Voice: (613)731-2120
