Obscure language interests?

[I_waste_everything]

Sifting out anguish. That stuff can go into the many threads devoted to pouring out our pain.

Simply put, oneof the things I *do* cling on to live for, even surrounded by this time and universe hourglass I'm an unwelcome guest in, even shamelessly brooking more "recent" resources whereas I otherwise spurn such not-meant-for-me-stuffs, is for my brand-new proto-hobby of pre-beginner-level linguistics and language learning.

I am indeed breaking the ice with a very small amount of Spanish and Deutsch, hopefully to become more with time. But where my heart drifts without a paddle in the water, is toward some languages which happen to be obscure except in dedicated communities, most of which being online (another for-which I can bear being stuck in this not-for-me-future without a clear way back until further notice).

The obscure languages I'll just begin to meet- which I will be so glad if hie'd become less obscure- include:

First Nations:
-Cherokee (on top of all else, they absolutely enthrall me with their unique syllabary.)
-Nahuatl. I know the Aztec empire did awful things, but so did the Romans, and yet Latin and Romance languages are prized.

Proto-Indo-European:
-Proto-Indo-European itself, although I have no clue what books to start out buying.
-Old English. Not Shakespearian English; *older* than that. I've just now found out about a beginner-level storybook called Osweald Bera, actually written in Old English, for a sort of naturalistic approach to learning the language implicitly, more-so than explicitly, and I want to try it out.
-Latin. This will be the first non-English language I take a class for, and it will come to feel like a sort of first-love, if you will- which will lead to the heartache of a breakup. However, I'll buy a book at long last to pick back up learning it, as a way to embolden my Spanish studies- and admittedly, appreciate it for its own sake. I deeply dislike ancient Rome for many reasons, which will make it all the more frustrating that I'll love the sound and complexity of their language.

Conlangs:
-All four Ithkuils, thought of, written, coined, and channelled by John Quijada- who as far as I can tell, seems like a pretty okay guy. I'll start with Matreullait, since it's the youngest, "simplest", and has the most resources out right now. I hope to walk it back until I dare take on the very first, the most complicated, Itkuil itself, the complicated beast within sight of - though not outright yet within- my own time.

-Toki Pona, by Sonja Lang. It's even closer to my time than the first Itkuil is, and apparently Sonja Lang's motivations for making it include familiarity with wrestling with ill-feelings and life trauma. And well, we all know why we're here.

I'm loving all the languages I'm beginning to meet, but it's hard not to feel like Toki Pona is the one I most have my foot in the door of, even now.

____

And beginning to break out of don't-think-about-it language trappings is opening me to try new things I hadn't thought of before. If anyone's even still reading this, do you notice that I'm giving a new way of using the future-tense a go as I write? That's not an accident.

____

Will anyone else here know about these languages? I know it's a longshot, but I'm eager to meet anyone else I could talk to about- and possibly *in*- these languages. And what about languages you're interested in, obscure or otherwise?

And do you, or do you not, share in a yearning to unshackle from unthought-English's limits and grow your mind with language expansion?

 

[Witty_Sarcasm]

I've been learning Dutch through Duolingo, not exactly an obscure language, but probably not spoken by many Americans. I know that there are some minority languages on there as well, such as Latin and some others. It's a good service to become at least semi-fluent in the languages of your choice. I also want to learn some of the more obscure languages if I can.

 

[another world]

I'd be happy to talk about obscure languages and less obscure languages by PM (or DM if you prefer)

 

[I_waste_everything]

I'd be happy to talk about obscure languages and less obscure languages by PM (or DM if you prefer)

I'd be open, but why not here?

 

[Trying4Life]

I have always had an ear for languages. Deutsch in high school, 1 semester of Latin in college, 2 years of ancient Greek...Latin and Greek have helped me to pick up Spanglish, working in kitchens as a second career. I love learning smatterings from people I interact with. I had a friend that went to Finland (as a Linguistics major) that taught us some choice phrases. Something I was told once by a coworker who was pissed off at our boss: "It's amazing how far you can get with Gracias and Por Favor" (Thank you and Please, if you don't understand Spanish). I took that to heart. I worked with people from Pakistan and India, and learned to say Please and Thank You (can't remember now). I currently work with an Afghan who is teaching me some common phrases in Farsi.

