LINGUIST List 7.1041

Wed Jul 17 1996

Qs: Keyboard activity recording, Fant-fic lg,Spelling blunders

Editor for this issue: Ljuba Veselinova <lveselinemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Henning Lobin, Software that records keyboard activity
2. Master of Karma, Q: Fant-fic languages
3. "Jim Swanson", terminology

Dear Linguists,

one of my colleagues is looking for a PC- or Mac-based software tool that
allows to record every keyboard activity of the user in standard
text-processing systems (e.g. WinWord). He wants to investigate human
writing processes. Does anybody know of such a tool? 

Thanks in advance,
Henning Lobin

Greetings, fellow LINGUISTs

I am working on the analysis and extrapolation/ramification of an
articial fant-fic language called "Shin'a'in" which was originated by
the American fantasy writer, Mercedes Lackey.

I am interested in knowing if there is any literature on this sort of
project. Basically, it involves taking a small sample of data and
analysing it insofar as possible, then taking this analysis and using
it as the basis of an expanded form of the language. My immediate
thought is that this may be somewhat similar (but on a conscious
level) to the shift from pidgin to creole.

If there is enough interest and response, I will post a summary to the
list.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kenneth Allen Hyde | No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife
Univ. of Delaware | between the shoulder blades will seriously
Dept. of Linguistics | cramp his style -- Old Jhereg proverb
kennyUdel.Edu | A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me

Is there a special name for blunders in spelling that cause merriment
or ambiguity. Here is an example: "You have the confidunce to do the
job." It is not a pun because it is not intentional; it is not a
malapropism because it is not a complete substitution of one word for
another to get a humorous effect. And are there other examples?