query: ludlings

[David Gil]

Dear all,

I have a quick question about ludlings (also known as "secret 
languages", "word games", etc.)

Most or all ludlings described to date are defined in terms of an 
operation whose domain is, at most, that of the word (eg. "reverse the 
order of segments in each word").  Occasionally, the domain is smaller, 
such as the syllable (eg. "insert a [b] into each syllable").

My question: Is anybody familiar with a ludling defined in terms of an 
operation whose domain is LARGER than that of the word?

I used to think such ludlings were impossible, and I suspect that many 
indeed are (eg. "reverse the order of words in a sentence"). However, 
today I came across what seems to be a ludling, in Papuan Malay, that 
inserts a fixed element at the end of (what seems to be) each 
intonational phrase.  So I'm wondering whether such ludlings have been 
described before.

Thanks,

David

-- 
David Gil

Department of Linguistics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Telephone: 49-341-3550321 Fax: 49-341-3550333
Email: gil at eva.mpg.de
Webpage:  http://www.eva.mpg.de/~gil/