Newsgroups: sci.lang
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From: donh@netcom.com (Don HARLOW)
Subject: Re: Basic English List
Message-ID: <donhCyGJBJ.40q@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <rphCyAuyr.ByI@netcom.com> <1994Oct27.194156.12744@cs.sfu.ca> <38ptnq$bid@nntp1.u.washington.edu>
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 1994 23:16:31 GMT
Lines: 29

charmii@u.washington.edu (David Prager Branner) skribis en lastatempa afisxo <38ptnq$bid@nntp1.u.washington.edu>:
>
>One important rule that is not in the Basic English table - what do the
>words mean?  Do they mean what they mean in regular English?  What about
>paraphrases of more complicated concepts in English - is there some kind
>of standard, or at least a ruling principle?  For instance, if I want to
>say "impregnate", am I to say "make with baby" or is there some other way? 
>Is there such a thing as an English-Basic English dictionary so that I can
>figure out how to say things?  I have never felt confident about this
>question. 
>
One rumor hath it that Winston Churchill's enthusiasm for Basic English 
waned somewhat after someone pointed out to him that the Basic translation 
of "Blood, toil, tears and sweat" was "Blood, hard work, eye wash and body 
water." (The last term strikes me as being a trifle ambiguous... ;-)

>Can you refer me to any literature written in Basic English or anything
>written about it other than the basic list of words and rules? 
>
In the novel _A Planet for Texans_ by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire 
(also published under the title _Lone-Star Planet_) there is an entire one- 
or two-page courtroom scene part of which purports to be written in Basic 
English.

-- 
Don HARLOW			donh@netcom.com
Esperanto League for N.A.       elna@netcom.com (800) 828-5944
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/elna/elna.html         Esperanto
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/donh/donh.html 
