Re[2]: Language (was: Re: African Languages (was: Re: Re[2]: [tied]

From: Brian M. Scott
Message: 58295
Date: 2008-05-03

At 12:57:02 AM on Friday, May 2, 2008, Rick McCallister
wrote:

[...]

> As far as I know, no one or no group has ever successfully
> invented a language from scratch and convinced a group to
> use it --with the possible exception of Nicaraguan sign
> language, but that was a group of deaf people. If someone
> else knows otherwise, speak up.

As I recall, Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN) developed
very rapidly from a signed pidgin (LSN). Thus, it isn't an
invented language in the sense that Esperanto and Klingon
are invented languages: it grew by natural processes. It's
the only instance of natural-language genesis that has
actually been observed in progress.

Brian