I Will Admit

I will admit that some of the more popular posts in this poetry blog are those that feature nudity in the illustrations. In a way this isn't so surprising, because most people love nudity, whether or not they are in the habit of admitting it. Regular poems in the English language do well too, especially when there is something in them that recommends itself to a large number of readers (a good example is Prayer for the World). A real surprise, though, is the popularity of posts in the Udugi language, with or without a translation.

Perhaps this should not be so surprising, either. Udugi is a constructed language, based on Cherokee vocabulary and a very simple, Esperanto-like grammar. Its goal is to preserve what can be preserved of the Cherokee language, as well as the use of the Cherokee writing system. Fortunately, Cherokee is the best-documented indigenous language of North America. The melding of the vocabulary and the new, simple grammar has been done quite seamlessly, creating a beautiful and very usable product.

But who are the users of this new-old language? I don't know, since they haven't yet told me, but I can say that the greatest interest, by far, is in the United States. Other countries where there is significant interest in the language are Germany, France, and Brazil. If you are among those interested in the Udugi language, I'd love to hear from you. I can be reached by email: exolinguist at gmail dot com. Thanks for your interest!