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| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirius Huang | -- | 1698 | 2022-11-24 01:35:52 |
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Kēlen (pronounced [ˈke:.len]) is a constructed language created by Sylvia Sotomayor. It is an attempt to create a truly alien language by violating a key linguistic universal—namely that all human languages have verbs. In Kēlen, relationships between the noun phrases making up the sentence are expressed by one of four relationals. According to Sotomayor, these relationals perform the functions of verbs but lack any of the semantic content. However, the semantic content found in common verbs, such as those that are semantic primes, can also be found in Kēlen's relationals, which calls into question whether Kēlen is technically verbless. Despite its distinctive grammar, Kēlen is an expressive and intelligible language; texts written in Kēlen have been translated into other languages by several people other than the creator of the language. In an interview, Sotomayor states that she aims for Kēlen to be naturalistic apart from its verblessness, and that to achieve this she employs the principle "change one thing and keep everything else the same".
References
- David J. Peterson, The 2009 Smiley Award Winner: Kēlen http://dedalvs.conlang.org/smileys/2009.html
- "Kēlen Phonology and Orthography". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/phono.php.
- "Kēlen Dictionary: Lookup Form". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/Dict/dict0.php.
- "Kēlen Writing System". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/writing.php.
- "Example of Box Script". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/saying.php.
- "Kēlen Ceremonial Interlace Alphabet". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/lajathin.php.
- "Kēlen Grammar: Nouns". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/nouns2.php.
- "Kēlen Grammar: Relationals". http://www.terjemar.net/kelen/relats2.php.