Yes, Old English/Anglo-Saxon is quite different from Elizabethan English. And then there is Middle English...Chaucer.

I think that learning something of the root languages make the offspring a little easier...Latin and the Romance languages, German and the English spin offs.

My biggest problem with language is having someone to speak it with. It is very difficult for me to maintain any degree of proficiency if I am only running through it in my own head.

 

[I_waste_everything]

I have always had an ear for languages. Deutsch in high school, 1 semester of Latin in college, 2 years of ancient Greek...Latin and Greek have helped me to pick up Spanglish, working in kitchens as a second career. I love learning smatterings from people I interact with. I had a friend that went to Finland (as a Linguistics major) that taught us some choice phrases. Something I was told once by a coworker who was pissed off at our boss: "It's amazing how far you can get with Gracias and Por Favor" (Thank you and Please, if you don't understand Spanish). I took that to heart. I worked with people from Pakistan and India, and learned to say Please and Thank You (can't remember now). I currently work with an Afghan who is teaching me some common phrases in Farsi.

Yes, Old English/Anglo-Saxon is quite different from Elizabethan English. And then there is Middle English...Chaucer.

I think that learning something of the root languages make the offspring a little easier...Latin and the Romance languages, German and the English spin offs.

My biggest problem with language is having someone to speak it with. It is very difficult for me to maintain any degree of proficiency if I am only running through it in my own head.

This makes me excited to read!

Well, if you need someone to practice with in any way, I'm here. I'm excited for the chance to acquaint with you *and* speak non-Modern-English language, including being eye for any you want to just practice typing for an audience, even if I don't know it yet (even just teaching someone, and/or talking to someone without worry they'll get mad, is a big chance to practice and learn, I find, however rare.)

I also know what it is to be frustrated and impaired due to lack of people to practice speaking with, and if you're open to it, I'm more eager than eager for a chance to pay it forward.

 

[Luthien Tinuviel]

i have been learning irish for years and work on old english now and then
i used to learn elvish.
my username probably checks out.

 

[seabird]

I've been tryng to learn to read and speak some (modern) Greek. I know some Spanish because of school classes, but no longer at the conversaitonal level. I'd like to learn that which you mentioned @I_waste_everything - the old english. I will take a look at the resource you mentioned, thanks for that. I'd like learn to speak Gaelic and Irish too.

 

[another world]

I'd be open, but why not here?

Guess I could talk here. I was a bit paranoid that talking about obscure interests might make it easier for someone to work out who I am "in real life", but I think that's pretty unlikely, especially as many others here seem to have similar interests..

I've been tryng to learn to read and speak some (modern) Greek. I know some Spanish because of school classes, but no longer at the conversaitonal level. I'd like to learn that which you mentioned @I_waste_everything - the old english. I will take a look at the resource you mentioned, thanks for that. I'd like learn to speak Gaelic and Irish too.

Are you using Duolingo for Greek?

I've got a couple of Old English resources and sometimes look at a YouTube channel where the language is often discussed, but I haven't spent much time on the language.

Latin is cool, I learn it fairly casually most of the time, but relatively consistently.

I probably know Spanish better than my other languages, but I'm rusty at it.

Also rusty and less good at French and German. It would be cool to be really good at German I think, but I need to get more motivated at it.

I'm interested in conlangs but one issue can be when there isn't much reading material, or other "content", in the language. Esperanto probably has the most reading material of any conlang, I would think.

I'm kind of interested in every language, potentially, but seem to be more consistent in Indo-European languages. I might get to a Slavic language at some point but I'm currently interested in the Romance, Germanic and Greek branches. Currently only making regular effort (and not a huge amount) at some Romance and Greek stuff.

 

[seabird]

@another world I was going to start Duolingo about 2 years ago, but then life's problems hit me so my interests have been put aside for awhile. I have a book with the usual conversational bits and it has helped but Duolingo will get my brain engaged much more than a physical book.

 

[another world]

@another world I was going to start Duolingo about 2 years ago, but then life's problems hit me so my interests have been put aside for awhile. I have a book with the usual conversational bits and it has helped but Duolingo will get my brain engaged much more than a physical book.

There are pros and cons to different methods. At least with Duolingo it's quite convenient and gamified so I keep coming back every day. I should probably get into the habit of using other methods more regularly (and less casually)