[Wikipedia-l] About creating a new language on Wikipedia

[Ray Saintonge]

One could draw that conclusion, but far be it from me to step on sacred 
toes ... even extinct ones. :-)

Ec

GerardM wrote:

>Considering what you say, you provide a perfect argument why NOT to localise
>the user interface of an extinct language. So far we have always insisted on
>a localised UI.
>Thanks,
>    GerardM
>
>On 7/11/07, Ray Saintonge wrote:
>  
>
>>>2007/7/5, GerardM:
>>>      
>>>
>>>>In the language committee we are not really happy with artificial languages
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>or with languages long dead that are given a new lease of life because "we
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>can". In dead languages you have to do original research in order to be able
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>to name the concepts that are modern and foreign to that language as we know
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>it. Wikipedia is not about original research and you have to create new
>>>>words and in the process change the language in order to write an
>>>>encyclopaedia that is to be used in this day and age.
>>>>        
>>>>
>>At one time I had an old medical dictionary (ca. 1820), and the entry
>>for "cadaver" started with "A cadaver is generally immobile."
>>Immobility for these dead languages means that they are no longer able
>>to move, and generate new life.  We cannot expect that the new
>>terminology that we invent for it will be accepted by the people who
>>normally speak that language, because those people don't exist.  Our
>>newly invented words do not rise above the level of fantasy.  The
>>resulting encyclopedia is indeed to be used in this day and age, but
>>only by people who do not exist.
>>