Ahzoh wrote:
That does not adequately explain what a wug is. From where is it from? For what does it desire? For what is its purpose?
Then even its non-existence was not, nor its existence,
There was no Wug then, nor the Wugs beyond it.
What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping?
Was there then linguistic water, in depths unfathomed?
Then it was neither dead nor alive
It did not have no features nor did it have features.
The One talked meaninglessly and self-sustaining.
There was that One then, and there was no other.
At first there were only questions wrapped in questions.
All this was only unillumined water.
That One which had came to be, enclosed in nothing,
arose at last, born of the power of psycholinguistics.
In the beginning morphology descended on it -
that was the primal seed, born of the mind.
The children who had searched their hearts with wisdom
know that which is kin to that which is not.
But, after all, who knows, and who can say
Whence it all came, and how its creation happened?
the experiments themselves are later than creation,
so who knows truly whence it has arisen?
Whence its creation had its origin,
she, whether she fashioned it or whether she did not,
she, who surveys it all from highest heaven,
she knows - or maybe even she does not know.
To answer your question less... ummm, quizzically?
A wug is a made up "English" word that was used by a linguist (I forget the name) in a paper that was done to indicate that even when someone is unfamiliar with a word, one can and will still apply certain paradigms to make it plural, or past tense (if it's a made up verb), etc.
Nídlörmals saul gabvenhérsaug pungeraug soy.sauce-NOM INDEF.DUAL tablespoon-INSTR.DUAL two-INSTR.DUAL Two tablespoons of soy sauce
Sazakans: cooking-NOM Cooking:
Öçek la chíl knelsím zhö chök nafsörhebsöch chöil wauglatsöiz pagranur. 2SG-NOM AUX.PRES DEF.DUAL skin-ACC.DUAL and DEF.PL bone-ACC.PL DEF.DUAL wug-DAT.DUAL remove-HORT Remove skin and bones from the wugs.
Chöil wauglatsöim saul smrsaug ézhün. DEF.DUAL wug-ACC.DUAL INDEF.DUAL cm-INSTR.DUAL cube-HORT Cut the wugs into 2-by-2 cm pieces.
Chöik tavatsöich zhö chöi kembetsöit söik shetsöid küvatöid sfen chafaiaz. DEF.PL tomato-ACC and DEF cucumber-ACC INDEF.PL piece-POST.PL small-POST.PL as cut-HORT Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into small pieces.
Chü shkeloksüt vuch. DEF pan-ACC heat-HORT Heat the pan.
Chak ézhunsach sak jeptaunsad sfen fkésaiaz. DEF.PL cube-ACC.PL INDEF.PL ochre.one-POST.PL as brown-HORT Fry the wug pieces until lightly brown.
Chak böngínsach nadíwar. DEF.PL pepper-ACC.PL add-HORT Add the chillies.
Chöik tavatsöich zhö chöi kembetsöit nadíwar. DEF.PL tomato-ACC.PL and DEF cucumber-ACC add-HORT Add the tomatoes and cucumber.
Thrice Xandvii wrote:A wug is a made up "English" word that was used by a linguist (I forget the name) in a paper that was done to indicate that even when someone is unfamiliar with a word, one can and will still apply certain paradigms to make it plural, or past tense (if it's a made up verb), etc.
More specifically, the test shows that young children are capable of forming morphological derivations such as the plural before they're taught how by their parents or in school.
Thrice Xandvii wrote:A wug is a made up "English" word that was used by a linguist (I forget the name) in a paper that was done to indicate that even when someone is unfamiliar with a word, one can and will still apply certain paradigms to make it plural, or past tense (if it's a made up verb), etc.
More specifically, the test shows that young children are capable of forming morphological derivations such as the plural before they're taught how by their parents or in school.
And more broadly, it's one of the first examples of practical experimental linguistics.
This was what the original test looked, if you're wondering (spoilered because it's really big):
Spoiler:
There were other parts of the test, some involving more plural formation, and some involving other kinds of morphological derivation, but this one is by far the most well-known.
