This description was valid until 8/1/01. Malat has changed... for a newer description, go here.

What is Malat?

Malat, basically, is logical. It is designed to mimic the underlying structure of what is being said, making expressions clearer and less ambiguous. The grammar is regular with regard to semantics. Sentence structure is based on a cause and effect system. It is basically a different way of thinking.

What is Malat based on?

Some of Malat's design is based on the philosophies of Rick Morneau's monograph, Designing an Artificial Language: Lexical Semantics. Other logical ideas are taken from Lojban, a forerunner in logical languages. Bits and pieces are inspired from other conlangs and even natlangs. A good chunk of it is just good old fashioned inspiration.

What is the purpose of Malat?

Malat is not an auxiliary language: it's not designed to be an easy language to learn. It's also not an artlang - not the language of an artificial culture or society. It is also not a theoretical language which won't be spoken by anyone. It's more like an expirament in a new way of thinking. It's likely that there won't be a good amount of speakers of malat, but I intend to speak the language fluently myself when it's completed, and to start a community of speakers.

What is the (real-world) history of Malat?

I started designing Malat on paper in late 1997, and dropped it for a year. In october 1998 I picked it up again and started doing more work on it. I created this page in november 98, and continued working on the language for a couple months again, then got interested in other things again. I am now getting back into it; it seems it is an end of the year thing for me.