Losing Languages

Vastmind

As someone who loves the art of language and the art of Buddha, it is this I can give.
May we learn the language of Love and Compassion.

"Experts estimate that only 50% of the languages that are alive today
will be spoken by the year 2100.
The disappearance of a language means the loss of valuable scientific
and cultural information, comparable to the loss of a species.
Tools for collaboration between the world communities, scholars,
organizations and concerned individuals can make a difference.
The Endangered Languages Project, is an online resource to record, access,
and share samples of and research on endangered languages, as well as to
share advice and best practices for those working to document or
strengthen languages under threat."

--http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/


What does this mean for Buddhism?
How will this impact the teachings in the future?

What does this mean for you and the languages spoken
in your home?
My experience is English and Amercian Sign Language and Hubby
Twi/West African dialects.

RebeccaS

English is my first language, but I speak a little Russian and French. I used to be almost fluent in Italian but I forgot it all and I could speak passable German but I lost that, too.

I love languages. Love them.

I decided to learn Russian because so many of my favourite authors are Russian and I wanted to read the original works rather than translations (still not fluent enough for that though) and the languages... There are words that don't even exist in the English language, that have no literal translation. I decided to learn French simply because I live in Canada and it will make finding a job easier But it's actually harder than Russian!

I think in Sweden they actually have a word for the act of going to the front door to see if a long awaited guest has arrived, then coming back, and then going to check again!

I just that that's amazing, and yes, I think we also need a word for doing that

vinlyn

While I think that languages should be preserved for historical reasons, I think -- particularly after taking several classes in linguistics -- that you could also make a case for the fewer "active" languages, the better.

I think, for example, in some of my earlier travels in Thailand, when a Thai in the central plains had difficulty talking with a Thai in Issan, just a couple of hundred miles away, because the central plains Thai language was more "pure" Thai, while in Issan Thai was very heavily influenced by Lao. A similar division also took place with Southern Thai dialect, as compared to Issan or central plains. Although not quite so different, northern Thais.

For example, traditional hello in central Thailand = "sawadii, khrap", in the south "wa dii", in the north "sawadii, jao"...not sure about Issan...and that's just a very mild difference.

Dakini

Vastminds said:

"Experts estimate that only 50% of the languages that are alive today
will be spoken by the year 2100.
The disappearance of a language means the loss of valuable scientific
and cultural information, comparable to the loss of a species.

:bawl:

I think cultural and linguistic diversity are essential for humanity's survival. The medicinal knowledge, alone, that will be lost as Indigenous cultures are engulfed by the dominant societies that surround them represents a tremendous treasure-trove and potential to end much human suffering.

The people who started the Endangered Languages Project made an utterly fascinating film, called "The Linguists", that explores 3 very remote cultures and their language that's dying out. One is a pre-Inca language that Andean linguists thought had died out when the Incas took over the region. It's used exclusively by male healers of a certain tribe, and catalogues the use of herbs and other materia medica, knowledge that's been lost to other tribes in the area. Also interviewed are elders in a (formerly) Turkic-speaking Siberian tribe that was believed to have died out, a low-caste Indigenous group in India, and one Chemehuevi man in the US Southwest, who is the last speaker of his language. He maintains fluency by listening to tapes. The film is available from Netflix, and from the Project, I think.

Bunks

I met a drunk guy from Sunderland once. We were both speaking English but I hardly understood a word that came out of his mouth!