Entronczâ od ennaczâ lis tomátis ed li combri en petinis suóvis.
Iczalvâ le poréll.
Frî lis suóvis de wug modinc'issis séiana cetegnéts.
Agzutâ lis piméntis.
Agzutâ lis tomátis ed li combri.
Agzutâ li seli ed le sáls de sogia.
Miclâ.
Sevî par ris.
Mangzâ
Spoiler:
Plat de wug enlussuriánt
[ˈpla də ˈo̯og ã.lʊ.sʊˈɾe̯ã]
dish of wug mouthwatering
Ingrediénts:
[ẽ.gɾəˈde̯ẽ]
ingredient.PL{PL}
Dos wugs de tagla miiana
[dɔ ˈo̯og də ˈtaːe̯.la mɪˈe̯aː.na]
two wug{PL} of size-NOM medium-F.NOM
Tres tomatas
[ˈtɾɛ tɔˈma.ta]
three tomato-NOM{PL}
Un gránd combre
[ˈõː gɾã ˈkõː.bɾə]
one large cucumber
Patre piménts assechids
[ˈpa.tɾə pɪˈmẽ.z‿a.səˈkeː]
four chili.PL-PL dried{PL}
Sel
[ˈsɛː]
salt
Dos cugleiáds de salsa de sogia
[ˈdɔ kʊ.ɪ̯əˈe̯ɛː də ˈsal.sa də ˈsɔː.ʑa]
two tablespoon.PL{PL} of sauce of soy
Preparassiun:
[pɾə.pa.ɾaˈse̯õː]
preparation
Icorczâ e disossâ lis wughis.
[ɪ.kɔˈtɕɛː ɛ dɪzɔˈsɛː lɪ ˈo̯ogɪ]
skin-INF and debone-INF DEF-OBL{PL} wug-OBL{PL}
Copâ lis wughis en suóvis de 2 cm2 (dos centimétres parráds).
[kɔˈpɛː lɪ ˈo̯o.gɪ ã ˈso̯ɑː.vɪ də ˈdɔ tɕã.tɪˈme.tɾə paˈrɛː]
cut-INF DEF-OBL{PL} wug-OBL{PL} in piece.OBL-OBL{PL} of two centimeter.PL{PL} square.PL{PL}
Entronczâ od ennaczâ lis tomátis ed li combri en petinis suóvis.
[ã.tɾõˈtɕɛː ɔ.ɾ‿ã.naˈtɕɛː lɪ tɔˈmɛ.tɪ.z‿ɛ.ɾ‿lɪ ˈkõː.bɾɪ ã pəˈteː.nɪ ˈso̯ɑː.vɪ]
slice-INF or chop-INF DEF-OBL{PL} tomato.OBL-OBL-PL and DEF-OBL cucumber-OBL in little-OBL{PL} piece.OBL-OBL{PL}
Iczalvâ le poréll.
[ɪ.tɕaˈvɛː lə pɔˈɾeːl]
heat-INF DEF pan.OBL
Frî lis suóvis de wug modinc'issis séiana cetegnéts.
[ˈfɾeː lɪ ˈso̯ɑː.vɪ də ˈo̯og mɔ.dẽˈke.sɪ ˈseː.ɪ̯a.na ˈtɕə.təˈɲe]
fry-INF DEF-OBL{PL} piece.OBL-OBL{PL} of wug until=3.NOM-PL be.PRS_SBJV-3PL brown-light.PL{PL}
This reminds me of a word in one of my earliest conlangs, in which <öçen> meant 1PL.INCL and was part of the ridiculous sentence: <öçen-vënen yäßeçio'gät>, which of course means "we all live in a yellow submarine."
Cei gwared ar groen ac esgyrn y wgau? ugion? wgod? wgi? wgoedd?
(Fun fact: wg, or rather gwg is already a Welsh word meaning {frown, scowl} (although Welsh gwg is masculine, while our gwg is feminine). An alternative, wag, or rather gwag is also a Welsh word meaning {empty, worthless}.)