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From: brg@netcom.com (Bruce R. Gilson)
Subject: Novial list
Message-ID: <brgDq9LtL.52v@netcom.com>
Cc:  novial-l@abdn.ac.uk
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 13:08:09 GMT
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A mailing list has been started for people interested in reviving the
constructed language Novial. 

For those who are not familiar with it, Novial is one of the few constructed
languages originated by a recognized linguist, the Dane, Otto Jespersen. His
book, "An International Language," published in 1928 and updated in 1934,
defined the language. He also published a dictionary in 1930.

A short summary of 1928 Novial is available on my website (see my signature,
but you can go directly to the Novial pages by adding /novial.html after the
3141). The actual policy of the list is not to keep to 1928 Novial precisely,
but to develop an updated language with the understanding that any changes
would not be greater than Jespersen himself entertained during the years when
he was alive; the final 1996 version of Novial will certainly be as close to
1928 Novial as 1934 and 1928 Novial are to each other. This will be a language
that Jespersen would still recognize as his own.

If you want to join our mailing list, send e-mail to Thomas Leigh at
u02tl@abdn.ac.uk (if it bounces, try again; the Aberdeen mailserver has
problems!) We accept both active developers and observers: the latter are
listened to (in fact some of their ideas have been used as a basis for what
we have gone on to do!) but essentially the difference is that the active
developers are the ones who would be polled if a vote took place. (So far, we
have been unanimous almost always, so formal votes have been unnecessary.)

Basically, those of us on the list felt that when Jespersen gave up on Novial
and embraced Occidental in the 1930s, because he could not propagate Novial,
he gave up too soon. His original objections to Occidental are still valid,
and we believe Novial to be the better language. So we are attempting this
revival.

At present, all posts to the mailing list are in English, except for short
passages in Novial. Ultimately, at least some people will use Novial to post,
I am certain. But for the present, this is not feasible because a dictionary
is not available to most of us (we are working on remedying this!)

Persons who are not native speakers of English are welcome, if their English
is good enough to follow discussions in English. In fact, I would like to see
some, because at present it is a little hard to tell what might cause diffi-
culty to non-English speakers, though many of us do know foreign languages
(but only as 2nd languages!)

Questions may be addressed to me. Requests to join should go to Thomas as
indicated above.

                                  Bruce R. Gilson
                                  email: brg@netcom.com
                                  IRC: EZ-as-pi
                                  WWW: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3141
                                  (for language stuff: add /langpage.html)
