Manchu Language Dying Out

mongolianhistory.blogspot.com ^ | 2007 | David Lague

[Alberta's Child]

It would be a tragedy for another language to be wiped out.

I'm not sure I agree with that. When some part of a human society or culture "dies out," it's often because it simply doesn't have any functional purpose anymore as time goes on. It sounds to me as if this is the case with these eclectic languages that originated in regions that never became dominant in commerce with the outside world to the point where the language spread far and wide.

And in any case, I'd also point out that for every language that is "wiped out," we may have new ones spring up in its place even if we don't recognize it now. I was in New York City a few weeks ago and overheard a conversation between two African-American girls on the subway, and I could barely understand a word they were saying even though it was allegedly "English."

[mikrofon]

Accordingly to some sci-fi futurists, once the evil Corporatists deplete the Earth’s resources we’ll have to leave and everyone will speak Chinglish....

[Cronos]

don't have time to reply to all -- I will point out that the W&P translation isn't complete -- "ne m'en parlez pas" is translated as simply "don't" whereas it is actually more like "do not talk of it" --> a shade of more emphasis. Try --> http://tashian.com/multibabel/

[Cronos]

should be --> you're reading into things. I never said it should be enforced, I was pointing out in the same fashion as "one should eat vegetables" etc. -- it's in my opinion something that would enrich a person's life.

in this example the child could learn Manchu or he could learn Japanese or English or Russian. -- or he could learn both Manchu and English or Manchu and Japanese.

Very few people have a natural affinity for languages. -- I don't completely agree with that -- it depends on when the language is taught -- adults growing up in a monolingual society would find it difficult to pick up a language at 30-40, however for a child its not that difficult. Neither is it so difficult for a teenager and it does make them think in a different way.

[Mmmike]

Maybe it was Jive.

[Cronos]

Let me add that many native English speakers (Americans, British, Australian etc) wrongly assume that since much of the World speaks English that they are in a better position to understand the rest of the World or that the Anglo-Saxon Worldview is predominant.

you are absolutely correct. I was pretty blind to that fact until I traveled. We blithely think that all know English, but that's not true. We blithely think that our literature is the richest, but then we meet the Russians, French, Poles, Chinese, japanese etc.

[Cronos]

It’s call evolution.

Well, I believe in creationism...