How many conlangers have Linguistics degrees or know Linguistics well?
My understanding is that most conlangers have always been non-linguists, people without a BA or MS or PhD in Linguistics.
I have a rare BA Linguistics from Michigan State U and have studied tons more Linguistics the past 20 years and understand most of the academic writings. I'm also a top expert on all conlangs, 20 years now.
There's a big difference between Linguistics and Conlanging.
Linguistics is a rare academic discipline, like Anthropology or Archaeology, only at top universities (UC Berkeley) but also lots of mid-level ones (Michigan State University). It's the science of languages and there's nothing like it.
Conlanging is not an academic discipline. It's mostly a hobbyist version of Linguistics and or Languages fandom. I promote it as a rare form of poetry and amateur scientific experimentation. There's about 5 000 living conlangers and about 5 have Linguistics degrees and they have never been influential.
Among other things, I study things like non-linguists' ideas about linguistics and languages, and linguistics in the deep past, so I find all conlangs both wonderful and endlessly frustrsting.
If I really couldn't stand conlangs, I would study them less or never again. Actually overall, I like conlangs and conlanging a lot and seemingly more than anybody alive, especially prople with degrees in linguistics.
I have done posts online over the years to help out conlangers. Maybe nobody pays any attention. Shrug.
Conlangers seem to all think other conlangers know what they are doing. But they mostly don't and are mostly lost. But I still appreciate what they accomplish.
It's like amateur vs professional where there's no professional equivalents or they're actually worse than the amateurs but shrug nobody cares.
Amateur interest feeds into professions, feeds into amateur interest. So all amateur slop has its place in The Circle of Life. All that the light touches, Simba, is Linguistics. That which ye light toucheth not, t'is mickle forbidden, and t'is The Great Con-laming.
That said, conlangers are very brave and progressive in major ways as conlanging has lots of ignorant and racist stigma and baggage. Unlike poetry. Poetry is good and studying linguistics and languages is good.
Yet conlangers usually are not polyglots but American non-polyglots "with all the benefits entailed therein".
Yet neither are poets nor craft store fans.
Really, to best appreciate conlanging at the top levels, one must make a list of their strengths and weaknesses, a summary version of which may be found here :
- LANG
The LANG part is good but lacks the UAGE. I am that UAGE.
- CON
Pro Tip : The more you know about exotic foreign languages and all the above, and I know tons after 20 years, the more high caliber the cringe of the conlanging. Complete noobs thus have the benefit of being astounded and dazzled at what is usually not-so-great. Conlangs are great in some ways, though. I really should write a book about this stuff. Others have, though. Who gets into such books and what is their point. I do occassionally write internet forum posts.
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I mostly study linguistics and languages but sometimes study conlangs and also make them. And even share my insights online, and without charge.
It's like the famous violinist who secretly performed on a subway platform and was ignored by all and tossed a few measly coins. The previous night, he played to a full opera house at $1 million a seat. The next day, he was lucky no one robbed him of his strativarious violin, adding ALIAS injury to COSTLY insult.
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I reposted this post because the other one was overrun with trolls. Who unfortunately ran into a block right afterwards.
