Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 3 of 11 1 2 3 4 5 10 11
beck123 #189501 02/24/10 01:37 AM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
And I suppose the person who coined "glitch" at NASA is
probably still living as well: I have not forgotten.

My grandparents made their children learn English, not the
native European language.
Yet I was left handed at birth and forced to write with my
right hand. Different standards.


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #189502 02/24/10 02:01 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 655
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 655
Clearly, they didn't want sinister offspring. An additional benefit was realized in the fact that if you were unable to cut properly with scissors, you might be tempted to run with them.


"I don't know which is worse: ignorance or apathy. And, frankly, I don't care." - Anonymous
beck123 #189505 02/24/10 02:12 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Originally Posted By: beck123
Imperial imposition of a common language has been tried - unsuccessfully - time and time again


The population of Great Britain is overwhelmingly of British or Irish/Scottish stock. The language spoken by the vast majority of those people is a Germanic language imposed on them by a relatively small number of roughly fifth century invaders.

beck123 #189506 02/24/10 02:12 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Jackie Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
One of my fellow attendees asked the guy what I thought was an interesting question: that, if Esperanto did become really widely used spoken, over a period of at least one whole generation, wouldn't it be likely that different pronunciations and then dialects would develop?
(So again, my question of why bother to keep promoting it?)

beck123 #189509 02/24/10 02:58 AM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Originally Posted By: beck123
Clearly, they didn't want sinister offspring. An additional benefit was realized in the fact that if you were unable to cut properly with scissors, you might be tempted to run with them.


Which, it might surprise you, is exactly what they told me: "Don't run with scissors". I think of that
whenever I pick up a pair and move away with them in my hand.


----please, draw me a sheep----
beck123 #189512 02/24/10 06:05 AM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
I'm going to challenge this idea by pointing to exactly what we are doing in this forum.

Ah, yes, well, I suppose. The vast differences you speak (or type) of are lexical in nature. Most of them are not in the sense of absolutely new words, but rather of new meanings for words. Extensions as it were. In a word, metaphor. The fact that one can read Tom Jones or Tristam Shandy without too much trouble, except an occasionally trip to the dictionary (I am speaking of the grammar of the the language thereto) puts the lie to your assertion. But, heck, what do i know. Maybe you're right.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #189524 02/24/10 04:57 PM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Quote:
Beck 123. So it remains to be explained why this language, with no real rules, has caught on like wildfire; and esperanto languishes on the shelf. I offer that this language serves our individual needs and - most importantly - is created by its users, as are all viable languages.


Quote:
Jackie. One of my fellow attendees asked the guy what I thought was an interesting question: that, if Esperanto did become really widely used spoken, over a period of at least one whole generation, wouldn't it be likely that different pronunciations and then dialects would develop?
(So again, my question of why bother to keep promoting it?)


Esperanto was created as a language to serve an ideology. A neutral language to serve as a 'bridge' between all different peoples. Almost like a sect. A humanitarian one.

Quote from a Dutch article:
" This bridge-function shows itself a.o. in the international travel network of Eperantists with the title Pasporta Servo. This network allows Esperanto speakers to travel easy and at low costs to visit other Esperanto speakers all over the world. This gives a person who speaks Esp. the opportunity to learn the culture and habits throught meeting directly with fellow idealists."

As an idea it is certainly well meant, but as a language this is where it maybe should limit itself to. What's the use of translating Shakespeare, Chaucer, Tolstoy, any great litterature to Esperanto, when all those great writers are translated into practically all languages of the world?

BranShea #189529 02/24/10 08:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
Originally Posted By: BranShea
What's the use of translating Shakespeare, Chaucer, Tolstoy, any great litterature to Esperanto, when all those great writers are translated into practically all languages of the world?

For the same reason all the other languages have translated those texts, Cultural perspective. Ideas are sometimes translated more coherently in ones own lingo. Who's to say Esperanto doesn't generate it's own cultural Identity?

olly #189533 02/24/10 10:51 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,916
Likes: 2
Who can help on this? Where is Esperanto used specifically?
Anywhere?


----please, draw me a sheep----
Faldage #189534 02/24/10 10:56 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 655
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 655
Originally Posted By: Faldage
Originally Posted By: beck123
Imperial imposition of a common language has been tried - unsuccessfully - time and time again


The population of Great Britain is overwhelmingly of British or Irish/Scottish stock. The language spoken by the vast majority of those people is a Germanic language imposed on them by a relatively small number of roughly fifth century invaders.


I think that "British," "Irish," and "Scottish" is what they are today. The stocks that created these groups were many and varied, the major ones being Celts (particularly Brytthonic Celts, for whom Britain is named), Picts in the north, Romans, Saxons, and, finally, a tremendous influx of Norsemen. The venerable Battle of Hastings, was, in fact, a battle between two Viking nobles, and Dublin was founded by Vikings about 1100 years ago. Much of Modern English comes from Old French, so I don't really see where there was ever a language imposed on the entire British Isles. In the Roman-to-Viking era, nobody - nobody - ever conquered the Picts, for example, and I don't doubt that Pictish can be heard in modern Scottish dialects, from where it has probably influenced Modern English. The same is true for the western reaches of Ireland.


"I don't know which is worse: ignorance or apathy. And, frankly, I don't care." - Anonymous
Page 3 of 11 1 2 3 4 5 10 11

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 442 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5